Time indeed does “fly” when it comes to your children. I can’t believe we’ve already had two years to celebrate Lily’s life and adventures and can’t wait to see where the next few decades take her.
Happy 2nd Birthday, Lily!
Blog
Stare at Bosch’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ Today
Give yourself 10 mins today to stare at Bosch’s work and learn a little about yourself, the world, consciousness, and projection (not a bad use of just 10 mins of your day instead of doomscrolling Reels or TikTok)…
10-Minute Challenge: Bosch’s ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ – The New York Times (Gift Article):
Today, we bring you another focus challenge, in which we invite you to spend uninterrupted time looking at one piece of art. This one is a 500-year-old, three-paneled triptych by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.
Can AI Dream of Electric Consciousness?
On spiritual attractors that attract even AI (perhaps that’s due to them being mostly human creation but perhaps something else)… Nishitani was right…
As we’ve mentioned, initially models will go into these discussions of consciousness that get increasingly philosophical. And so at that point you could imagine, if that’s the thing that is just straightforwardly getting reinforced, then you might expect just increasingly deep philosophical discussions of consciousness.
But we do in fact see these phase changes, where there will be relatively normal, coherent discussions of consciousness, to increasingly speculative discussions, to the kind of manic bliss state, and then to some kind of calm, subtle silence — emptiness. And I think it’s quite interesting that we see the phase changes that we do there as opposed to just some much more straightforward running down a single path.
Lightning Kills Lots of Trees
Admittedly, I haven’t read this entire paper but I do have a few analytical questions about the data and variables… but still fascinating nonetheless (especially with my latest work on plasma and ecology!)…
Lightning Kills Way More Trees Than You Would Ever Believe : ScienceAlert:
A first-of-its-kind study estimates that lightning strikes kill 320 million trees every year.
For perspective, these dead trees account for up to 2.9 percent of annual loss in plant biomass and emit up to 1.09 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
This is a Horrible Idea
I don’t understand how anyone (besides tech execs who haven’t been all that great at info-security over the years…and sharing personal health data with AI companies?? no thanks) would think that this is a good idea.
Donald Trump yesterday announced a new system that will store the medical history of all citizens in electronic formats that will be easy to share with various medical facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, as well as with mediclaim providers. The government is also working towards creating a consolidated medical ID, akin to your social security number, to allow quicker access to medical history.
The project will be developed with the involvement of over 60 leading technology companies, such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, etc.
Integral Plasma Ecologies
Here’s a paper on integral plasma thoughts that I posted over on Carolina Ecology… I’m deeply fascinated by this topic that weaves together my background as a physics teacher and my PhD work in Religion and Ecology…
Integral Plasma Ecologies – by Sam Harrelson:
Plasma is not just a category of physics; it is a discipline for attention. It forces our concepts to move with fields and thresholds rather than with isolated things. Thomas Berry’s old sentence comes back to me as a methodological demand rather than a slogan… the universe is “a communion of subjects,” so our ontology must learn how currents braid subjects, how membranes transact rather than wall off, how patterns persist as filaments rather than as points.[1] Plasma is one way the communion shows its hand.
Integral Plasma Dynamics: Consciousness, Cosmology, and Terrestrial Intelligence
Here’s a paper I’ve been working on the last few weeks combining some of my interests and passions… ecological theology and hard physics. I’ve been fascinated by plasma for years and had a difficult time figuring out how to weave that into my Physics and AP Physics curriculums over the years. I’m grateful to be working on this PhD in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion and have felt a gnawing to write this idea down for a while now…
Abstract:
This paper proposes an integrative framework, Kenotic Integral Plasma Dynamics, that connects plasma physics, advanced cosmology, consciousness studies, and ecological theory through the lens of the Ecology of the Cross. Drawing on my background as an AP Physics educator and doctoral studies in Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion, I explore how plasma, the dominant state of matter in the universe, may serve as a medium for emergent intelligence and information processing, with implications for AI, ecological stewardship, and cosmic consciousness. Synthesizing insights from classical metaphysics, process philosophy, and modern physics, the work reframes cosmology as a participatory, kenotic process linking matter, mind, and meaning. It critiques the narrow focus on chemical-fueled space exploration, advocating instead for deepening terrestrial engagement with plasma, electromagnetic, and quantum phenomena as pathways to planetary and cosmic intelligence. The study highlights relevance for those interested in the physics of consciousness, information transfer, and plasma-based phenomena. It concludes with practical suggestions for interdisciplinary research, education, and technology aimed at harmonizing scientific inquiry, intelligence development, and integral ecological awareness to address critical planetary challenges through expanded cosmic participation.
