Monday 13th May 2024

Deep Honesty - LessWrong

Most people avoid saying literally false things, especially if those could be audited, like making up facts or credentials. The reasons for this are both moral and pragmatic — being caught out looks really bad, and sustaining lies is quite hard, especially over time. Let's call the habit of not saying things you know to be false 'shallow honesty'[1].

Often when people are shallowly honest, they still choose what true things they say in a kind of locally act-consequentialist way, to try to bring about some outcome. Maybe something they want for themselves (e.g. convincing their friends to see a particular movie), or something they truly believe is good (e.g. causing their friend to vote for the candidate they think will be better for the country).

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How to be an amateur polyglot - LessWrong

Being a polyglot is a problem of definition first. Who can be described as a polyglot? At what level do you actually "speak" the given language? Some sources cite that polyglot means speaking more than 4 languages, others 6. My take is it doesn't matter. I am more interested in the definition of when you speak the language. If you can greet and order a coffee in 20 languages do you actually speak them? I don't think so. Do you need to present a scientific document or write a newspaper worthy article to be considered? That's too much. I think the best definition would be that you can go out with a group of native speakers, understand what they are saying and participate in the discussion that would range from everyday stuff to maybe work related stuff and not switching too often to English nor using google translate. It's ok to pause and maybe ask for a specific word or ask the group if your message got across. This is what I am aiming for when I study a specific language. 

Why learn a foreign language when soon we will have AI auto-translate from our glasses and other wearables? This is a valid question for work related purposes but socially it's not. You can never be interacting with glasses talking in another language while having dinner with friends nor at a date for example. The small things that make you part of the culture are hidden in the language. The respect and the motivation to blend in is irreplaceable. 

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AI and other tricks are bringing power lines into the 21st century - The Economist (No paywall)

Grids are at last becoming smarter and more efficient

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Astonishing images show how female Neanderthal may have looked - New Scientist (No paywall)

The skull of Shanidar Z was found in the Shanidar cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and has been painstakingly put back together

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Mindfulness interventions for teens actually decrease mindfulness, new study finds

A new analysis suggests that school-based mindfulness programs, widely implemented in recent years, do not significantly benefit adolescents' mental health or well-being.

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What I Wish Someone Had Told Me 30 Years Ago - The Atlantic (No paywall)

Life is not measured by a moment. Focus on getting the big things right.

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The Rise of the Finternet | by Agustin Carstens & Nandan Nilekani - Project Syndicate

Agustín Carstens & Nandan Nilekani foresee a world in which cheap, secure, and near-instantaneous financial transactions are available to all.

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Consulting firms’ grip on Saudi economy sparks local misgivings - FT (No paywall)

Disgruntlement rises over role of outside experts in running the kingdom

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In today’s China, to get rich is perilous - The Economist (No paywall)

Business sectors can be praised one day and banned the next

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How to Stand Out as a Data Scientist in 2024 - Medium (No paywall)

Not so long ago, it seemed like landing your first data science job or switching to a more exciting data or ML role followed a fairly well-defined sequence. You learned new skills and expanded your existing ones, demonstrated your experience, zoomed in on the most fitting listings, and… sooner or later, something good would come your way.

Of course, things were never quite as straightforward, at least not for everyone. But even so, we’ve experienced somewhat of a mood shift in the past few months: the job market is more competitive, companies’ hiring processes more demanding, and there appears to be a lot more uncertainty and fluidity in tech and beyond.

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