Slayer (band) has a digital museum now!

My all-time favorite metal band, Slayer, opened its archive to the public (!) SLAYER UNLEASHES “SLAYTANIC VERSES,” AN UNHOLY MUSEUM Slayer invites their fans to take the plunge into the abyss with the official launch of their new online museum, Slaytanic Verses. Unveil Slayer’s hidden world and explore their personal archives. There’s nothing quite like … Read more

in Bodrum for the FNF’s Capacity Building Program

Today, I had the privilege of speaking at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s (FNF) Capacity Building Program in beautiful Bodrum, Turkey. The program, titled “Strengthening and Innovating the Future of Civil Society in an Evolving World,” brought together civil society leaders, academics, and innovators to explore how we can adapt and thrive in our rapidly changing … Read more

A video: “We’re already using AI more than we realize”

Main points here: 00:04 We interact with AI more than we realize 02:28 Machine learning revolutionized AI 04:47 AI is seeping into every aspect of our lives 11:43 Americans have a 60% accuracy in identifying technologies that use AI 24:13 AI was created in the 1950s to attain human-level intelligence in computers. 27:46 AI awareness … Read more

All-knowing Turkish authorities banned Discord

Since fixing social decline is harder, they chose the easiest option. They could not stop leaking the data they collected from citizens. Censorship! Now i will have to find a new venue for my classes’ communications and use VPN to reach many AI companies’ servers there. Yes, Turkey has banned access to Discord[1][2][3]. The ban … Read more

Femicide continues with recent brutal killings of young women

This was just too bad, and we have a new generation of young killers. The killer released violent imagery and content in previous years. It seems that young men organizing in Discord and Telegram promoting more violence towards women which sometimes remind the incel violence. The recent brutal killings of young women in Turkey have … Read more

The 4th Self-Immolation Act in the US protesting the Israeli agression

Just saw another act. So I asked Perplexity to list all acts so far: According to Perplexity: Based on the search results provided, there have been at least four self-immolation acts in the United States related to the Israel-Palestine conflict since late 2023. Here’s a summary of these incidents: December 2023: An unidentified individual set … Read more

A video: “How China’s BYD is Dominating the EV Industry”

BYD, a company you’ve probably never heard of, is making huge gains in the electric car market, worrying both Tesla and the European car companies. In this video, we’re taking a look at who BYD is, where do they come from, how are they so successful, and why is it making everyone worried? Main highlights: … Read more

This may be the most detailed work so far: “The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence on Elections Across the Globe”

The Center for Media Engagement at UT Austin released a vital report. The executive summary is below. For the full report, click here.  Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged as a transformative force in elections playing out across the world. In a series of reports, the Center for Media Engagement investigates GenAI’s role before, during, and … Read more

My Google Maps photos performance-250 million views. Still lots of place to visit…

It has passed 250 million views now! You can see the rest in my Google Maps, but let me share the most viewed one:  

A video: “Cryptocurrencies – The future of money?”

  Highlights 00:06 Bitcoin’s impact on the economy and society 03:19 Bitcoin’s value rise benefitted charitable initiatives in El Salvador 08:42 Bitcoin’s impact on traditional banking and its speculative nature 11:38 Bitcoin faces challenges as a global currency due to high volatility and limited acceptance. 16:40 Regulation is necessary to prevent further damage and secure … Read more

Return from Vilnius

After a productive and collegial workshop environment and a few trips, I am back, and the classes for the new semester started yesterday. Let me here point out a few places we visited. I am glad I could unpin a few places I saved in my Google Maps lists. Hill of Crosses is majestic. I … Read more

Politics makes strange bedfellows. Some Jihadists happy with the assasination of Nasrallah

A quick look at the Turkish Twittersphere confirmed my expectations. Some Jihadists and Islamists are actually happy. Since the civil war in Syria, many Turkish jihadists lost their uneasy sympathy with Hezbollah, who supported the Asad regime. But the actual celebrations come from “the Syrian opposition:” Celebrations in Opposition-Controlled Areas While the Syrian government officially … Read more

A video: Unix vs Linux

00:02 Difference between UNIX and Linux explained 01:50 Evolution of Unix to UNIX operating system 03:35 Evolution of UNIX into BSD versions in the mid-80s 05:20 UNIX philosophy and compatibility standards defined by System 5 and BSD. 07:03 Linus Torvalds overcame the deficiencies of MINIX and Unix to create Linux 08:46 Linux is a clone … Read more

New York City Mayor Eric Adams seems to have made real ties with some Turks

…not in a good way, I guess. According to the 57-page indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, there are significant alleged ties to the Turkish government. Here are the key points: Connections to Turkish Officials The indictment outlines an alleged scheme involving Turkish government officials and business leaders connected to Turkish President Recep … Read more

In Vilnius, for the GRADE workshop

I arrived in Vilnius yesterday to attend a workshop for the COST GRADE project. A little walking around led me to Level 9 on Google Maps. It’s a pretty city. I could not make it, but there are many walking tours. I recommend. I saw many groups walking around. And now the workshop starts. I am in … Read more