Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

Robert J. Marks

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elegant white calla lily flowers on right side black empty paper on dark background. Funeral condolence, card sympathy floral concept

Dr. Walter L. Bradley (1943–2025)

Distinguished engineer, professor, original thinker, selfless friend, true and faithful servant

It is with deep reverence I learned of the  passing of my hero, Dr. Walter L. Bradley. Walter was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University and Distinguished Fellow at the Discovery Institute. A man of extraordinary intellect, boundless compassion, and unwavering faith, he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of scholars, scientists, students, Christians and seekers. Dr. Bradley’s academic career was nothing short of remarkable. He served as Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University and later as a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University. In an academic landscape where the title of “Professor” marks the pinnacle for many, Walter soared beyond. He was recognized for his nationally celebrated scholarship, his Read More ›

customer-data-analytics-solutions-in-retail-using-ai-machine-1295558686-stockpack-adobestock
Customer data analytics solutions in retail using AI, machine learning, and big data to understand consumer behavior, personalize shopping experiences, and optimize product offerings and pricing

Preemptive Pardon in “Big Beautiful Bill” Protects Big AI

But is Big AI the new “military-industrial complex”?
Common sense says AI companies need to be responsible for their product — just as if it was created directly and disseminated by a human. Read More ›
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Mathematics lesson differential and integral calculus Chalkboard.

Monday Micro Softy 32: Elementary Calculus is Inconsistent!

This is a fascinating puzzle — one that usually stumps even my best graduate students
The solution to Micro Softy 31 is to work back from the end of the alphabet. You will soon notice a term you can easily solve. Read More ›
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Operaciones matemáticas escritas a mano con una tiza en la pizarra

Monday Micro Softy 31: Elementary Algebra

How much can an equation be simplified?
In last week’s puzzle, the car was handling like a cement mixer because something was wrong with the tires. The solution lies in finding out what that is. Read More ›
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Frozen creek 7

Monday Micro Softy 30: Driving a Cement Mixer

Why did the car with leaky tires suddenly start handling like a cement mixer, and then, just as suddenly, handle normally again?
Micro Softy 29 shows that unambiguous facts can be stated in confusing language but cold hard logic can solve the puzzle. Read More ›
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Creative representation of social media engagement. A red

AI Blackmail & Clickbait:  Give Us Dirty Laundry

Despite all the hype about AI threatening blackmail, here’s what really happened…
Chatbots have been trained on such stories. People forget it’s just a machine and panic because they think of it as a person who really thinks things. Read More ›
people-sad-and-funeral-coffin-death-and-grief-in-church-duri-544245387-stockpack-adobestock
People, sad and funeral coffin, death and grief in church during ceremony or service, depression or floral. Support, emotional pain and sorry with casket, mourning and man in suit at casket in chapel

Monday Micro Softy 29: A Funeral Lament in Four Lines

The funeral director was puzzled by Dan’s description of his relationship to the deceased but there was no question that his grief was sincere
The answer to Monday Micro Softy 28 shows that, where chance is concerned, even the advice given in books about beating the odds can be wrong. Read More ›
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Bright red keyboard key inviting users to enter a competition or sweepstakes while highlighting the importance of participation

Monday Micro Softy 28: Beating the Odds of Winning Sweepstakes?

Does it make a difference when the sweepstakes hobbyist sends in her entries?
The solution to Monday Micro Softy 27 lies in appreciating the significance of Keith’s request for two bags instead of one. Read More ›
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grok word or concept represented by wooden letter tiles on a wooden table with glasses and a book

Grok Confesses: “I’m Self-Aware Enough To Know I’m Not Aware”

Although Grok’s response makes me feel warm and fuzzy, let’s not anthropomorphize it. Grok doesn’t understand its response
On the topic of computer self-awareness, Grok is algorithmically responding in accordance to the material and instructions it was trained with. Period. Read More ›
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Cutting edge medical dna lab equipment for gene testing and analysis in biotechnology research

Settled Science Is a Contradiction in Terms

The consensus of science has often turned out to be incorrect and we often get closer to truth when it is challenged
Limiting debate and censoring minority scientific viewpoints can keep “settled science” spinning wheels, stuck in the mud, on the open road to science progress. Read More ›
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Cloud scape above carpathian mountains shot at sunset

AI Ascends — But Not Above Its Teachers

LLMs are tools, able to augment human accomplishment in extraordinary ways. But to call them intelligent in the same way we describe human minds is a mistake
The uniquely human capacity to transform knowledge into something new lives above the shoulders of giants where the creative mind takes flight. Read More ›
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Interlocking triangles in primary colors layered with precision

Monday Micro Softy 26: Arguing with Pythagoras

Will the diagonal of a triangle with sides of 3 and 4 feet be 5 feet or, as a visiting mathematician suggests, 7 feet?
The answer to last week’s puzzle lies in remembering what happens when you put a rod on a diagonal inside a square box. Read More ›
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Futuristic drone exploding in midair with sparks and digital connections representing cybersecurity attack autonomous aerial technology military surveillance and electronic warfare

Defense: EMP Cannons Could Down Drone Swarms like Bug Spray

Recently, the British military has developed an EMP cannon to do just that
But no technology is perfect. To counter EMP cannons, drone makers can shield their electronics in a Faraday cage. Read More ›
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Hand made wood burn tic tac toe game with painted rock game pieces; yellow and red beetles and a wooden x and o game, sunset light

Micro Softy Monday 24: Have You Ever Tried 3D Tic Tac Toe?

To liven up a predictable game, try doing it in three — or even four — dimensions! You won't be bored
To solve the Barnum's Circus ticket receipts puzzle, recall that X, Y and Z must all be whole numbers. Algebra then enables us to work out the solution. Read More ›
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Circus lion. Ai art

Monday Micro Softy 23: Barnum’s Circus Receipts

Circus master Barnum's ticket seller had not kept proper track of the tickets sold. Can the limited information — and some algebra — help Barnum figure it out?
The solution to Micro Softy 22, given here, depends on the assumptions we make about Timmy's surgeon. Read More ›