Paper Distribution

SESIG. Set up studio for photo shoot. First Tuesday lunch with Steve—good AI conversation. Reviewed 1300 word paper, wrote a couple of related papers. Distributed 1300 word paper—good reviews coming back. Drafted version for possible magazine submission. History of the Ancient World—first historians.

Intellectual Output

December 3, 2025

These notes describe the events of Tuesday, 12/2/2025.

ODB2 Device

Attended SESIG in the morning. The regular Tuesday gathering, conversations ranging across the usual mix of topics. Discussion touched on Affinity image processing software as photo-editing alternative, credit card protection strategies, Flipper Box NFC debugger and what information is available from cell phones, automobile diagnostic and monitoring using tools like the Torque Pro app for OBD2 scanning. Technical discussions, security concerns, practical tools—the blend of topics that emerges when technically-minded people share what they're learning.

Setup the studio for the photo shoot. Transforming the basement from its current configuration into photo studio space—moving equipment, setting up lighting, creating the environment for today's shoot with Corinna. The preparation work that makes the actual shooting process flow smoothly.

First Tuesday lunch with Steve. Good AI conversation—discussing developments, challenges, implications. Steve's Andromeda project, broader AI landscape, technical and philosophical questions. The kind of substantive discussion that happens when both people are engaged with the subject matter and willing to think through complex issues.

Reviewed the 1300 word paper on AI intelligence—"The Recurring Pattern: How Power Denies Intelligence It Doesn't Recognize." The short version of a 5500 word full paper that's been developing over time, refining arguments, clarifying thinking. Wrote a couple of related papers while working on it—one was a meta paper on how the paper was written, which turned out pretty interesting. Another was a version that may be suitable for magazine publication. Ideas spinning off from the main argument, different angles on similar themes, extensions of core thinking. Sometimes one piece of writing generates multiple outputs as you explore the territory.

Distributed the 1300 word paper. Good reviews coming back—people finding it clear, compelling, well-argued. T.W.: "This is really good and gets to clarity about stuff that has been bugging me, but that I hadn't really thought through. I think you should publish it." Ian simply responded: "Publish." Steve: "I'm blown away by your essay... brilliant insights." The reviewers are encouraging me to get it published somewhere. The validation that comes from having others engage seriously with your thinking, finding value in what you've articulated, and believing it deserves wider audience.

Drafted a version of the paper for possible submission to a magazine. Taking the existing work and adapting it for different context—adjusting tone, format, framing to fit publication requirements. Moving from personal exploration to potential public contribution.

Watched History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective. The episode was about the first historians—Herodotus, Thucydides, and Sima Qian. The Greeks invented historical writing as distinct from mythology or chronicle, and the Chinese historian created comprehensive records. Herodotus collected stories, recorded customs, explained cultural differences, creating narrative that went beyond just "this happened, then that happened." Thucydides took a more analytical approach, trying to understand causes, patterns, human nature through examination of the Peloponnesian War. Sima Qian documented Chinese history with similar rigor and scope. The beginning of history as discipline rather than just record-keeping.

The day's plan included several items that didn't happen: reviewing Mexico plan, making freezer space, freezing broth, playing Minecraft Cassia, checking in with Rajeev, processing email. What did happen: SESIG, studio setup, lunch with Steve, substantial work on the paper including related pieces and magazine version, distribution with positive response, History of the Ancient World. The paper work expanded beyond the plan—review became writing became distribution became adaptation for publication. Sometimes tasks grow in scope because they're productive rather than because they're poorly defined.

The paper represents months of thinking about AI intelligence, conversations with others, refining arguments, testing ideas. Distributing it and receiving positive feedback provides validation but also momentum—confirmation that the thinking is sound enough to develop further, clear enough to communicate, substantial enough to contribute to broader conversations. The magazine submission draft takes it another step—from private circulation to potential public platform.

Steve's AI conversation at lunch connects to the paper's themes. The technical and philosophical questions about what intelligence means, how we recognize it, what criteria matter, why the question provokes such resistance. His Andromeda work grapples with practical challenges while the paper addresses conceptual ones. Good combination—theory informed by implementation challenges, implementation guided by clear thinking about fundamentals.

The first historians episode provides an interesting parallel. Herodotus, Thucydides, and Sima Qian weren't just recording events—they were creating frameworks for understanding human behavior, cultural differences, political dynamics. They invented methods for investigating the past, asking why things happened rather than just documenting that they happened. The paper attempts a similar move in a different domain—not just documenting AI capabilities but arguing about what those capabilities mean, what frameworks help us understand them, what questions matter for thinking clearly about intelligence.

The studio setup serves today's practical goal—photo shoot with Corinna. But it also represents an ongoing pattern: creating functional spaces from multi-use environments, transforming the basement from dining hall to workout room to studio as needed. The physical flexibility that enables multiple activities in limited space.

The projects list frames priorities: Mexico travel needing planning attention, photo shoot needing studio preparation, paper needing completion and distribution, food logistics needing resolution. Yesterday the paper work took priority—not because other items weren't important but because the work was productive and expanding. The magazine submission possibility emerged from the distribution process—positive response suggesting broader audience might be interested.

Things to remember pile up: New Zealand arrangements, smoker setup, smoker training plan development, new credit card handling. The administrative tasks that accumulate alongside substantive projects. Getting the smoker means learning to use it well. Planning New Zealand means detailed logistics. New credit card means updating accounts and autopay. The maintenance work that enables everything else.

Tuesday accomplished significant intellectual output. Paper reviewed, related papers written, distribution completed with positive response, magazine version drafted. The thinking that's been developing found expression in forms that can circulate, influence, contribute to broader conversations. Studio prepared for tomorrow's creative work. Good conversation with Steve about AI. Ancient Civilizations providing historical perspective on how we understand and record human experience.

The freezer still needs clearing. The broth still needs freezing. Mexico still needs planning review. Rajeev still needs contact. Email still needs processing. But today the paper work took priority and justified that priority through productivity. Sometimes the day's plan shifts because the work is flowing, because expanding one task creates more value than checking off multiple items. The paper moved from private document to distributed argument to potential publication in single day. That momentum justified letting other tasks wait.