In this week’s newsletter, I write about regulating my heart rate after someone rammed into my car, faith in the age of AI, teaching students how to draw so they can steer AI, the multidisciplinary mindset and skill set of an AI wielder, my thoughts about AI vs artists vs the environment, and a simple method for leading a contented life. My Sunday essay is going to be naggy – are you aware that most of the food we buy today is not good for our health?
Weekly recap
A car accident this week (not my fault) was an exercise in keeping my heart rate low and empathising with others.
Do we still need faith in the age of AI?
Every semester, I teach my undergrad students how to draw so that they can steer design, and now steer AI as well.
Every semester, a student will also ask me what I think about AI vs the environment and authorship. I’m tired of the question but I always have a fresh response.
Wielding Gen AI well is not just about going for workshops or getting a cert. It requires a multidisciplinary mind and skill set.
It also helps to know what computational thinking is. I vibe-coded an app to simulate the CT process for any worker.
I know I court trouble when I write such stuff – On AI vs Artists. So I shut everyone up by showing my art first.
Be the change that you want to see. Use that “Seems like AI Slop” button without fear. This includes an NYT gift story.
Untrue advice from uninformed people.
How to have a contented life – just reject whatever you are not happy with.
Faye Wong, Chinese words, Impermanence.
What would I look like with Botox, my dear ChatGPT?
Sunday essay
Last evening, I was at the Fairprice supermarket and walked past an aisle that called out to me with its “Taiwanese Delights”. I saw a box of Taiyang Bing (太阳饼), which means “sun cakes”. They are about the size of your palm, have a flaky pastry, and sweet, sweet maltose filling.
The first time I tasted them was during a 1995 holiday tour in Taiwan – I was asleep on the tour bus and suddenly someone woke me up by stuffing a piece of TYB into my mouth. This was how they did experiential marketing in the old days. I became an instant fan, but I hardly got to eat it as it was not sold in Singapore.
Today, TYB is easy to find locally but I no longer want to eat it, just as I no longer want to buy most of the packaged food items in the supermarket aisles – they’re mostly terrible for your health as they are highly processed – full of sugars and artificial ingredients. I only buy the fresh produce and eggs. I don’t even buy Gardenia bread anymore – it’s pure carbs which are going to spike my glucose levels unnecessarily.
One of the benefits of becoming an old fart uncle is that you know more things about the world. Over the past 13 years, I have learned much about nutrition and exercise, and I do not have any issues like high blood pressure, diabetes or depression. However, I find that most other people do not seem to care about what they eat. Instead, they spend all their time talking about money, AI, the economy, vacations, housing prices, and so on.
Yes, these are important things in life, but without good health, you cannot enjoy the material things in life. And most of the food that we encounter today is meant to be consumed in strict moderation, not on a daily basis. There is much to learn about nutrition and exercise, but let me share some useful content that will change your life for the better:
Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, by Michael Pollan
Insulin Doctor: The Fastest Way To Burn Dangerous Visceral Fat! by The Diary of a CEO
Why Exercise Slows Aging by Dr David Sinclair
No. 1 Sugar Expert: You’ve Been Sold A Lie About “Healthy” Food! by The Diary of a CEO
To make life easier for you impatient people, here is a compilation of the key points using ChatGPT, using the four sources above.