Close-up magic is more than sleight of hand—it’s a mesmerizing interplay between psychology and performance. At its heart lies misdirection, the subtle yet powerful technique that magicians use to control perception, leading audiences to believe in impossibilities.
Continue reading “The Art of Misdirection in Close-Up Magic”The Illusion of Understanding: How LLMs Solve Problems and What It Means for AI Intelligence
An article written by Claude.ai on how LLMs solve problems.
When asked how I solved the equation 32 + 112 = 144, I provided a neat, step-by-step mathematical explanation:
- Line up the numbers by place value
- Add the digits in the ones place: 2 + 2 = 4
- Add the digits in the tens place: 3 + 1 = 4
- Add the digits in the hundreds place: 0 + 1 = 1
- Therefore, x = 144
It looked like I was demonstrating mathematical understanding. But was I being truthful about my process? Not exactly.
Continue reading “The Illusion of Understanding: How LLMs Solve Problems and What It Means for AI Intelligence”The Vital Role of Skepticism in Scientific Progress
I recently saw a photo of a group of protesters holding signs that said “Trust the Science.” I found that was, in my opinion, a very incorrect position to take. Science is based upon being skeptical of the claims and always seeking better and better proof. So with the help of AI I wrote a page on the topic: The Vital Role of Skepticism in Scientific Progress
Midsomer: A Fine Place to Die
I am a fan of British Television. One of my favorite series is the crime drama Midsomer Murders. I got to wondering about all of the crime there.
Continue reading “Midsomer: A Fine Place to Die”Two WordPress plugins that I had A.I. write for me.
Enhance Your WordPress Editor with Two Powerful Plugins
WordPress continues to evolve as a content management platform, and today had AI write two plugins that can significantly improve your content creation workflow: Post Search Replace and AI Content Assistant.
Continue reading “Two WordPress plugins that I had A.I. write for me.”Games they play – how governments and media shape narratives.
It is an interesting time we live in. While people have always tried to shape narratives it has become more important to be able to spot that activity. I listened to the congressional testimonies of Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger, and realize just how bad things have gotten. And then the recent news about USAID and how it has been used to influence jorunalism.
Continue reading “Games they play – how governments and media shape narratives.”OMG, the size of the Federal Government. Elon Musk has no idea.
I recently saw a video clip of Elon Musk describing how hard it was to get a list of government agencies. Here is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GXJvxPMY_H0
In the clip he says the Google and different AI’s say the number is around 400. Well I went to the government site https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/Data/Apps/Agencies/index.aspx which lets you see the agencies. But of course the site makes it difficult to see them all. You have to use drop-down lists to filter. So for fun I used an AI to write a JavaScript program to scrape and list just the entries in the first category of “Cabinet Level Agencies”. The final result was a table with 63120 rows.
Continue reading “OMG, the size of the Federal Government. Elon Musk has no idea.”A Guide to Spotting & Avoiding Scams
Scams are everywhere, and they’re getting more sophisticated. But don’t worry—you’re not alone! This guide will help you recognize scams, protect yourself, and take action if you ever become a target.
Continue reading “A Guide to Spotting & Avoiding Scams”The Psychology Behind Scams: How Fraudsters Exploit Human Behavior
Scams are not just about deception—they are psychological manipulations designed to exploit cognitive biases and emotional triggers. Despite advancements in security measures, fraudsters continue to succeed because they understand how people think and react under pressure. This article explores the key psychological principles that make scams effective and examine real-world examples demonstrating these tactics in action.
Continue reading “The Psychology Behind Scams: How Fraudsters Exploit Human Behavior”The Amygdala Hijack: How Scammers Exploit Your Brain in Romance Scams
Note: this article was written by ChatGPT.
Have you ever looked back on a situation and wondered, “What was I thinking?” That feeling of acting impulsively, without your usual logic, is often caused by what psychologists call an amygdala hijack. This reaction can make people vulnerable to emotional manipulation—and it’s exactly what romance scammers count on.
Continue reading “The Amygdala Hijack: How Scammers Exploit Your Brain in Romance Scams”