ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

In Case You Missed It – 9.18.24

Prescient predictions, member service or doom loops, colors don’t exist, when Dad can’t draw, and Froot Loops. Here’s what we noticed, in case you missed it:

Admiral Hopper’s long-lost lecture on the future of computing

The NSA recently published video on YouTube of this positively prescient 1982 lecture from then-Captain Grace Hopper, an amazing (and funny, and fascinating) lecture entitled “Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software, and People” (parts one and two). It’s a remarkably accurate overview of the fundamental issues of the information age. Hopper was an absolute giant of early computing.

Here at the dawn of AI, this quote seems to apply today even more than it did 42 years ago: “We have a very bad tendency to base our plans for computers on the equipment we have in-house, and the things we’re doing now. And totally fail to review them in the light of the equipment that will be available, and the things that we will be doing.”

CFPB to crack down on “doom loops”

In a nutshell, the CFPB is starting the rulemaking process with the goal of requiring that consumers be able to talk to a human by pressing a single button, and require that AI responses be clearly labeled as such. This would help eliminate “doom loops”, those endless and endlessly frustrating dead ends in automated systems and chatbots specifically designed to frustrate consumers. Of course, like all such rules, it’s not that simple. And how will this affect automated member service systems that really are trying to help?

Colors don’t actually exist

Humans (along with apes and monkeys) have three cone types (RGB) which allow us to see about a million different colors. But they’re illusions, not part of the real world and every color we think we see is actually inside our head, according to neuroscientists. As light from the sun or lightbulb hits an object or surface, some wavelengths are absorbed while others are reflected. Those reflected wavelengths hit our retinas, and get transformed into electrical signals that have to be interpreted by our brain.

To complicate things, our memories, our cultures, and even the language we speak can affect our recognition of different colors. For example, the Russian language has different words for light blues and dark blues, and as a result, native Russian speakers are faster at distinguishing between different shades. Don’t believe us? Find out what you think is blue…or is it green?

Not buying any of this? Well, there’s the people that just say Purple doesn’t exist because it doesn’t have a static wavelength. Besides red and blue are on opposite sides of a rainbow so they don’t blend because they don’t touch. That has to prove something, right?

Untangling student loan chaos

The good folks over at CUSO Student Loan Choice are trying to make sure students, former students, and families have the most up-to-date information on what’s happening with student loans. Their article on the Federal Student loan On-Ramp and SAVE plan is a good place to start, and they have a nice library of resources for borrowers.

Remember, student loans are a top-of-mind concern for those coveted younger members. What is your credit union doing to help them understand what’s happening and make the best decisions?

Finally, a good reason to use AI

When Dad can’t draw and the kids are bored with their coloring books, now you have a way for everyone to get creative. Just make sure you have a printer and a stack of paper.

Did you know…?

  • Froot Loops are all the same flavor, despite their different colors. (Do our brains also control our tastebuds?)
  • Australia is wider than the moon. (Australia is 4000km wide, and the moon’s diameter is 3400km.)
  • The Eiffel tower gets taller in the summer. (The iron heats up and expands, up to 15 cm taller.)
  • You can’t own just one guinea pig in Switzerland. (Because they’re social creatures and owning just one is considered animal abuse.)
  • A warm shower makes you more creative. (Increases your flow of dopamine.)

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