Issue 25 - Anonymity, Accountability, and Trust

Welcome to issue twenty five of the Eco Punks Gazette. A quarter of the way to a century? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but that seems like a fine initial target.

Table of Contents

• Upcoming Events

  • Is Wisdom Exclusive to our Elders? Jan 30th at 11a …

• Anonymity and Accountability in Digital Trust?

• Data Center Blues

• Hybrid Events Made Easy?

• General Strike in Argentina

• The Drone Industrial Complex

• Jazz in Kids Shows

• Grieving The Animals We Love

• Help us find new Punks!

Upcoming Events

Is Wisdom Exclusive to our Elders? Jan 30th at 11am EST

Conventional wisdom suggests that with age comes wisdom – a culmination of life's experiences and lessons. But could this be a narrow view of a much broader and more intricate concept? Is wisdom, perhaps, not just an accumulation of years but a unique form of cognition or something entirely different?

When young people display wisdom, we often label it as maturity or insight, but rarely wisdom. This observation leads us to ponder: Are we failing to recognize wisdom in the young because it doesn't align with our traditional beliefs? Could it be that wisdom is ageless, existing in both the young and old, but acknowledged differently? Let’s challenge our perceptions and gain a deeper understanding of wisdom in its various forms.

stage.ecopunks.live

Anonymity and Accountability in Digital Trust?

Jacques Latour joined us to discuss a trust layer for the Internet.

The conversation revolves around the concept of trust in a democratic society and how it should be integrated into the internet's infrastructure. Key Points from the Discussion:

1. Trust in the Internet's Early Days: Initially, the internet, built on TCP/IP, lacked security and trust by design. Today, billions of users operate on an internet where the core protocol doesn't inherently include trust.

2. Vision for a Trusted Internet: The goal is to create a trusted internet where users can confidently interact with online resources. This involves addressing gaps in the current system and working towards a future where human trust is integral to internet interactions.

3. Trust Over IP and Digital Trust: The concept of Trust Over IP involves creating a framework where trust is embedded at all layers of the internet. This includes technical and governance aspects, ensuring that interactions are trustworthy.

4. Human Trust vs. Technical Trust: Trust is evolving from just encrypting data to ensuring human trust in online interactions. This means verifying the authenticity of the entities users interact with online.

5. Trust Registries: The discussion introduces the concept of trust registries, which are lists of trusted entities within a digital ecosystem. These registries are governed and provide a way to verify the authenticity of digital credentials and content.

6. Challenges and Future Directions: The conversation touches on the challenges of establishing trust online, especially in the context of AI and generated media. The future of trust on the internet involves creating systems where users can verify the authenticity of their interactions and the information they receive.

7. Governance and Technology in Building Trust: The integration of governance and technology is crucial in building a trusted internet. This involves public education, policy work, and creating conditions where trust can be established and maintained.

8. Role of Anonymity and Accountability: The discussion also explores the role of anonymity in trust and how systems can be designed to allow for anonymous yet trustworthy interactions.

Data Center Blues

As we’ve previously discussed, the rise of AI means the rise of data centers and with it a growing demand for energy. The International Energy’s Agency’s latest report estimated a jump in demand over the next three years equivalent to the entirety of Germany’s power consumption.

It is with great interest that we see the emergence of Critical Data Center Studies that argues that data centers should be seen as media objects with significant impact, rather than just physical infrastructures.

Key Aspects of Critical Data Center Studies:

1. Technological and Engineering Focus: At its core, the field looks into the design, operation, and technology behind data centers. This includes studying the hardware, software, networking, and engineering practices that make data storage and processing possible on a large scale.

2. Environmental Impact: A significant area of focus is the environmental footprint of data centers. Researchers study the energy consumption, cooling requirements, and overall sustainability of these facilities. Given the vast amount of energy data centers consume, understanding and mitigating their environmental impact is crucial.

3. Sociopolitical and Economic Dimensions: Critical Data Center Studies also delve into the sociopolitical and economic aspects of data centers. This includes examining how data centers are influenced by and contribute to global and local economies, governance policies, and regulatory frameworks.

4. Cultural and Social Implications: The field explores the role of data centers in society and culture, including issues of data sovereignty, privacy, and the digital divide. It looks at how data centers affect and are affected by societal norms and values.

