JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Australia still sleeping?
😂
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Yes. Most are. Figuratively and literally. They keep voting for Labor governments, after all.
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Dr Suneel Dhand talks about AI. He likes it and seems to trust it I always warn people about AI. It’s a tool only. Results must be checked and constantky monitored to see if they are sensible. Back in the day people understood the adage “garbage in, garbage out” in relation to computers. It still applies to AI. https://youtu.be/UgGoMM2-3mA
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The trouble with AI is that as it gets more and more proficient at mimicry and creating believable fakes, it becomes almost impossible for mere humans to know what’s real and what is fake news or propaganda. When trust in information, already low for many of us, is fully shattered and nobody knows what to believe or disbelieve, the post-truth age is fully upon us. We are then more vulnerable and easily misled. Without sound evidence our critical faculties are useless. We have two choices. Blindly believe or disbelieve. And in a panopticon totalitarian state truth or belief will no longer matter. There is only compliance or non compliance.
Is this real or AI?
Massive Dutch protest at The Hague
https://youtube.com/shorts/WtD3NY9MzHg?si=7D8OqoqagCh1SH1i
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Here is a brief comment from Orson Wells which is part of a BBC interview (link below).
I particularly recommend you listen to what he says from 2:30 to 3:10. It is very prescient, even now, and warns about believing what you see and hear on radio, TV and newspapers.
The interview is undated but the (in)famous transmission of “The War of the Worlds” radio program which caused mass panic in the United States about which he speaks was in 1938. People thought there really was an alien (extraterrestrial) invasion.
Video: https://youtu.be/BkG70_wa4a8
Note that today there are opinions which suggest the extent of panic was exaggerated:
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Questions to think about.
How can thinking Australians remain happy under a likely 6 to 9 years more of Labor federal government and possibly in most states as well, facing the prospect of rapidly rising costs, massive new taxes, charges and regulations, further censorship, further restrictions on national park usage (like Ayers Rock, Lake Ayre, Arapiles, Mt Warning), further restrictions on car ownership and use (e.g. the fuel efficiency standard), more inappropriate immigration, both in sheer numbers plus people not prepared to adopt Australian and Western culture and who will likely never work and pay taxes (and who are being imported far faster than housing can be built causing the housing crisis), crime out of control and unpunished or poorly punished, ongoing assaults on the energy system, ongoing war against the food supply and farmers (methane emissions, inappropriate measures against avian flu causing an egg shortage), huge, unprecedented levels of state and federal government debt, staggering cluelessness among many or even most politicians, senior public serpents, CSIRO and BoM, and university “scientists” etc., etc. etc…….?
Most importantly, how can we create a conservative opposition with a chance of getting elected?
I think it’s impossible to reform the Liberal Party.
We need a new genuinely conservative party, which also incorporates our existing conservative parties e.g. Trumpets, One Nation, Libertarian, Family First etc..
We have 6 to 9 years to do it, assuming there is anything worth saving by then.
Right now, we are effectively living in a one party state with no meaningful opposition.
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Agreed.
Suggested name: The Pragmatic Australia Party 😁
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Access to Lake Eyre is now race-based so most people can’t visit, however back in the day, in 1975, this was not the case.
The Lake is normally dry salt but fills occasionally and people could sail boats on it.
The following video is the weekly news broadcast from yesterday of the Wireless Institute of Australia, the peak body for radio amateurs in Australia, equivalent to the US ARRL.
It describes operating an amateur radio station from a sailboat on Lake Eyre in 1975.
https://youtu.be/6Av4W4TnKTg
See from 0:54 to 3:50
Signal propagation from and over salt water is very good because it acts as an electrically conductive ground plane for the antenna.
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Then yacht races should be allowed.
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Here’s a level-headed article, more balanced than the crap we’re used to in the Australian media.
It might be written by Maurice Newman especially for a couple of TDS friends I know.
Trump Remains The Hope Of The Side
https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/05/trump-remains-the-hope-of-the-side/
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Unfortunately paywalled.
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Apologies.
Here:
https://archive.ph/exZti
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The Protoclone is a creepy-looking humanoid robot with synthetic muscles and flesh.
https://youtu.be/O2YO4WoYFvY
It’s not yet clear if these robots combined with AI will be our servants or masters.
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