[Tweeters] Well Tweeters, what do think of this?: “World's first-ever smart binoculars can identify 9,000 birds thanks to built-in AI | Digital Camera World”

[Rachel Lawson]

To put this in perspective, in about 370 BCE, Plato argued against the new invention of writing in his dialogue "Phaedrus":

"If men learn this, it will plant forgetfulness in their souls.  They will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks."

Ironically, we only know today what Plato said then because someone wrote it down.+

(Quote from The Brain Food Newsletter, Farnam Street Media)

Rachel Lawson
Seattle
rwlawson5593 at outlook.com



________________________________
From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> on behalf of J Christian Kessler <1northraven at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 12:15 PM
To: HAL MICHAEL <ucd880 at comcast.net>
Cc: Tweeters <tweeters at uw.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] (Correct Link)-Well Tweeters, what do think of this?: “World's first-ever smart binoculars can identify 9,000 birds thanks to built-in AI | Digital Camera World”

software that tells us how to drive to our destination, or what bird, tree, etc that is, are all leading us to not develop or maintain the intellectual skills - memory, analysis - that our ancestors took for granted.  software programs that "pop out" the answer are making us stupider.  Lewis & Clark, or Native Americans, and their contemporaries, didn't have these aids, they had to figure it out.  we're losing that capability, step by step.

Chris Kessler

On Thu, Jan 18, 2024 at 10:59 AM HAL MICHAEL <ucd880 at comcast.net<mailto:ucd880 at comcast.net>> wrote:
One of my big concerns about the growth in AI and bird ID apps is that all they do is tell you what an object might be.  One doesn't need to learn behavior, field marks, jazz, and so on.  Just point and shoot.  One of the things drilled into me with ID (of anything) is "Why do you think it is X?".  For me, "Merlin says" is not acceptable.


Hal Michael
Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/)
Olympia WA
360-459-4005
360-791-7702 (C)
ucd880 at comcast.net<mailto:ucd880 at comcast.net>


> On 01/18/2024 8:25 AM PST Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net<mailto:dennispaulson at comcast.net>> wrote:

>

>

> Hmm, the loss of all neurons associated with learning to identify birds? The death of the bird-book industry? No more bird ID classes? Roger Tory Peterson turning over in his grave? But I presume the price of those things won’t have much of that happening very soon.

>

> Dennis Paulson

> Seattle

>

> > On Jan 18, 2024, at 7:45 AM, Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com<mailto:dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com>> wrote:

> >

> > Hello Tweeters,

> > Any other year, I would check the date to see if was April 1st!

> > But, another way AI will continue to surprise us all in the many unexpected ways it will affect our options and lives. And faster than I would have imagined.

> > What’s your reaction to reading about these new high-end binoculars?

> > Dan Reiff, PhD

> > 

> > The correct link:

> >

> > https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/worlds-first-ever-smart-binoculars-can-identify-up-to-9000-birds-thanks-built-in-ai

> >

> > Sent from my iPhone

> > _______________________________________________

> > Tweeters mailing list

> > Tweeters at u.washington.edu<mailto:Tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>

> _______________________________________________

> Tweeters mailing list

> Tweeters at u.washington.edu<mailto:Tweeters at u.washington.edu>

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu<mailto:Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters


--
"moderation in everything, including moderation"
Rustin Thompson
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20240118/cf2296a0/attachment.html>