5. Interdisciplinary Approach: Critical Data Center Studies is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing from fields such as computer science, environmental science, sociology, political science, and cultural studies. This diverse approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of data centers and their multifaceted impacts.

Critical Data Center Studies is a much needed holistic examination of the environmental, social, political, and cultural implications of AI in our increasingly data-driven world.

Data centers are one of the least visible underpinnings of digital sprawl. But wholly relevant when you read what OpenAI will require to follow through on their promises:

Ironically, the “stopgap” solution of geoengineering that Altman proposes is only slightly less implausible than the counted upon future breakthrough in nuclear fission. Perhaps just openly hoping for a technology boost from friendly ETs or time travelling future humans who don’t care about the principle of non-interference would be less disingenuous?

Hybrid Events Made Easy?

General Strike in Argentina

We wrote about the recent election of a far right politician in Argentina is Issue 12 of our Gazette. We therefor felt compelled to provide an update as this week the country has had a general strike!

The strike was organized by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the largest union in the country, and was joined by other unions, social groups, and political opponents. This was the first general strike in Argentina in more than four years and the quickest ever to be organized in a president's term since the return of democracy.

The strike was primarily a response to the austerity measures introduced by the newly elected libertarian President Javier Milei. Milei's policies have led to triple-digit inflation and a steep devaluation of Argentina's peso. The protesters were particularly opposed to Milei's Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) and Omnibus Law, which directly attacks workers' rights. The austerity measures are seen as a step backwards.

The Drone Industrial Complex

Our last issue focused partly on how drones are changing how conflicts are fought. As a follow up, we wanted to bring you the story of Anduril Industries. They build the systems that counter drones:

Anduril Industries is a defense business that has been scaling revenue at record speeds, reaching a rumored valuation in the billions. The company seeks to be a true competitor to the “Big Five” prime contractors that dominate the American defense industry. Future conflicts will likely rely heavily on AI, especially for coordinating large “swarms” of drones and other assets. Anduril seems one of the only companies with the technological power to handle these new kinds of warfare.

Given the company’s rapid growth and its focus on developing cutting-edge technologies for national security purposes, it is reasonable to assume that Anduril Industries is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the global defense landscape.

Anduril Industries was founded by Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift. Luckey was later fired by Facebook, and his political views have been a source of controversy in the tech industry. He has been criticized for his support of Donald Trump and for donating to a pro-Trump organization during the 2016 US Presidential campaign. Luckey’s political views have also been linked to his work at Anduril Industries.

Jazz in Kids Shows

On a lighter note, Dara Starr Tucker has a great episode of her Breakdown series on the role of Jazz in 70s and 80s North American kids TV.

Jazz music has played a significant and delightful role in children's television shows, notably in classics like "Sesame Street," "Charlie Brown," and "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood."

In "Sesame Street," jazz infused songs and background scores added a layer of lively, engaging soundscapes that captured children's attention and conveyed emotions effectively. Who can forget the distinctive rhythms of “1, 2, 3,4, 5 . . “ and other such classics?

Similarly, the iconic music of "Charlie Brown," composed by Vince Guaraldi, is as much a part of the show as any character. Guaraldi’s whimsical compositions are a perfect example of how jazz can evoke a sense of powerful nostalgia, making the show memorable across generations.

Meanwhile, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" used a kind of intimate cool jazz to create a warm, inviting atmosphere, reflecting the show's emphasis on kindness and understanding. Here in Canada, we had Oscar Peterson stop by “Today’s Special” to play a version of that theme song still ringing in our ears.

The presence of jazz in these shows demonstrates how a genre often associated with adults and a kind of rarefied cultural literacy nowadays has a broad popular appeal that extends to children, perhaps reflecting its roots in the popular dance music of an earlier era.

@darastarrtucker

#sesamestreet #jazzinkidsshows #elmo #ernie #grover #80stv #genx #genxtv #muppets

Grieving The Animals We Love

Help us find new Punks!

We’ve created a Signal group for Eco Punks to share links, ideas, and get a friendly reminder about salons and events. If you’d like to join us on Signal, email [email protected].

And that’s another issue! This week’s song is courtesy of Eco Punk Sophie Fraser. Thank you for reading. January is almost done. Just a few more days…