Phonic builds surveys that you can answer with voice and uses deep learning to analyze tone of voice

Phonic

phonic

What Is Man? and Other Essays by Mark Twain, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . A SIMPLIFIED ALPHABET here A SIMPLIFIED ALPHABET (This article, written during the autumn of 1899, was about the last writing done by Mark Twain on any impersonal subject.) I have had a kindly feeling, a friendly feeling, a cousinly feeling toward Simplified Spelling, from the beginning of the movement three years ago, but nothing more inflamed than that. It seemed to me to merely propose to substitute one inadequacy for another; a sort of patching and plugging poor old dental relics with cement and gold and porcelain paste; what was really wanted was a new set of teeth. That is to say, a new . alphabet The heart of our trouble is with our foolish alphabet. It doesn’t know how to spell, and can’t be taught. In this it is like all other alphabets except one—the phonographic. That is the only competent alphabet in the world. It can spell and correctly pronounce any word in our language. That admirable alphabet, that brilliant alphabet, that inspired alphabet, can be learned in an hour or two. In a week the student can learn to write it with some little facility, and to read it with considerable ease. I know, for I saw it tried in a public school in Nevada forty-five years ago, and was so impressed by the incident that it has remained in my memory ever since. I wish we could adopt it in place of our present written (and printed) character. I mean the alphabet; simply the consonants and the vowels—I don’t mean any or abbreviations of them, such as the shorthand writer uses in order to get compression and speed. No, I would simply reductions spell every word out. I will insert the alphabet here as I find it in Burnz’s Phonic Shorthand. (Figure 1) It is arranged on the basis of Isaac Pitman’s . Isaac Pitman was the originator and father of scientific phonography. It is used throughout the globe. It was a memorable invention. He made it public seventy-three years ago. The firm of Isaac Pitman & Sons, New York, still exists, and they continue the master’s work. Phonography What should we gain? First of all, we could spell —and correctly—any word you please, just by the of it. We can’t do that with our present alphabet. For instance, take a simple, every-day word . If we tried to spell it by the sound of it, we should make it TYSIS, and be laughed at by every educated person. definitely sound phthisis Secondly, we should gain in in writing. reduction of labor Simplified Spelling makes valuable reductions in the case of several hundred words, but the new spelling must be . You can’t spell them by the sound; you must get them out of the book. learned But even if we knew the simplified form for every word in the language, the phonographic alphabet would still beat the Simplified Speller “hands down” in the important matter of economy of labor. I will illustrate: PRESENT FORM: through, laugh, highland. SIMPLIFIED FORM: thru, laff, hyland. PHONOGRAPHIC FORM: (Figure 2) To write the word “through,” the pen has to make twenty-one strokes. To write the word “thru,” the pen has to make twelve strokes—a good saving. To write that same word with the phonographic alphabet, the pen has to make only strokes. three To write the word “laugh,” the pen has to make strokes. fourteen To write “laff,” the pen has to make the of strokes—no labor is saved to the penman. same number To write the same word with the phonographic alphabet, the pen has to make only strokes. three To write the word “highland,” the pen has to make twenty-two strokes. To write “hyland,” the pen has to make eighteen strokes. To write that word with the phonographic alphabet, the pen has to make only FIVE strokes. (Figure 3) To write the words “phonographic alphabet,” the pen has to make fifty-three strokes. To write “fonografic alfabet,” the pen has to make fifty strokes. To the penman, the saving in labor is insignificant. To write that word (with vowels) with the phonographic alphabet, the pen has to make only strokes. seventeen Without the vowels, only strokes. (Figure 4) The vowels are hardly necessary, this time. thirteen We make five pen-strokes in writing an m. Thus: (Figure 5) a stroke down; a stroke up; a second stroke down; a second stroke up; a final stroke down. Total, five. The phonographic alphabet accomplishes the m with a single stroke—a curve, like a parenthesis that has come home drunk and has fallen face down right at the front door where everybody that goes along will see him and say, Alas! When our written m is not the end of a word, but is otherwise located, it has to be connected with the next letter, and that requires another pen-stroke, making six in all, before you get rid of that m. But never mind about the connecting strokes—let them go. Without counting them, the twenty-six letters of our alphabet consumed about eighty pen-strokes for their construction—about three pen-strokes per letter. It is required by the phonographic alphabet. It requires but stroke for each letter. three times the number one My writing-gait is—well, I don’t know what it is, but I will time myself and see. Result: it is twenty-four words per minute. I don’t mean composing; I mean . There isn’t any definite composing-gait. copying Very well, my copying-gait is 1,440 words per hour—say 1,500. If I could use the phonographic character with facility I could do the 1,500 in twenty minutes. I could do nine hours’ copying in three hours; I could do three years’ copying in one year. Also, if I had a typewriting machine with the phonographic alphabet on it—oh, the miracles I could do! I am not pretending to write that character well. I have never had a lesson, and I am copying the letters from the book. But I can accomplish my desire, at any rate, which is, to make the reader get a good and clear idea of the advantage it would be to us if we could discard our present alphabet and put this better one in its place—using it in books, newspapers, with the typewriter, and with the pen. (Figure 6)— . I think it is graceful and would look comely in print. And consider—once more, I beg—what a labor-saver it is! Ten pen-strokes with the one system to convey those three words above, and thirty-three by the other! (Figure 7) I mean, in SOME ways, not in all. I suppose I might go so far as to say in most ways, and be within the facts, but never mind; let it go at . One of the ways in which it exercises this birthright is—as I think—continuing to use our laughable alphabet these seventy-three years while there was a rational one at hand, to be had for the taking. Man Dog Horse some It has taken five hundred years to simplify some of Chaucer’s rotten spelling—if I may be allowed to use so frank a term as that—and it will take five hundred more to get our exasperating new Simplified Corruptions accepted and running smoothly. And we sha’n’t be any better off then than we are now; for in that day we shall still have the privilege the Simplifiers are exercising now: can change the spelling that wants to. anybody It will always follow the SOUND. If you want to change the spelling, you have to change the sound first. But you can’t change the phonographic spelling; there isn’t any way. Mind, I myself am a Simplified Speller; I belong to that unhappy guild that is patiently and hopefully trying to reform our drunken old alphabet by reducing his whiskey. Well, it will improve him. When they get through and have reformed him all they can by their system he will be only HALF drunk. Above that condition their system can never lift him. There is no competent, and lasting, and real reform for him but to take away his whiskey entirely, and fill up his jug with Pitman’s wholesome and undiseased alphabet. One great drawback to Simplified Spelling is, that in print a simplified word looks so like the very nation! and when you bunch a whole squadron of the Simplified together the spectacle is very nearly unendurable. The da ma ov koars kum when the publik ma be expektd to get rekonsyled to the bezair asspekt of the Simplified Kombynashuns, but—if I may be allowed the expression—is it worth the wasted time? (Figure 8) To see our letters put together in ways to which we are not accustomed offends the eye, and also takes the out of the words. expression La on, Makduf, and damd be he hoo furst krys hold, enuf! It doesn’t thrill you as it used to do. The simplifications have sucked the thrill all out of it. But a written character with which we are does not offend us—Greek, Hebrew, Russian, Arabic, and the others—they have an interesting look, and we see beauty in them, too. And this is true of hieroglyphics, as well. There is something pleasant and engaging about the mathematical signs when we do not understand them. The mystery hidden in these things has a fascination for us: we can’t come across a printed page of shorthand without being impressed by it and wishing we could read it. not acquainted Very well, what I am offering for acceptance and adoption is not shorthand, but longhand, written with the . You can write three times as many words in a minute with it as you can write with our alphabet. And so, in a way, it properly a shorthand. It has a pleasant look, too; a beguiling look, an inviting look. I will write something in it, in my rude and untaught way: (Figure 9) Shorthand Alphabet Unreduced is Even when do it it comes out prettier than it does in Simplified Spelling. Yes, and in the Simplified it costs one hundred and twenty-three pen-strokes to write it, whereas in the phonographic it costs only twenty-nine. I (Figure 9) is probably (Figure 10). Let us hope so, anyway. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mark Twain (2004). What Is Man? and Other Essays. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70/pg70-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

