The Helvetica Scenario

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Recently I have had reason to try to learn a bit about a type of AI (artificial intelligence) called machine learning.  It turns out that sometimes a researcher in this area will encounter the Helvetica scenario, which is a phenomenon where a machine learning model gradually degrades due to errors coming from uncurated training on the outputs of another model, including prior versions of itself.  The Helvetica scenario, also called “Model Collapse” (Wikipedia article) is a common problem when training generative adversarial networks (GANs) (Machine Learning Glossary).  The natural question for the reader is where this terminology came from?  Continue reading “The Helvetica Scenario”

Now #1 best seller on Amazon in Adult & Continuing Education

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I just released the second edition of my book Oppedahl on PCT Forms and PCT Docketing.  Amazon says this book is now the #1 best seller in Adult & Continuing Education.  Not only that, but if you purchase this book, I will receive a royalty of about $48.  As of right now, you would only have to pay about $21 to purchase the book from the US Amazon.com siteContinue reading “Now #1 best seller on Amazon in Adult & Continuing Education”

Why dinosaurs and humans both have a radius and ulna

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A few days ago I got to see Apex, which is thought to be the largest and one of the most complete stegosaurus specimens ever uncovered.  I am sure that most museumgoers had the same reaction I had, which was a sense of profound wonder at the fact that the stegosaurus (and indeed nearly all dinosaurs) had a radius and ulna below the elbow of each forelimb, exactly like humans (and nearly all mammals), and had a tibia and fibula below the knee of each hindlimb, again exactly like humans.

Given that dinosaurs and mammals are different branches of the evolutionary family tree, separated for tens of millions of years, how can this possibly have worked out this way?  Continue reading “Why dinosaurs and humans both have a radius and ulna”