“All money is a matter of belief”, according to Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations.
The value that is assigned to money is subjective and is essentially a matter of trust. There isn’t a fixed value for money except the belief that it is useful for the exchange of goods and services.
If that faith or trust erodes, then its value can drop sharply and lead to crises in the economy or society.
Money is an idea, and it’s built on trust. Bitcoin and the Dollar are an idea.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham and two other UK schools provide long-suspected evidence that glaciers near volcanoes move along the surface approximately 50% quicker than the average glacier.
The researchers write in the journal Communications Earth & Environment that, “Specifically, proximity to volcanoes most likely means higher volcanic geothermal flux or heat, which in turn triggers enhanced subglacial melt, increased basal water pressures, sliding, and ice flow.” In other words, a thin layer of water between the glacier and the warm ground acts as a lubricant, allowing the glacier to move faster.
The authors of the paper believe that monitoring the velocity of glaciers would prove to be a useful tool to assess imminent volcanic hazards. Left unsaid in the paper is that increased movement of glaciers may point to a natural process that is not related to climate change.
Trivia: One percent of the planet’s 214,086 glaciers are found within 3 miles (5 km) of an active volcano.
Source: Proximity to Active Volcanoes Enhances Glacier Velocity by Mallalieu et al, CE&E 2024. Graphic: Antarctic Glacier.
MIT researchers found that Large Language Models (LLMs), although able to output impressive results without internal understanding of the data they manipulate, were unable to cope with small modifications to their data sets.
The researchers discovered that an LLM could provide correct driving directions in New York City while lacking an accurate internal map of the city. When they took a detailed look under the LLM’s hood, they saw a map of NYC that included many nonexistent streets superimposed on the real grid. Despite this poor understanding of actual streets, the model could still provide perfect directions for navigating the city—a fascinating “generativegarbage within, Michelangelo out” concept.
In a further twist, when the researchers closed off a few actual streets, the LLM’s performance degraded rapidly because it was still relying on the nonexistent streets and was unable to adapt to the changes.
Source: MIT. “Despite Its Impressive Output, Generative AI Doesn’t Have a Coherent Understanding of the World.” ScienceDaily, 2024. Graphic: AI istock.
On Tuesday, 7 November 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt won his fourth term as President of the United States, defeating Republican Thomas E. Dewey of New York.
Few states in the 1944 election had a primary system in place to vote for party nominees, instead choosing delegates to the national nominating convention through party caucuses or state conventions. The real job of selecting the party’s nominees occurred at the national conventions with little to no input from the voting public.
Democrats, concerned that Roosevelt might not live to complete his term, replaced the sitting left-wing and economically illiterate Vice President Henry A. Wallace with the Missouri Senator Harry S. Truman.
Roosevelt died on 12 April 1945, less than three months into his new term, with Truman assuming the presidency that same day.
Truman ordered the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, less than six months into his presidency, proving that holding the highest office in the land is fraught with uncertainty and requires unimaginable determination and strength.
Graphic: Electoral College Results for the 1944 Presidential Election.
The Substance: Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), an ageing actor seeking to revive her career and her looks, along with reclaiming her fans, chooses poorly. Excessive gore and asininities ensue.
The movie explores themes of lost youth, the loneliness of fan forgetfulness, and mortality. The film attempts to find something new to say in re-imaging the 1992 movie: ‘Death Becomes Her’ starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis; but comes up with naught—nothing approaching sense or sensibility—just blood and guts substituting for substance.
Genre: Black Humor–Horror
Directed by: Corallie Fargeat
Screenplay by: Corallie Fargeat
Music by: Raffertie
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Film Location: France
ElsBob: 3.0/10
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 90%
Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter: 74%
Metacritic Metascore: 78%
Metacritic User Score: 7.4/10
Theaters: 20 September 2024
Runtime: 141 minutes
Budget: $17.5 million
Box Office: $43.3 million
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic.Graphic: The Substance Movie Poster, copyright Mubi.
Claret is an English term for Bordeaux wines that traces its origins back to 16th century. The name derives from the French word “clairet,” which described a lighter, more rosé-like style from the Bordeaux region.