A SIMPLIFIED ALPHABET

Mastering the Meta-Skill of Learning

Modern biometric technology began in the 1960s, evolving into high-tech scanners that read bio-markers with an accuracy touching 100%. In 2020, biology-based science is disrupting the authentication industry — at speed. The future is now passwordless. 1960s — Exploration In 1960, scientists began identifying the physiological components of acoustic speech and phonic sounds. This was the precursor to modern voice recognition technology. In 1969, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) pushed for automated fingerprint identification which led to the study of minutiae points to map unique patterns and ridges. 1970s and 1980s — FBI Funding By 1975, the first scanners to extract fingerprint points were prototyped, funded by the FBI. Digital storage costs were prohibitive, so the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) worked on compression and algorithms. The work at NIST led to the development of the M40 algorithm, the first operational matching algorithm used at the FBI. Used to narrow the human search, this algorithm produced a significantly smaller set of images that were then provided to trained and specialized human technicians for evaluation. Developments continued to improve the available fingerprint technology. — biometricupdate The NIST advanced speech, ocular, and face recognition by filing patents for iris identification and subcutaneous blood vessel patterns. Mugshots were digitized to databases. The 1990s — Biometric Science Takes Off The 1990s was a boom time for biometrics. Algebraic equations revealed that less than one hundred values could differentiate normalized face images. The National Security Agency (NSA) formed the Biometric Consortium. The Department of Defence (DoD) partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Products Agency (DARPA) to fund face recognition algorithms for commercial markets. Commercial products soon followed. Lockheed Martin contracted to build an automated fingerprint identification system for the FBI. CODIS (the FBI’s forensic DNA database) was born to digitally store, search, and retrieve DNA markers. Retrieval was bottlenecked because the data existed in silos and biomarker lab sequencing took hours. A network would soon facilitate the electronic mass exchange of stored bio-indicators. The 2000s — Rollout of Biometric Tech West Virginia University (WVU) established the first bachelor’s program in Biometric Systems and Computer Engineering. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standardized generic biometric technologies, promoting the collaborative exchange of international biometric research and development. Palm print biomarker tech made an appearance on the biometric stage. The European Biometric Forum was established to address market adoption and fragmentation barriers. Face recognition became the accepted global biometric authenticator for passports and other Machine Readable Travel Documents (MRTDs). The United States immigration department used biometrics for visa applicants at ports of entry and exit to tighten security on offenders and facilitate travel for millions of legitimate travelers. The DoD gathered biometric data (fingerprints, face, voice samples, iris images, and DNA swabs) to track and identify national security threats. President Bush made personal identification cards mandatory for all government personnel and automated palm print databases were deployed statewide. In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security stopped a suspected terrorist at the border by cross-matching biometric data. 2010s — The Shift from State to Smartphones Biometric technology continued to power terrorist identification, but a shift happened in 2013 when Apple introduced Touch ID on the iPhone 5S. Biometrics was no longer strictly a government tool. It was now consumed by the public. Touch ID is heavily integrated into iOS devices, allowing users to unlock their device, as well as make purchases in the various Apple digital media stores (iTunes Store, the App Store, iBookstore), and to authenticate Apple Pay online or in apps. On announcing the feature, Apple made it clear that the fingerprint information is stored locally in a secure location on the Apple [chip], rather than being stored remotely on Apple servers or in iCloud, making it very difficult for external access. — Source: National Science & Technology Council 2020 — The Explosion Over the last 60 years, the barriers that made biometric authentication inaccessible for consumers, enterprises, and even code developers — the digital artisans of tech — were removed. Then, something happened in 2020: Momentum. The moving parts came together, catapulting biometric authentication into the mainstream. at the right time to facilitate the adoption of biometric authentication: Two technologies collided The science behind scanning sensors improved to almost perfect The use of smartphones went through the roof Scanning sensors integrated into smartphones The science behind biology-based scanners improved to near-zero error rates and the price of sensors went down. That made integrating scanning sensors into smartphones easy. Around 2010, Smartphone use exploded when 4G (LTE) wireless networks made streaming possible for millions of mobile consumers. Samsung and Apple built biometric fingerprint scanners into smartphones to authenticate the millions of smartphone users — and the public accepted this integration with open arms. Apple transitioned to face recognition with iPhone X. Now, 5G is poised to put the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data in back pockets, and standards bodies and groups like and W3C not only recognize biometrics but regulate it. FIDO The roadblocks that hindered biometrics have fallen away. Biology-based security as a futuristic concept has been replaced by widespread acceptance and a race to implement biometric tech — today. The Future of Biometric Authentication Technology constantly improves to combat threat actors’ efforts to find weaknesses in a system. But biometric technology is already at a secure state that supports its full-scale integration. Biometric authentication technology can charge forward because biometric traits are next to impossible to forge, algorithms continue to revolutionize, and hardware scanners are already at next-to-zero error rates. Facial recognition has already been deployed outside of phones, making itself known in airports and stadiums. Experts who study biometrics predict there will only be more options in the coming years, such as voice or heart-rate detection, signature authentication, and even devices that can tell who you are by the way you walk. The Pentagon is already working on tools for gait and heartbeat identification. — Washington Post As passwordless authentication gains support and stimulus by bodies like open standards, integrating biometric technology into browsers, smartphones, and outside world applications will only continue to grow and improve. It didn’t take us all that long to get here; sixty years brought us from science fiction prediction to real-world mass adoption. Where will we be in 2030? Predictions point to passwordless. FIDO Which biometric authentication technology will take off more than others is up in the air. In March of 2020, Google made Android devices (v7 and higher) certified. That means those users now log in without passwords. That same month, Microsoft, Dropbox, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox began integrating FIDO2 WebAuthn, an open web protocol approved by W3C. (source: ). FIDO2 The Verge Soon, risky password habits will fall into obscurity, and devices will recognize who we are automatically, open up, and let us get on with our lives. About LoginID LoginID is a comprehensive FIDO-based multifactor authentication solution that offers frictionless authentication. Created with developers and enterprises in mind, LoginID is FIDO-certified and adheres to P2D2 principles. With an implementation time of just one hour, LoginID’s multifactor authentication solution is a quick, simple to integrate, cost-effective, and regulatory compliant tool to give businesses peace of mind around data security. Also published on: https://medium.com/@LoginID/biometric-technology-a-brief-history-40f1a7d1af54

The History of Biometric Technology: From 1960 - 2020

We’re all leveraging open-source codes in one way or another. Let’s face it - tweaking and embedding ready-made solutions from Github or other public repositories rather than making them from scratch is a huge time (and money) saver. Actually, according to a made by ) in 2019., as of 2018., developers had access (on average) to more than 21,448 new open source component releases every day. In another report done by , 75 percent of the 950 IT leaders interviewed worldwide said that enterprise open source was very or extremely important. report on global open source software development Sonatype Red Hat State of Enterprise Open Source Report Needless to say, the demand for open-source components is soaring, yet you use these solutions without paying for them - meaning someone is building and maintaining components of the products you develop free of charge. This post won’t be focusing on the hard facts and stats about open-source culture, but on the 5 simple reasons why you should sponsor its contributors and creators. #1 Reward the problem solver The first one is kinda obvious, though technically - if something is available free of charge there’s no obligation on your side to pay for it. On the other hand, it’s something you should do just because it feels right, especially if you frequently use or depend on open source projects. It’s not about the amount, but about the kind act of support that often means the world to the person you’re sponsoring. There are platforms like , , or . Pick your problem solver and help them out. Github Sponsors Open Collective Snowdrift #2 Open-source developers encourage new solutions and drive improvements Most of the open-source creators make codes for free because problem-solving is something they enjoy. Sadly free isn’t sustainable. Making open source solutions in your free time as a side hustle isn’t a winning race. Some developers like launched their own sponsorships. It was a rocky road changing income streams from a stable full-time job to a donation dependent sponsorship, but now Caleb is able to further develop his solutions and work freely on problems that matter - all thanks to the support of the community and of course his sponsors. Caleb Porzio If you have a specific problem that needs attendance check out platforms like , , or and sponsor an open-source dev to do the work for you. Tidelift XS Code Issue Hunt #3 Awesome perks Sponsorship isn’t the same as a crowdfunding campaign, but that’s no reason why it should lack exciting and awesome perks. There’s a lot of ways of saying ‘thank you’, in their sponsorships, developers usually include cool perks (or sponsorship tiers) like their services, early access to their products, consulting, etc. As far as the perks go there’s no general rule of the thumb. In an ongoing , a offers branded company merch, exclusive screencasts, developer support, early access to the new features of their music sheet display repository, and even postcards from Vienna - personality signed and sent by the team. Github sponsorship Viennese music tech company #4 Sense of giving back to the community Give and you shall receive, and giving up so little means so much. However small, these generous donations enable developers to continue their work and enrich the public repositories with their solutions to coding problems. Your small donation is someone's monthly rent, food, monthly bills, or a morning cup of coffee. Considering that most of the commercial software is built with open-source components, it only seems fair to give back to the community. #5 Setting an example for support Seeing that a project is backed by many sponsors leaves tangible social proof and sheds light on its importance. By sponsoring open source projects you’re setting an example for others to follow. You’re also pumping wind in the sails of your favorite project’s further improvement. If you want to support Phonic Score’s latest project - the Open Sheet Music Player and gain access to the perks we’ve prepared - check out our sponsorship page . Any help in getting the word out is much appreciated, feel free to share the news with other music tech or open-source enthusiasts. You can try out the Music Sheet Display demo here or check out the video on Youtube on how to get started with OSMD . If you have any questions or would like to share your opinions and suggestions on the further development of our products write to us at support@opensheetmusicdisplay.org or add an issue in our repository . For general check-ins and getting in touch with me write to m.jurcic@phonicscore.com . Also published on Hashnode .

