Michael Mortenson > Recent Status Updates

*He’s

Not surprised that Tim Burton’s designs were often rejected by early Disney executives. She’s got such a different style.

While the writing is a bit dry and expository, the subject is fascinating. I never realized how, for example, the university of Utah was involved with early advances in computer graphics (which led to the Silicon Slopes of the Wasatch Front), or how companies like Lucas Film were important to the careers of many who founded Pixar.

Teenagers + revenge. What could go wrong?

Decidedly mixed feelings about this book. Because: 1. The constant affirmations of messiness feels like it could become a slippery slope, 2. I think there IS a moral component to cleaning, though it shouldn’t determine a person’s worth, 3. The perspective is so deeply rooted in the Harm Ethos (c.f. The Righteous Mind) that it feels ignorant of other perspectives sometimes, and 4. Too many baskets. I just can’t.

So that’s what you meant when you said you were dying to talk about what happened at the end of Volume 2.

Because I knew you, I have been changed

When the moon hits your eye… that’s magic

The chief attribute of ravens strikes me as pertinent to this story.

I am so far behind, but I am enjoying it as I go

Glad to have Segundas back.

“Liar!” Made me think about sycophantism in LLMs and the way, remarkably, Asimov tapped into the potential psychological pitfalls of interacting with machines on a human level. Most interestingly was the way the first 1st Law of Robotics played into the problem. Fascinating.

“Catching the Rabbit” felt like the weakest of the story so far. It also had the weakest writing, with lots of corny back-and-forth Maid & Butler dialogue.

The outcome of the story “Reason” makes sense, but also bothers me: the solution to AI hallucination is simply to let it happen so long as it doesn’t interfere with intended results.

I enjoyed how in the story “Runaround”, we got a glimpse of how equilibria form in dynamical systems, and also a relevant plot use of basins of attraction.

I’ve heard people complain about Asimov‘s writing, but I feel like it’s actually pretty good. Sometimes a bit info-dumpy, but generally efficient and entertaining.

I started to read this book in Lithuanian a while ago, but I’ve decided to give it a listen in English first before returning to the paper book. It feels remarkably relevant despite the obvious 1950s influence.

Love the delving into the dream world part of this story. Also, this plot culmination feels tighter and more intricate than the last two books, which I am enjoying.

The setup for the last 15% has great promise

Moraine is hard core.

*incinerates bad guys*
“What did you just do?”
“Something basically forbidden, awesome, and arcane. We should probably go now.”

Everyone seems to be getting female sidekicks in this story.

Mat and his luck might be my favorite plot line so far. Loved in Mistborn when Vin called her magic luck.

Twisty

This book is definitely military fiction with a sci-fi veneer rather than a sci-fi book with military characters.