Links for Jan

The Whenguins are coming

Julian Gough drops a compelling new theory of galaxy formation in an interview on the Weekly Anthropocine.

Humans will soon leave low Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. Hope it goes well.

The reusable rockets are coming.

Hans Moravec’s 1976 paper ‘The Role of Raw Power in Intelligence’ is a romp. Banger after banger. A delicious tid-bit:

“It is interesting to speculate whether penguins, now similar to seals in behaviour and habitat, will ever become fully aquatic, and evolve analogously to the great whales.”

Would we call these Pengwhales or Whenguins? I like the sound of Whenguins

Power availability is unlikely to be a constraining factor on US AI growth until at least 20230.

New Kingdom of life just dropped.

Have you noticed the Shigalyovist turn anon? – Pairs well with this review of Demons by Dostoevsky, which, like all great reviews, isn’t a review. It’s a polemic.