Why Sponsor Open Source Projects? Here's Five Simple Reasons

Hey Internet, I have a challenge for you. Yeah you. (If you want to see the video version of this watch here: ) https://youtu.be/h38g3ref8A8 Go on your iPhone or your Android, go to your settings, check your battery and examine your usage. When you go to do that. It’s going to be startling. I guarantee you, you’re spending way more time… caring about other peoples sh*t then you think! It’s wild how much time people spend just… looking at other peoples stuff. Just admiring what Sally is doing, or what Mike was up to. That’s an issue! If you’re spending 4,5,6 hours a week just blindly consuming content you’re missing out on what you could produce! What about yourself? What about you? That’s my point. Take 1 hour away from and app and gift it back to yourself to make something! Write a poem. Make a video. Exercise! For me thats what writing this is. I realized I was consuming way too much content. I was NEVER producing anything. I grew up making YouTube videos.. I had a big phase where I wanted to be a DJ so I made using ableton live. If you notice that you’re spending an absurd amount of time scrolling through the feed every single night or just catching that last tweet…Then take a minute and force yourself to make something. house music My Instagram usage is outrageous. Take a screenshot using #PhoneChallenge to join the party. It’s interesting to see what takes our time away from us. If you made it this far, thank you for taking time to read and I hope you take part in the #PhoneChallenge Say hi — we’ll be friends~ Instagram: Twitter: Snapchat: http://www.instagram.com/parxrex https://twitter.com/parkerrex https://www.snapchat.com/add/prex14

The #PhoneChallenge 😈📱

Getting Started With Linux: Your Gateway to the Open-Source Realm

A Taxonomy of Inclusiveness

অন্তর্ভুক্তির একটি শ্রেণীবিন্যাস

Eine Taxonomie der Inklusivität

Una taxonomía de la inclusión

Une taxonomie de l’inclusivité

समावेशिता का एक वर्गीकरण

包括性の分類法

포괄성의 분류

Uma taxonomia de inclusão

Таксономия инклюзивности

Kapsayıcılığın Taksonomisi

Phân loại tính toàn diện

包容性分类

Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . THE PRODUCTION OF FIRE. here THE PRODUCTION OF FIRE. In 1867 the Abbé Bourgeois found at Thenay, near Pont-levoy (Loir-et-Cher), in a marly bank belonging to the most ancient part of the middle Tertiary formation, fragments of silex which bore traces of the action of fire. This fire had not been lighted by accidental causes, for, says Mr. DeMortillet ( , p. 90), the causes of instantaneous conflagrations can be only volcanic fires, fermentations, and lightning. "Now, in the entire region there is no trace of volcanic action, and neither are there any traces of turfy or vegetable deposits capable of giving rise to spontaneous inflammations--phenomena that are always very rare and very exceptional, as are also conflagrations started by lightning. Well, in the Thenay marls, the pieces of silex that had undergone the action of fire were found disseminated at different levels, and this could not have been a simple accident, but was evidently something that had been done intentionally. There existed, then, during the Aquitanian epoch, a being who was acquainted with fire and knew how to produce it." Le Prehistorique Mr. De Mortillet supposes that this being was an animal intermediate between man and the monkey, which he calls the . anthropopithecus This precursor of man made use of fire for splitting silex and manufacturing from it instruments whose cutting edge he perfected by means of a series of retouchings produced by slight percussions upon one of the surfaces only. I shall not enter in this place upon a discussion as to the existence of an anthropopithecus or Tertiary man, whom every one does not as yet accept, but will confine myself to giving the facts as to the use of fire in the remotest epochs, incontestable proofs of which exist from the time at which Quaternary man made his appearance. How this was discovered is indicated, according to Aryan tradition, by the Vedic hymns. The ancestors of the Aryans, these tell us, had seen the lighting dart forth from the shock of black clouds. They had seen the spark that fired the forests issue from the friction of dry branches agitated by the storm. They took a branch of soft wood, , and passing a thong around a branch of hard wood, , they caused it to revolve rapidly in a cavity in the , and thus evoked the god , whom they nourished with libations of clarified butter, . arani pramontha arani Agni soma The , became the of the Greeks, the Titan who stole the fire, and it is from the Sanscrit that is derived the Latin , "fire," and the Greek Αγνος, "pure," and the of the Christians, who purifies all. Pramontha Prometheus Agni Ignis Agnus Dei Orientalists generally agree that the sign which is seen under the forms , , or , on a large number of objects of Aryan origin is a sort of sacred hieroglyphic, representing the or , formed of two pieces of soft wood fixed by four pins in such a way as not to revolve under the pressure of the Pramontha. arani svastika This process of producing fire is also found among a host of more or less savage peoples, and especially in India, where, during the last month of the great feast of sacrifices, the sacred fire must always be kindled three hundred and sixty times a day with nine different kinds of wood that are prescribed by the rite. Fig. 1 shows the arrangement in use among the Eskimos, and Fig. 2 that employed by the Indians of North America. In 1828 there still existed at Essen, in Hanover, an analogous apparatus designed to produce an alarm fire. This was a large, horizontal, round wooden bar whose extremities pivoted in two apertures formed in vertical posts, and which was provided with a cord that was wound around it several times. Several persons, by pulling on the ends of this cord, caused the bar to revolve alternately in one direction and the other, and the heat developed by the friction lighted some tow that had previously been inserted in one of the apertures in the post. It is certain that the alternate motion must have been produced directly by hand before being effected by cords. This simpler process is still in use in Tasmania, Australia, Polynesia, Kamtschatka, Thibet, Mexico, and among the Guanches of the Canary Isles, who are supposed to be the last representatives of the inhabitants of Atlantis, which sank under the waters at the close of the Quaternary epoch. Chamisso, who accompanied Kotzebue in his voyage, describes it as follows: "In the Caroline Islands, they rest a vertical piece of roundish wood, terminating in a point, and about a foot and a half in length and one inch in diameter, upon a second one fixed in the ground, and then give it a rotary motion by acting with the palms of the hands. This motion, which is at first slow and measured, is at length accelerated, while at the same time the pressure becomes stronger, whereupon the dust from the wood which has formed by friction and accumulated around the point of the movable piece begins to carbonize. This dust, which, after a fashion, constitutes a match, soon bursts into flame. The women of Eap are wonderfully dexterous in their use of this process." Fig. 3 shows another manner of obtaining fire by rotation which is employed by the Guachos, a half savage, pastoral people who inhabit the pampas of South America. Longitudinal friction must have preceded that obtained by rotation. It is still in use in most of the islands of Oceanica (Fig. 4), and especially in Tahiti and in the Sandwich Islands. In these latter, says again Chamisso, upon the fixed piece of wood they place another piece of the same kind, about the length of the palm, and press it obliquely at an angle of about 30 degrees. The extremity that touches the fixed piece is blunt, and the other extremity is held with the two hands, the two thumbs downward, in order to allow of a surer pressure. The piece is given an alternating motion, and in such a way that it shall always remain in the same plane inclined at an angle of 30 degrees, and form, through friction, a small groove from six to eight centimeters in length. When the dust thus produced begins to carbonize, the pressure and velocity are increased. Wood of a homogeneous texture, neither too hard nor too soft, is the best for the purpose. The Malays operate as follows: A dry bamboo rod, about a foot in length, is split longitudinally, and the pith which lines the inside is scraped off, pressed, and made into a small ball which is afterward placed in the center of the cavity of one of the halves of the tube. This latter half is then fixed to the ground in such a way that the cavity and ball face downward. The operator next fashions the other half of the tube into a straight cutting instrument like a knife-blade, which he applies transversely to the fixed half and gives an alternating motion so as to produce a sort of sawing. After a certain length of time, a groove, and finally a hole, is produced. The cutting edge of the instrument is then so hot that it sets on fire the ball with which it has come in contact. Some peoples, the Fuegians especially, procure fire by striking together two flints. In the Aleutian Islands these latter, having been previously covered with sulphur, are struck against each other over a small saucer of dry moss dusted with sulphur. The Eskimos employ for this purpose pieces of quartz and iron pyrites. In the Sandwich Islands recourse is had to a process that necessitates much skill. There is arranged in a large dry leaf, rolled into the shape of a funnel, a certain number of flints along with some easily combustible twigs. On attaching the leaf to the end of a rod, and revolving the latter rapidly, it is said that fire is produced. Processes that are based upon the clashing of two flint stones must be much more inconvenient of application than we would be led to suppose. We are, in fact, accustomed to see the flint and steel used, but here the spark is a bit of iron raised to red heat through a mechanical action that has violently detached it from the mass under the form of a small sliver. In the case of two flint stones, the light that is perceived is of an entirely different nature, for it is a phosphorescence which is produced, even by a very slight friction, not only between two pieces of silex, but also between two pieces of quartz, porcelain, or sugar; and that the heat developed is but slight is proved by the fact that the phenomenon may occur under water. Of course, fragments of stones may be raised to a red heat through percussion; but this does not often occur, so for this reason the Fuegians keep up with the greatest care the fires that they have lighted, and it is this very peculiarity that has given their country a characteristic aspect and caused it to be named Terra del Fuego (land of fire). When they change their residence they always carry with them a few lighted embers which rest in their canoes upon a bed of pebbles or ashes. The same thing occurs, moreover, among the Australians and Tasmanians, who employ, as we have just seen, the rotary process. There are women among these peoples whose special mission it is to carry day and night lighted torches or cones made of a substance that burns slowly like punk. When, through accident, the fire happens to get extinguished in a tribe, these people often prefer to undertake a long voyage in order to obtain another light from a neighboring tribe rather than have recourse to a direct production of it. We can understand from what is still taking place in these distant countries why the worship of fire should have existed among our ancestors, and why sacerdotal associations, such as the Brahmins of India, the Guebers of Persia, the Vestals of Rome, the priests of Baal in Chaldea and Phenicia should have been specially instituted for producing and preserving it. Plutarch narrates (Numa, chap. ii.) that when the sacred fire happened to go out, there was employed for relighting it a brass mirror that had the form of a cone generated by the hypothenuse of an isosceles rectangular triangle revolving around one of the sides of the right angle. In a poem upon stones attributed to Orpheus, it is said that the sacred fire was also lighted by a bit of crystal which concentrated the rays of the sun upon the material to be inflamed. This process must have been the one that was most usually employed before fire became common. In fact, a plano-convex crystal lens has been found among the ruins of Nineveh. Aristophanes, in the , puts on the stage a coarse personage named Strepsiades, who points out to Socrates how he must manage so as not to pay his debts: Clouds "Streps.--Hast thou seen among druggists that beautiful transparent stone that they employ for lighting a fire? "Socr.--Thou meanest glass. "Streps.--Yes. "Socr.--Well! what wouldst thou do with it? "Streps.--When the registrar shall have made out his summons against me, I will take the glass, and, placing myself thus in the sun, will cause his writing to melt." As well known, writing was then traced on waxen tablets. Servius (in ., xii., 200) affirms that men of ancient times, instead of lighting fire upon the altar themselves, in their sacrifices, caused it to descend from heaven. He adds, according to Pliny, Titus Livius, and several old Latin historians, that Numa, who was initiated into all the wisdom of Etruria, practiced this art with success, but that Tullius Hostilius, having desired to repeat the evocation, guided only by the books of Numa, did not accomplish all the formalities prescribed by the rite and was struck dead by lightning. Æn Is it not curious that twenty-four centuries afterward, in 1753, the physicist Reichman was killed by lightning in trying to repeat Franklin's experiment? This coincidence, however, is not the only one. Pliny (ii., 53) recounts that lightning was evoked by King Porsenna at the time when a monster named , who was ravaging the country, was directing himself toward the capital, Volsinies. Volta If we return to the Vedas, who had the habit of personifying all phenomena, we shall find that the fire Agni was the son of the carpenter who had manufactured the instrument by which it was produced, and of (magic). He took the name of Akta (anointed, [Greek: christos]) when, nourished by libations of butter, he had acquired his full development. The Persians attributed likewise to Zoroaster the power of causing fire to descend from heaven through magic. Saint Clement of Alexandria ( ., lib. iv.) and Gregory of Tours ( , i., 5) speak of this. However this may be, the marvelous art was lost at an early date, for it was at such a date that priests began to have recourse to tricks that were more or less ingenious for lighting their sacred fireplaces in an apparently supernatural manner.-- . Maya Recog Hist. de Fr. A. De Rochas, in La Nature About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2005). Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8742/pg8742-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE PRODUCTION OF FIRE

Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . GIBRALTAR. here GIBRALTAR. The point or rock known as Gibraltar is a promontory two and one-half miles long and from a quarter to three-quarters of a mile wide. It rises abruptly from the sandy shore to a height at its highest point of 1,408 ft. It is composed of gray limestone, honeycombed with caves and subterranean passages, some of which contain most beautiful stalactites in the form of massive pillars. Gibraltar is emphatically a fortress, and in some respects its fortifications are unique. On the eastern side the rock needs no defense beyond its own precipitous cliffs, and in all other directions it has been rendered practically impregnable. Besides a sea wall extending at intervals round the western base of the rock, and strengthened by curtains and bastions and three formidable forts, there are batteries in all available positions from the sea wall up to the summit, 1,350 feet above the sea, and a remarkable series of galleries has been hewn out of the solid face of the rock toward the north and northwest. These galleries have an aggregate length of between two and three miles, and their breadth is sufficient to let a carriage pass. Portholes are cut at intervals of twelve yards, so contrived that the gunners are safe from the shot of any possible assailants. At the end of one of the galleries hollowed out in a prominent part of the cliff is St. George's Hall, 50 feet long by 85 feet wide, in which the governor was accustomed to give fetes. Alterations, extensions, and improvements are continually taking place in the defensive system, and new guns of the most formidable sort are gradually displacing or supplementing the old fashioned ordnance. The whole population of Gibraltar, whether civil or military, is subjected to certain stringent rules. For even a day's sojourn the alien must obtain a pass from the town major, and if he wish to remain longer, a consul or householder must become security for his good behavior. Licenses of residence are granted only for short periods—ten, fifteen, or twenty days—but they can be renewed if occasion require. Military officers may introduce a stranger for thirty days. A special permit is necessary if the visitor wishes to sketch. Though the town of Gibraltar may be said to date from the fourteenth century, it has preserved very little architectural evidence of its antiquity. Rebuilt on an enlarged and improved plan after its almost complete destruction during the great siege, it is still, on the whole, a mean-looking town, with narrow streets and lanes and an incongruous mixture of houses after the English and the Spanish types. As a proprietor may at any moment be called upon to give up his house and ground at the demand of the military authorities, he is naturally deterred from spending his money on substantial or sumptuous erections. The area of the town is about one hundred acres. Gibraltar was known to the Greek and Roman geographers as Calpe or Alybe, the two names being probably corruptions of the same local (perhaps Phenician) word. The eminence on the African coast near Ceuta, which bears the modern English name of Apes' Hill, was then designated Abyla; and Calpe and Abyla, at least according to an ancient and widely current interpretation, formed the renowned pillars of Hercules (Herculis columnæ), which for centuries were the limits of enterprise to the seafaring peoples of the Mediterranean world. The strategic importance of the rock appears to have been first discovered by the Moors, who, when they crossed over from Africa in the eighth century, selected it as the site of a fortress. From their leader, Tarik Ibn Zeyad, it was called Gebel Tarik or Tarik's Hill; and, though the name had a competitor in Gebel af Futah, or Hill of the Entrance, it gradually gained acceptance, and still remains sufficiently recognizable in the corrupted form of the present day. The first siege of the rock was in 1309, when it was taken by Alonzo Perez de Guzman for Ferdinand IV. of Spain, who, in order to attract inhabitants to the spot, offered an asylum to swindlers, thieves, and murderers, and promised to levy no taxes on the import or export of goods. The attack of Ismail Ben Ferez, in 1315 (second siege), was frustrated; but in 1333 Vasco Paez de Meira, having allowed the fortifications and garrison to decay, was obliged to capitulate to Mahomet IV. (third siege). Alphonso's attempts to recover possession (fourth siege) were futile, though pertinacious and heroic, and he was obliged to content himself with a tribute for the rock from Abdul Melek of Granada; but after his successful attack on Algeciras in 1344 he was encouraged to try his fortune again at Gibraltar. In 1349 he invested the rock, but the siege (fifth siege) was brought to an untimely close by his death from the plague in February, 1350. The next or sixth siege resulted simply in the transference of the coveted position from the hands of the King of Morocco to those of Yussef III. of Granada; and the seventh, undertaken by the Spanish Count of Niebla, Enrico de Guzman, proved fatal to the besieger and his forces. In 1462, however, success attended the efforts of Alphonso de Arcos (eighth siege), and in August the rock passed once more under Christian sway. The Duke of Medina Sidonia, a powerful grandee who had assisted in its capture, was anxious to get possession of the fortress, and though Henry IV. at first managed to maintain the claims of the crown, the duke ultimately made good his ambition by force of arms (ninth siege), and in 1469 the king was constrained to declare his son and his heirs perpetual governors of Gibraltar. In 1479 Ferdinand and Isabella made the second duke Marquis of Gibraltar, and in 1492 the third duke, Don Juan, was reluctantly allowed to retain the fortress. At length, in 1501, Garcilaso de la Vega was ordered to take possession of the place in the king's name, and it was formally incorporated with the domains of the crown. After Ferdinand and Isabella were both dead the duke, Don Juan, tried in 1506 to recover possession, and added a tenth to the list of sieges. Thirty-four years afterward the garrison had to defend itself against a much more formidable attack (eleventh siege)—the pirates of Algiers having determined to recover the rock for Mahomet and themselves. The conflict was severe, but resulted in the repulse of the besiegers. After this the Spaniards made great efforts to strengthen the place, and they succeeded so well that throughout Europe Gibraltar was regarded as impregnable. In the course of the war of the Spanish succession, however, it was taken by a combined English and Dutch fleet under Sir George Rooke, assisted by a body of troops under Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt. The captors had ostensibly fought in the interests of Charles Archduke of Austria (afterward Charles III.), but, though his sovereignty over the rock was proclaimed on July 24, 1704, Sir George Rooke on his own responsibility caused the English flag to be hoisted, and took possession in name of Queen Anne. It is hardly to the honor of England that it was both unprincipled enough to sanction and ratify the occupation and ungrateful enough to leave unrewarded the general to whose unscrupulous patriotism the acquisition was due. The Spaniards keenly felt the injustice done to them, and the inhabitants of the town of Gibraltar in great numbers abandoned their homes rather than recognize the authority of the invaders. In October, 1704, the rock was invested by sea and land; but the Spanish ships were dispersed by Sir John Leake, and the Marquis of Villadarias fared so ill with his forces that he was replaced by Marshal Tesse, who was at length compelled to raise the siege in April, 1705. During the next twenty years there were endless negotiations for the peaceful surrender of the fortress, and in 1726 the Spaniards again appealed to arms. But the Conde de la Torres, who had the chief command, succeeded no better than his predecessors, and the defense of the garrison under General Clayton and the Earl of Portmore was so effectual that the armistice of June 23 practically put a close to the siege, though two years elapsed before the general pacification ensued. The most memorable siege of Gibraltar, indeed one of the most memorable of all sieges, was that which it sustained from the combined land and sea forces of France and Spain during the years 1779-1783. The grand attack on the place was made on the 13th September, 1782, and all the resources of power and science were exhausted by the assailants in the fruitless attempt. On the side of the sea they brought to bear against the fortress forty-six sail of the line and a countless fleet of gun and mortar boats. But their chief hope lay in the floating batteries planned by D'Arcon, an eminent French engineer, and built at the cost of half a million sterling. They were so constructed as to be impenetrable by the red hot shot which it was foreseen the garrison would employ; and such hopes were entertained of their efficiency that they were styled invincible. The Count D'Artois (afterward Charles X.) hastened from Paris to witness the capture of the place. He arrived in time to see the total destruction of the floating batteries and a considerable portion of the combined fleet by the English fire. Despite this disaster, however, the siege continued till brought to a close by the general pacification, February 2, 1783. The history of the four eventful years' siege is fully detailed in the work of Drinkwater, who himself took part in the defense, and in the life of its gallant defender Sir George Augustus Eliott, afterward Lord Heathfield, whose military skill and moral courage place him among the best soldiers and noblest men whom Europe produced during the 18th century. Since 1783 the history of Gibraltar has been comparatively uneventful. In the beginning of 1801 there were rumors of a Spanish and French attack, but the Spanish ships were defeated off Algeciras in June by Admiral Saumarez. Improvements in the fortifications, maintenance of military discipline, and legislation in regard to trade and smuggling are the principal matters of recent interest. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2004). Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16972/pg16972-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The point or rock known as Gibraltar is a promontory two and one-half miles long

Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . The Lost Arts in New York here THE LOST ARTS IN NEW YORK. While the objects of ancient art contained in the Castellani collection, recently placed on exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in this city, are individually of great rarity and archæological value, they derive additional importance from the fact that, viewed conjunctively as a collection, they represent connected histories of two great industrial arts extending over many centuries. Both in the work of the goldsmith and of the potter, we are enabled to trace progress from the earliest stages up to a period when the greatest skill was attained, and even subsequently into the era of decadence. In both industries, we find that ancient and mediæval workmen possessed knowledge which we do not possess; and among Signor Castellani's treasures may be seen handiwork which is the embodiment of two lost arts, the secrets of which the modern world, with all its infinitely superior wisdom, has not yet rediscovered. The productions, in the Castellani collection, of precious metal workers dating from prehistoric epochs, the exact dates of which are wholly unknown, and covering the long period ending in the thirteenth century, are represented by the contents of some twenty cases. The first three of these receptacles bear no dates. The ornaments which they contain are of bronze, amber, silver, and glass (the latter having become converted into opalescent silicic acid), and were found in Præneste (modern Palestrina, Italy), and in the territory which was ancient Etruria. Case No. 4 bears date 700 B.C., and here is a rich treasure of primitive Etruscan and Phœnician ornaments of gold, adorned with granulated work. Signor Castellani considers that the workmanship of these objects is so perfect that it is impossible at the present time to explain the process of execution, and very difficult to imitate it. The ornaments are of two kinds—those for ordinary use and those for funereal purposes. The first are massive, and might be worn for years without injury; the others are extremely delicate. All are made of the purest gold, and their decoration evinces the most consummate skill and taste on the part of the artist. There is, for example, a small flask, shaped something like an antique wine jar, and about five inches in height. It is of beaten gold, and is covered with a pattern intended to imitate the similarly shaped designs of variegated glass of the Græco-Phœnician period. This pattern is entirely produced by minute globules of metal soldered to the surface in tiers of zigzag or Vandyke patterns. Another specimen is a strip of gold covered with granulated lines and bearing a row of birds in relief. On other ornaments are exquisitely carved heads and flowers, produced apparently by hammering on the reverse of the object, but with a delicacy and precision of touch which is simply marvelous. The closest students of this ancient handiwork are entirely at a loss to understand how the processes of melting, soldering, and wire drawing, which were employed in the art, were performed. Modern workmen have failed in their attempts exactly to imitate the old ornaments; and it is certain that the secret of the mechanical agents, whereby it was possible to separate and join pieces of gold hardly perceptible to the naked eye, is lost. Signor Castellani has taken great pains to solve the problem, reading all the treatises of mediæval goldsmiths, inquiring of all classes of Italian jewelers, and experimenting with all kinds of chemicals, in the hope of finding the solder wherewith the minute grains were attached to the surface of the metal. At last he found some of the old processes still employed in a remote district, hidden in the recesses of the Apennines, far from the great towns. Bringing away a few workmen, he gave them much more instruction, and at last succeeded, not perhaps in equalling, but certainly in rivalling the ancient productions. We question whether the Etruscans used fire at all in their soldering, as it would be almost an impossibility to keep the excessively fine tools necessary for the work at a proper heat. Mr. Joshua Rose offers the plausible suggestion that a cold flux was employed, with which the workman followed the lines or dots of his pattern. Then the gold granules were possibly sprinkled over the surface, and adhered only to the solder, the superfluous grains being brushed off after the solder had set. There is also a fragment of a finely woven fabric, made of threads of pure gold, found on the body of a woman in a tomb at Metapontum. This is without doubt the material to which the Psalmist refers in speaking of "the King's daughter" having "clothing of wrought gold;" and in the Pentateuch there is reference to gold threads being used upon looms. As we follow the various objects in the twenty cases above mentioned, the decline of the goldworker's art when the use of enamels came into vogue is evidenced. Continuing on to later periods, the decadence is more marked under the successors of Alexander. In Rome, under the emperors, we find gold used as a mere setting for precious stones, and finally the collection terminates with examples of workmanship of the time of Charlemagne, when the workmen had lost their cunning, and the noble metal had been altogether debased to secondary uses. The second instance where a lost art is exemplified in Signor Castellani's collection is in the glazing of the Gubbio majolica. We have not space here to review the magnificent series of ancient specimens of pottery in detail; and thus it will suffice to say that, beginning with some of the earliest pieces made by the Arabs when they occupied Sicily, from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, the collection presents examples of all the finest types of later mediæval art. Gubbio, where the peculiar kind of majolica above noted was made, is a small town once in the territory of the dukes of Urbino; and in the sixteenth century it became famous for its pottery. This was attributable to the talent of one man, Giorgio Andreoli, who is reputed to have invented the wonderful luster characteristic of the Gubbio ware. The body of majolica is mere common clay; and after the piece is finished on the wheel, it is dried and burnt in a furnace. After the biscuit thus prepared has been dipped in the glaze, the colors are applied on the soft surface of the latter, and the vitrifying process fuses all into a glossy enamel of the color of the pigment. This is still the common practice; and we mention it merely to show that to his pigment and glaze Andreoli must have added some third substance, which rendered the enamel capable of reflecting white light as blue, red, green, or yellow light—in other words, of giving the object a luster of a color wholly different from the tints of the pigment. He evidently could produce any desired color at will, and the effects gained are indescribably beautiful. The Castellani collection contains 130 superb specimens, which glow like jewels. In one, the scene of the nativity of Christ is provided with the figures in low relief, and the exquisite cerulean lustre is imparted to give the effect of moonlight. The rarest pieces are those of which the luster is a delicate green. Some blaze with yellow, as if of gold; others exhibit the brilliancy of the ruby; while others resemble the interior of the pearl oyster shell. Whether this sheen is produced by polarization of the light in some manner, or whether it is at all analogous to fluorescence, is yet to be decided. The impression of the surface with fine microscopic lines might produce an iridescence, but not separate and clearly defined hues. The ware was intended for ornamental purposes, not for household use; and it was suspended against the rich, dark tapestries of the period with which walls were covered, thus aiding, as it were, in illuminating the apartment with its exquisite radiance. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2006). Scientific American, Volume XXXVI., No. 8, February 24, 1877. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19406/pg19406-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

