Spyros Passas

Electrical and Computer Engineer, Contemporary Art enthusiast, Cinema lover. Co-founder @neyboxhq

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

From a good-faith standpoint, the Gemini fiasco is an example of what Nick Bostrom calls “perverse instantiation” or how benign intentions can lead to catastrophic results. Trying to resolve a problem inadequately can result in another one, in many cases even more serious. And the biggest threat is that this can be seen only a posteriori...

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

The recent UAE declaration in COP28, despite the rather soft wording and loopholes, provides some optimism that, at least in theory, the world is on the same page regarding what needs to be done.

However, without concrete action, all declarations do not worth more than the paper they're printed on, and when it comes to action things become more complicated. China and India, two dominant players in the renewables market, did not sign the pledge for tripling renewable energy capacity until 2030. Leaving aside the political and financial motives behind this decision, from the available data it seems that perhaps there are also practical reasons to be sceptical about the feasibility of such a pledge.

It appears that the low hanging fruits regarding increasing renewables capacity have been mostly harvested and any further progress will require significant and rapid evolution in production, supply chain, power distribution grids and of course increased funding and elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks. It seems that the industry remains cautiously optimistic but warns that the road ahead will be increasingly challenging.

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

New look, same amazing content: https://t.co/swX7IXAllR by @TapTheLine1

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Interesting project. Consistency is a key element of energy sources and unfortunately most renewables are depending on the weather itself. As the climate changes rapidly and unpredictably, any forecast as far as their capacity is concerned can go horribly wrong (already seen that during last year's extensive draught in Southern Europe that brought hydroelectric plant activity to a complete halt). Energy sources that are relatively immune to weather phenomena show a great potential.
https://t.co/D0OFpHK4zQ

[Pillow Sleep Tracker @pillow_app]

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Learn more about this great new feature on our latest blog post:
https://t.co/8dFb0ne5fP

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[Spyros Passas @spassas]

In the author's words: "In Lanthimos's work, the absurd and the commonplace are bound together by a steel ribbon". Or, perhaps, how the commonplace is intrinsically absurd, I would add.

An erudite and concise summary of the key motifs penetrating the oeuvre of George Lanthimos, expertly written by Dimitris Passas of @TapTheLine1 and published on @offchancemag

https://t.co/J4oqHMVBLD

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Quite comprehensive overview of what Artificial General Intelligence is about and why we are probably already living it (but we're reluctant to admit) https://t.co/jMcfAIC9uv

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

State of affairs regarding European VCs from the @EIF_EU. Long story short: less capital, expensive financing, difficult exits, significantly increased insolvencies and record low IPOs. The impact of these facts is definitely visible in the market, especially in the software industry. Hopefully, the outlook for the next 12 months looks more optimistic. https://t.co/z9p7oZvw4W

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

One of my most memorable art visits was in Tate's "Rothko Room", a space where I started to understand what Rothko is really about. Can't wait to visit this large retrospective, co-curated by Christopher Rothko and hosted in one of the most amazing exhibition spaces of Paris. https://t.co/MO4qtsapDk

[Panos Spiliotis @panosdigital]

As everyone tries to process what's happening with Israel and Palestine, it's pieces like this that may help put things into perspective.👇

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Can one commit evil deeds without being innately evil? As Arendt describes in her book, when Eichmann set foot on the court everyone was expecting to see some kind of biblical monster and not a shabby looking bureaucrat who was just "doing his job". 60 years after the publication of the book and despite the very intense (and largely unfair) criticism it received, it still remains one of the most insightful attempts to demystify the nature of evil. https://t.co/DMPAamlY4P

[Tap The Line @TapTheLine1]

Q+A: Julia Winter. @Julia_in_Winter @matadorbooks
https://t.co/k9wsbJaXhQ

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Recently finished Georgi Gospodinov's "Timeshelter", an amazingly well written novel about time and memory. The author is very well versed in the subject and manages to produce a very captivating narrative combining theory about the nature of time, European history and an almost sci-fi existential mystery in a delicate prose. Highly recommended.

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

From Generative to Interactive AI. "Technology today is static. It does, roughly speaking, what you tell it to do. But now technology is going to be animated. It’s going to have the potential freedom, if you give it, to take actions."

However, the freedom to "take actions" carries a heavy ethical burden. It means you have to assess the consequences of your actions and carry the responsibility for them. In other words, it means having a moral compass

https://t.co/qV2l9LSvi8

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Fascinating read. It's amazing how technology allows us to further explore and even redefine concepts like creativity, that were always considered as indisputably exclusive to the human nature.

Funny fact: best humans are still better however "on average, the AI chatbots outperformed human participants."

https://t.co/I3WdCoNenk

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

Kantian or Confucian ethics? Individualism or Collectivism? Fast paced innovation or risk minimising regulation? Is a compromise possible and, if so, how?
https://t.co/v0CVuqOs3p

[Panos Spiliotis @panosdigital]

One of the very first and best books I bought as kid learning HTML was written by Molly Holzschang.
Her influence in shaping the web as we know it cannot be understated.
RIP Molly.

https://t.co/zXoDc6soa4

[Spyros Passas @spassas]

A summary of findings measuring the effect of GDPR on the digital market. GDPR has been a trailblazing legislation for Europe and already paved the path for other regions to enact similar frameworks on data privacy and control. However, nothing comes free: The compliance cost poses a significant challenge, especially for SMEs and small startups. Ironically, the framework that was intended to limit the dominance of BigTech on user data (and has in many ways succeeded) had an even more significant adverse effect on smaller firms, forcing them to accept higher costs or abandon the EU market altogether. As the digital space gets more regulated, striking a balance between moderating the market while maintaining a truly competitive, level playing field that fosters innovation, becomes a very complex problem.

https://t.co/tZ9XsP37yz

[Tap The Line @TapTheLine1]

The omniscient narrator: the film deity who knows it all! https://t.co/hGWIrVNAQE

[DMovies @DMovies_org]

Technique borrowed from literature has given cinema unlimited potential to create multilayered and spectacular stories-within-a-story!

These three films are some of the finest examples:

https://t.co/FkVbDdNwhw