Sunday

Instead of curling up with a good book, we went deeper into a brave new world for you. Highlights and reflections from stories about the future of AI and technology, and a fascinating look at adding a parachute sail to large cargo ships. On the lighter side, a review of Wes Anderson's Roald Dahl adaptation for Netflix. Finally, a Pitchfork review from an album from 1982 and questions about the punk scene in Akron, Ohio.

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Wired Magazine highlighted a set of clips they put on their YouTube channel talking about the future. A few recognizable scientists, Bill Nye and Dr. Michio Kaku (Physicist) and several other professionals answering questions about technology and the future. One of the questions asked was whether AI would replace lawyers, and the lawyer Devin J. Stone answered the question in the way most people in professions that involve writing should be thinking about. He says AI won't replace lawyers, but it could reduce a lot of monotonous data gathering and template-based writing for many lawyers. The overlords may take us over, but we need to remember that ChatGPT wasn't even known to most of the population 1 YEAR AGO… the takeover will take time while we wait, the discoveries it will help us make and the monotony it might be able to reduce is exciting.

One of the ways you can think about it is this: would you want your Dr. to diagnose you based on AI? Or perform surgery on your body? The technology exists for that, similar to an AI Lawyer, but most of us wouldn't want to walk into a courtroom with AI. Right now, it's a tool and a great tool in the hands of an experienced doctor or lawyer is powerful. Another benefit is for regions that might not have access to medical care or people who need legal assistance but can't afford an attorney. These tools won't replace lawyers or doctors, but they could help legal assistants and medical professionals who can work in underserved regions.

Questions about genetically engineering a "Spiderman" was asked, and the answer focused on a spider's web silk, which is 5 times stronger than steel. Also, what will cities look like in the future? And finally, Henny Admoni (Robotics Professor) addresses the robot takeover like the lawyer (Devin Stone) did. Admoni explains where robots are the most useful in the Three D’s – Dull, Dirty, and Dangerous jobs. One example she used is underwater robots that can work on things without breathing or dangerous jobs, like going into life-threatening situations, extreme temperatures, radiation, etc. Send in the robots!

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Sophie Gilbert writes for The Atlantic and does a good write-up on Wes Anderson's latest project, The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar. At least, that's what we think they are called. Similar to Gilbert's description, Netflix did not recommend this to me when I went in to look for it, even though I've watched every other Wes Anderson film that has ever been on Netflix. Like other Anderson movies, Gilbert writes that these shorts also look like plays, filmed for a movie or limited series run. 

Anderson is adapting a story by Roald Dahl published in the 70s and significantly impacted Anderson, the young filmmaker. Two takeaways from Gilbert's review of the Anderson limited series included the final conclusion she came to after watching all of them. "Henry Sugar, without spoiling too much, is an optimistic tale: A man is irrevocably changed by a book." Having been changed by books ourselves, we will take it. The second is the challenge of the material and how entertaining it can be to think even while watching something on TV; it takes a special kind of filmmaker to bring that out of an audience.

A French company called Airseas is developing technology to reduce the fossil fuel energy required to power huge cargo ships on the ocean. The tech looks like a big parachute attached to the front of the ship, and the purpose is not to act as a replacement for a gas-powered ship engine but to improve the ship's fuel efficiency. Too often, we look at all-or-nothing solutions; it's refreshing to see a solution that could reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency as a shift in the right direction.

Each week, Pitchfork reaches back into the history of rock music and reviews an album from the past. We've highlighted a few of these in the past for albums that helped define us. Today is another one of those albums, and it is an easy write-up for anyone who grew up in the 80s and had to go to the record store to listen to anything not considered "Top 40" or "Hard Rock," the two primary genres on the radio (at least in the Midwest). A handful of Indie films also exposed us to the bands that would start our obsession with great music, and so would John Hughes and his movies that meant so much to us.

Whether or not you are a fan of early 80s punk and new wave, I Know What Boys Like is easily recognized; plenty of TV shows and movies have included this tune. Pitchfork goes deep on this album that still plays at parties for many of us. For someone like me who grew up in Omaha, NE, in the 80s, making weekly visits to Homer's Record Store (still there) and Drastic Plastics (not there), who ended up in Columbus, OH for 15 years (1997-2012), I find myself surprised by another band to come out of Ohio, especially an early 80s band that came out of Akron, OH which is where Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) and DEVO also came from. 

A spin class discovery grabbed using the phone’s shazam app!

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

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🤘We are here every day, and every minute you spend with us sends ripples of gratitude through our souls! 🤘

With A Shout newsletter is written by Johnny Christian with the support of a thousand idea bits and the help of many people.

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