THE LOST ARTS IN NEW YORK

Psychology of the Unconscious by C. G. Jung, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ASPECTS OF THE LIBIDO here CHAPTER I - ASPECTS OF THE LIBIDO Before I enter upon the contents of this second part, it seems necessary to cast a backward glance over the singular train of thought which the analysis of the poem “The Moth to the Sun” has produced. Although this poem is very different from the foregoing Hymn of Creation, closer investigation of the “longing for the sun” has carried us into the realm of the fundamental ideas of religion and astral mythology, which ideas are closely related to those considered in the first poem. The creative God of the first poem, whose dual nature, moral and physical, was shown especially clearly to us by Job, has in the second poem a new qualification of astral-mythological, or, to express it better, of astrological character. The God becomes the sun, and in this finds an adequate natural expression quite apart from the moral division of the God idea into the heavenly father and the devil. The sun is, as Renan remarked, really the only rational representation of God, whether we take the point of view of the barbarians of other ages or that of the modern physical sciences. In both cases the sun is the parent God, mythologically predominantly the Father God, from whom all living things draw life; He is the fructifier and 128creator of all that lives, the source of energy of our world. The discord into which the soul of man has fallen through the action of moral laws can be resolved into complete harmony through the sun as the natural object which obeys no human moral law. The sun is not only beneficial, but also destructive; therefore the zodiacal representation of the August heat is the herd-devouring lion whom the Jewish hero Samson killed in order to free the parched earth from this plague. Yet it is the harmonious and inherent nature of the sun to scorch, and its scorching power seems natural to men. It shines equally on the just and on the unjust, and allows useful living objects to flourish as well as harmful ones. Therefore, the sun is adapted as is nothing else to represent the visible God of this world. That is to say, that driving strength of our own soul, which we call libido, and whose nature it is to allow the useful and injurious, the good and the bad to proceed. That this comparison is no mere play of words is taught us by the mystics. When by looking inwards (introversion) and going down into the depths of their own being they find “in their heart” the image of the Sun, they find their own love or libido, which with reason, I might say with physical reason, is called the Sun; for our source of energy and life is the Sun. Thus our life substance, as an energic process, is entirely Sun. Of what special sort this “Sun energy” seen inwardly by the mystic is, is shown by an example taken from the Hindoo mythology. From the explanation of Part III of the “Shvetâshvataropanishad” we take the following quotation, which relates to the Rudra: [204] [205] [206] [207] 129(2) “Yea, the one Rudra who all these worlds with ruling power doth rule, stands not for any second. Behind those that are born he stands; at ending time ingathers all the worlds he hath evolved, protector (he). (3) “He hath eyes on all sides, on all sides surely hath faces, arms surely on all sides, on all sides feet. With arms, with wings he tricks them out, creating heaven and earth, the only God. (4) “Who of the gods is both the source and growth, the Lord of all, the Rudra. Mighty seer; who brought the shining germ of old into existence—may he with reason pure conjoin us.” [208] These attributes allow us clearly to discern the all-creator and in him the Sun, which has wings and with a thousand eyes scans the world. [209] The following passages confirm the text and join to it the idea most important for us, that God is also contained in the individual creature: (7) “Beyond this (world) the Brahman beyond, the mighty one, in every creature hid according to its form, the one encircling Lord of all, Him having known, immortal they become. (8) “I know this mighty man, Sun-like, beyond the darkness, Him (and him) only knowing, one crosseth over death; no other path (at all) is there to go. (11) “... spread over the universe is He the Lord therefore as all-pervader, He’s benign.” The powerful God, the equal of the Sun, is in that one, and whoever knows him is immortal. Going on further with the text, we come upon a new attribute, which informs us in what form and manner Rudra lived in men. [210] (12) “The mighty monarch, He, the man, the one who doth the essence start towards that peace of perfect stainlessness, lordly, exhaustless light. 130(13) “The Man, the size of a thumb, the inner self, sits ever in the heart of all that’s born, by mind, mind ruling in the heart, is He revealed. That they who know, immortal they become. (14) “The Man of the thousands of heads (and) thousands of eyes (and) thousands of feet, covering the earth on all sides, He stands beyond, ten finger-breadths. (15) “The Man is verily this all, (both) what has been and what will be, Lord (too) of deathlessness which far all else surpasses.” Important parallel quotations are to be found in the “Kathopanishad,” section 2, part 4. (12) “The Man of the size of a thumb, resides in the midst within the self, of the past and the future, the Lord. (13) “The Man of the size of a thumb like flame free from smoke, of past and of future the Lord, the same is to-day, to-morrow the same will He be.” Who this Tom-Thumb is can easily be divined—the phallic symbol of the libido. The phallus is this hero dwarf, who performs great deeds; he, this ugly god in homely form, who is the great doer of wonders, since he is the visible expression of the creative strength incarnate in man. This extraordinary contrast is also very striking in “Faust” (the mother scene): : Mephistopheles I’ll praise thee ere we separate: I see Thou knowest the devil thoroughly: Here take this key. : Faust That little thing! : Mephistopheles Take hold of it, not undervaluing! 131 : Faust It glows, it shines, increases in my hand! : Mephistopheles How much it is worth, thou soon shalt understand, The key will scent the true place from all others! Follow it down!—’twill lead thee to the Mothers Here the devil again puts into Faust’s hand the marvellous tool, a phallic symbol of the libido, as once before in the beginning the devil, in the form of the black dog, accompanied Faust, when he introduced himself with the words: “Part of that power, not understood, Which always wills the bad and always creates the good.” United to this strength, Faust succeeded in accomplishing his real life task, at first through evil adventure and then for the benefit of humanity, for without the evil there is no creative power. Here in the mysterious mother scene, where the poet unveils the last mystery of the creative power to the initiated, Faust has need of the phallic magic wand (in the magic strength of which he has at first no confidence), in order to perform the greatest of wonders, namely, the creation of Paris and Helen. With that Faust attains the divine power of working miracles, and, indeed, only by means of this small, insignificant instrument. This paradoxical impression seems to be very ancient, for even the Upanishads could say the following of the dwarf god: 132(19) “Without hands, without feet, He moveth, He graspeth: Eyeless He seeth, (and) earless He heareth: He knoweth what is to be known, yet is there no knower of Him. Him call the first, mighty the Man. (20) “Smaller than small, (yet) greater than great in the heart of this creature the self doth repose ... etc.” The phallus is the being, which moves without limbs, which sees without eyes, which knows the future; and as symbolic representative of the universal creative power existent everywhere immortality is vindicated in it. It is always thought of as entirely independent, an idea current not only in antiquity, but also apparent in the pornographic drawings of our children and artists. It is a seer, an artist and a worker of wonders; therefore it should not surprise us when certain phallic characteristics are found again in the mythological seer, artist and sorcerer. Hephaestus, Wieland the smith, and Mani, the founder of Manicheism, whose followers were also famous, have crippled feet. The ancient seer Melampus possessed a suggestive name (Blackfoot), and it seems also to be typical for seers to be blind. Dwarfed stature, ugliness and deformity have become especially typical for those mysterious chthonian gods, the sons of Hephaestus, the Cabiri, to whom great power to perform miracles was ascribed. The name signifies “powerful,” and the Samothracian cult is most intimately united with that of the ithyphallic Hermes, who, according to the account of Herodotus, was brought to Attica by the Pelasgians. They are also called μεγάλοι θεοί, the great gods. Their near relations are the “Idaean dactyli” (finger or Idaean 133thumb), to whom the mother of the gods had taught the blacksmith’s art. (“The key will scent the true place from all others! follow it down!—’twill lead thee to the Mothers!”) They were the first leaders, the teachers of Orpheus, and invented the Ephesian magic formulas and the musical rhythms. The characteristic disparity which is shown above in the Upanishad text, and in “Faust,” is also found here, since the gigantic Hercules passed as an Idaean dactyl. [212] [213] [214] [215] The colossal Phrygians, the skilled servants of Rhea, were also Dactyli. The Babylonian teacher of wisdom, Oannes, was represented in a phallic fish form. The two sun heroes, the Dioscuri, stand in relation to the Cabiri; they also wear the remarkable pointed head-covering (Pileus) which is peculiar to these mysterious gods, and which is perpetuated from that time on as a secret mark of identification. Attis (the elder brother of Christ) wears the pointed cap, just as does Mithra. It has also become traditional for our present-day chthonian infantile gods, the brownies (Penates), and all the typical kind of dwarfs. Freud has already called our attention to the phallic meaning of the hat in modern phantasies. A further significance is that probably the pointed cap represents the foreskin. In order not to go too far afield from my theme, I must be satisfied here merely to present the suggestion. But at a later opportunity I shall return to this point with detailed proof. [216] [217] [218] [219] [220] [221] [222] The dwarf form leads to the figure of the divine boy, the , the young Dionysus, Jupiter Anxurus, Tages, and so on. In the vase painting of Thebes, 134already mentioned, a bearded Dionysus is represented as ΚΑΒΕΙΡΟΣ, together with a figure of a boy as Παῖς, followed by a caricatured boy’s figure designated as ΠΡΑΤΟΛΑΟΣ and then again a caricatured man, which is represented as ΜΙΤΟΣ. Μίτος really means thread, but in orphic speech it stands for semen. It was conjectured that this collection corresponded to a group of statuary in the sanctuary of a cult. This supposition is supported by the history of the cult as far as it is known; it is an original Phœnician cult of father and son; of an old and young Cabir who were more or less assimilated with the Grecian gods. The double figures of the adult and the child Dionysus lend themselves particularly to this assimilation. One might also call this the cult of the large and small man. Now, under various aspects, Dionysus is a phallic god in whose worship the phallus held an important place; for example, in the cult of the Argivian Bull—Dionysus. Moreover, the phallic herme of the god has given occasion for a personification of the phallus of Dionysus, in the form of the god Phales, who is nothing else but a Priapus. He is called ἑταῖρος or σύγκωμος Βάκχου . Corresponding to this state of affairs, one cannot very well fail to recognize in the previously mentioned Cabiric representation, and in the added boy’s figure, the picture of man and his penis. The previously mentioned paradox in the Upanishad text of large and small, of giant and dwarf, is expressed more mildly here by man and boy, or father and son. The motive of deformity which is used constantly by the 135Cabiric cult is present also in the vase picture, while the parallel figures to Dionysus and Παῖς are the caricatured Μίτος and Πρατόλαος. Just as formerly the difference in size gave occasion for division, so does the deformity here. puer eternus [223] [224] [225] [226] [227] [228] [229] [230] Without first bringing further proof to bear, I may remark that from this knowledge especially strong sidelights are thrown upon the original psychologic meaning of the religious heroes. Dionysus stands in an intimate relation with the psychology of the early Asiatic God who died and rose again from the dead and whose manifold manifestations have been brought together in the figure of Christ into a firm personality enduring for centuries. We gain from our premise the knowledge that these heroes, as well as their typical fates, are personifications of the human libido and its typical fates. They are imagery, like the figures of our nightly dreams—the actors and interpreters of our secret thoughts. And since we, in the present day, have the power to decipher the symbolism of dreams and thereby surmise the mysterious psychologic history of development of the individual, so a way is here opened to the understanding of the secret springs of impulse beneath the psychologic development of races. Our previous trains of thought, which demonstrate the phallic side of the symbolism of the libido, also show how thoroughly justified is the term “libido.” Originally taken from the sexual sphere, this word has become the most frequent technical expression of psychoanalysis, for the simple reason that its significance is wide enough to cover all the unknown and 136countless manifestations of the Will in the sense of Schopenhauer. It is sufficiently comprehensive and rich in meaning to characterize the real nature of the psychical entity which it includes. The exact classical significance of the word libido qualifies it as an entirely appropriate term. Libido is taken in a very wide sense in Cicero: [231] [232] “(Volunt ex duobus opinatis) bonis (nasci) Libidinem et Lætitiam; ut sit lætitia præsentium bonorum: libido futurorum.—Lætitia autem et Libido in bonorum opinione versantur, cum Libido ad id, quod videtur bonum, illecta et inflammata rapiatur.—Natura enim omnes ea, quæ bona videntur, sequuntur, fugiuntque contraria. Quamobrem simul objecta species cuiuspiam est, quod bonum videatur, ad id adipiscendum impellit ipsa natura. Id cum constanter prudenterque fit, ejusmodi appetitionem stoici βούλησιν appellant, nos appellamus voluntatem; eam illi putant in solo esse sapiente, quam sic definiunt; voluntas est quæ quid cum ratione desiderat: quæ autem ratione adversa incitata est vehementius, ea libido est, vel cupiditas effrenata, quæ in omnibus stultis invenitur.” [233] The meaning of libido here is “to wish,” and in the stoical distinction of will, dissolute desire. Cicero used “libido” in a corresponding sense: [234] 137“Agere rem aliquam libidine, non ratione.” [235] In the same sense Sallust says: “Iracundia pars est libidinis.” In another place in a milder and more general sense, which completely approaches the analytical use: “Magisque in decoris armis et militaribus equis, quam in scortis et conviviis libidinem habebant.” [235] Also: “Quod si tibi bona libido fuerit patriæ, etc.” The use of libido is so general that the phrase “libido est scire” merely had the significance of “I will, it pleases me.” In the phrase “aliquam libido urinæ lacessit” libido had the meaning of urgency. The significance of sexual desire is also present in the classics. This general classical application of the conception agrees with the corresponding etymological context of the word, or (with , more ancient ), it pleases me, and or = gladly, willingly. Sanskrit, = to experience violent longing, = excites longing, = eager, = longing, eagerness. Gothic = , and Old High German = love. Moreover, in Gothic, was represented as hope; and Old High German, = to praise, = commendation, praise, glory; Old Bulgarian, = to love, = love; Lithuanian, 138= to praise. It can be said that the conception of libido as developed in the new work of Freud and of his school has functionally the same significance in the biological territory as has the conception of energy since the time of Robert Mayer in the physical realm. It may not be superfluous to say something more at this point concerning the conception of libido after we have followed the formation of its symbol to its highest expression in the human form of the religious hero. libido lubido libet lubet libens lubens lúbhyati lôbhayati lubdha-h lôbha-h liufs liob lubains lobôn lob ljubiti ljuby liáupsinti [236] [237] About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. C. G. Jung (2021). Psychology of the Unconscious. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65903/pg65903-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

