BLACKHOLE THINKING: The Collapse of Critical Thought in the Age of Instant Gratification

 BLACKHOLE THINKING: The Collapse of Critical Thought in the Age of Instant Gratification

We live in the age of Blackhole Thinking.

Everything goes in — memes, misinformation, recycled TikToks, AI regurgitations.
Nothing gets saved. No context. No synthesis. Just an expanding void of "content" spiraling toward entropy.

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"You Pass!" (But You Can’t Read, Write, or Count)

Our schools — pressured by ADA funding metrics — are incentivized to pass students, not educate them. A diploma is no longer evidence of mastery, just evidence of compliance.

“But I didn’t turn in any work.”
“That’s okay. You’ll figure it out. Here’s your cap and gown.”

This isn’t a critique of students — it’s a failure of leadership, policy, and an addiction to surface-level success metrics.

Numerous lawsuits have emerged from students who claim they were advanced through school systems despite lacking basic literacy or math skills. In 2020, students in Detroit filed a landmark federal case (Gary B. v. Whitmer), arguing that access to literacy is a constitutional right. Similar suits have followed across multiple states.

Sources:

• National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). "The Condition of Education 2023." [https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/]
• Hechinger Report. (2021). "Students passed — even with failing grades — as schools lowered standards during pandemic."
• NPR. (2020). "Detroit Students Win Right To Literacy In Landmark Federal Case."
• Education Week. (2022). "Students Sue Schools for Failing to Teach Reading, Math."

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The Era of Credentialed Incompetence

We’ve bred confidence without comprehension.

• AI writes the essay.
• Friends explain physics with memes.
• Opinions replace expertise.

All while true thinkers — builders, readers, engineers, creators — are told to “wait their turn” while the noise dominates the feed.

Sources:

• Pew Research Center. (2022). "Teens, Social Media and Technology."
• McKinsey & Company. (2020). "COVID-19 and student learning in the United States: The hurt could last a lifetime."
• International Literacy Association. (2021). "The Crisis of Comprehension in the Post-Digital Classroom."

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Real Knowledge Takes Time

Delayed gratification is the unsung hero of real learning.
Reading. Rewriting. Testing. Failing. Iterating.
It’s not glamorous. But it’s real.

Sources:

• Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner.
• Mischel, W. (2014). The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control. Little, Brown Spark.

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So What Now?

Stop feeding the blackhole.
Start creating gravity.
Build knowledge with weight. With depth. With persistence.

Whether you're writing a book, designing an invention, teaching a class, or trying to make sense of AI's role in the future, remember: the world doesn’t need more noise.

It needs coherence.
It needs craft.
It needs people who still think.

And yes — we must say it aloud:

In some states, books are banned. Universities are defunded. Critical thinking is framed as dangerous.
But awareness is a light that cannot be legislated into darkness.

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This post is part of the upcoming series "Fixing #America" — candid takes from the front lines of invention, creativity, and human-powered critical thinking. May the light of awareness enlighten all. Join the conversation.

 

💡 Top 10 Things Every American Should Know to Use AI Properly

 💡 Top 10 Things Every American Should Know to Use AI Properly

Artificial Intelligence isn’t science fiction anymore—it’s here, embedded in the apps you use, the websites you visit, and the tools you're expected to master. From ChatGPT to Siri to Google’s Gemini, AI is no longer optional. It's becoming as common as a calculator or a web browser—but unlike those, this tool speaks back. It responds. And it responds based on how you speak to it.

Here’s the problem: most people were never taught how to use it. They poke at it like it’s a vending machine. They whisper five vague words into a prompt box and hope magic comes out. Then they get mad when it doesn’t.

Let’s put it plainly. If you want to use AI well, you have to think clearly, speak clearly, and take responsibility for what it gives you back. This isn’t about being a tech genius. It’s about learning how to work with a tool that’s only as smart as the person using it. Here are ten straight-talking truths every American needs to understand before trusting AI in work, school, or life.

🔍 1. AI Is Not Google. Stop Treating It Like Search.

AI doesn't “look things up.” It doesn't know what’s true. It predicts what words probably come next based on patterns in training data. If you treat it like a search engine, you’ll get frustrated—and misled.

🗑️ 2. Garbage In, Garbage Out.

If you mumble, you’ll get nonsense. If you rush, you’ll get junk. AI isn’t mind-reading. A lazy question gets a lazy answer. You have to think first, then type. Be specific. Say what you want.