Protein Obsession
Fascinating report here on the dairy industry and how protein is making such a big market impact at the producer level… hadn’t considered the role of GLP-1’s like Ozempic before…
America’s Whey Protein Obsession Is Transforming the Dairy Industry – The New York Times (Gift Article)
More recently, the demand for whey has been turbocharged by the growing use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. Patients taking those drugs are advised to increase their protein intake to avoid muscle loss.
Whey protein powders, and the increasing number of whey-protein-enhanced products on grocery store shelves, are an expedient way of consuming a lot of protein. Estimates of the size of the whey protein market vary from around $5 billion to $10 billion, but nearly all analysts say the market will double over the next decade. A pound of the highest-protein whey powder that cost about $3 in 2020 costs almost $10 today, according to Ever.Ag insights, an agriculture data company.
Editors’ PicksThe demand has trickled down and completely altered the economics of the dairy industry.
China’s AI Path
Some fascinating points here regarding AI development in the US compared to China… in short, China is taking more of an “open” (not really but it’s a good metaphor) approach based on its market principles with open weights while the US companies are focused on restricting access to the weights (don’t lose the proprietary “moat” that might end up changing the world and all)…
🔮 China’s on a different AI path – Exponential View:
China’s approach is more pragmatic. Its origins are shaped by its hyper‑competitive consumer internet, which prizes deployment‑led productivity. Neither WeChat nor Douyin had a clear monetization strategy when they first launched. It is the mentality of Chinese internet players to capture market share first. By releasing model weights early, Chinese labs attract more developers and distributors, and if consumers become hooked, switching later becomes more costly.
Boundaries: Ecological Theology, Migration, and the Sacredness of the Non-Human
Presented to the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture June 2025 at University of California Santa Barbara.
In this paper for the ISSRNC, I explore how boundaries—ecological, theological, and social—are being redrawn in our time of climate disruption and mass displacement. Drawing from Christian theology, phenomenology, and lived experience in the Carolinas, I argue that the sharp lines we’ve inherited between human and non-human, land and sea, self and other, are not only breaking down, but inviting reimagination. From Aquinas’ vision of a diverse creation reflecting divine goodness, to Merleau-Ponty’s notion of embodied perception, to Edith Stein’s account of empathy beyond the human, I trace a theological-phenomenological approach to seeing the more-than-human world as sacred.
Through stories of storms like Hurricane Helene and the increasing migration of people, plants, and animals, I reflect on how we might live more ethically in a world of porous boundaries. What does it mean to see a floodplain or barrier island as holy ground rather than real estate? How can faith communities respond not only to human migrants but also to the migrations of forests and species? Ultimately, I propose an “Ecology of the Cross”—a theology rooted in kenosis, interdependence, and sacramental welcome—as a way to meet this moment with humility, compassion, and reverence.
Breathing Two Ways
The Cells That Breathe Two Ways | Quanta Magazine:
Then the team added oxygen back into the mix. As expected, the bacteria grew faster. But, to the researchers’ surprise, RSW1 also still produced hydrogen sulfide gas, as if it were anaerobically respiring. In fact, the bacteria seemed to be breathing both aerobically and anaerobically at once, and benefiting from the energy of both processes. This double respiration went further than the earlier reports: The cell wasn’t just producing sulfide in the presence of oxygen but was also performing both conflicting processes at the same time. Bacteria simply shouldn’t be able to do that.