ASPECTS OF THE LIBIDO

Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Something

ENGLISH AS SHE IS TAUGHT

Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . AT THE MERCY OF THE WINDS here CHAPTER XII. AT THE MERCY OF THE WINDS As the affrighted cormorants had winged their flight towards the south, there sprang up a sanguine hope on board the schooner that land might be discovered in that direction. Thither, accordingly, it was determined to proceed, and in a few hours after quitting the island of the tomb, the was traversing the shallow waters that now covered the peninsula of Dakhul, which had separated the Bay of Tunis from the Gulf of Hammamet. For two days she continued an undeviating course, and after a futile search for the coast of Tunis, reached the latitude of 34 degrees. Dobryna Here, on the 11th of February, there suddenly arose the cry of “Land!” and in the extreme horizon, right ahead, where land had never been before, it was true enough that a shore was distinctly to be seen. What could it be? It could not be the coast of Tripoli; for not only would that low-lying shore be quite invisible at such a distance, but it was certain, moreover, that it lay two degrees at least still further south. It was soon observed that this newly discovered land was of very irregular elevation, that it extended due east and west across the horizon, thus dividing the gulf into two separate sections and completely concealing the island of Jerba, which must lie behind. Its position was duly traced on the ’s chart. Dobryna “How strange,” exclaimed Hector Servadac, “that after sailing all this time over sea where we expected to find land, we have at last come upon land where we thought to find sea!” “Strange, indeed,” replied Lieutenant Procope; “and what appears to me almost as remarkable is that we have never once caught sight either of one of the Maltese tartans or one of the Levantine xebecs that traffic so regularly on the Mediterranean.” “Eastwards or westwards,” asked the count—“which shall be our course? All farther progress to the south is checked.” “Westwards, by all means,” replied Servadac quickly. “I am longing to know whether anything of Algeria is left beyond the Shelif; besides, as we pass Gourbi Island we might take Ben Zoof on board, and then make away for Gibraltar, where we should be sure to learn something, at least, of European news.” With his usual air of stately courtesy, Count Timascheff begged the captain to consider the yacht at his own disposal, and desired him to give the lieutenant instructions accordingly. Lieutenant Procope, however, hesitated, and after revolving matters for a few moments in his mind, pointed out that as the wind was blowing directly from the west, and seemed likely to increase, if they went to the west in the teeth of the weather, the schooner would be reduced to the use of her engine only, and would have much difficulty in making any headway; on the other hand, by taking an eastward course, not only would they have the advantage of the wind, but, under steam and canvas, might hope in a few days to be off the coast of Egypt, and from Alexandria or some other port they would have the same opportunity of getting tidings from Europe as they would at Gibraltar. Intensely anxious as he was to revisit the province of Oran, and eager, too, to satisfy himself of the welfare of his faithful Ben Zoof, Servadac could not but own the reasonableness of the lieutenant’s objections, and yielded to the proposal that the eastward course should be adopted. The wind gave signs only too threatening of the breeze rising to a gale; but, fortunately, the waves did not culminate in breakers, but rather in a long swell which ran in the same direction as the vessel. During the last fortnight the high temperature had been gradually diminishing, until it now reached an average of 20 degrees Cent. (or 68 degrees Fahr.), and sometimes descended as low as 15 degrees. That this diminution was to be attributed to the change in the earth’s orbit was a question that admitted of little doubt. After approaching so near to the sun as to cross the orbit of Venus, the earth must now have receded so far from the sun that its normal distance of ninety-one millions of miles was greatly increased, and the probability was great that it was approximating to the orbit of Mars, that planet which in its physical constitution most nearly resembles our own. Nor was this supposition suggested merely by the lowering of the temperature; it was strongly corroborated by the reduction of the apparent diameter of the sun’s disc to the precise dimensions which it would assume to an observer actually stationed on the surface of Mars. The necessary inference that seemed to follow from these phenomena was that the earth had been projected into a new orbit, which had the form of a very elongated ellipse. Very slight, however, in comparison was the regard which these astronomical wonders attracted on board the . All interest there was too much absorbed in terrestrial matters, and in ascertaining what changes had taken place in the configuration of the earth itself, to permit much attention to be paid to its erratic movements through space. Dobryna The schooner kept bravely on her way, but well out to sea, at a distance of two miles from land. There was good need of this precaution, for so precipitous was the shore that a vessel driven upon it must inevitably have gone to pieces; it did not offer a single harbor of refuge, but, smooth and perpendicular as the walls of a fortress, it rose to a height of two hundred, and occasionally of three hundred feet. The waves dashed violently against its base. Upon the general substratum rested a massive conglomerate, the crystallizations of which rose like a forest of gigantic pyramids and obelisks. But what struck the explorers more than anything was the appearance of singular newness that pervaded the whole of the region. It all seemed so recent in its formation that the atmosphere had had no opportunity of producing its wonted effect in softening the hardness of its lines, in rounding the sharpness of its angles, or in modifying the color of its surface; its outline was clearly marked against the sky, and its substance, smooth and polished as though fresh from a founder’s mold, glittered with the metallic brilliancy that is characteristic of pyrites. It seemed impossible to come to any other conclusion but that the land before them, continent or island, had been upheaved by subterranean forces above the surface of the sea, and that it was mainly composed of the same metallic element as had characterized the dust so frequently uplifted from the bottom. The extreme nakedness of the entire tract was likewise very extraordinary. Elsewhere, in various quarters of the globe, there may be sterile rocks, but there are none so adamant as to be altogether unfurrowed by the filaments engendered in the moist residuum of the condensed vapor; elsewhere there may be barren steeps, but none so rigid as not to afford some hold to vegetation, however low and elementary may be its type; but here all was bare, and blank, and desolate—not a symptom of vitality was visible. Such being the condition of the adjacent land, it could hardly be a matter of surprise that all the sea-birds, the albatross, the gull, the sea-mew, sought continual refuge on the schooner; day and night they perched fearlessly upon the yards, the report of a gun failing to dislodge them, and when food of any sort was thrown upon the deck, they would dart down and fight with eager voracity for the prize. Their extreme avidity was recognized as a proof that any land where they could obtain a sustenance must be far remote. Onwards thus for several days the followed the contour of the inhospitable coast, of which the features would occasionally change, sometimes for two or three miles assuming the form of a simple arris, sharply defined as though cut by a chisel, when suddenly the prismatic lamellae soaring in rugged confusion would again recur; but all along there was the same absence of beach or tract of sand to mark its base, neither were there any of those shoals of rock that are ordinarily found in shallow water. At rare intervals there were some narrow fissures, but not a creek available for a ship to enter to replenish its supply of water; and the wide roadsteads were unprotected and exposed to well-nigh every point of the compass. Dobryna But after sailing two hundred and forty miles, the progress of the was suddenly arrested. Lieutenant Procope, who had sedulously inserted the outline of the newly revealed shore upon the maps, announced that it had ceased to run east and west, and had taken a turn due north, thus forming a barrier to their continuing their previous direction. It was, of course, impossible to conjecture how far this barrier extended; it coincided pretty nearly with the fourteenth meridian of east longitude; and if it reached, as probably it did, beyond Sicily to Italy, it was certain that the vast basin of the Mediterranean, which had washed the shores alike of Europe, Asia, and Africa, must have been reduced to about half its original area. Dobryna It was resolved to proceed upon the same plan as heretofore, following the boundary of the land at a safe distance. Accordingly, the head of the was pointed north, making straight, as it was presumed, for the south of Europe. A hundred miles, or somewhat over, in that direction, and it was to be anticipated she would come in sight of Malta, if only that ancient island, the heritage in succession of Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Sicilians, Romans, Vandals, Greeks, Arabians, and the knights of Rhodes, should still be undestroyed. Dobryna But Malta, too, was gone; and when, upon the 14th, the sounding-line was dropped upon its site, it was only with the same result so oftentimes obtained before. “The devastation is not limited to Africa,” observed the count. “Assuredly not,” assented the lieutenant; adding, “and I confess I am almost in despair whether we shall ever ascertain its limits. To what quarter of Europe, if Europe still exists, do you propose that I should now direct your course?” “To Sicily, Italy, France!” ejaculated Servadac, eagerly,—“anywhere where we can learn the truth of what has befallen us.” “How if we are the sole survivors?” said the count, gravely. Hector Servadac was silent; his own secret presentiment so thoroughly coincided with the doubts expressed by the count, that he refrained from saying another word. The coast, without deviation, still tended towards the north. No alternative, therefore, remained than to take a westerly course and to attempt to reach the northern shores of the Mediterranean. On the 16th the essayed to start upon her altered way, but it seemed as if the elements had conspired to obstruct her progress. A furious tempest arose; the wind beat dead in the direction of the coast, and the danger incurred by a vessel of a tonnage so light was necessarily very great. Dobryna Lieutenant Procope was extremely uneasy. He took in all sail, struck his topmasts, and resolved to rely entirely on his engine. But the peril seemed only to increase. Enormous waves caught the schooner and carried her up to their crests, whence again she was plunged deep into the abysses that they left. The screw failed to keep its hold upon the water, but continually revolved with useless speed in the vacant air; and thus, although the steam was forced on to the extremest limit consistent with safety, the vessel held her way with the utmost difficulty, and recoiled before the hurricane. Still, not a single resort for refuge did the inaccessible shore present. Again and again the lieutenant asked himself what would become of him and his comrades, even if they should survive the peril of shipwreck, and gain a footing upon the cliff. What resources could they expect to find upon that scene of desolation? What hope could they entertain that any portion of the old continent still existed beyond that dreary barrier? It was a trying time, but throughout it all the crew behaved with the greatest courage and composure; confident in the skill of their commander, and in the stability of their ship, they performed their duties with steadiness and unquestioning obedience. But neither skill, nor courage, nor obedience could avail; all was in vain. Despite the strain put upon her engine, the schooner, bare of canvas (for not even the smallest stay-sail could have withstood the violence of the storm), was drifting with terrific speed towards the menacing precipices, which were only a. few short miles to leeward. Fully alive to the hopelessness of their situation, the crew were all on deck. “All over with us, sir!” said Procope to the count. “I have done everything that man could do; but our case is desperate. Nothing short of a miracle can save us now. Within an hour we must go to pieces upon yonder rocks.” “Let us, then, commend ourselves to the providence of Him to Whom nothing is impossible,” replied the count, in a calm, clear voice that could be distinctly heard by all; and as he spoke, he reverently uncovered, an example in which he was followed by all the rest. The destruction of the vessel seeming thus inevitable, Lieutenant Procope took the best measures he could to insure a few days’ supply of food for any who might escape ashore. He ordered several cases of provisions and kegs of water to be brought on deck, and saw that they were securely lashed to some empty barrels, to make them float after the ship had gone down. Less and less grew the distance from the shore, but no creek, no inlet, could be discerned in the towering wall of cliff, which seemed about to topple over and involve them in annihilation. Except a change of wind or, as Procope observed, a supernatural rifting of the rock, nothing could bring deliverance now. But the wind did not veer, and in a few minutes more the schooner was hardly three cables’ distance from the fatal land. All were aware that their last moment had arrived. Servadac and the count grasped each other’s hands for a long farewell; and, tossed by the tremendous waves, the schooner was on the very point of being hurled upon the cliff, when a ringing shout was heard. “Quick, boys, quick! Hoist the jib, and right the tiller!” Sudden and startling as the unexpected orders were, they were executed as if by magic. The lieutenant, who had shouted from the bow, rushed astern and took the helm, and before anyone had time to speculate upon the object of his maneuvers, he shouted again, “Look out! sharp! watch the sheets!” An involuntary cry broke forth from all on board. But it was no cry of terror. Right ahead was a narrow opening in the solid rock; it was hardly forty feet wide. Whether it was a passage or no, it mattered little; it was at least a refuge; and, driven by wind and wave, the , under the dexterous guidance of the lieutenant, dashed in between its perpendicular walls. Dobryna Had she not immured herself in a perpetual prison? About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

