The Internet Foundation
Solving Global Problems using the Internet

Lots of demo technologies, lots of expensive services, not much wisdom (sustainable methods) for all

Richard K Collins All Global Open Devices, All knowledge, All Languages September 14, 2024

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative @ChanZuckerberg Imagine seeing a heartbeat at the cellular level. Steven Niederer is leveraging MRI, biophysics & AI to visualize muscle cell orientation in beating hearts. A new tool for understanding heart function! https://pic.x.com/kesrszoqxp
Replying to @ChanZuckerberg

Filed as: Lots of demo technologies, lots of expensive services, not much wisdom (sustainable methods) for all

Imagine seeing it at a molecular level. Then atomic level. Then intranuclear level. Then skip quarks and go directly to gluon level. With calculations and simulations, that is possible. But it partially requires those “standard model” groups to open up, share in verifiable form, share in open and accessible form.
 
And what good is a 3D beating heart, if you do not also track the blood, organs, nutrients, proteins, the whole person, their life and potential, their metabolites, their health and interactions.
 
And what good is a full calibrated metabolic model of one person at great cost, if 8.2 Billions other humans have lost hope, or become desperate so they turn to violence and war?
 
And what good saving humans from disease or warfare, if the organizational capabilities of countries, cities, infrastructure, industries, families and groups are so primitive compared to what is possible, and needed, that everyone completely gives up on human systems that worked in the past, but no longer?
 
Please do not crow about little things like 3D imaging — if it is not accessible to all humans (and related species). If it only enriches a few, they have not worked hard enough. If you centralize and say “expensive resources have to be managed, and our group will do it”. And subsidize, taking from other things, and create more single points of failure, more monopolies, more single points of manipulation. If the whole is not done, the few jewels or demos only point out systemic failure.
 
Low cost, verifiable, accessible, sustainable. It is the motives and the rewards that matter too. We still all operate, “what is in it for our group?”, “what is in it for our organization, our country?” But I have learned to look at the human species and related species as a whole. Down to the gluon level if necessary. And aim for the picture (data, model, maps, tools, connections, methods, materials) to be accessible to all.

The Internet is getting worse, not better. You might not notice if you have adjusted to spending hours to find things that should take seconds. Or tried to do something that can be conceived and planned in a short time, but takes years or decades to accomplish. If you are doing the easy things, that is a slippery slope because it makes you forget the harder problems, and just do what one shot AIs tell you is possible.

That is mostly due to the “let everyone figure it out on their own” and “let everyone do what they like” on the Internet, in computing, in knowledge, in educations, in common services, in conducting wars, is setting directions and priorities. Only a very tiny few are using their guts, and emotions, and memories in their brain cells to make decisions for billions now. That is no verifiable, there are no checks and balances, their is no recourse, there is no alternative.

I wrote a bit, but what I want is for groups and individuals who see glitzy technology to look deeper at who is benefiting, who is making the decisions. See if they have systems in place to listen and change, to verify, to challenge and encourage all humans, not just a few.

When I was working at Georgetown University Center for Population Research, I worked on modeling countries out 50 years. Then I spent three years on an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment for three years at the USAID Burea for Program and Policy Coordination combining the data from all US federal agencies working internationally. And all data from UN agencies into one Economic and Social Database. Then I trained the users of the old systems and new ones, to use all the data, linked to tools, to plan project, to plan programs, to evaluate projects, to evaluate programs, to look at whole countries, to look at whole regions, to look at global resources, to look at global needs, to look at global issues and opportunities. And I set in place training in microcomputers and constrained optimization using all data. Then I went to set up the Famine Early Warning System.

But my point is not that. I was also taking courses and studying chemistry in the GU Chemistry department. Nuclear magnetic resonance, heterocycles, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear fusion reactions, nuclear energy storage reactions and materials.  Statistical mechanics, quantum modeling, thermodynamics, and still gravitational detection from my earlier studies.

You are saying “MRI” as through it is new and wonderful. But I saw it, essentially in the form we still have it today, more than 40 years ago when the first developers came to show it. And it is still monopolized by a few. It is still centralized and expensive. It is not flexible.  It is not accessible to everyone. And the alternatives, the research is not truly global, open, verifiable, shared with all. The algorithms for MRI are more complicated and less efficient than they ought to be – because they still keep using one big single axis magnet when many magnets and other sensors can make it faster, lower cost, portable, bedside, emergency.  The technologies are controlled by the manufacturers too much ( I will review it again, I try to keep track of all technologies, at least periodically and by sampling and analysis). And fragmented from state to state, country to country, place to place, group to group. And not accessible to all.

I am a bit tired. I can see gaps in what I am saying. Things change, but some things are not changing, but ought to.

Richard Collins, The Internet Foundation

 

Richard K Collins

About: Richard K Collins

Director, The Internet Foundation Studying formation and optimized collaboration of global communities. Applying the Internet to solve global problems and build sustainable communities. Internet policies, standards and best practices.

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