Damn Interesting

Was it this article? https://www.damninteresting.com/on-the-origin-of-circuits/

> "It seems that evolution had not merely selected the best code for the task, it had also advocated those programs which took advantage of the electromagnetic quirks of that specific microchip environment. The five separate logic cells were clearly crucial to the chip’s operation, but they were interacting with the main circuitry through some unorthodox method — most likely via the subtle magnetic fields that are created when electrons flow through circuitry, an effect known as magnetic flux. There was also evidence that the circuit was not relying solely on the transistors’ absolute ON and OFF positions like a typical chip; it was capitalizing upon analogue shades of gray along with the digital black and white."

Oddly enough I addressed this in my motion graphics lecture today. It was in relation to this information visualization issue:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-time_nuclear_waste_warning_messages

More material here:

https://www.damninteresting.com/this-place-is-not-a-place-of-honor/

This type of problem (warning future generations about the dangers of radioactivity) is a brilliant limit-test for the general problems of information visualization.

The radioactive warning trefoil has an ignoble history of being unequal to the task.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident

Hence its semi-recent update (ISO 21482).

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/new-symbol-launched-warn-public-about-radiation-dangers

Freeman at his best [1] when he is thinking blue thoughts [4,5] in the blue plane.
Thermogenic plants have already evolved [2]. We need to make them grow an anti-desiccant film and be more efficient like living stones [3].

[1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yzgPMwshqE

[2]https://www.damninteresting.com/warm-blooded-plants/

[3]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC4onPf_htQ

[4] Alan Kay's explanation of Arthur Koestlers creative thinking (link will follow later).

John Cleese explains how [6]. Point of view is worth 80 IQ points, the best way to predict the future is to invent it.

[5] Arthur Koestler (link will follow later).

[6] John Cleese explains why in a funny way.

I've been running websites on WordPress almost as long as WordPress has existed, my oldest site has been running on it continuously for 20+ years[1]. Between forcing Gutenberg into the core (it should have been a plugin), Mullenweg's recent unhinged actions (e.g., the ACF fiasco[2]), the increasing number of naggy subscription-based plugins, and now this contemptible AI integration, I'm going to start the process of migrating my sites, probably to ClassicPress[3].

Oh well, we had a pretty good run.

[1] https://www.damninteresting.com/

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41828958

[3] https://www.classicpress.net/

I am not sure it's less efficient by default or simply because of lack of R&D into making steam engines better.

I read about a government program in maybe the 70s (oil crisis?) where steam engines were reviewed to replace gas engines. The reason being is that burning fuel at atmospheric pressure means you burn it more cleanly and fully. This sounds like an efficiency balance at some level, certainly a pollution advantage.

A quick search brought up this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_steam_technology#Automotive_uses

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-last-great-steam-car/

That's now how bananas work. Bananas are sterile hybrids; that's why they're cloned in the first place. Other plants are cloned for other reasons, typically because they don't grow true from seed.

Luckily for us, banana plants grow like bromeliads. They flower and fruit then die. But not before sprouting several new stalks. So they're really easy to propagate by separating the new stalks once they get big enough.

Someone else posted this excellent article on it:

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-unfortunate-sex-life-of-the-banana/