Musings from Jay (blog site permanently frozen 11/05/2024 morning)

I looked at consciousness a bit and wrote 4 essays in my blog. But I did not really find the subject illuminating or thinking about it too fruitful, and it did not grab my interest as a subject worth further study on my part using methods I use.  Here are the 4 essays.  Consciousness 1: The neural correlates of consciousness (neurological perspective) (v1.0) Consciousness 2: Evolution and consciousness. (Evolutionary perspective) (v1.0) Consciousness 3: Who am "I"? (Psychological and Eastern philosophical perspectives) (v1.0) Consciousness 4: What is self-consciousness? (western philosophical perspective) (v1.0) What is the understanding I personally took away? I personally think that only you subjectively can know about your consciousness.  Deducing consciousness, say of a dog looking at a mirror and gauging its reaction to his image to make inferences about its consciousness is far less persuasive.  Is AI conscious? A google AI researcher was fir...

I spent a lot of time in the past understanding politics, govt, economics, finance, and international. Once I understood what I wanted to know, I dropped it. I think age 70 is a good time to let go of politics, economics, govt, finance and international if possible. They disturb your mind, and this is the age for calmer thoughts and endeavors. One should continue to observe these things but with much more detachment. No interest in discussing such topics with anyone going forward. These blogs are it on such topics. We are retired in Hawaii .   These days I am disconnected from the job market, stock market, bond market (a non-callable FDIC insured CD held to term behaves very differently than ordinary bonds), real estate/mortgage/loan market (your home is where you live possibly for life), and largely unaffected by interest rates until close to the end of the next president's term. Debt is 125% of GDP. A number of other countries are in worse shape, and they don’t have the uniq...

ORGANIZATION AND FOCUS The emphasis of these essays is on making you understand the problem and recognize it is real and what you individually can do. In the first essay, I have put together practical and impactful concrete things you can do for climate change . The major thrust of the science of climate series is science showing the solid basis for the scientific result that is understandable, so you know climate change is real, and why I am writing about it. Hopefully this motivates you   to do the actions in the first essay and supporting set of essays. The last set of supporting essays are often from the web and are an analysis of the key sectors for greenhouse emissions , and things  you can do . One essay is on some consequences of climate change which might motivate you to take action. It ends with a rallying cry to explain the power of grassroots to motivate you to take action.  The essays are razor focused on climate change and does not attempt to cover the mu...