Author: Craig Constantine

How the brain really works, butterflies

Published October 5, 2017  ·  All posts on Oct 5  ·  

The key insight: the brain is a multi-layer prediction machine. All neural processing consists of two streams: a bottom-up stream of sense data, and a top-down stream of predictions. These streams interface at each level of processing, comparing themselves to each other and adjusting themselves as necessary.

~ Scott Alexander from, Book Review: Surfing Uncertainty | Slate Star Codex

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This seems to be rocking my world. There’s an actual theory of how the brain works?

So we are likely getting more lead, more omega-6 (and relatively less omega-3), and less lithium than people in 1850. If there has been an increase in crime and other undesirable/impulsive behaviors, I think these biological insults are at least as worthy of examination as political changes that have occurred during that time.

~ Scott Alexander from, Proposed Biological Explanations For Historical Trends In Crime | Slate Star Codex

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…and my brain thought that this (aside from the actual data and science in the article) seems like a very compelling look at the big scale; tiny changes making subtle tidal shifts at the hundreds-of-millions-of-people scale.

Butterflies and radar: The Charming Culprits Behind Denver’s Mysterious Radar Blob – Atlas Obscura

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…and this popped up today, right before I saw a Cosmopolitan (aka Painted Lady) this afternoon.

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Day 65/100 – walking

Published October 5, 2017  ·  All posts on Oct 5  ·  

This entry is part 68 of 104 in the series 100 Days of Training (2017)

long walk to/from lunch with a stop at out veggie plot in the community garden. Some people plant flowers to attract the polinators into the garden. Here’s Cosmopolitan (or Painted Lady) and a classic Monarch. MUCH nicer than a lame shot of me. :) on these either.

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Interesting

Published October 5, 2017  ·  All posts on Oct 5  ·  

Found this in the camera roll from last weekend – I rounded the corner to this park and had a major case of deja vu… until I realized a very important scene from #personofinterest was apparently shot here… anyone else agree? Finch in the wheel-chair, with the car bomb . . .

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The keys to life

Published October 4, 2017  ·  All posts on Oct 4  ·  

The keys to life are running and reading. When you’re running, there’s a little person that talks to you and says, “Oh I’m tired. My lung’s about to pop. I’m so hurt. There’s no way I can possibly continue.” You want to quit. If you learn how to defeat that person when you’re running, you will know how to not quit when things get hard in your life. For reading: there have been gazillions of people that have lived before all of us. There’s no new problem you could have–with your parents, with school, with a bully. There’s no new problem that someone hasn’t already had and written about it in a book.

~ Will Smith

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Thank you

Published September 30, 2017  ·  All posts on Sep 30  ·  

To all the awesome sponsors who make this event possible! #artofretreat2017

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Silent, poker-faced critic

Published September 29, 2017  ·  All posts on Sep 29  ·  

This morning, after a long night of prep, the Puffin is helping me review my notes for this afternoon’s session at Art of Retreat 2017. Silent, poker-faced critics are the worst!

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