Stream of Consciousness
AI as a Reflective Surface
Much of the confusion surrounding artificial intelligence comes from treating it as an agent rather than a surface. When people speak about AI “doing the thinking,” “creating the ideas,” or “speaking for someone,” they are often projecting agency onto a system that does not possess intention, belief, or understanding. This projection obscures what is actually happening in many real-world uses. In those cases, AI is not acting as a source of meaning, but as a surface that reflects, redirects, and reshapes what is already present.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout 12 hours ago in Humans
Why Saying Less Makes Words Feel More Valuable
There is a widely held belief that words gain value through scarcity. When someone speaks rarely, their statements are treated as weightier, more deliberate, and more worth attending to. When someone speaks often, their words are assumed to be interchangeable, disposable, or less carefully considered. This intuition is not entirely wrong, but it is frequently misapplied. Scarcity does affect perception, but perception is not the same as truth, and rarity is not the same as meaning.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout 12 hours ago in Humans
Waldport’s Vanished
On the Oregon coast, disappearances usually come with explanations. Sneaker waves when they turned their back for a split second. Rain, wind, and snow contribute to accidents. A hiking trip that took a wrong turn. In the fall of 1975, Waldport faced a different kind of loss. Twenty people didn't drown, crash, or wander off. They walked into a community meeting at the Bayshore Inn, listened to two strangers talk about UFOs and salvation, and by sunrise, they were gone. No goodbyes. No forwarding addresses. Just empty driveways, abandoned jobs, and families left staring at doors that never opened again.
By Phoenixx Fyre Deanabout 16 hours ago in Humans
Iran mobilizes children for checkpoints as 11-year-old dies in airstrike
As tensions escalate in the Middle East, Iran is facing not only external military pressure but also growing internal strain. Amid an ongoing conflict with United States and Israel, Iranian authorities are reportedly tightening domestic control in an effort to prevent anti-government unrest before it can take hold.
By Shirley Oyiadom2 days ago in Humans
Why Most Lottery Winners Lose It All
Winning the lottery feels like the ultimate dream: instant wealth, freedom from financial stress, and the ability to live life on your own terms. But behind the headlines of oversized checks and champagne celebrations lies a surprising truth—many lottery winners end up broke, sometimes within just a few years.
By AnthonyBTV5 days ago in Humans
Revisiting The Shame of My Sexual Assault . Content Warning.
I was seventeen when my sister’s boyfriend, fourteen years my senior, pushed me back and had sex with me. My sister, who also became his fiancée around that time, had been staying overnight in the hospital with an ectopic pregnancy. Her first or second, as I recall.
By Chantal Christie5 days ago in Humans
Political figures urge Vance to replace Trump as president
A surprising and controversial political suggestion has sparked debate in Washington and beyond, after a prominent conservative voice publicly called for a dramatic shift in leadership. On March 22, journalist Scott McConnell urged Vice President JD Vance to consider invoking the Twenty Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to remove Donald Trump from office.
By Shirley Oyiadom6 days ago in Humans
I Wanted to End My Life after Being Publicly Shamed. Content Warning.
“Sometimes we tolerate unacceptable behaviour from others because we don’t know we deserve better.” — Kia Stephens ^ Sitting in the front passenger seat of a packed crew van, on route to a ‘quick turnaround’ aircraft clean, the forty-something male colleague, sitting next to me — out of nowhere and loud enough for the other male crew members sitting behind us to hear — unashamedly ridiculed me, in detail, about my genitalia.
By Chantal Christie6 days ago in Humans
