Lmst

Simon Ricketts boosted:

Today is Stanislav Petrov Day. It's a day when I take some time to reflect on the importance of questioning technology. Because that is what Stanislav Petrov did when he averted nuclear war on September 26 in 1983.

"We can't wait anymore."
"7 minutes until the first warhead is in the observation zone."
"We won't have time to retaliate. You have to make a decision!"
"You see it?"
"Could be."
"No. That's not heat from a missile."
"Damn!"
"Let's keep looking."
"THE COMPUTER CAN'T BE WRONG!"
"I don't understand it."
"Damn it! They have to confirm this damn attack."
"All thirty levels of security levels confirms the attack!"
"Infrared devices verify heat from all five launched missiles!"
"What are we going to do?"

Stanislav Petrov: "Nothing. I don't trust the computer. We'll wait."

This dialogue is from a re-enactment in the documentary The Man Who Saved the World.

Last year I wrote about three learnings I take away from his story.

1. Embrace multiple perspectives.
Petrov was educated as an engineer rather than a military man. He knew the unpredictability of machine output.

2. Look for multiple confirmation points.
To confirm our beliefs we should expect many different variables to line up and tell us the same story. If one or more variables are saying something different, we need to pursue those anomalies to understand why. If the idea of a faulty system lines up with all other variables, that makes it more likely.

3. Reward exposure of faulty systems.
If we keep praising our tools for their excellence and efficiency it's hard to later accept their defects. When shortcomings are found, this needs to be communicated just as clearly and widely as successes. Maintaining an illusion of perfect, neutral and flawless systems will keep people from questioning the systems when the systems need to be questioned.

https://axbom.com/lessons-from-stanislav-petrov/

Am loving this month’s This New Noise album by #PublicServiceBroadcasting, a live recording of their 2022 Proms performance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra that celebrated the #BBC’s centenary of public service broadcasting. Very clever - & moving if like me you both ❤️ PSB, ❤️ BBC & ❤️ that swooping swelling full orchestral panorama. #AlbumOfTheWeek
https://spotify.link/rbGaAntWaDb

This one goes out to parents taking their offspring to uni for the first time. Been there, done that. https://open.spotify.com/track/02srSkeu2pzybuVr2B9TJm?si=Irga5IIcT_Kw8a2Q1KX92w

@mxtthxw 👏👏👏

Blessed to be in #london - two sweaty gigs this week - first the #Murlocs at #VillageUnderground in Shoreditch then tonight #AdrianSherwood 3D #dub experience at eartH Hackney #livemusic

Adrian Sherwood with “without soul” back projection

The original #clubhouse concept, particularly, in lockdown, was so exciting as a platform for the equivalent of user/creator driven talk radio/live podcasting but it has gone down, down, down. Its latest idea appears to be to focus on exchanging voice notes in groups. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing I like less than voice notes/voicemail. 😕

https://blog.clubhouse.com/the-new-clubhouse/

Simon Ricketts boosted:

The #night #sky in 2023.

This shocking #photography was obtained from #Montana (#USA) over 17 minutes. It reveals the crazy number of #satellites orbiting the #Earth. Most of them are #StarLink (from #SpaceX / #Musk) and aim at providing internet to some remote places.

StarLink is not the only project for space-based #internet: there are also #Kuiper (#Amazon), #oneWeb, #Iris2 (@EU_Commission), etc... which will send even more satellites into #space

#Astronomy

Credits: Matt C. Jackson

17 minutes pictures over Montana showing lots of trails imprint by satellites.

Simon Ricketts boosted:

Photo shows a bicycle lane beside a busy road. The bicycle lane is blocked by a mobile traffic sign that advises motorists:
GIVE CYCLISTS SPACE

If you’re still on #twitter maybe consider retweeting (Xcreting, whatever) my post there? 🙏 Except by continuing to prod like this how else can we encourage people to reflect on the platform’s toxicity and bring about necessary change? No use just preaching to the converted.

My tweet which said “PLEASE stop using this site. I’m only still here to say that. Eg today I was notified of a tweet I might like - this anti-vax account which had bought a blue tick, promulgating dangerous garbage (but I could point to so much. Under Musk this isn’t the platform you signed up to).” With screenshot of tweet from “Died Suddenly”

Simon Ricketts boosted:

I could have told them this! https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/public-revolt-could-scupper-plans-to-axe-train-station-ticket-offices-wmkr5qnl5

Simon Ricketts boosted:

Suella Braverman says the police should be neutral between racism and anti-racism, and have been taken over by “trans ideology”.

Just an absolute fiesta of far right noises, from the dog whistle to the klaxon.
https://archive.ph/8XrGX

@boysmithers yes just played Southsea Sound. 👍

@boysmithers agreed - nice mix of lighthearted chat and info. How does anyone have the time (or cash)to listen to different vinyl versions of albums..?

A poor final album of course by only half the band but still interesting in parts. What has always repelled me most is the cringeworthy title & artwork. #TheClash #punk #vinyl

Record label - Cut The Crap by The Clash

Record sleeve - Cut The Crap by The Clash

New #simonicity #planning blog post, Local Plans System Fails Soundness Test

https://simonicity.com/2023/08/25/local-plans-system-fails-soundness-test/

Simon Ricketts boosted:

About 250M years ago, 90% of species on Earth died during the Permian extinction.

Tragic? Perhaps. But it also created a lot of vacant niches to fill.

And not long after, the very first mammals, our ancestors, appeared.

#Life on Earth is resilient & will continue to be, whether we're part of it or not. #history #science

This photograph of the Earth was taken on Dec. 7, 1972, by the crew of the final Apollo mission, Apollo 17, as they traveled toward the moon on their lunar landing mission. Credit: NASA

Simon Ricketts boosted:

A newly released collection of maps show how much land in US cities is used as parking lots.

According to The Parking Reform Network, Wichita KS is 35% parking lot while Las Vegas, NV is 32% and San Bernadino, CA is a brain-melting 49% parking lot.

Imagine the possibilities if people decided to take back most of that land from empty parked cars and use it for housing and green space instead? 🌳 🚶‍♀️ 🚴 👨‍👩‍👦 🌲

https://thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/smart-cities/4162455-paved-paradise-maps-show-how-much-of-us-cities-are-parking-lots/

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#urbanism #sustainability #green #cities #environment