A local friend made the (Dutch) comment above. He urged me to consider this and write about it. His smirky smile suggested that his remark had an ambiguous (eg, sexual) context, which is rather common. Actually, Science (eg, Boston Uni, Physics, TH) agrees with his observation: Yes, friction is necessary for forward motion in many cases. When an object pushes...
Technology
American economy 2025 onwards
5 May, 2025
Last week, it became clear that the American economy had slightly declined in the first quarter of 2025. No surprise given the "100 days of chaos" (eg, FT, NPR). The Wall Street Journal gave a good explanation for the (annualized) 0.3% decline: "The U.S. economy contracted in the first three months of 2025, as businesses rushed to stock up on imports ahead of...
China bans ‘smart’ and ‘autonomous’ driving terms from vehicle ads (Reuters)
28 Apr, 2025
Intro LO: This article suggests that "over-the-air technology upgrades" could occur while driving that car. I sure hope that such "over-the-air technology upgrades" could only happen when a car is not driving. The approval of such "over-the-air technology upgrades" might seem important but I doubt it is. Who reads the details of smartphone upgrades before their...
The complexity bias (15)
24 Apr, 2025
In March 2018, I wrote about the simplicity bias, part-1 to part-5. It took me some months before I realised everything is getting more complex (eg, in life, nature, universe). In September 2018, I started writing on the complexity bias (1). Many episodes followed (eg, part-14 in 2024). Today, starts part-15. Early April 2025, Quanta published this article: Why...
Done with USA
23 Apr, 2025
Since a few weeks, a new feeling has come over me. I have had trouble finding its "name". Its feeling is about the opposite of the fear of missing out (FOMO). The joy of missing out (JOMO) is misleading. I've dubbed my feeling as "done with USA". The less I hear, read or see about Trump's America, the better. I can afford my feelings because I do not live there. I...
De ijsberg metafoor
21 Mar, 2025
Maandenlang werkte ik aan een diagram met een ijsberg metafoor qua (zichtbare) daden en woorden, en (onzichtbare) intenties. Ik bleef ontevreden want telkens ontbrak er iets dat ik niet (goed) kon benoemen. Vandaag “kantelde” ik die ijsberg weer eens. Dit keer voegde ik tijd en ruimte toe, alsmede een andere driehoek van noodzakelijk, willen, en overtuigingen....
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