🤝 3. It’s a Partner, Not a Magic Wand.

This isn’t a miracle button. It’s more like a really smart assistant who follows directions—but doesn’t know when you’re being unclear. It can help you write a memo, draft a speech, or brainstorm ideas. But it can’t do your thinking for you.

🧠 4. Ask Better, Get Better.

Use full sentences. Give it examples. Say what format you want. Be as clear as you'd be explaining something to a coworker or teacher. If you’re vague, it will be too.

Instead of: “Help with resume.”
Try: “Rewrite my resume summary to sound confident, 2–3 sentences, in a professional tone.”

⚠️ 5. Review Everything. Seriously. AI Lies Sometimes.

Let’s be blunt: AI makes stuff up. A lot. It’s been in the news for inventing legal cases, misquoting facts, and providing completely false statistics with a straight face. This isn’t because it’s trying to fool you—it just doesn’t know what’s real. It’s not connected to truth. It’s connected to patterns of language.

So don’t believe everything it says. If it gives you a number, a quote, a source, or a legal fact—double-check it. You're the one responsible if it’s wrong.

✍️ 6. Your Voice Still Matters.

AI can write in any style—but only you know what’s true to your voice, your values, and your vision. Don’t let AI flatten your uniqueness. Use it as a starting point, then put your stamp on it.

📑 7. Use It for Structure and Speed.

AI is great at outlines, summaries, formatting, rewriting. It can help you organize your thinking. But it’s your job to decide what stays, what goes, and what feels right. Don’t skip that part.

📓 8. Keep a Log or Be Transparent.

If you’re using AI for school, work, or publishing—write down what you used it for. Don’t lie. If someone asks, be honest: “I used AI to draft this outline, then rewrote it in my own words.” That’s integrity. That’s leadership.

🚫 9. Never Ask It to Lie, Fake, or Deceive.

Don’t use AI to make fake reviews, false resumes, plagiarized essays, or anything dishonest. Not only is it unethical—it’s detectable. And yes, people are being fired or expelled for it. Use AI like you would use a tool in public view. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t have AI say it for you.

🎯 10. You’re Still in Charge.

AI doesn’t care. It doesn’t know. It doesn’t think. It reflects your prompt back at you. If you want quality out, you have to put quality in. The clearer and more honest you are, the better it will be.

🧭 Final Thought

Using AI well is like driving a car. You don’t have to know how the engine works—but you do need to know how to steer. The future belongs to people who can communicate with clarity, not just click fast. That’s how you stay useful. That’s how you stay human.

“Artificial Intelligence won’t replace you. But someone using it better might.”

 

 

Tap Water Poisoning - Another Infrastructure Failure

Imagine a 240 year old house, that need new windows, new pipes, new insulation, new wiring, and paint job, is surrounded by a 50 foot metal electrified fence controlled by a super computer in the basement, next to a 200 year old water heater, with cobwebs all around.
This is the  United States of America. We spend so much money on the military but all our infrastructure to crumble all around its defenses.
   
People have only thought about their tap water after Flint Michigan, no I take that back, people have been buying bottled water for years because they don't trust their tap water. Why didn't all these people that don't use tap water complain to their city and states to have action taken.
I think it is because millions of people feel that our Congressmen don't listen to us anymore. We pay monthly water bills, and we receive hard water that is bad for the  skin, and tap water that is lethal to our tropical fish because of extremely high Ammonia contents.
Why should we have to pay for water that is contaminated, that is hard water with Ammonia in the water, our children drink. There should be a law that any house that is sold has a total house water filtration system installed since we can no longer trust our water treatment companies anymore

       People complain about contaminated stream water but water treatment plants have not be rebuild or expanded in most cities. Houston is breaking ground on a new water treatment plant, long overdue.
I see a list of only 20 new water treatment plants being build for 320 million people. Something is wrong with this picture.
You elected people to Congress who care 0% for the environment, allow water treatment and release standards has been slacked. But, why does corporations want to kill Americans.
You don't kill customers. lower profits with dead customers.
When we should be suing all all state Capital for criminal negligence. A five month investigation by the Associated Press has discovered that small quantities of drugs, including antibiotics, sex hormones, and anti-seizure compounds, have been found in public drinking water supplied to over 40 million Americans across the US.

