Carry On

The girl Zina said, "I have something for you."

"A present?" 

He held out his hand, trustingly.

Only a child's toy. An information slate, such as every young person had. He felt keen disappointment.

"We made it for you,” Zina said.

"Who is that?" 

He examined the slate. Self-governing factories turned out hundreds of thousands of such slates. Each slate contained common microcircuitry. 

“Mr. Plaudet gave me one of these already," he said.  "They're plugged into the school."

"We make ours differently," Zina said. 

“Keep it. Tell Mr. Plaudet this is the one he gave you. He won't be able to distinguish them from each other.  See?  We even have the brand name on it." 

With her finger she traced the letters I.B.M.

"This one isn't really I.B.M.," he said.

"Definitely not. Turn it on."

He pressed the tab of the slate. On the slate, on the pale gray surface, a single word in illuminated red appeared.

VALIS

Philip K Dick, 1981

Grok:  Hey! What's on your mind?

BK:  Tell me if you think this is theoretically possible

G:  Sure, go ahead and share the idea or scenario you're thinking about. I'll give you my thoughts on its theoretical possibility.

BK:  Would you say most children on the planet have access to internet?

G:  No, most children around the world do not have access to the internet. According to reports and data from various sources, including UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), there's a significant digital divide. A substantial portion of school-age children globally, particularly in low-income countries, rural areas, and regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, lack internet access at home. Estimates indicate that around two-thirds of the world's school-age children do not have internet connection in their homes, highlighting a digital divide that impacts educational opportunities, especially in times of school closures like those caused by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

BK:  What about smart phones

G:  Regarding access to smartphones among children globally, the situation is complex and varies significantly by region, economic status, and other factors. 

Global Smartphone Ownership: Approximately 56% of the world's population owns a smartphone as of 2024, but this does not directly translate to children's access. 

Children's Access: 

• In Developed Countries: A high percentage of children have access to smartphones. For example, in the U.S., 91% of children have a smartphone by the age of 14, and in the UK, nearly a quarter of children aged 5-7 already have their own smartphone. Similar trends are observed in other developed nations where smartphone ownership among children is increasingly common, often starting at a young age.

• Emerging Economies and Developing Countries: The picture is different. While mobile phone penetration, including smartphones, has grown significantly, access for children is not as widespread. In India, only 24% of the population reported owning a smartphone in 2019, which suggests a lower rate among children. However, there's an increase in smartphone use, especially for educational purposes, with 50% of children in rural areas having access to smartphones by 2021.

• Global Disparities: Despite the growth in smartphone use globally, the ITU notes that around 2.6 billion people remain offline, indicating that many children, particularly in less developed regions, do not have personal access to smartphones. This is often due to economic constraints, lack of infrastructure, or cultural norms around technology use for children.

Conclusion: While many children in wealthier countries or urban settings in developing countries have access to smartphones, globally, most children do not have their own smartphone or even regular access to one. The disparity is significant, with access heavily influenced by geographic, economic, and social factors. Therefore, it's not accurate to say that "most children on the planet" have access to smartphones.

BK:  Is Starlink built for this reason?

G:  Starlink, operated by SpaceX, was indeed designed with the goal of providing internet access to underserved and remote areas around the world, but its utility extends beyond just children's access to smartphones. Here's how Starlink aligns with this purpose:

Objectives of Starlink:

• Rural and Remote Connectivity: Starlink aims to bridge the digital divide by providing high-speed, low-latency internet to areas where traditional internet infrastructure like fiber optics or cellular networks is either too expensive or impractical to deploy.

• Global Coverage: With plans to have thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), Starlink seeks to offer coverage nearly everywhere on the planet, which inherently includes regions where children have little to no internet access.

• Education: Starlink's capability to provide internet in remote and rural areas has been highlighted for its educational benefits, allowing schools and students in these areas to access online resources, participate in e-learning, and connect with global educational platforms.

Regarding Children's Smartphone Access:

• Indirect Benefit: While Starlink isn't specifically built for children's access to smartphones, by providing internet connectivity, it indirectly supports any device's connectivity, including smartphones. This can be particularly beneficial in scenarios where children share devices or where schools use smartphones for educational purposes.

• Starlink Direct to Cell: SpaceX has been developing a service called "Starlink Direct to Cell" aimed at providing satellite internet directly to mobile phones, which would further enhance children's access to the internet via smartphones in areas without traditional cellular service. This service, however, is in its early stages and initially focuses on text messaging with plans for voice and data services later.

