Texts

At times I write things for courses, other times I write for fun. Sometimes I go back and revise a blog entry way beyond recognition. Then it ends up here. Doesn't mean it is of superior quality. Just that it didn't feel fair to include it in the temporal structure of a diary, although most certainly reflects the time in which they were written.

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Essay on the meaning and learning of life in the form of a choose-your-own-adventure. Written October-November 2010 and presented to a creative writing group in Vancouver, B.C. I have since then edited the piece to its current form.
Readers and Robots
Essay on what it means to be read and the (perceived?) difference between people and machines processing text. Written October-November 2010 and presented to a creative writing group in Vancouver, B.C. I have since then edited the piece to its current form.
The most elegant computer "virus" and the meme (The science of viral ideas)
An essay phishing memes and computer viruses. Ending with some thoughts on the future. Not sure when it was written, I'd guess 2009-2010, but I found the draft when looking over my essay scraps folder in 2013 and put it on my then blog. Almost stands on its own, though perhaps a bit rough around the edges.
AI, consciousness and ethics - some initial thoughts
General musings on consciousness, the Turing test, and agency. Started out as a blog note after reading about some of Ray Kurtzweil's work over at google.
A meditation on the causes and concerns of observed rise in scientific journal retractions
Thoughts on what may be driving scientific misconduct, and the 'economy' of science careers. Another blog-entry-to essay.
Some initial thoughts on the future of online scientific publications
Some general musings on the economy of access to scientific publications. Started out as a blog post.