“I’m doing what looks aesthetically good. It’s already a bit much.”
Tag: art
Ask A Genius 1577: Mel Brooks, Meta-Primes, and the Future of AI
In this Thanksgiving conversation, Rick Rosner talks with Scott Douglas Jacobsen about the enduring genius of Mel Brooks, from Young Frankenstein to Get Smart, and the changing sophistication of television from Hill Street Blues to today’s streaming era. Rosner laments no longer working for Kimmel, where legends like Norman Lear once appeared, and reflects on how creative legacies still shape culture. He riffs on AI’s multimodal future, humanoid robots, and the risks of systems with agency. He revisits his “meta-primes” idea on twin primes and information in the number line, and recalls favourite reading like Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age.
Ask A Genius 1565: Rapid Climate Change, Extinction Pressures, and Human Adaptation
"This raises questions about pressures that first cause extinctions but also push some organisms—especially those with greater behavioral flexibility—toward rapid adaptation. In the fossil record there have been five major mass extinctions; today’s human-driven biodiversity decline is widely described as an ongoing sixth mass extinction. The Chicxulub asteroid impact about 66 million years ago eliminated roughly three-quarters of species, not ninety percent."
Ask A Genius 1424: Call Me Alex Documentary: How Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” Revolutionized Podcasting
Rick Rosner talks about James Comey's cryptic "86 47" tweet sparked backlash, with critics accusing him of inciting violence against Trump. Experts argue the phrase more likely implies political rejection. The controversy echoes past misjudgments by Comey and others, as media attention shifts from substantive issues like Republican tax proposals.
Ask A Genius 1234: When is the end of our worlds?
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: We began collaborating 14% into the 21st century. Now, we are 25% into it. If you start counting the 21st century from the year 2000—which is slightly inaccurate but often done—we have completed 25 years. That means we are one-quarter of the way through the 21st century. Purists might argue that we …
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Ask A Genius 1173: October Surprises
*Interview conducted in October-November, 2024.* Rick Rosner: Speaking of something related but different, it’s less than two weeks until the election—12 days to be exact. Everyone’s on edge, waiting for any October surprises. This is a new topic. Perhaps the big October surprise concerning Trump could be some footage of him groping a teenager at …
Ask A Genius 1162: Twin Paths of Political Blockading
*Interview conducted in September, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, let’s say we do two paths. If Trump wins, what happens immediately? If Harris wins, what happens immediately? Rick Rosner: The election's November 5th, which means you’ve got two and a half months before Trump takes office if he wins. He’s been found guilty on 34 …
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Ask A Genius 1136: Micromosaics and Bent Hangers on an Easel
Rick Rosner: When you have plates you want to show off, you get those little easels that keep them from being used as actual plates. I bend hangers into easels to support micromosaics that have lost their stands. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: When did you first get into micromosaics? Rosner: My wife had one or two …
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Ask A Genius 915: AI Revenge Porn and Ethical Considerations
[Recording Start] Rick Rosner: So, after this experience, I Googled AI porn is a problem and that returned a bunch of articles and commentary that, yeah, it's a freaking problem. I read an article or an opinion piece from August of last year entitled Why AI porn is terrible, it's worse than you think on a …
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Ask A Genius 901: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
[Recording Start] Rick Rosner: Carole and I started watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the TV series inspired by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a Doug Liman movie from probably 15 years ago. It's where Brad and Angelina met and fell in love, perhaps 17 or 18 years ago. In both the film and the series, the …
Rick Rosner 