Monday, February 12, 2024

Information Diffusion

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7123536/

A common example of diffusion in physics is how a substance (fluid) starts out concentrated in a single spot then spreads throughout the entire closed system.  The drop of food coloring splashed on top of the water spreads.  Starting as a deep, concentrated color and fading as it mixes.  Or the stench of your Uncle Fred’s fart starts concentrated at his butt, spreading out till it eventually reaches the area where your nose is.

And competing concentrations spread simultaneously.  The drop of red dye on the left of the water tank, by math and physics does it’s thing.  The drop of blue on the right does its thing.  Given enough time you get yourself some purple.

Another misinformation source that exists and is way understated on this blog is the BlueAnon content.  The reason for this not being a focus is not that it’s not dangerous.  Indeed, the top promoters of BlueAnon ideas are just as weird and wrong.  But since the gematria crowd latched on to the coattails of Alex Jones decidedly right wing grift they mostly stick with the, “they’re coming to take our guns and free speech” lies that have a significant head start.

There’s a purpose behind the chosen analogies.  The red and blue sides of the U.S. political system.  The intent of the Constitution was to create a system of laws and include checks and balances.  The red and blue would diffuse throughout the closed system of the country.  In theory, the blue would point out that the idea of unregulated gun ownership is not working; it’s outdated.  And social progress dictates that as a living document like intended that a change is necessary.  And the red side wants to conserve the good parts of guns.  A strong military to deter enemies.  The use of guns as a form of entertainment like hunting, which can also involve positive impacts on limiting dangerous overpopulation of deer herds and such.

But it’s pretty clear that as time has gone on the diffusion process has broken.  Instead of checks and balances we have pitfalls and roadblocks.  As soon as one party gains some measure of control the efforts to block the opposing side takes hood.  Too many farts have entered the system.  These farts are usually old farts, too.  They don’t do any good to the medium as a whole.  Only some immediate gastrointestinal relief to the promoter of the fart.  And the farts are getting stronger all the time.  Not just being enough to be a fart, the idea that you can convert others to do nothing other than thinking about farting is the norm, now.

For innovation to take hold, some financing is required.  Cancer doesn’t just cure itself.  Gun massacres won’t just disappear overnight.  And farting away all along doesn’t do any good.  Instead of BlueAnon and Qanon dispersing throughout the social media networks equally because they’re good ideas, the just occupy the minds of people gung ho about maintaining their nostalgic ideas of keeping on farting because they think their farts don’t stink.  And there’s plenty of old farts who get paid to keep farting instead of doing their elected job of manufacturing blue and red dye.  You’re going to have a hard time of convincing an intelligent, moderate individual that 57 or another small number means anything significant.  But the cognitively biased keep looking at the small picture because they’re hooked on farts.

No comments:

Post a Comment