A stark reminder this week that there are two sides to the renewable energy revolution: supply and demand. Whilst we in Denmark can be proud of our record on the supply side of this equation, the recent increase in interest from big tech in locations with good renewable credentials does suggest that governments may be called upon to impose some control on the demand side also.
The skate park at Bexhill leisure centre, now earmarked for demolition, has an incredibly passionate and vibrant community of riders and skaters.
The skate park is in desperate need of renovation – several accidents and near misses due to the state of the ramps and concrete occurred during the shooting of these photos. And with demolition on the horizon, the community here deserve a firm commitment from local government to the development of a new location.
Skate parks are positive and sociable community hubs which deserve serious investment to ensure they are safe spaces for up and coming athletes to practice and share their passion with others.
See more:
- Evolving Specialised Species in Diverse Simulated Ecologies using a Subsumption ArchitectureDownload
Back in 2006, three years in to my degree in “computer systems and software engineering” at the University of York, I embarked on my Masters project. The ambition was quite clear – to use a complementary suite of AI algorithms to simulate speciation. The choice of algorithm for behaviour selection, Rodney Brooks’ subsumption architecture, was dictated by my supervisor, but despite the existence of prior work on the use of the subsumption architecture, the existing implementation was missing key prerequisites for achieving the ambition of the project. Specifically the ability to vary the geographic (and other environmental) conditions such that speciation might occur.
Whilst I learned many things from the arduous process of trying to run successful experiments on this journey, none were so precious as the respect I developed for the complexity of systems. The combination of two core AI algorithms, a broad range of environmental variables and the entropy of unpredictable individual behaviour across a population of hundreds over thousands of generations, led to a huge degree of complex, emergent outcomes. Controlling these outcomes became a huge challenge for me, preventing me from obtaining the evidence I needed to support some conclusions I knew it was possible to draw. The experience was humbling, educational and frustrating in equal parts. The write up I submitted can be viewed at this link. I will eventually edit and post a subsequent revision which includes conclusions drawn after further experimentation past the submission deadline!
A couple of images of submissions for this Coursera course I studied recently.
Fjellfolk is dedicated to providing a manageable, curated feed of news, essays and opinions on the subject of cities, technology and sustainability. Specifically we believe that cities, and the growing population of people who inhabit cities, represent both a significant sustainability challenge but also hold the key to overcoming these challenges.
I’d love to think that the content here will stimulate critical thinking and ideation to further grow the community of engaged citizens who have seen the future and realise we simply must find a way to live in harmony with our planet.
As a keen photographer, many photos on this site will be my own, but others are gratefully used with permission from those applying a creative commons licence to their good work. Wherever I’ve done so credit is given to the artist.
Photo by Eugene Triguba on Unsplash
The satellite dish. That reliable, omnipresent parabolic residential appendage, facilitating technology for the rise of satellite television in the late 70s, and modern day delivery medium for Murdoch’s media empire. On a short impromptu photowalk in somewhat economically deprived Bexhill-on-Sea my lens inadvertently captured a huge range of the rusted concave devices, their cables trailing across rooftops like determined vines clamouring for vertical dominance, terminating at this strange metal plate seeking a favourable situation on a pebbledash plain. I wondered: to what extent could the “dish density” of an area be a socioeconomic indicator?
They will sell you a dish outside Asda. Aspiring salesmen, fleece top proudly embroidered with the Sky logo, enthusiastically propping up a portable sales stand, together representing an unavoidable gauntlet between shopper and shop. The determined survive but the weakest are cornered and eventually convinced they sign, committing to 24 months of box sets, premier league and propaganda. A typical contract could cost a day’s pay packet on the minimum wage, but out there in the cold the numbers might just start to make sense.
Nice little article by a chap called Ajit Menon, a hobbyist photographer from New York City. Ajit talks across topics ranging from the desirability of some very expensive photography hardware to an introspective look at the ‘soul’ of his own work. Some great photos too…
The Tories very deliberately pitch themselves as the thinking voter’s party. The party of the head, not the heart. So why is it that many indicators suggest that those who are proactively engaging in the democratic process – with their heads, not their hearts – lean left?
A fantastic case in point is this screenshot from the voteforpolicies website.
(more…)The Tories very deliberately pitch themselves as the thinking voter’s party. The party of the head, not the heart. So why is it that many indicators suggest that those who are proactively engaging in the democratic process – with their heads, not their hearts – lean left?
Weaning has been a bit of a journey. Of all the many challenges one faces as a parent, few offer so many highs and lows, or introduce so much parental anxiety, as the process of ensuring your child develops a healthy relationship with food whilst trying to get enough balanced, healthy calories into the kid before his patience runs out. Luckily for every tantrum there is a giggle and one realises quickly that meal times are the perfect time to get to know the little person who is developing in front of you.