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BB2502
: AI and the Whistling Wigeons
Wednesday
8th January 2025
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Every
other program on the radio at
the moment, or at least on radio
4, seems to be about AI (which
I am sure you know is not a
man's name but the initials
of Artificial Intelligence)
and how it is taking over the
world.
Being
a bit of a dinosaur, I had to
ask my son, Jamie, if there
was an AI programme (I still
have difficulty saying “app”)
that I could try on the computer.
He pointed me in the direction
of an app called Perplexity
which is a bit of an odd name
for something that is trying
to remove that very thing from
your life.
Anyway,
I thought I would give it a
go.
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I
was looking forward to my first outing of
the year with a large Comitibus, which fortunately
Perplexity confirms to be the dative or
ablative plural form of the Latin noun "comes”
and can be translated into English as "companions,"
"associates," or "comrades".
However
most of our comrades seemed to have been
confined to barracks due to frozen snow
on their steep drives or other such excuses.
That just left TV Mike and me with
our mini crampons.
Before
setting off, I thought I would test Perplexity
again. Here is an extract from what
it said about us.
BOOTboys
is a close-knit group of older men who enjoy
walking and outdoor activities in the Lake
District area of England while maintaining
a sense of humour and camaraderie in their
adventures. They are based in or near Kendal,
a town in Cumbria, England. The group organizes
regular outings to various locations in
the region, including fells, lakes, and
coastal areas. Their outings often include
climbing Wainwright fells, visiting scenic
locations, and sometimes ending with a pub
visit.
How
does it know that? It’s not perfect
though. I asked it about the name
of my email / website: Lakeland Enterprise.
It got my previous home address right
but then told me that I “specialize in a
wide range of creative kitchenware and home
products designed to make everyday tasks
easier and more enjoyable”. That came
as a bit of a surprise to me and even more
to the Chairman of Lakeland Limited (himself
an erstwhile BOOTboy).
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Still
suffering from the after-effect of Christmas,
I only wanted a gentle outing and TVM was
very accommodating. We set off from
the Village Green in Natland and climbed
up to the summit of Helm, the local hill
that used to house an Iron Age fort at its
summit. That must be right- Perplexity
agreed with me though I suspect it picked
up the information from something I wrote
many years ago for the Natland
website.
The
summit provides a fine 360° viewpoint.
Click on the picture below to see TVM’s video:
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We
turned north, eventually branching off to
the right.
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We passed the little tarn .....
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.....
and dropped down to the aptly named “Back
of Helm” Lane.
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Below, to the left,
was a mostly frozen tarn but with birds
making a distinctive, unusual call.
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Mike
knows about these things and announced that
they were Whistling Wigeons.
Perplexity
agrees with him, adding that "the whistling
sounds produced by male Eurasian wigeons
are clear and high-pitched, often likened
to "pjiew pjiew." This vocalization
plays a crucial role in attracting mates
and establishing dominance among males during
courtship displays. The female's call is
a lower growl, contrasting with the male's
more melodic whistle."
The duck equivalent
of a wolf whistle and a curt rebuttal, perhaps? You
can see and hear them in action by clicking
on the picture below:
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By
the time we found all this out, they had
flown off.
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We
crossed a few fields that would have been
rather unpleasantly boggy had the ground
not been (mostly) frozen, then arrived at
the Punchbowl. Sadly the tenants are
leaving and the pub might be shut for some
time before there is a new landlord or lady.
From
there, it was a familiar mile back to the
Natland. Perplexity notes it as “a
charming village" and, I am pleased
to say, makes reference to its renowned
Treacle Mines. This must be correct
as its content has been lifted from this
website! It even promotes the Natland
Treacle Tour.
Good Old AI!
Don,
Wednesday 8th January 2025
Thank to TVM
for some of the photos
Post
Script. This is not the first BOOTboy
report dedicated to AI. Why not revisit
Simon and Garfunkel in BB2406
: You Can Call Me Al
?
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