Is “acceptably non-dystopian” self-sovereign identity even possible?

Wild stuff. I’ve done only the smallest amount of reading and thinking about topics like online identity. This article has shown me that there is a whole lot more to consider. When she writes the following in her conclusion it’s clear to me that we have a long way to go before we get trusted, reliable, private, and secure identity services.

I’m a software engineer and computer nerd, and I don’t trust myself to self-custody this data.

Molly White

https://blog.mollywhite.net/is-acceptably-non-dystopian-self-sovereign-identity-even-possible/

Lisa Genova: How your memory works — and why forgetting is totally OK | TED Talk

I found this a very encouraging TED talk. I’m putting this here so that I don’t forget it or, if I do, I’ll be able to find it again. By spending this much attention on it maybe it’ll be a little easier to remember when I need to.

The Obesity Era

Blaming individuals for obesity may be altogether wrong, as this article states. It points out a lot of research reveals that obesity is not just a failure of individual will-power and responsibility. Blaming individual people for their own (or their children’s) obesity is counterproductive (though it certainly is profitable). Most of this research “…makes it clear that obesity isn’t a simple school physics experiment.Much more research is needed.

Study: Rational arguments and ridicule can both reduce belief in conspiracy theories

Well, this article changes things.

But wait! What if this is also a conspiracy theory?! 🙂

No, I haven’t vetted this article and, no, I didn’t “do the research”. The authors did note that the “present study is not without limitations” so do take it with a grain of salt.

“You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you” | The Oatmeal

The Oatmeal has a wonderful explanation of the backfire effect about our ever-so-human challenge of changing our own or each others’ minds. I know a few of my hard-to-challenge core beliefs but I’m sure I have more that I haven’t identified yet.

CW: If you want to see the… adult-language version where some of the illustrations use strong language. It is still worth reading and pondering.