Kirillov and Shatov in Dostoevsky’s Demons: Agents of Chaos and Redemption

This article explores the characters Kirillov and Shatov in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Demons through the lens of Voltaire’s four states of belief regarding God. Kirillov, an existential nihilist, believes in asserting his ultimate freedom through suicide, reflecting the state of denying God’s existence and disbelief. Shatov, a former revolutionary turned conservative, embodies the search for spiritual and national identity, fitting the state of believing in God’s existence. Their interactions with other characters, particularly Stavrogin and Verkhovensky, highlight the novel’s critique of political extremism and the profound impact of personal beliefs on individual destinies. Through these contrasting characters, the article delves into Dostoevsky’s exploration of existential themes and the human condition.

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Exploring the “Anna and Mr. God” Series

The “Anna and Mr. God” series by Fynn, the pseudonym of Sydney Hopkins, is a collection of books exploring spiritual themes through the eyes of a young girl named Anna. The series includes “Mister God, This Is Anna” (1974), where Anna shares profound insights on life and spirituality; “Anna’s Book” (1986), focusing on her understanding of love and truth; and “Anna and the Black Knight” (1990), which delves into the nature of good and evil. Fynn’s simple yet profound storytelling captures Anna’s wisdom, making the series a timeless exploration of life’s biggest questions.

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Cognitive Dissonance and Asperger’s Syndrome: Navigating Mental Conflicts

This article examines how cognitive dissonance manifests in individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder. It highlights the unique challenges faced by these individuals, such as conflicting social expectations, rigid thinking patterns, and struggles with ambiguity. The article offers coping strategies to manage cognitive dissonance, including developing self-awareness, seeking clarity, building flexibility, and utilizing therapeutic interventions like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). It emphasizes the importance of a supportive environment in helping individuals with Asperger’s navigate mental conflicts and enhance their well-being.

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Cognitive Dissonance: Understanding the Mental Tug-of-War

This article explores cognitive dissonance, the psychological discomfort from holding contradictory beliefs or values. It delves into the mechanisms of cognitive dissonance, its impact on behaviour and decision-making, and common everyday scenarios where it occurs. The article also provides strategies for managing and reducing cognitive dissonance, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, open-mindedness, and consistent decision-making.

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The Impact of AI on Creative Industries: Navigating Ownership, Revenue, and Job Security

This article explores the impact of AI on creative professions, using comic book artists as an example. It discusses concerns over ownership, consent, and job security, while also highlighting AI’s potential to enhance creativity and streamline workflows. By comparing these effects with those in copywriting and programming, the article provides insights into navigating the challenges and opportunities AI brings to the creative industries.

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Understanding Cognitive Dissonance in AI: Unravelling Drift, Bias, and Other Issues

This article explores cognitive dissonance in AI, focusing on the inconsistencies in AI system outputs due to conflicting data, rules, or patterns. It examines key issues such as drift, bias, overfitting, underfitting, explainability, transparency, data privacy, security, hallucinations, and data poisoning. The article also provides strategies for addressing these challenges, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring, bias mitigation, model complexity balance, enhancing explainability, robust data governance, and protection against data poisoning. The goal is to develop more reliable, fair, and trustworthy AI systems.

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Why AI Responses Vary: Understanding the Subjectivity and Variability in AI Language Models

Artificial Intelligence (AI) language models often generate different responses to the same query, leading to perceptions of inconsistency and subjectivity. This article delves into the reasons behind this variability, including the probabilistic nature of AI, contextual dependence, diversity in training data, and other influencing factors. It also offers insights on achieving greater consistency in AI interactions.

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Analysis of “The Supply Chain Problem” by Jon Davies, CTO at Pervade

In the digital age, cybersecurity has become a critical concern for organizations worldwide. Jon Davies, CTO at Pervade, addresses this issue comprehensively in his whitepaper, “The Supply Chain Problem.” This article delves into the key points raised in the whitepaper, analyzing the background, emerging trends, challenges, and proposed solutions to supply chain cyber-attacks.

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Wayne Horkan at FICTA 2024: “AI: the spearhead of progress, not there yet”

FICTA 24 brought together experts to discuss AI’s transformative potential and the challenges ahead. My keynote, “AI: the spearhead of progress, not quite there”, covered the current state of AI, its applications across various industries, and the ethical considerations crucial for its future. The conference underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and featured esteemed speakers who provided valuable insights into AI and technology.

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Daemon Targaryen is a bargain bucket Elric and Valyrians are knock-off Melnibonéans.

This article explores the intriguing comparisons between Daemon Targaryen from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and Elric of Melniboné from Michael Moorcock’s Elric Saga, cheekily framing Daemon as a “bargain bucket Elric” and Valyrians as “knock-off Melnibonéans.” By examining their superficial similarities and deeper divergences, as well as the cultural parallels and distinctions between Valyrians and Melnibonéans, the discussion reveals both the influences and unique qualities that define these iconic characters and their respective worlds, offering insights into the rich tapestry of fantasy literature.

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Free as in Beer vs. Free as in Speech: Understanding Different “Free” Concepts

The term “free” can be ambiguous, particularly in software and digital content. “Free as in beer” means something is available at no cost, akin to receiving a free drink, but without the freedom to modify or share it. “Free as in speech” emphasizes user freedoms, allowing modification, distribution, and understanding of the software’s code. Other examples of “free” include free trials, freeware, and ad-supported services. Understanding these distinctions helps users make informed decisions about the software and content they use.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Using MetaTrader 4 for Trading Success

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader 4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader 4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is the introduction and precis to the other articles below.

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What is MetaTrader 4?

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “What is MetaTrader 4?”.

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Metatrader4 Tutorial for Becoming a Successful Trader

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Metatrader4 Tutorial for Becoming a Successful Trader”.

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Detailed Trading Plan Goals

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Detailed Trading Plan Goals”.

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Trading Plan for a New Trader

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Trading Plan for a New Trader”.

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Trading Plan Reading Guide

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Trading Plan Reading Guide”.

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Imagine You Have a Toy Swap

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Imagine You Have a Toy Swap”.

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Currency Trading Example: Dollars to Euros

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Currency Trading Example: Dollars to Euros”.

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Example of Making Money on a Dollar to Euro Trade

Part of a short series of articles on using MetaTrader4, written on request. This does not mean I endorse trading, MetaTrader4, or that I’d do this because I wouldn’t. I design and build IT systems, and that’s what I’ll stick to, ta. This article is “Example of Making Money on a Dollar to Euro Trade”.

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