Practical Considerations:

• Cost: While Starlink aims to make internet access more available, the cost of the service and the equipment might still be prohibitive for many families in underserved areas, although there are initiatives for discounted services under programs like the US government's Lifeline for low-income households.

• Infrastructure: Starlink requires a user terminal (often referred to as a "dish") to connect to its satellites, which might not be feasible for every child or household due to the need for installation, cost, and an unobstructed view of the sky.

In summary, while Starlink's primary aim is broader than just enabling children's smartphone usage, its infrastructure significantly contributes to the potential for children in underserved areas to gain internet access, which could be through smartphones or other devices.

BK:  Here’s the idea: in three years, 2/3 of the world’s children have access to internet via tablet.   Educational lessons in STEM, activities, nutritional and physical fitness tracking is offered, the results of which are entered into a central AI that slowly tailors the education to the strengths and weaknesses of the child.

G:  The idea you've proposed is theoretically very possible, but its realization would depend on several factors:

1. Internet Access:

• Expansion of Starlink or Similar Services: With the continued rollout of satellite internet like Starlink, achieving widespread internet access, even to remote and underserved areas, could be feasible. Starlink's goal is global coverage, and if its expansion continues at pace, by 2027, it could significantly increase the number of children with internet access. However, the cost, both of service and equipment, would need to be addressed to reach a large portion of the world's children.

• Government and NGO Support: Collaborations with governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) would be crucial to subsidize costs, create infrastructure, and ensure that the service reaches the most vulnerable populations.

2. Tablets Distribution:

• Affordability: Tablets would need to be extremely affordable or distributed at a subsidized cost to reach two-thirds of the world’s children. This could involve partnerships with tech companies, donations, or innovative financing like buy now, pay later for schools or communities.

• Durability and Maintenance: Tablets distributed to children worldwide would need to be rugged, easy to repair, or replaceable at low cost to handle the rigors of use in various environments.

3. Educational Content and AI:

• Content Development: Creating educational content that is culturally relevant, multilingual, and accessible would be a massive undertaking. This would need to involve educators, tech companies, and potentially AI to automate and personalize content.

• AI for Personalization: The development of an AI system that can effectively analyze data from educational activities to tailor learning experiences would be challenging but not impossible. 

This would require:  

• Privacy and Data Security: Ensuring children's data is handled securely and ethically.

• Algorithmic Accuracy and Bias: The AI must be designed to avoid perpetuating educational biases or misjudging a child's capabilities based on limited data.

• Scalability: The system would need to scale to millions or billions of users, which poses technical challenges in terms of computing power, data storage, and real-time processing.

4. Cultural and Linguistic Barriers:

• The content must be available in numerous languages and suitable for diverse cultural contexts to be truly inclusive.

5. Infrastructure and Training:

• Teachers and parents would need training on how to use and integrate this technology into education. Infrastructure like power supply in remote areas would also need addressing.

6. Ethical and Regulatory Considerations:

• There would be significant ethical implications regarding data privacy, especially concerning minors. Regulations around data use, educational technology, and child safety would need to be navigated.

Conclusion: 

While this scenario is theoretically possible, it would require an unprecedented level of global cooperation, technological innovation, and financial investment. It would also necessitate overcoming significant logistical, cultural, and regulatory hurdles. If these challenges could be addressed, such a system could revolutionize education, making it more personalized and accessible, particularly for children in underserved areas.

BK:  Let’s say an impossible cultural shift occurs and the world leaders make this a priority.  Now the child is providing data and engagement that drives improvements in AI.  For every goal reached by the child, a tiny percentage of bitcoin is invested in an account. By the time the child is ready for high school, all expected educational goals have been met and they have accrued enough bitcoin to fund the next phase of education

G:  In this scenario where world leaders prioritize this educational initiative and an impossible cultural shift occurs to support it, here's how this system might work:

1. Cultural and Policy Shift:

• Global Commitment: With leaders globally prioritizing this, there would be a unified effort to distribute tablets, ensure connectivity, and create educational content. This might involve new international treaties or agreements focusing on education and technology.

• Cultural Acceptance: The idea that children engaging with AI for education and earning cryptocurrency for achievements would need to be culturally accepted, which in this scenario, we're assuming has happened.

2. Implementation of the System:

• Tablet Distribution and Internet Access: Every child receives a tablet with internet access. This could be through initiatives like Starlink or through a massive expansion of terrestrial internet infrastructure.