AT THE MERCY OF THE WINDS

DARK AND BRIGHT

Machine learning ( ) and artificial intelligence ( have been delighting people with some of the fascinating tools we’ve seen hit the market recently. ML AI) Like all powerful tools, AI has both good and bad elements – understanding the different issues that can (and will) emerge will help significantly mitigate the inevitable problems that are bound to emerge. Businesses need to approach AI with an understanding that many potential problems can stem from misuse, with over-automation and copyright infringement being the primary concern. Here, we will discuss a few common ways businesses might use AI that are or will become, problematic. 1. Using generative design to create imagery could save time, but potentially harm artists Given the massive amount of output possible with an AI compared to a human making drawings from scratch, it’s no contest. As such, businesses can see the allure of using such systems to create graphics and other visual assets for their brand. If you sell rings, you should probably look elsewhere for now. However, many find the idea of generative art and design to be problematic. And rightfully so – given that AI is trained on existing images found around the web, with some drawing on ML learning processes to make unique pieces, . many systems can emulate the styles of well-known artists Using images from certain systems that may pull heavily from some piece of existing, possibly copyrighted, artwork is a legitimate problem. It will be up to digital storefronts to police products that freely pull from everywhere on the web, including licensed works. How to prevent the misuse of generative design in art One of the most unfortunate aspects is that this capability will rely on market compliance. While and may play ball, there will always be tools running amock on the web with less-than-ethical operating parameters. Google Apple Ethical usage examples of generative design include processes such as: assisting with creating graphics using internal assets, helping with layout, and refining your custom artwork or branding assets. However, using these tools to freely incorporate IPs, whether they’re well-known or not (it especially hurts smaller designers), is out of the question. It will be up to businesses to avoid these and stand against entities found to be using tools that infringe on the IP of others. Agencies like the DCMA and those it cooperates with outside the US must step up their game to ensure they can effectively combat such issues since, like anything else, not everyone will comply. Perhaps most important is that businesses like OpenAI and Google ensure that this kind of usage of their systems, freely through the web apps and via backend APIs, isn’t being used for malicious purposes. This will help avoid issues of businesses using these tools to create graphics that might unwittingly copy published artwork. 2. Some AIs are already being used to spoof brands We’ve all seen rip-off brands at some point, but unlike the quality you see on street corners, many brand forgeries online can look like the real McCoy. While these are obvious, online brand forgeries that will attempt to defraud your customers can look indistinguishable from the real thing. Source: Perception Partners Like catfishing, where scammers, create a false image of themselves to become the love of someone’s life, many also masquerade as brands to defraud business customer bases. Much like using copyrighted artwork, emulating a business style for fictitious communications is already one way AI is helping those who mean to do harm. Helping customers validate your identity Those who make phonies also leverage the same technology that helps businesses segment and understand their audience. Of course, this is primarily a problem for retail and businesses that might reach out to users with offers or discounts. In any case, helping your customers not fall victim to a fake requires education. The federal IRS has an entire page on “how to know” since they’re commonly used in scams. The IRS has a good example, but you should be more specific for business. For example, you can kill two birds with one stone when inviting people to sign up for loyalty rewards or marketing communications: What do your promotions look like? How often do you send out information, and from where (i.e., email address, SMS number, etc.)? Any unique traits to look for? Providing such information and making it easy to access will help cut down on possible issues stemming from users receiving false communications using your brand identity. 3. Using AI before it’s ready can lead to disaster Would you use the autopilot in a Tesla if it got you to your destination 90% of the time? You don’t even have to drop a lit cigarette for it to burst into flames automatically. | Source: FOX13 Much like a human, when a human gets the first step in some process wrong, the issue snowballs and can lead to radically incorrect answers. Better yet, combine the loose constants first. | Source: Alexander Tutoring In humans and machines, biases work much the same way. A particular belief will function as a starting point for reasoning – when the process is algebraic, an early computational error will stack and lead to an incorrect final answer. However, many other processes aren’t quite so empirically rigid and instead aim for a certain range of acceptable output. While we can use AI to check itself, there is still an immense need for human oversight as AI lacks the intuition (and cognitive stimuli) that causes humans to re-evaluate their approach. AI needs a lot of testing now and for the foreseeable future We already see the negative impact of using AI for different tasks, especially when it is a first and last defense. Some businesses that have adopted chatbots and other AI-driven tools, such as for customer service, find that , causing the experience to suffer. they’ve become too reliant on these systems Even though AI is excellent for many processes, it makes mistakes and unlike a human, most systems can’t reconcile once an issue has taken root. While some systems can be trained to provide comprehensive services, it takes time. Across the board, AI training still needs much more time. Virtually nothing in any AI discipline is perfect, especially regarding communication and real-time navigation. Though AI should universally continue to improve, gains will begin to dimmish, and most issues should become infrequent and less severe. Until then, most highly sophisticated AI systems will need regular supervision from developers and users. 4. Hallucinations can easily derail an AI into the obscure When we hallucinate as a human, it’s either self-inflicted via hallucinogenic compounds as a result of some kind of abnormality with the body. The main intersection between the human and machine kind of hallucination is that a powerful belief influences behavior. In a human hallucination, behavior usually changes to accommodate the hallucinated element, with the mind treating it as real. Though language models and other systems appear fluent in their mediums, complex issues tend to be susceptible to hallucinations. What this looks like is confidently treating some untrue condition as if it were; depending on the subject, it can have varying consequences. Things can go wrong when identifying an object, typical for computer vision uses in manufacturing. Quite simply, some stuff looks like other stuff, as seen in the video example above. Slight deviations in perspective or lighting conditions can dramatically alter what a computer vision system detects. As such, these systems, like everything else AI at the moment, will need human oversight as innovators continue to work on improving the reliability of these systems. The same applies to language models that sometimes erroneously hold two or more truths about any given subject.

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