*This combination of things won’t be found anywhere else on the internet.*

The Quantum Quimby Roundup III

The pendulum of life is a fickle thing. Merely one week ago we celebrated a massive blue wave at the ballot box, voters did their job in rebuking Fascist-Trumpian politics. Fresh progressive energy has been injected into the system in the form of Zohran Mamdani, Mikie Sherrill, Abigail Spanberger, and on down the ballot. On that same night, “Fandies” did their job at the digital ballot box as well, propelling Andy Richter into the top half of the original fourteen contestants on Dancing With The Stars. I hadn’t felt that much unadulterated joy and hope in some time.

Now, only a week later, Democrat Senators have caved to all Republican demands forty days into the government shutdown. A shutdown is a ridiculous performative spectacle that should never happen, but using food stamps and healthcare as political pawns should disgust us all. Chuck Schumer has utterly failed as minority leader and should resign from the position. Meanwhile, “Fandies” failed to overcome the numbers, leading to Andy Richter’s elimination just one week shy of the semifinals. Seventh place is certainly respectable for a dancer of his skill level but it was a major loss for fun, joy, and whimsy.

What To Read

Get Ready to Hear a Lot About Robot and AI ‘Swarms’

Large Language Models have become mundane. The influx of massive data centers have hit our electricity bills. So, what’s next in AI? Swarms. Thousands of AI instances working together like an ant colony. As usual, the potential aspects both good and bad seem to be deployed together. Fun, fun.

Walk Me: Toyota's Robot Chair That Walks, Climbs, and Folds Itself

This gadget seems like a potentially major breakthrough for those with mobility issues. Perhaps, even a future replacement for wheelchairs and stair lifts. So why can I only picture the fat, lazy, blob-humans from WALL-E?

7 Basic Science Discoveries That Changed The World

Highlighting scientific research that may initially have no commercial value but will sometimes lead to massive leaps in innovation. The sort of thing Trump is killing wholesale, creating a depressing brain drain in American science.

Former ‘Tonight Show’ Producer Launches AI Startup

The guys behind the podcast AI For Humans, which I listen to selectively, created their own AI experiential platform/game. I tried out the quiz show “Say Less” and found it mildly entertaining. I also played “Change My Mind” which was a little clunky and didn’t always interpret what I was saying into full sentences and the AI even interrupted me a few times. Though, I found it fun to convince the AI with a score of 64% that Taylor Swift isn’t overrated, even though I’m not a Swifty and mostly, agreed with the AI’s position. It could be a fun sort of debate prep tool. I can see the potential of this type of interaction expanding. Try it out yourself: andthen.chat

What To Watch

Supermodel and Miss World Chile semifinalist, Ignacia Fernández, showed off her metal vocal chops during the talent portion of the contest. It earned her a top spot in the final where she competed for a chance to represent Chile in the Miss Universe Pageant - and she won! As the lead singer of her band Decessus plus a side career in modeling, Fernández teaches us all a lesson in not compromising on our true selves no matter the venue.

If you sift through enough AI slop you will find some gems. Here’s one of my favorite creators called The Strangest Flea Market.

Another such diamond in the rough, is The Archive In Between.

What To Listen To

I’m a big fan of Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short about the housing bubble, which became a movie. His podcast Against The Rules is always fantastic and in his latest series he’s revisiting The Big Short. Here’s the first conversation with director Adam McKay: Adam McKay is Still Angry About 2008.

I’m now mesmerized by Ignacia Fernández, she’s having a breakout year, check out Decessus’ music below. Their debut album is slated for release at some point this year, I can’t find a date, but the lead singer is a bit understandably preoccupied.

Tonight I’m heading to Brooklyn to watch Anciients perform in concert. Their latest album from 2024, Beyond the Reach of the Sun, blew my doors off. If you enjoy progressive metal you owe it to yourself to check them out. I once grabbed a beer with them after a set, delightful group of guys.