AI – Where is the intelligence? – by Vijaya Schartz

 

This award-winning novel deals with an AI character.
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I recently noticed a slew of posts in my Facebook feed that are obviously AI-generated. Although I am not opposed to giving life to old portraits of historical figures, I draw the line at computer generated images of the Sphynx and other famous archeological treasures, that are inaccurate at best, if not completely made up and wrong. Other times, the picture has no connection whatsoever with the title, the text, or the information in the post. Why not use a real photograph relevant to the post?

As for the monotonous AI voice, completely devoid of emotion, I have come to hate it. How can anyone relate to information delivered in such a boring manner? I remember the passion in the voice of my teachers when I was in school. They were the ones who communicated to me their love for literature, history, science. All because they cared, and it showed in their voice, their body language, and on their faces. I could feel the energy coming from them and touching me deeply. They made me want to learn more.

AI-generated royalty-free image

Nowadays, we are witnessing the takeover of the machines. Not only the voice is devoid of emotion, but it also misreads the words because it doesn’t understand the meaning of the sentence, only the structure. It pauses in the wrong places, sometimes expressing the opposite of the intended meaning. In a recent post, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet became a “segment” in the narrative. Worse, AI is also turning the voice into text for subtitles, and the subtitles also said “segment.”

And I don't need an AI detector to spot AI generated comments. Probably an attempt to start a debate, they are all similar in structure. Coming from different accounts, they start with an introduction, three bullet points, and a conclusion, as if directly copied from an online textbook. Who on Facebook comments like that? Who is AI trying to fool?

Now that AI will become the center of learning for many students, I shudder at the idea that future generations of intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, writers, explorers, and rulers will be groomed by non-emotional entities in the cold, detached style of what we call AI.

Royalty-free AI generated image

Isn’t intelligence supposed to be self-aware, with the ability to comprehend and relate emotionally? To me this new invasion is not AI, but dumb computers relying on search engines and limited logic. As we used to say in my days, “Erring is human, but to really mess things up, it takes a computer.”

So, here we are. We didn’t react when autocorrect changed the meaning of our texts, laughing because it was “cute.” And now we are letting the same computers take over control of our lives, influencing our ideas, thwarting our knowledge, trying to replace free thinking and real intelligence.

As a science-fiction author, I am appalled. There is no AI intervention whatsoever in my novels. They are pure passion, pure imagination and human intelligence, and I hope you’ll enjoy them.

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Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Do you know how to breathe to be happy and energized? Most people don’t. - by Vijaya Schartz

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I learned from Tai-Chi that proper breathing technique not only makes for a more enjoyable life, but it can also help you through stress, fatigue, and challenging emotions.

In today’s busy life, sitting at computers, driving to work, taking elevators, getting food delivered, not only don’t we get enough exercise, but it seems we have forgotten how to breathe.

Lung and breathing problems are the most common ailments among mature adults. Even for someone who never smoked, a lifetime of shallow breathing deprives the blood of much needed oxygen, which weakens the entire body, including the immune system.

But there is hope. Healthy breathing at any age increases serotonin levels (which makes us happy). It increases energy levels, boosts the brain power, and benefits the muscles, and all the organs in our body.

Most people breathe from the top of the lungs, lifting the shoulders, or worse, hunched over. Little do they know that the lungs are very narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom. If you only breathe from the top of the lungs, you only use 10% of your lung capacity. But if you breathe from the diaphragm, filling the bottom part of the lungs, you are using 90% of your lung capacity, significantly increasing the amount of oxygen going into your blood.

Simple exercise to train your body to breathe from the diaphragm: 

Lie down on your back (on the floor, a bed, a couch…). Place a hefty book on your stomach. As you inhale, try to make the book rise, and watch it fall when you exhale. If you do this at night before falling asleep, eventually your body will get into that healthy rhythm and keep it all night. In time, your body will relearn to breathe more deeply, and it will become your new normal.

Simple principles:

Breathe from the diaphragm. It provides more oxygen to your blood. If you are not used to it, it might make you dizzy at first. Just sit down. Your brain will quickly welcome the extra oxygen.

Always breathe through the nose. Mouth breathing doesn’t filter the air of impurities, nor does it change the air temperature before it reaches the lungs. And exhaling through the mouth might be too fast for your system.

