AKA Review— April 14, 2023

From The New York Times:
Our New Promethean Moment
By Thomas L. Friedman
Comparing the development of the large language module Chat GPT to other historic "Promethean moments"—the scientific revolution, harnessing of nuclear power, and personal computing and the Internet—New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman emphasizes the significant paradigm shift that has occurred and how it has the potential to change humanity for better or worse. Because of the rapid arrival of this technology and its development by a private company rather than government, it is imperative, he argues, that fail safes are implemented to control this extraordinary new technology. Read this article

From The New Yorker:
The Christian Liberal-Arts School at the Heart of the Culture Wars
By Emma Green
New Yorker staff writer Emma Green dives deep into the Christian liberal arts college many conservatives are striving to recreate: Hillsdale College. While the school boasts alumni serving deep in all levels of conservative politics in Washington and hosts such speakers as Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Clarence Thomas, those on campus argue that political ideology is not pushed on campus, but rather the college strives to restore "classical education," with a "devotion to the Western canon," and an "emphasis on primary sources over academic theory"—all ideas that seem to be interpreted with strongly conservative undertones. Read this article

From WIRED:
The Unbelievable Zombie Comeback of Analog Computing
By Chris Platt
No one expects a comeback for analog computers—hard to program, expensive, and with limited accuracy—any more than VHS tapes or floppy disks. So why do "a lot of Silicon Valley companies have secret projects doing analog chips"? Because they take so little power at a time when new AI models devour enough energy to run a small city. This techie detective story sleuths out a variety of colorful researchers working on a promising hybrid—in effect, analog on a chip. Read this article

From The New York Times:
How Did No-Mandate Sweden End Up With Such an Average Pandemic?
By David Wallace-Wells
Sweden’s hands-off approach to COVID mitigation was derided by the left and roundly praised by the right three years ago. More recently, the storyline among the Scandinavian nations has been something of a victory lap for Sweden. In this dispassionate look at data used in common depictions of the nation’s success and failure, David Wallace-Wells leads us to a big "meh," concluding that Sweden didn’t beat or emerge unscathed from COVID. But it did survive, "like much of the rest of the world." Read this article

From Inside Higher Education:
Recommitting to ‘Stewardship of Place’
By Liam Knox
Regional public colleges and universities are increasingly partnering with local industry and community leaders to support economic and social growth. These partnerships benefit both schools and community members with universities, for instance, helping with vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, communities providing summer internships, and faculty and students helping to combat climate change-related issues specific to their areas. Read this article