Energy and Civilization and AI

I finally finished Energy and Civilization: A History by Vaclav Smil. It took me about a year! I agree Smil is amazing at putting so many esoteric statistics to reinforce his overall themes. The conclusions he makes are very inciteful and important to understand how we came to this point in time.

Concurrently I've been reading a lot on AI development. A couple of good blogs on this are Situational Awareness and AI 2027. Dependence on energy is only going to increase just to keep pace with what the developing world seeks to satisfy its growth. But also with new forecasted demands coming from AI will require a big step in electricity generation as well as the associated infrastructure, transportation, storage and distribution.

Another book I hope to finish soon is Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. It was recommended to me by my dentist. I was amazed at how important breathing is to wellness!

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Highlights from Elon Musk interview with Lex Fridman

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Ramesh Pateder June 1, 1941 (kind of 10/14/1942) - May 5, 2026

Ramesh "Ray" Pateder June 1, 1941 – May 5, 2026 Kunjarao, Gujarat, India • Cypress, Texas Ramesh "Ray" Pateder, 84, of Cypress, Texas, passed away peacefully at home on May 5, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He lived a life defined by courage, curiosity, and an unshakable belief in what was possible. https://hhhcrewchief.github.io/RameshPateder/#1 Born and raised in the small village of Kunjarao, Gujarat, India, Ray came of age with dreams that reached well beyond what the world around him offered. In 1962, with a suit on his back and a garland of flowers around his neck, he boarded a plane for the United States — leaving everything familiar to begin his studies in Rolla, Missouri. The journey from rural India to the American Midwest might as well have been a journey to another planet, but he embraced every part of it. Ray's professional career began in Cleveland, Ohio, with Sherwin-Williams, where he refined the technical expertise that would define...

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