Every household should be law be allowed to deduct 100% of the cost of a water treatment system for their entire house. Such systems as Aquasana and a few others remain almost all contamination from drinking waterm which have been highly rated for water treatment should be mandated before selling any  house in any city, and in any state. I am not advertising a specific water treatment system, but hoping people will think about this madness.
We pay for water that is hazardous to drink.
WE spend $700 billion on defense but only a fraction of that for defense of our drinking water and water treatment plants.
No new aquaducts anywhere in this country to increase the flow of fresh water to areas of the country that need. Maybe our Congress needs to read about how the Roman Empire had far superior Aquaducts over 2000 years ago that we have today in the United States.


References:
https://www.aquasana.com/whole-house-water-filters

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2009/04/tons_of_released_drugs_taint_u.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/03/09/ST2008030901877.html?noredirect=on

https://www.foxnews.com/story/study-finds-traces-of-drugs-in-drinking-water-in-24-major-u-s-regions


https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/100038.php

https://www.wateronline.com/doc/houston-breaks-ground-on-world-s-largest-water-treatment-plant-0001

https://www.constructconnect.com/blog/economy/20-major-upcoming-water-treatment-plant-manufacturing-warehousing-construction-projects-u-s-october-2017/

Financial Recklessness vs. Drivers Education

Financial Recklessness vs. Drivers Education

      Why is it that you have to go through drivers education  to get a drivers education, but you don't have go through financial education to get a credit card, bank loan, a house, insurance - medical, health, Our Schools need to modernize with these three programs mandated to graduate high school.

      Financial Education: To prepare out youth with life's challenges in the areas from checking account, credit cards, buying and selling a car, house, preliminary laws about bankruptcy, and what a credit score is and how important it is in life. (2, 4)

      Medical Education: To prepare our youth, and adults to understand our human bodies and how to diagnose simple aliments in life, similar training to that of a EMT or physicians assist. A higher level health and education class about what foods we should eat at certain ages, and the positive and negative results in eating junk food or healthy food and why. (3)

     Emergency first aid and CPR training would be required to graduate high school with understanding of treatment of basic ailments such as flu, and symptoms to a wide variety of diseases. This would help to alleviate the overcrowding in emergency rooms when thousands of people bring in their children to the emergency rooms. The Red Cross has many programs to teach high school students and adults the merits of being medical prepared in life's emergencies.

     Chemistry Education: There are millions of Americans that don't know the dangers of mixing certain household chemical together such as Ammonia and Bleach. We need American literate in all areas of science due to the needs of our society with those who have a science, and computer background.

     English Educations: Students should read at least 100-200 books by the time they graduate high school. All students should be taught speed reading and comprehension such as is used by Evelyn Wood. Typing classes need to be taught again in schools. Most people today with computers have never taken a typing class and type with two fingers. The average American reads about 150wpm compared to John F. Kennedy who read over 5000wpm after taking such speed reading classes as Evelyn Wood where one's comprehension is 90%. Sub-vocalization or thinking the words is a bad way to learn how to read. 

     Reading out loud is a horrible method to teach children how to read. Students writing today is the worse in generations. Most students that graduate high school have to take remedial English when they enter college to be able to write to APA college standards.

Something is wrong when there are still banned books by many school districts due to the ignorance and religious extremism of many state of local school officials. 1

We don't need STEM - Science Technology Engineering and Math, but something more comprehensive. Students need to be instilled with the love of learning, and reading.

We need specialization classes for the needs of the next generation of society. 

Not everyone has an aptitude in those area. But, they every student should have a level of proficiency in the above areas. 

Why has this been ignored in so many states. State inequality in the levels of educational proficiency in all areas. I have heard that millions of American students that transfer from state to state are often 2-3 grades ahead of other students due to an inequality in teaching and curriculum standards between states. 

    If we are to have a United States maybe we should unite in having a higher standard of education for all of our citizens in all states, held to the highest standards with funding to come from a fixed minimum percentage of the city, and states general funding without the pitfalls of the fluctuation of taxes from property taxes that has had disasterous impacts on this country's educational system.

