[blog-post] Our history is a battle against the microbes: we lost terribly before science, public health, and vaccines allowed us to protect ourselves

A data-backed post showing how much infectious diseases affected us during our history and how vaccines helped us in our struggle for survival.

This post comes in a time most opportune, as more and more people are concerned with the effects and motivations behind vaccination, serving as a reminder that without vaccines the world would be an even dangerous place than it is right now.

Those concerns are valid, though, as in a world driven only by profits the incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to create medicines that actually keep us healthy and without the need of more of their products doesn’t seem very worthwile, one can’t pay the bills with good intentions and gratitude.

[paper] The Future of Work in the Age of AI: Displacement or Risk-Shifting?

An article about the actual effects of AI on jobs, a more realistic look at the current state of AI than the “AI will make everybody obsolete” narrative.

This is a lengthy one, I only read half of the “AI as Risk Reallocator” section and it was very thought provoking, how firms using AI to “mitigate” risks result not in the actual risk reduced or eliminated, but passed through to the employees.

[video] Internet of Farming - Arduino-based, backyard aquaponics

A showcase of an aquaponics farm setup in a backyard, a lot of things automated with help of arduinos.

It’s amazing to see how urban farming can be possible in small spaces with an aquaponics system, even running it as a one person operation is possible with automation.

But even as aquaponics represent an upgrade over industrial farming, the best use for them is to expand small scale local agricultures instead of creating giant factories of plants that perpetuate the globalized food system.

[music] [youtube] [bancamp] Pad Chennington : CONTRAST

My boi Pad Chennington’s first album, a beautifully executed future funk album.

One of last year’s most anticipated releases, when Pad announced that he would be releasing a vaporwave album I could not contain my hype, I’ve been his follower I think after watching his video about future funk; hearing him talk about one of my favourite subgenres of vaporwave in such a way left me baffled, Pad talks about vaporwave as someone who truly loves it with everything they got.

The album itself is a delight to the ears, nice samples chopped in the right places, happy beats that get you in the mood for dancing, this feels like the work of someone who has been making music for a long time.

4th track, Your Apartment Can’t Really Be That Small is my favourite of the bunch, beachy vibes, not so fast, a nice long vocal sample, everything just fits into place in this song. 7th track, Motor City Cobra is also very good, a catchy beat unlike any other with some vocal samples thrown here and there to spice things up, really good stuff.

Collaboration over competition.