Jason Polak

Does democracy still exist?

Does democracy still exist in western civilization any more? I would argue that in the United States and Canada at least, we no longer have a democracy. Rather, we have a technocratic rule where the main source of power is diffused over corporations and technology companies. The encyclopedia Britannica defines democracy as Democracy is a Does democracy still exist?

What I wish for

If I could have any wish, you might think I’d wish for riches. And in fact, perhaps in this screwed up world, I might be tempted to wish for an isolated place away from civilization. But here is what I wish for in truth is… …That people can have land as a right rather than What I wish for

Deceptive actions that are ostensibly good

One of the most dangerous aspects of an evolutionary system like capitalism with hardly no restrictions is that every implementation of a good idea likely serves the capitalistc-industrial system as well, even if the good idea purports to go against part of the system. This is because ideas typically go through iterations, and if one Deceptive actions that are ostensibly good

February Updates

Hey, how creative, I entitled this post “February Updates”. So anyway, I’ve been thinking about my math blog. I definitely liked blogging about math but at some point it was getting tiring to maintain and I’m glad I deleted it. Actually, since I deleted it, nobody told me that they missed the content so I February Updates

The new religion of technology

We have a new religion, and it’s called technology. Technology is the most deceptive sort of religion, because it purports itself as mere machine, mere mathematical logic incarnate. But if that were so, surely we would think more about which of these lifeless machines are good for us and which are not? We don’t. We The new religion of technology

Difficult problems in trying to stop consumerism and technology

There are many extremely difficult social problems we’ve got in fighting against consumerism and the technological world. I plan to write about some of these soon. Here is a list of some of the most pressing, which are focused on potential roadblocks to revolutionary change to transform industrial society into something more sustainable: Modern industrial Difficult problems in trying to stop consumerism and technology

A new concept on definition overloading

I have been thinking a lot about definition overloading and how the flexibility of language can actually lead to serious misunderstandings of our own human nature and the force of humanity. I already wrote one article on the nature of sharing, which I invite you to take a look at. As I explore this new A new concept on definition overloading

AI Automated Email? No Thanks

I recently came across a product that claims to make email easier with AI automation. Among other things, it can easily draft replies. There are many reasons why I highly recommend not to use such products, the number one being because using such a product supports AI development. But there is an extremely important reason AI Automated Email? No Thanks

Five problems with society today

Today, I am going to look at five problems of society today. You may of course object to my use of the word “society”, as there are many small societies that coexist both peacefully and not so peacefully. Nonetheless, when I say “society”, I mean the truly global society of people that is a higher-order Five problems with society today

December 2023 News

I’ve decided to make news posts every month about random things that are happening with me and my work. This month, I migrated my newsletter to Substack. Of course, this blog will still remain active. However, if you subscribe to my Substack, you can get my technology and environment newsletter by email. It is 100% December 2023 News

AI Use in Audiobooks: How it Takes Away from the Medium and What You Can Do to Fight Back

article written by Amelie Farrell Over the past few years, the audiobook market has been booming. Data from Acumen Research and Consulting reveals that the market is expected to reach $33.5 billion by 2030, up from about $4.2 billion in 2021. Unsurprisingly, this growth hasn’t escaped the attention of tech companies and the cloying grasp of artificial AI Use in Audiobooks: How it Takes Away from the Medium and What You Can Do to Fight Back

Beware of the AI wolf in sheep’s clothing

You should watch out for AI masquerading as something good. Most technologies usually have both positive and negative effects on society. Unfortunately, the positive effects are usually ephemeral and quick to manifest themselves whereas the long-term effects are hard to comprehend for most of us and damaging to the basic nature of being human. Consider Beware of the AI wolf in sheep’s clothing

Six reasons why AI is dangerous and should be destroyed

In this article, I will tell you about six of the most dangerous threats from artificial intelligence, also known as AI. These six threats are so great that we should stop all artificial intelligence research, outlaw companies like OpenAI, and destroy all existing research. 1. It creates mass automation that removes purpose Artificial intelligence like Six reasons why AI is dangerous and should be destroyed

We should aim to reduce globalism

We should aim to reduce globalism, and by this I mean we should reduce global phenomenon by relying on global corporations less than we do now. Communities should be more self-sufficient instead of relying on imports from all over the world. When I say this, I do not mean that imports are all bad but We should aim to reduce globalism

New series on climate change

As you know, technology and climate change are intricately linked. Thus, I’ve decided to write more about climate change. I’ve also started making some videos on climate change. There’s a bit of an internal battle inside me because I don’t like YouTube much but I do believe it’s a good way to reach people. I’m New series on climate change

Tips to avoid 9-5, full-time jobs

I used to have a 9-5, full-time job and this year I quit. The reasons I quit are somewhat complex but I think it’s fair to say that aside from getting money, it was a complete waste of time in the sense that I wasn’t learning anything I cared to learn, nor was I using Tips to avoid 9-5, full-time jobs

Meta-challenges of climate change

Climate change is the most difficult problem humanity has ever faced, because it doesn’t go away when civilizations die. We can’t start over and we can’t just move somewhere else. I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic, which is why I am expanding this blog to treat topics on technology and climate change. This Meta-challenges of climate change

A cidade

A cidade representa o ponto mais alto do civilização. Na verdade, as cidades fizeram a vida de muitas pessoas melhor, mas como tudo, os seres humanos estão levando as cidades a um novo limite e agora, as cidades estão começando a fazer a vida pior para muitos. Um único ser humano é uma agente com A cidade

Smartphones: First optional, now required

Successful technologies go through two stages: at first, they are optional. It is during this stage that people say “just don’t use it” when the technology appears. Later, the technology becomes mandatory and it’s almost impossible not to use it. The other day, we were at a restaurant when the waitor said, “you have to Smartphones: First optional, now required

I closed my LinkedIn account

I am happy to announce that I closed my LinkedIn account. LinkedIn is such a horrible website, but my personal reasons might not be what you think. I barely spent any time on LinkedIn, though I have used it in the past to look for jobs. However, in the future, I will try my best I closed my LinkedIn account

The Definition of AI

These days, people wonder about the definition of AI. Does it mean AGI, as in something truly intelligent? Does machine learning count as AI? When I tell people I won’t use AI, one of the first questions they ask is, “what is AI to you?” People who are wary of AI might also like to The Definition of AI

We should indeed ban single-use plastics including plastic straws

Some places, including Canada, have started making laws banning single-use plastics. There are also many laws for phasing out gas-powered cars and introducing electric vehicles. One of the arguments I’ve heard against this is that “China outputs so much CO2” that we should focus on big emitters like China, massive coal plants, and other huge We should indeed ban single-use plastics including plastic straws

Alem de objetivos específicos

A humanidade tem muitos problemas além da tecnologia, e um deles é o nosso clima. Desde que nós começamos a usar combustíveis fosseis, adicionamos CO2 na atmosfera e agora a terra está esquentando. Um outro problema é a nossa economia, que dá recompensas para pessoas que fazem produtos e serviços que ajudam as pessoas no Alem de objetivos específicos

Don’t distrust science, but have caution about invention

I have talked at length about how we should be extremely wary of technology. But that means being cautious about the social and environmental impacts of technology. It does not mean that we should be suspicious of the basic scientific method. The scientific method works. It produces results that rapidly and successful converge onto the Don’t distrust science, but have caution about invention