Popcorn Shorts is about the kind of things we think are really interesting, but don’t really need a large article to explain them. From the sublime to the ridiculous, check in here for crunchy bits of info you’ll love to munch. By the way, much (but not necessarily all) of our delicious Popcorn comes from articles we’ve posted on our Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, please stop by and “Like” us and we’ll keep a fairly-constant-but-not-frequent-enough-to-be-annoying stream of these coming to your virtual door!
How to engage with arguments rationally, respectfully, and with humility
from the article– “In essence, we have a commitment to avoiding strawman arguments, to the point where you have to really understand someone before you carry on; pointing out where the person might be right – so, avoidance of demonizing your opponent, or reducing them to a topic of disagreement; interrogating yourself to see what you have learned, if anything – and therefore having to listen and reflect on your own positions, rather than merely waiting for the chance to drop a gotcha question; and then active engagement… How many of the most heated topics of debate and online discourse would be improved if we removed the ability to throw out quick, low-effort and low-investment opinions, arguments and insults? …I thought it might be interesting to see what else I might add to the list, based on fifteen years of having difficult conversations with people I disagree with…”
Portland’s ‘The Sports Bra’ is going national
(from OPB.org)– “The Sports Bra is a pub where women’s sports are celebrated — and the only thing on TV… Just two years after opening, the bar announced plans this week to go nationwide through a franchise model. “Things have happened at light speed compared to what my forecast was,” founder and CEO Jenny Nguyen told The Associated Press. “This tiny spot that I built for my friends and I to watch games and give female athletes their flowers means so much more. And not just to me, but to a lot of people.” Under the plan, bars and entrepreneurs elsewhere will be able to apply to use The Sports Bra brand for their franchises. Nguyen is open to working with people who already have a physical space, as well as those who may only have a business plan. What matters, she said, is that the potential future partners share The Sports Bra’s values…”
The Dead Internet theory explains a lot
(from ScienceAlert.com)- “If you search “shrimp Jesus” on Facebook, you might encounter dozens of images of AI-generated crustaceans meshed in various forms with a stereotypical image of Jesus Christ. Some of these hyper-realistic images have garnered more than 20,000 likes and comments. So what exactly is going on here? The “dead internet theory” essentially claims that activity and content on the internet, including social media accounts, are predominantly being created and automated by artificial intelligence agents. These agents can rapidly create posts alongside AI-generated images designed to farm engagement (clicks, likes, comments) on [social media]. As for shrimp Jesus, it appears AI has learned it’s the current, latest mix of absurdity and religious iconography to go viral. But the dead internet theory goes even further. Many of the accounts that engage with such content also appear to be managed by artificial intelligence agents. This creates a vicious cycle of artificial engagement, one that has no clear agenda and no longer involves humans at all…”
Map shows where Oregon will be underwater as climate change continues
(from OregonLive.com) “An interactive map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gives viewers a glimpse into the future if temperatures continue to rise across the globe, melting sea ice and causing oceans to rise. According to a 2022 report from the agency, sea level is expected to rise along the United States coastline by about 2 feet by the end of this century due to human-caused climate change. NOAA’s interactive map shows exactly what that would mean to Oregon, even in places that aren’t adjacent to the ocean.
