Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

The Semantic Apocalypse: AI Art and the Loss of Wonder

2025-04-01

This essay explores the impact of AI-generated art on the meaning of art, using the example of ultramarine, a pigment once incredibly difficult and expensive to produce. The author argues that the ease of AI art creation diminishes the sense of wonder and uniqueness associated with traditional art, leading to hedonic adaptation. This isn't unique to AI, but a recurring pattern throughout history as technology makes previously rare experiences commonplace. The solution proposed isn't technological, but personal: cultivating a childlike wonder and actively engaging with the world to overcome the desensitization caused by readily available abundance.

(www.astralcodexten.com)

AI hedonic adaptation semantic apocalypse

The GLP-1 Shortage Ends: A Battle of Price and Legal Loopholes

2025-03-15

Three GLP-1 weight-loss drugs approved in the US soared in price due to shortages, leading telehealth startups to partner with compounding pharmacies to sell them cheaply. However, with the FDA declaring the shortage over, this is about to change. Pharmacies are attempting various legal strategies to continue sales, including modifying dosages or adding ingredients, but their success is questionable. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are launching new direct-to-consumer models with prices between high and low, and are taking steps to prevent dosage arbitrage. The outcome will affect millions relying on these drugs, offering a new perspective on innovation in pharmaceutical business models.

(www.astralcodexten.com)

Tech weight loss drugs pharmaceutical pricing

The Priesthoods: Power, Corruption, and the Future of Expertise

2025-01-09

This essay explores the dynamics of 'priesthoods'—expert communities like the medical establishment—and the challenges they face. The author argues that these groups, in their pursuit of intellectual authority, often isolate themselves from the public, creating an internal knowledge bubble. While this isolation fosters in-depth discussion and consensus-building, it can also breed internal biases and vulnerability to political or other influences. Using examples from medicine and architecture, the article analyzes how these groups function, their susceptibility to capitalist pressures, and their recent susceptibility to capture by political ideologies. The author ultimately questions how to respond to the declining credibility of these expert communities: should we attempt to fix the existing system, or explore alternative models of knowledge dissemination?

(www.astralcodexten.com)

Misc expert communities power ideology

H5N1 Avian Flu: A Deep Dive into the Pandemic Threat

2025-01-01

This article delves into the potential pandemic threat posed by the H5N1 avian flu virus. The virus has already infected birds, cows, and mink, and has now been detected in pigs. While human cases remain relatively low, the author, drawing on epidemiological models and expert forecasts, assesses the probability of a pandemic in the next year (5%), and the potential mortality rate (ranging from comparable to a normal seasonal flu to resembling the 1918 Spanish flu). The article also discusses strategies for responding to a potential pandemic and highlights the economic impact on agriculture.

(www.astralcodexten.com)

Tech Avian Flu Pandemic