Caligula as a Pharmacology Nerd
We still have lots to learn from the ancients… I’m hoping AI will help us process some of the lessons we’ve forgotten over the millennia, particularly with pharmacology…
Ancient Rome’s Most Notorious Emperor Was Also a Medicine Nerd, New Study Reveals (art net):
Conventional wisdom suggests Caligula was a madman, hence the apocryphal story of appointing his horse as a senator. But despite his character, and questionable sanity, Caligula was also man of great intellect and learning with a particularly keen knowledge of pharmacology. This is the conclusion of Andrew Koh and Trevor Luke, faculty in the Yale Ancient Pharmacology Program, who have delved into the unflattering histories concerning Caligula and found an Emperor who knew his medicinal plants.
Tech Fiefdoms (for real)
I’ve been saying this for a while now… Ursula Le Guin tries to warn us still:
Tech Billionaires Accused of Quietly Working to Implement “Corporate Dictatorship”:
“It sees a post-United States world where, instead of democracy, we will have basically tech feudalism — fiefdoms run by tech corporations. They’re pretty explicit about this point.”
Substack’s AI Report
Interesting stats here…
The Substack AI Report – by Arielle Swedback – On Substack:
Based on our results, a typical AI-using publisher is 45 or over, more likely to be a man, and tends to publish in categories like Technology and Business. He’s not using AI to generate full posts or images. Instead, he’s leaning on it for productivity, research, and to proofread his writing. Most who use AI do so daily or weekly and have been doing so for over six months.
Mistral’s Report on Environmental Impact
I’m generally skeptical about these sorts of tech related impact reports, but it is a good sign to see a mainstream AI-focused company put this together when we all are aware that the AI systems we are using water, rare earth minerals, and our electrical grid in non-sustainable and often coloinalistic ways (reflecting the larger global tech culture that has expanded over the last decade of decadence):
Our contribution to a global environmental standard for AI | Mistral AI:
Today, as AI becomes increasingly integrated into every layer of our economy, it is crucial for developers, policymakers, enterprises, governments and citizens to better understand the environmental footprint of this transformative technology. At Mistral AI, we believe that we share a collective responsibility with each actor of the value chain to address and mitigate the environmental impacts of our innovations…
In this context, we have conducted a first-of-its-kind comprehensive study to quantify the environmental impacts of our LLMs. This report aims to provide a clear analysis of the environmental footprint of AI, contributing to set a new standard for our industry.
Mullins in the Political Spotlight
Have to say, I did not have Newsom touring my beloved and small rural hometown of Mullins, SC on the BINGO card for 2025… but glad to see Mullins and the Pee Dee getting some attention from national candidates!
I wasn’t sold on Obama in 2007 until I heard his stump speech in Columbia that year and he rolled out the famous “YES WE CAN” call and response (along with “Fired up” at the same speech…. it was pretty electric and inspiring when he said we can do a better job teaching children how to read in Dillon County)…
Column: Newsom needs to stop kidding around. He’s running for president – Los Angeles Times…
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tours downtown Mullins, S.C., with Mayor Miko Pickett on July 8.
if you’re worried…
…it’s not too late.
GMail
I was cleaning up my inbox this morning and realized that I had built up about 21 years of muscle memory working in GMail (was an ardent Eudora fan before that) since 2004. Amazing to me how quickly that span happened.
Not to brag, but…
… new personal best. Such an addictive game!
Coffee Golf – July 2
9 Strokes – Top 1% 🏆
🟪🟦🟨🟥🟩
2️⃣1️⃣2️⃣2️⃣2️⃣
Dalai Lama’s Succession Plans
Religion and politics aren’t only enmeshed here in the West… fascinating situation unplaying here…
The Dalai Lama announces plans for a successor : NPR:
The English translation published on his website said the search for his successor will be carried out by The Gaden Phodrang Trust, a religious body of Buddhist monks who are part of the office of the Dalai Lama in India.
In what appears to be a nod to China, the statement adds that “no one else has any such authority to interfere in the matter.” China has stated that it alone has the authority to appoint the next leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibet is an autonomous region controlled by China…
… The Tibetan spiritual leader had previously speculated that his successor might be an adult, could be an “attractive” woman, or there might not be one at all. In his recently released book Voice for the Voiceless, he said that the new Dalai Lama will be born “in the free world” and outside of China.