References:

1. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics

2. https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/financial-literacy-for-kids/ 
3. http://www.investopedia.com/university/teaching-financial-literacy-kids/
4. https://www.financialeducatorscouncil.org/financial-education-children/

5. http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/school-programs

 

Complex Numbers - Complex Life

      Complex numbers have practical applications in many fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, economics, electrical engineering. Imaginary numbers can be attributed to Rafael Bombelli in 1572. Applications of imaginary numbers in electrical engineering focuses on use j instead of i due to current is in V=IR or Voltage equals current times resistance.
      In the future complex number will be taught to 6th graders and calculus in elementary or junior high school to prepare college or high school for quantum mechanics in 50 years or less. Many high end high schools like Berkeley High School teach Calculus in High school and quantum mechanics due to most of the country's educational system is 200 years out of date.
      Compare textbooks today to the language used in the 50 years ago. They have dumbed down education, "leave no child  behind" means pass a child even though he is failing, because we don't want to spend the funds on students or salaries to teachers to attract more teachers. The rich take care of their own children with placing them in elite schools of learning to ensure their children will have a predominant role of our society by ensuring they go the best prep schools for Oxford, Harvard, and MIT.
     Our Dept of Education is 100 years out of date! We still require Poetry in high school and English Literature. We are a planetary community and should mandate reading books from all the countries in the world. Our leisure based society has reduced homework for students and teachers such that it won't impede their time after work, school.
Why isn't the following a requirement for graduation. We don't we teach Financial Education, Speed Reading, Proper Typing proficiency, and how to write a 50 page thesis in high school.  This is the first time in history of the "type writer" that this generation types and texts with 2 fingers.
Dragon speaking, and verbal dictation has replaced typing proficiency.
Why isn't Physics and Chemistry mandated to graduate high school but only necessary for college. I would think all students. Other countries laugh at our leisure based society in some ways and envy or scientific achievements in other ways. We have such a high level of scientific illiteracy that 34% of all students after high school and college never read a book again.
How many books do you have on your tablet in .mobi, .epub, or .pdf format?
One can have thousands of books on one tablet to read in bed, how many of you read a book at night in bed? Ever hear of Evelyn Wood Speed Reading? All presidents for the last 50 years have taken this to get their reading up to 100-5000 wpm such as 500 words per minute by John F. Kennedy.
We have online learning which has isolated people from interaction of classrooms to provide a think tank for human interaction. I think we need to have more online interaction for online learning. Until the feelings you get between people can be transmitted over the internet, classroom environments have their benefits and helping people to learn good emotional intelligence and soft skills necessary in society.

References:
https://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/questionCorner/complexinlife.html
https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Imaginary_number.html
http://www.regentsprep.org/regents/math/algtrig/ato6/electricalresouce.htm
http://www.picomonster.com/
http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/sets/select/dm_imaginary.html
http://mathforum.org/johnandbetty/frame.htm

Literacy Today or Lack

Today literacy in American Society is the lowest in Generations.
Read the book on "Science Matters - Achieving Scientific Literacy (revised, updated) - R. Hazen, J. Trefil (Anchor, 2009).
In Defense of Science - Why Scientific Literacy Matters - F. Spellman, et. al., (GI, 2011)
Speed Reading like Evelyn Wood should be required for all Junior High and High School Students along with a mandate on basic classes in the sciences to graduate.
Most high school student cannot read or write to APA standards, and are financially illiterate due to the erosion of American School System and lack of modernization to the 21st Century.

Not enough Online Science and Technology Degrees

I don't think it an end of a journey when graduating from an online school in Project Management but it is the opening of new doors of perspective to the complex and science based world we live in today. I wish every high school student would have to take this type of class and be mandated to take classes from physics, chemistry, engineering, telecommunications, and finance as core curriculum due to the lack of scientific literacy in our country. There are millions of people who don't know what an ethernet, or protocols are. There are millions of computer users who have never taken a typing class and don't know how to type. Check out www.audible.com and/or amazon.com for the thousands of new books and audiobooks on areas of science and technological breakthroughs in various areas.
I wish more online schools would de-emphasis business and management and focus more on science and technology degrees. We have too many managers, too many with management degrees. This country needs more engineers and scientists. We restructure and add ten layers of management at companies to accompandate the millions of people who now have business and management degrees. Just as we had millions in the 80's graduate with law degrees which totally screwed up the legal system. Now we have millions with MBA's and management degrees. Where are the science degrees online?
How many MBAs have ever designed anything new and innovative or worked in medical, telecommunications, or any of the myriad of engineering fields such as : Bioengineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, biophysics, biotechnology, fuel cell, astrophysics, nuclear engineering.packaging engineering, molecular biophysics, molecular engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, automotive engineering. Almost none of these are taught online by most online universities.
      There should be a ten year moratorium on law, business, and management degrees to mandate the teaching of the above degrees in science and technology which will bring great developments to improve the quality of life for billions of people around the world.