Suggested readings week 33/2022
The dangers of complacency
A scuba dive gone wrong can teach the importance of listening all opinions. This is a great lesson for anyone leading a group of professionals with different skills and seniorities: never miss the opportunity of learning from the novices.
...experts are human: they can miss things and they make mistakes. We cannot leave it to the novice to speak up and wave the red flag. We need to encourage a culture of openness and learning in organisations.
The origins of a conversation around Quantum Computing
The two researchers that started discussing about Quantum Computing at conferences were Paul Benioff (1980, quantum mechanics for computing) and Peter Shor (1994, quantum algorithm for integers factoring and ultimately public-key encryption breaking). A competition for building quantum computers and finding useful quantum computing algorithms is still in progress.
https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/co/2022/08/09847321/1FvJu63pFQs
Erasure of objects in imaging
A set of specifically computed optical transmissive surfaces is able to pass/filter selected class of images: a group of images classes is shown at the output, while instantaneously erasing objects of the other data classes. A great example of how to leverage deep learning in an off-line computation task. The result is a privacy preserving system that works like a powerful imaging hardware and software, without any hardware nor software (and without a database of target images).
https://elight.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43593-022-00021-3
Physical limitations to growth
There’s an obvious logic to your fundamental argument in favor of a steady-state economy, which is that the economy, like everything else on the planet, is subject to physical limitations and the laws of thermodynamics and as such can’t be expected to grow forever.
Or stop growing the stock of capital and improve the art of living.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/07/18/magazine/herman-daly-interview.html