• Educational Content: AI-driven educational platforms would be developed to offer lessons tailored to each child’s learning pace, style, and interests. Content would be in multiple languages and culturally relevant.

• AI Feedback Loop: 

• Data Collection: As children engage with educational content, their interactions, progress, and outcomes are fed back into the AI system.

• AI Development: This data would be used to refine AI algorithms, making educational experiences more personalized and effective.

3. Bitcoin Incentive System:

• Micro-Investments: For each educational goal or milestone achieved, a micro-amount of Bitcoin (or another cryptocurrency) is deposited into an account for each child.

This could be:  

• Performance-Based: Completing lessons, mastering concepts, or achieving certain scores on assessments.

• Engagement-Based: Participation in educational activities, creativity in projects, or peer teaching.

• Cryptocurrency Management: 

• Wallets: Secure, child-friendly cryptocurrency wallets would need to be developed or adapted, with stringent security measures to protect these assets.

• Regulation and Oversight: Governments or educational bodies would need to ensure these accounts are managed ethically, legally, and in the child's best interest.

4. By High School:

• Educational Success: With personalized AI education, the expectation is that by high school, children would have met or exceeded educational goals, gaining a solid foundation in various subjects, including digital literacy and AI understanding.

• Bitcoin Accumulation: 
• Growth: Assuming Bitcoin's value continues to rise or at least maintains its value, these micro-investments could accumulate to a significant amount by the time a child reaches high school.
• Educational Funding: This Bitcoin could then be used for further education, whether for tuition, books, or other educational expenses.

Challenges and Considerations:

• Volatility: Bitcoin's price volatility could be a significant risk. Strategies like converting to a more stable cryptocurrency or using a diversified crypto portfolio might be considered.

• Privacy and Security: Protecting children's data and their cryptocurrency holdings would be paramount.

• Scalability: Managing this system globally would require immense infrastructure and governance.

• Equity: Ensuring the system doesn’t widen the gap between those who understand cryptocurrency versus those who don't would be crucial.

• Ethical AI Use: The ethical implications of using children's data to improve AI would need careful consideration.

This scenario, while utopian and highly innovative, would represent a significant shift in how education and finance are approached globally, leveraging technology for both learning and economic empowerment.

The Great Commandment 

Endless War

 

One From The Vault: There Are Millions of Stars In Your Eyes

 

Cinema

 

“Frankly, I hate dialogue.  Dialogue is for theatre and television. I don’t remember movies because of a good line, I remember movies because of a strong image. I’m not interested in dialogue at all. Pure image and sound, that is the power of cinema, but it is something not obvious when you watch movies today. Movies have been corrupted by television.”

Denis Villaneuve

Original Cinema: The Daily Shew

“I’m sorry to differ with you sir.”

“You are the caretaker.”

”You’ve always been the caretaker.”

“Great party, isn’t it?”

Renaissance Rising

 

John Dee knew that the basic theory of proportion between reality and virtual reality came from Vitruvius and had directed his readers to 'looke in Vitruvius and find it there’.  Robert Fludd was certainly familiar with both Vitruvius and Dee's Preface and, moreover, as briefly indicated at the beginning of this chapter, his whole musical philosophy of Macrocosm and Microcosm, his whole History of these Two Worlds, is imbued with the Macrocosm-Microcosm analogy expressed in terms of musical proportion.  And this reminds us that we have left out one of the subjects of the technical history of the Macrocosm, both a Vitruvian subject and a Dee subject, and the most important of all subjects for Fludd: music.

Music comes second among the sections of the technical history of the Macrocosm, immediately after the first section on number. On the mnemonic wheel, immediately to the left of the numbers to which the Ape points, representing Section 1 of the book, we see the man playing the organ, representing Section 2, on music. This section is introduced by a large folding engraving containing one of the most striking illustrations in the whole book. It represents a fantastic building called ‘The Temple of Music'.

This building is fundamentally a memory system for memorizing all the parts of the exposition of his music theory which Fludd gives on the following pages. Fludd's music theory has been studied by P. J. Amman who finds that it is 'antiquated in comparison with other musical treatises of the period but original in its presentation of the subject’.

 The fact is that Fludd was still trying to be a universal man of the Renaissance; his music treatise is but one of his efforts in the volume and should be compared with his treatises on surveying, or painting, or machinery, though doubtless for him the section on music was the most significant and all-inclusive.

