I think broadly we agree on this, but there are a couple of curve balls I would like to throw at you, as you are so eloquent in putting this into sense

The first is that while there are stupid rich people, there are also stupid poor people. And some intelligence is bound to float to the top.

Also, as there are, I believe, according to some, 7 or even 9 types of intelligence, the question of which one is needed now and in the future springs to mind.

It has to be money(or let's call it currency) , as we are stuck with the capitalist system.

Are we headed toward a Brave New World now? Where Soma, might be alcohol, or screens, or other drugs?

I would argue that most in the UK certainly have homes, and emergency funds. Even if they rent. Homelessness is fortunately the plight of mental illness more than poverty.

I do wish I had your elequency  

 

Intriguing. as I'm getting older I'm looking to get closer to the local community I was expecting that in America too but apparently not.

 My reasoning is that as a get older I want to be able to walk to the doctors to the pub to the coffee shop and to the grocery store oh and the Butcher.

Of course having seen so many lonely old folk being in the community seems quite important to me too.

Or use Bing I'm guessing it will still be on there other search engines

For me it would have to be retrospective as well

Tough to use over the internet   I am sure an IOU would be fine, worked in Ireland for a while.

Never been on X.  I signed in, and never understood the point of it.

OK that's interesting, as it is very much split by wealth. The sport split is not so prevelant over here yet thank goodness, or though there are sports that are wealth based.... sailing, Lacrosse, tennis is perhaps in the middle but many are not.

But that doesn't necessarily change what is happening and doesn't change the fact that the class divide is only being made wider by this.

It doesn't seem that long ago that "the poor" would be studying at night and learning how to read to lift themselves out of poverty, and in mine and Sue's families, that certainly happened. And it can still happen now.

Perhaps I should follow more health and fitness grifters I guess that's where Gemini got those ideas.

I don't read it as bad choices. As how can somebody make a choice when they don't know what the choices are and the consequences of the decisions that they apparently make? And I do see it as part of society's job to give everybody the opportunity to make those "good" choices.

I am certainly starting to go to my chatbot for answers. Apparently, we are all lazy as humans, and that is a part of the problem. I generally find chatbots too wordy, and I am rarely sure where the results come from... this being the example that stood out.

not to self, ask for shorter answers.  I am way behind!

I went to Gemini with an idea. It was a verbal diarrhoea. I called it that. I put food, social media, physical effort, and cognitive effort (simple reading) together, mentioned a few names, and asked Gem to put it together for me.  It came up with a proposal of biological divergence (that's new, the pilots and passengers bit)...

Thoughts?  I think is an interesting idea.  A bit "hard" but I feel I can almost see parts of it happening. What it means I dont know: 

QuoteIt sounds like you're describing a "Biological Divergence." If the first pillar was cognitive (the brain), the second is metabolic (the body). When you combine the two, you aren't just looking at a change in social class; you're looking at a split in the human experience itself.

Expanding your theory into those three specific "frontiers"—AI, Reading, and the Body (UPF/Exercise)—here is how that looks when we tie it all together.
The Divergence Theory: The Three Frontiers

We are moving toward a "Two-Speed Society." This isn't about how much money you have in the bank, but the quality of your inputs—be they digital, intellectual, or nutritional.
1. The Cognitive Frontier (Reading & AI)

As you noted, reading is the "gym" for the brain. It builds the prefrontal cortex and allows for long-term planning.

    The Split: A small minority will continue to read, retaining the "Pilot" ability to command AI.

    The Consequence: The majority will succumb to "Digital Dementia," where the inability to focus makes them purely reactive, easily manipulated by algorithms and "doom-scrolling."

2. The Metabolic Frontier (UPFs & "Non-Food")

This is where Thomasina Miers and the conversation around Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) come in. As she often argues, UPFs aren't just "bad food"—they are industrially produced substances that bypass our satiety signals.

    The "Slow-Down": Those reliant on UPFs aren't just gaining weight; they are experiencing systemic inflammation that fogs the brain.

    The Feedback Loop: If you eat "non-food," your energy levels crash. When your energy crashes, you don't exercise. When you don't exercise, you seek the low-effort hit of a screen. It's a self-reinforcing cycle of physical and mental decline.

3. The Social Frontier (The Great Isolation)

The final result is a loss of Social Capital.

    The Active Tier: Those who eat well and exercise have the hormonal balance and energy to socialize in the real world, build communities, and maintain complex relationships.

    The Passive Tier: The combination of poor gut health (from UPFs) and screen addiction leads to social withdrawal. You lose the "muscle" of face-to-face interaction, becoming more isolated and easier to control.

Links & Sources for Your Research

To flesh out the "Eating & Exercise" pillar of your theory, these UK-centric resources and experts are the ones to watch:

    Thomasina Miers & UPF: You can find her columns in The Guardian where she discusses the "industrialisation of our diet." She often references the work of Dr. Chris van Tulleken, whose book Ultra-Processed People is the definitive text on why UPF isn't actually food. The Guardian - Thomasina Miers.

    Zoe Health Study: Based here in the UK, this is the largest study of its kind looking at how food affects individuals differently. Their podcast is a goldmine for the link between gut health and brain function. Zoe Science & Nutrition.

    The Food Foundation: A UK charity that tracks the "broken food system" and how the price of healthy food vs. UPFs is creating a massive health divide. Food Foundation UK.

    The Sedentary Behaviour Research Network: For studies on how screen time and physical inactivity directly correlate with a drop in cognitive performance and "social thinning."

    The "Verbal Diarrhea" Summary: > We are witnessing the birth of a Biological Underclass. On one side, you have people who are physically fit, gut-healthy, and "literate" (the Pilots). On the other, you have a population that is physically inflamed by UPFs, cognitively blunted by screens, and managed by AI (the Passengers).

A chap I sail with has just been made redundant from a firm that codes SAP software. He developed a copilot replacement for himself, then took redundancy.

OK, that makes me feel better

Its out there...

Part of the reason to ask, is the worry of how to defend yourself. And there are so many people who are still on the 1 password structure for everything, that I don't think I am particularly low-hanging fruit.

But still better late than never.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Quote from: ergophobe on March 25, 2026, 01:47:06 AMHonestly, I hesitate to say on a public forum now that it's so easy for people to have agents that can connect so many dots.

Now I feel an idiot 

It gets better doesnt it? We are very lucky to be living in this age of understanding.

I read it, then I asked Gemini for a summary, detailing what life changes I could make... seemed a good answer, (fibre, variety, no UPF's, excercise, fermented food, veg etc!)

Not a good look. What are you using now? I am still with a fairly major player. 

A friend of my sister in laws died from a bat bite in Scotland.  I never met him, but its always talked about when we go somewhere off the beaten track.