(This is in rough form and notations are a mess. I may return and clean it up and I may not.) Why do societies repeatedly struggle with fear, hostility, and violence towards “the other”? From ancient migrations to modern debates over immigration, this pattern appears universal and stubborn. Yet, beneath the rhetoric and reaction, both biology and history reveal that turning against outsiders is not inevitable. Instead, recognizing the roots of otherism can help us transcend instincts and build a more cooperative, adaptable future. ### The Biological Basis: Built-in Boundaries and the Genetics of Aggression Research across genetics, neuroscience, and […]
Retrolanguage, Language Models, & a Hidden Crisis: Understanding & Responding to the Risks Shaping Human Thought
Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping communication, information exchange, and human decision-making at scale. While their capabilities offer efficiencies and new forms of connection, they also introduce substantial risks—ethical, psychological, social, and technological—that demand urgent consideration from technologists, policymakers, and the public.
This report synthesizes current research, expert analysis, and ongoing conversation to explore these risks, focusing on the unique concept of retrolanguage—the subtle and potentially dangerous drift in linguistic meaning enabled by LLMs.
Migrant Malfeasance = Societal Self-Destruction
If you walk the streets of any city and look at the faces, hear the languages, note the foods, fashions, and festivals, it is impossible to miss a simple truth: all of humanity, everywhere on Earth, is the product of migration. Borders are recent. Migration is ancient. Arguing against migration (or against the diversity it brings) is like arguing against air or water as necessary for life. Here, let’s review…
Impetus, inertia, and individual coping skills
Troubled times often gather in tangled knots—personal, societal, and global. When life takes a sharp downturn, why do so many freeze, become rigid, or imagine the worst? Why do humans sometimes treat converging troubles as doom, inescapable and insurmountable?
The Human Crisis: Our Struggle For Cohesion
Look around, and you’ll see a paradox: in a world of technological marvels and vast resources, billions still suffer from hunger, homelessness, and hatred. We’ve mapped genomes, explored distant planets, and shrunk the world through digital connections, yet we can’t seem to guarantee everyone a full belly, a safe place to sleep, and mutual respect.
The repeated story is that this is “just the way things are.” But is it really? Or are we missing something deeper that cuts across borders, politics, and technologies?
Jul 07, 2025 – Human Superiority (hah!)
The Perplexity conversation with full citations below.