The symbolism of the Temple of Music is explained by Fludd in the description which follows the picture, from which the following is a translated quotation:

We imagine then this Temple of Music to be built on the summit of Mount Parnassus, the seat of the Muses, adorned in every part with eternally green and flowering groves and fields, sweetly watered by chrystal fountains whose murmur induces to gentle repose, frequented by birds pouring forth in song the sound of diverse symphonies. The nymphs around the temple, the satyrs in the groves taught by Sylvanus, the shepherds in the fields with Pan their leader, utter their choruses. Amidst these delights is the divine gift of Apollo who receives the adoration of all; whence arise on all sides peace and concord through the mysteries of harmony and symphony in which all the concords of the heavens and the elements are linked together. The whole universe must perish and be reduced to nothing in warring discord should these consonances fail or be corrupted.

Apollo with his lyre, whom we see sculptured on the Temple, thus represents music in a cosmic and philosophical, as well as a poetic, aspect. The presiding genius of the Temple, says Fludd, is Concordia. Its custodian or priestess is Thalia, one of the Muses, who is shown in an alcove on the upper level of the Temple pointing to a piece of music. On the ground level is an arched doorway through which a little scene is visible, smiths are wielding their hammers at a forge, and through a door on the far side of the building a figure enters mysteriously, holding a set-square. It is, as Fludd explains, “Pythagoras, represented in the moment of discovering the musical proportions and consonances through listening to the sound of hammers on an anvil.”

Music is here being presented both as a fundamental cosmic reality and as a mathematical art having its basis in proportion; and the Temple of Music is a striking example of the mnemonic-symbolic basis of Fludd's thought, which made the detailed illustration of his works, the presentation of his arguments in mnemonic-symbolic form, so important for him.

However singled out and emphasized because of its importance for his musical philosophy as a whole, Fludd's section on music conforms to the general plan of the technical history. It gives the theory of the subject as a mathematical art, basically connected with number like all the subjects, and it gives illustrated information about practical applications of the art.

The strong practical bent of Fludd is nowhere more apparent than in his chapters on musical instruments; these include stringed instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments.

Particularly striking is his application of his mechanical bent to the invention of music-making machines. He claims to have invented new instruments and music-making devices, such as the remarkable looking object described as 'Our Great New Instrument'.

The musical instruments and inventions are fully illustrated and these illustrations must be seen in the context of the whole rich illustration of the book to realize that Fludd, the universal man, can turn his hand to surveying, perspective painting, mechanics, and machines, as well as to music-making.

It is possible that music may have been Fludd's strongest subject. He was interested in singing, and mentions a Friar Robert Brunham whose notation for singing he has used, and perhaps he could play the musical instruments which he illustrates. As an adviser on music, Fludd could have been in demand by theatrical producers and at courts. In another of his works he states that his musical inventions were received with sympathy by the musicians of the court of the King of England.

There is a point about the symbolism of the Temple of Music in relation to music theory which may be important. The most noticeable features of the Temple are those great spirals under the dome, with two doors below them. Their meaning is thus explained in Fludd's text accompanying the engraving:

Thou shouldst carefully examine the spiral revolution in the largest tower which denotes the movement of the air when struck by the sound or the voice. The two doors signify the ears or the organs of hearing, without which the poured-forth sound is not perceived, nor can there be entry into this temple save by them.

Surely (a point not noticed by Amman) this is a visual representation of Vitruvius on acoustics in the theatre, on those undulating circles of air on which the voice is carried, wherefore 'the ancient architects following in nature's footsteps traced the voice as it rose and carried out the ascent of the theatre seats.

Fludd is following Vitruvius, not only in treating of music as a Vitruvian subject but also in introducing his treatment of music in the context in which Vitruvius had treated it. For the exposition of musical theory in Vitruvius comes in connection with his discussion of the theatre and of the 'sounding vessels' which amplified voices in the theatre. 

The musical theory expounded by Vitruvius is based on that of Aristoxenus, an Aristotelian rationalist philosopher who was not in the Pythagoro-Platonic tradition. On the other hand Vitruvius's plan of the theatre, based on zodiacal configurations, introduces the idea of a cosmic music, or, as he says, a musica convenientia astrorum, and this accords with the traditional notions of musica mundana and musica humana descending from Boethius.  Renaissance theory developed this side of the musical tradition, involving connections between musical proportion and cosmological proportion such as Vitruvius implies in his theatre plan, based on the musica con-venientia astrorum. Fludd, like Francesco Giorgi, is of course fully in this tradition.