Never completely empty your lungs. A small amount of carbon dioxide is still needed in the lungs to carry the oxygen to the blood. People who exhale too fast and too completely can go into panic attack mode. In that case, the doctor will tell you to breathe inside a bag. Guess what’s in the bag? The carbon dioxide you just exhaled.

Keep your back straight and shoulders down. You cannot fill the bottom of your lungs if you are hunched over.

These principles only apply to everyday life, they do not apply to special breathing exercises, like prana-yoga, and various meditation methods using the breath to achieve a specific state of consciousness.

And if you need feel-good books to place on your stomach, don’t forget these epic science fiction fantasy series.

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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Little health miracles of everyday foods and spices - by Vijaya Schartz

There is a phantom ship that glows like a beacon in black space,

appears and vanishes, and never registers on scanners.

The space pirates fear it. Their victims pray for it... but its help comes at a price...

Find my books on the BWL site HERE

For the longest time, particular foods and spices have been known to have healing or preventive properties.

My mother always told me to eat my carrots for rosy skin.

Blueberries are good for your eyes.

A spoonful of peanut butter a day will keep children (and adults) free of warts.

Chicken noodle soup will help cure a cold.

Garlic, a natural antibiotic, is good for the heart and will kill worms in the digestive system.

Honey is a natural antibiotic.

Blue cheese (the stinky kind) is also a natural antibiotic.

Chamomile tea will calm your stomach and help you sleep.

Warm milk before bed will help you sleep.

These old-wives remedies have proven in time to be not only effective but medically sound.

The modest myrtle plant

Even our universal aspirin, salicylic acid, now synthesized and produced chemically in pharmaceutical labs, comes from nature. Myrtle is a humble flower European people steeped and consumed as a tea to ward off headaches. In antiquity, the same substance (salicin) was extracted from willow leaves and bark.

But spices in particular are still regarded as potent remedies in many parts of the world. Here are a few interesting ones:

A pinch of Cayenne Pepper in your morning coffee is good for your heart and blood.

Curry is a gentle laxative, especially with vegetables.

A concoction of turmeric, fresh ginger, cinnamon and milk will ease arthritic pain.

Moroccan spice (blend of paprika, cumin, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and cayenne) taken daily will prevent herpes flare ups.

Cinnamon lowers blood sugar.

Sage can help brain function, even in Alzheimer’s patients.

Turmeric is all the rage, hailed as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic remedy (but beware of contraindications like gallbladder disease, blood clotting disorder, liver disease, diabetes, blood thinners, antiplatelet medications).

Wishing you all a healthy and energetic life.

And don’t forget that reading feel-good science fiction for entertainment is also healthy, so check out my novels on these retail sites: 

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Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Are we real? What do we know about reality? Are we creating it as we go? - by Vijaya Schartz

Find these and many other novels of mine on my BWL page HERE

As a science fiction writer, I am fascinated by the new theories emerging from the scientific community, about the world we live in, about the universe.

What if the world we live in is just a dream? What if our dreams are real in another dimension? What if our minds are creating our reality as we go? What if we are pre-programmed characters in a gigantic videogame? What is Artificial intelligence, and can it evolve to our level, including emotions? These are only a few of the theories serious physicists are discussing in recent papers.

Many physicists today are reconsidering the world we live in, and discovering that what we believed for so long might not be true at all. The physical world is not as concrete as we think, since atoms vibrate, and what we consider solid matter may not be solid at all, but malleable and changing. What if by changing our own vibrations we can shapeshift? Some animals do it. An octopus can change color and shape for camouflage. Chameleons can change color to blend in.

The Octopus can mimic shapes and colors to blend into its environment.

Reality is also different when analyzed from different points of view. Two telescopes will reveal different and sometimes contradicting information about a galaxy, a star, or a planet. Perception is relative. Not everyone sees the colors the same way. Our brain is filling the blanks and might be quite creative about it. The world we see and touch and hear and taste, as well as our feelings, may only exist in our mind.

As we are limited by our perceptions, there may also be an entire world around us that we cannot see, hear, or touch. Life could exist around us in vibrations invisible to us. The eye only sees a very small part of the light spectrum.

This is how little we perceive of the light around us

Our mind is very powerful and can influence and even create our own reality. Negative thoughts create negative outcomes, and vice versa.

Have I scared you, yet?

