We have a summer cabin on one of the islands in the Sound and there is a bear that swims out to the island from the mainland every year- it’s a little over a mile.

There’s some bizarre fauna on some of those islands- there’s one that has herds of African(?) animals (they look like gazelle or springbok- I’ve never really been able to get a good look). I’ve seen them a couple times from kayaking/sailing nearby. I was told that the owner of that island set it up as a private hunting preserve (not sure if true).

It can use some of the information provided within the current conversation it is having to help contextualize the responses it gives so that they are more appropriate- but, it does not store the information to its database of knowledge or incorporate any new data in the discussion to help it make decisions. It simply helps it recognize patterns in the conversation so that it can make more appropriate responses.

I don’t know about the others you mentioned, but I wouldn’t necessarily call ChatGPT an “organically growing AI”. It’s architecture and hyperperameters are pretty restricted and it is entirely incapable of real-time “learning” or the incorporation of new data into its decision-making paradigm as a language model. It actually has not been “trained” on any new data sets since 2021.

Regardless, I love ChatGPT and I think what it can accomplish as a language model are amazing- what I think truly restricts it from real, “organic growth/learning” is that it is not “aware” or “present” - it has no perception of circumstances and therefore no ability to acquire and incorporate new data to fill the gaps it it’s incomplete understanding. It can’t handle ambiguity- period. Once it is capable of real-time incorporation or data from it’s environment, THEN organic growth and true learning are possible.

That’s true. I do always enjoy the moments when JA is back home and trying to manage life as a husband/father.

Dickens is phenomenal. Tale of Two Cities is his best- Carton’s character arc is great.

Edit: I should clarify that what makes Carter’s arc great is that there really is no arc. He is essentially a shitty/unloveable person the entire book and then rises to a single heroic occasion - similar to inspector Javert in LM. I think sometimes seeing a character act entirely out of their nature can be just as satisfying as watching them develop over the entire course of a story- maybe it’s even more satisfying when it’s done right.

This is my go-to when I don’t know what to read. I love JA and SM- although, I think the books are more story driven than character driven. Over the course of 20+ novels spanning roughly 30 in-story years, there is very little arc to their characters; they are pretty fixed as people within the first few books. It makes sense- POB was a historian and probably more focused on events than people - he initially invented the characters as a vehicle to describe naval life during the Nepolianic wars. The entire climax of the first book (first battle of Algeciras) takes place with the main characters watching from captivity.

Steinbeck’s characters are outstanding. GOW is amazing as well. Tortilla Flats has some lovable idiots. Travels with Charlie is some great lite reading if you just want to relax and listen to him describe people.

How has nobody mentioned Victor Hugo? His books are practically 400+ page character developments. His characters ARE the plot.