Originally, the grapes used to make this wine were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, similar to today’s right-bank Bordeaux. The left bank added Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carménère to the mix.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, clarets evolved, through better maceration, aging, and blending techniques, into a darker, full-bodied wine we would recognize today as a Bordeaux. It became a major export to England and the world.
Trivia: Charles Dickens in ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’, ‘The Pickwick Papers’, and ‘Great Expectations’; Wilkie Collins in ‘The Moonstone’; Anthony Trollope in ‘The Belton Estate’; William Thackeray in ‘Vanity Fair’; and George Eliot in ‘Middlemarch’ all mention the drinking of claret, usually at their dinners.
In these novels the claret was diluted with water to reduce the alcohol content, making it more palatable and easier to drink over long meals or gatherings and to stretch the supply.
Source: Wine Spectator. Decanter. Graphic: Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881. Public Domain.
Alien Romulus: A group of young adults indentured for life on the cloud-shrouded mining planet of Yvaga discovers a derelict spacecraft orbiting above. They plan to rendezvous with the craft and steal the ship’s cryostasis suits to travel to another planet. Once inside the spacecraft they soon detect they are not alone.
Romulus enters the Alien franchise as the seventh film, situated between Alien and Aliens, attempting to walk the path between Ridley Scott and James Cameron-two giants that Alvarez fails to surpass with this entry.
The story plays homage to its predecessors in the first acts, delivering plenty of frights and gore, enhanced by great graphics, visuals, and adequate acting. However, it then drifts off course into territory best left unexplored. But I guess that’s called setting up the sequel or more likely a spin-off.
Genre: Horror—Sci-Fi–Suspense–Thriller
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Screenplay by: Fede Alvarez Rodo Sayagues
Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch
Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Film Locations: Budapest, Hungry and Various Studios
ElsBob: 6.5/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 80%
Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter: 85%
Metacritic Metascore: 64%
Metacritic User Score: 7.1%
Theaters: 16 August 2024
Runtime: 119 minutes
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic. Graphic: Alien Romulus Poster and Trailer, 20 Century Studios
A contract killer discovers he has a quick moving form of dementia, and his estranged son needs help. Keaton and Pacino team up to save Keaton’s family from financial ruin, and his son from life in prison.
This film was Keaton’s directorial debut, and he delivered a smashing success. A future as an actor-director may just be in the cards for Keaton.
Source: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic. Graphic: Knox Goes Away Movie Poster, copyright Saban Films 2024.
Twisters: Kate Carter (Edgar-Jones), retiring her youthful death wish as a storm chaser starts afresh in NYC as a cubical bound meteorologist. In the Big Apple we learn she really didn’t want to be there because it was a pointless plotline with her resolve having the staying power of a dust devil in a snowstorm. With that drama out of the way she’s back in the OK prairies chasing her dream in a Ram truck.
Glenn Powell as Tyler Owens is worth the price of admission, the CGI is impressive, and the cinematography astounding but the screenplay lowers the movie back down to pedestrian status.
Trivia: Downtown OKC was transformed into NYC to shoot Kate Carter’s away from life hiding place.
Genre: Action—Adventure—Disaster—Fantasy–Thriller
Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung
Screenplay by: Mark L. Smith
Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch
Cast: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glenn Powell, Anthony Ramos
Film Locations: Oklahoma City, USA
ElsBob: 6.0/10
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Critics: 75%
Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter: 91%
Metacritic Metascore: 65%
Metacritic User Score: 6.2%
Theaters: 19 July 2024
Runtime: 122 minutes
Source: IMDb. Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic. Graphic: Twisters movie trailer and poster, copyright Universal and Warner Bros.
T.H. Huxley, Darwin’s Bulldog, anatomist, and autodidact, reflecting upon time and matter, makes the humorous connection that, “It is very possible that atoms which once formed an integral part of the busy brain of Julius Caesar may now enter into the composition of Caesar, the housedog in an English homestead.”
Source: Elementary Physiology, T.H. Huxley, 1902. Graphic: English Sheepdog, AI generated.