Don’t worry. Training our brain to think in a positive way is beneficial to our health, our success, our happiness, our wellbeing. So, let’s see the good around us and be happy about it. React positively, be kind, nurture, encourage, ignore toxic people, and create your own bubble of positivity and love. Good luck.

In the meantime, you can read feel-good stories, like my science fiction novels, with plenty of action and adventures, strong heroines, and brave heroes… and always a satisfying ending.

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Happy Reading.

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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What are you doing for the holidays? - by Vijaya Schartz

My latest release, Standalone, Find it at BWL
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For most, the holidays are a busy time, with parties, guests, food, shopping, drinks, presents, travels, family, friends, charities, and some work in between. I try to avoid most of that and only accept invitations from very good friends. This picture was taken the 20th, with JD Shipton, my BWL editor, and other BWL authors living in Arizona.

From left to right: Beverly Petrone, Vijaya Schartz, JD Shipton, Dean Hovey and his wife Julie

December 27th also happens to be my birthday. A rotten date for a kid expecting presents, but hey, that’s life. The picture was taken at Macayo’s with the traditional birthday hat and baked ice-cream. My Tai-Chi students surprised me with a birthday celebration in early December.

 

I do put up a Christmas tree… which Pasha (my feline companion) enjoys very much, especially at night when I’m not watching. On the picture (bottom right) he looks innocent enough, but believe me, he is not. Every morning, I find ornaments on the floor, all the way under the furniture. Maybe I spoiled him, holding and kissing him and telling him I love him even when he has been naughty. My philosophy is: cats will be cats.

The truth is, I’m a hermit at heart (typical Capricorn), and when I have a few days off, I like to lock myself in my cave and write… especially when I am starting a new series, like right now. Immersing myself in the story, without interruptions or obligations, is essential for my muse. My title coming next year will be about a group of Protectors, on another planet, after a cataclysm almost destroyed it. The philosophical background will be Tai-Chi.

I hope this holiday season finds you healthy, happy, loved, and surrounded by warmth (or snow if that’s what you like). Wishing you happiness, good health, and success for the year 2025.

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Happy New Year

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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Starting a new series: The Protectors – by Vijaya Schartz

Find more of my books on the BWL site HERE

I wrote many series, mainly science fiction and fantasy, and each time I say goodbye to one to start another, it’s a bittersweet experience. I am sad for leaving the angel ship Blue Phantom behind. It’s like letting go of grownup children so they can have their own life.

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I wrote three series in the Azura universe, populated with strong heroines, brave heroes, and galactic supervillains: Azura Chronicles, Byzantium, and Blue Phantom. In that universe, Avenging Angels with special powers fought sinister entities to maintain the balance of good and evil throughout their galaxy. I find it difficult to leave that special world behind. But in this vast universe, I can imagine many worlds and civilizations coexisting very far apart. The new worlds I create now might even collide with the old ones at some point.

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Write about what you know is one of the golden rules of writing. I was always a Martial Artist, and maybe you can tell from my female warriors and epic battle scenes. But for well over a decade, I’ve also immersed myself in the world of Tai-Chi, the way of the peaceful warrior, and the energy of Chi-Gong. I studied, I practiced daily, and now, although I remain a lifetime student, I have also become a teacher.

Celebrating Global Tai-Chi Day in the park, with a few of my students.

So, I came up with a premise for a three-book series called THE PROTECTORS. The setting will be a post-apocalyptic planet after a cataclysmic event that wiped out most of the population. As the planet recovers slowly, the feudal society is reorganizing around the populated hubs, and among the surviving nobles, the race for power is on. Soldiers are recruited to fight the barbarians unfurling on the plains. Their weapons of choice are the sword, the spear, the bow, and they ride horses.

The heart of the series is a Tai-Chi temple built like a fortress atop a steep outcrop in the desert. At the main courtyard entrance, between two giant stone pillars, is a Celestial Gate, constructed eons ago by space travelers from other parts of the universe.

The Protectors are a special corps of elite warriors trained at the temple and sworn to protect the gate.

There will be plenty of action and adventure, some scary characters, a little romance, intrigue, and drama. Things and people are not always what they seem. But even if you get scared for the main characters, good will prevail over evil forces at the very end.

I’m enjoying plotting and writing this new series. The first book will be released in November 2025. You still have time to read my other books.