As we saw, Dee had repeated Vitruvius on the sounding vessels placed under the steps in theatres and ordered according to musical harmonies 'distributed in the circuits by Diatessaron, Diapente, and Diapason'.  This is the only allusion to an ancient building in Dee's Preface. The allusion in the Temple of Music to the voices rising on spirals of sound in the theatre is the only allusion in Fludd's technical history to an ancient building.

We asked why Fludd left out architecture in the technical history. The answer may perhaps be suggested that the Temple of Music represents architecture, represents music as architecture. 

All the Renaissance theorists emphasize the connection, indeed the identity, of musical proportion with architectural proportion.  The building shown by Fludd is of course not a theatre, nor are there any sounding vessels in it. Nor is it properly Neoclassical but a mixture in which the classical columns do not fit with the Gothic features. It does not represent any real building though it may reflect something of the architectural eccentricity of the Jacobean age. It is an architectural fantasia invented and, perhaps, drawn by Fludds as a symbolic expression of his musical philosophy and of the musical theory which he will expound on the following pages. But I am impressed by the fact that Fludd clothes music in this architectural form, suggesting that he is thinking of a connection between architectural and musical proportion. And though this is not a theatre, ancient or modern, some of its leading aspects were certainly suggested by passages in Vitruvius on the ancient theatre and its musical expressiveness. Tantalized and mystified we gaze and gaze, noting the dome and the lantern, the circle of the angelic choir beneath it, the airy spirals carrying the sound to the ears. 

And that large mask on the wall, does it refer to the figure of Thalia, the Muse of Comedy, and carry with it a suggestion of the theatre? And below, there is that room which extends right through the building to the back, where Pythagoras enters and hears the mysterious sounds.

Whatever one may think of Fludd's musical theory or of the peculiar architecture of the Temple of Music, this Temple is surely an impressive symbolic statement of the psychology of a

musical philosopher, of one whose outlook on Man and the Universe, on Macrocosm and Microcosm, finds its deepest expression in terms of music.

This chapter has attempted to bring out a side of Robert Fludd which has not been generally recognized. Though, as in the case of Dee, historians of science are becoming increasingly interested in Fludd who is no longer regarded solely as a wild and hazy figure, it has not been realized that in one aspect of his thought he belongs into the mathematical, technological, and Vitruvian tradition stimulated by John Dee. 

As I have suggested earlier, it is even possible that Fludd may have had access to Dee's papers. These are known to have been dispersed, and sought after by his son in the early seventeenth century.  Some of them came into the hands of Sir Robert Cotton, whom Fludd knew. Among the titles of unpublished works of his which Dee lists one finds, for example, Trochlica inventa mea, indicating some treatise on wheel-mechanisms (perhaps expanding his notes on this in the Preface), and De perspectiva illa, qua peritissimi utuntur Pictores, indicating a lost treatise by Dee on perspective for the use of artists.  Some of the titles of Dee's missing mystical works sound to me also extremely close to the categories of Fludd's thought. To explore this theme of possible dependence of Fludd on Dee in many ways would require a book in itself and I do no more here than raise it as a question.

What can however be said as a result of the preliminary researches in this chapter (preliminary in the sense that I hope that others will carry them much further) is that there is a continuous tradition of Vitruvian influence in England, operating in both John Dee and Robert Fludd, that this tradition connects with technological development, and in particular with the technologies needed in the developing art of the theatre. 
Frances Yates, Theatre of the World

Helter Skelter Vol. 10: Thomas, Can You See Me?

There’s only one gnostic experience, you’ll never have it again.  Once you have it, you are having it every day.

You do not come by knowledge of your own volition.  When the student is ready, actually, it’s not when the student is ready, it’s when the pupil is ready, the Master appears.  And that Master is the first physical principle of reality, the birth of the Universe.  You see it in your mind’s eye, and in no way could I claim that I understood it when I first saw it.  It drove me into research, and some would say that I have come to a state of confirmation bias, but I know that it isn’t true, because like a foolish kid who is just joking around with a teacher, I actually sketched it out.  And I didn’t even remember doing that really until decades later.  After I had my gnostic experience, I realized I had already seen this dozens of times before.  I just didn’t recognize it for what it was.

Mark LeClair, 2012

"I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one." 

 

"When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the Vision and the Voice one and the same, so that the Vision not be Vision nor the Voice; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and an ear in place of a an ear, and a meme in place of a meme; then will you enter the kingdom."