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Happy reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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WHY DO I READ POPULAR FICTION? ESCAPISM! – by Vijaya Schartz

FIND THIS BOOK AT BWL HERE

New Release: ANGEL REVENGE, Blue Phantom Book 3 (standalone) - by Vijaya Schartz

Find this and more of my books on my BWL page HERE or at amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo 

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An unruly Valkyrie on a flying tiger, a stern angel in love with the rules, and evil pounding at the gate… What could go wrong?

Riddled with survivor’s guilt after Ragnarök, Valka wanders the universe as a bounty hunter. But when hired by angels to recruit warriors for the final battle against evil, she welcomes a chance at redemption.

General Konrad Lagarde, First Mate of the angel ship Blue Phantom, strongly rejects Valka’s methods. A stickler for discipline, he also considers this fascinating woman hazardous to his sanity, as she could make him forget all the rules.

Evil from another universe has infiltrated a secret society of former dictators hungry for power. Having massacred all the angels in his former world, the evil one wants to do the same here. The angels of this universe face their greatest challenge yet… destroy the evil one and avenge their fallen brethren… or the bringer of darkness will enslave us all.

WHY DO I WRITE AND READ POPULAR FICTION?

I always resented the authors who killed the protagonists at the end, after you invest your emotions in liking them. I usually never read another book from such authors, and I stay away from tragic endings. To this day, I cannot watch Titanic to the end although it is a true story, or suffer through the last episode of Castle. And I’m glad Shogun found a happier alternate ending in the most recent series.

If I want to wallow in sadness, I only have to watch the news. Life is difficult enough, complicated enough, hard enough, sad enough.

I read popular fiction to get uplifted, to forget about my problems, be transported to another world, another time, a place where it is safe to be scared and challenged, where justice will prevail… because I trust the author that the heroes will triumph and all will be well at the end.

It’s a secret pact between the author and the reader. No matter how bad it gets for the protagonist, even if a few secondary characters don’t make it, the hero or heroine will find a happy conclusion.

So, if I challenge my characters, if I make them suffer, be assured that it will all be worth it at the end. They will have matured, widened their understanding of life, and overcome their barriers to experience the rewards they deserve.

You can safely read my book, knowing that even if you cry a little, all will be okay at the end. 

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Happy Reading

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
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ANGEL REVENGE, a new epic space adventure from Vijaya Schartz

Find this and other of my books at BWL here

An unruly Valkyrie on a possessive flying tiger, a stern angel in love with the rules, and evil pounding at the gate… What could go wrong?

Riddled with guilt at missing Ragnarök, Valka wanders the universe as a bounty hunter. But when hired by angels to recruit warriors for the final battle against evil, she welcomes a chance at redemption.

General Konrad Lagarde, First Mate of the Blue Phantom, strongly disagrees with Valka’s methods despite the results. A stickler for discipline, he considers this intriguing woman dangerous, especially as she could make him forget all the rules.

Evil from another universe has infiltrated a secret society of former dictators hungry for power. Having massacred all the angels in his universe, the evil one wants to do the same here. The angels of this universe face their greatest challenge yet. If they fail to avenge their brethren, they’ll condemn this entire universe to eternal darkness.

Order it today from Amazon in eBook or paperback. Available everywhere else on October 1st.

Brace for an epic adventure through space, alien planets and space stations, battles between angels and demons, Cyborgs, a ruthless crime lord, an evil sect worshipping a red devil from another universe, and a dictator bent on building an empire. Add to this a determined Valkyrie riding a flying tiger, stealing dying warriors from battlefields and illegal slave markets.

All my Azura novels stand alone, but this is Book 3 and last of the Blue Phantom series, featuring a powerful angel as hero. General Konrad Lagarde, First Mate of the angel ship Blue Phantom, is an Avenging Angel serving the Formless One. He is disciplined to a fault, vegetarian, ascetic, and only knows duty in the service of good… but will he be tempted?

Do not forget Sultan, the formidable genetically engineered flying tiger, telepathic and capable of mind-talk. Although he likes angels in general, he resents Angel Konrad and displays aggressive tendencies towards him.

Here are the two previous novels in this series, although, they all stand alone.

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Also in the same universe, the Byzantium space station series: 

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I hope you enjoy the read. And if you like this kind of story, don’t miss the other epic space novels set in the Azura universe, with human, alien, and angel characters… as well as telepathic cats.  

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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

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