Rock on. Would be curious to know your thoughts!

Sounds like you’re interested in sci-fi movies with a deeper philosophical story to tell. For that reason, definitely watch Tarkovsky’s Solaris. From what I understand, it bears literally no resemblance to the ‘remake’.

I know Stalker often gets put in the sci-fi category, but I’m not sure it will satisfy someone setting out with typical expectations of the genre. It’s a great film though, and the dream sequences are peerless in film history.

Tarkovsky’s films very much run against the grain of Western cinema - they are often experimentally slow, to offer an extended exploration of a philosophical or aesthetic idea. They’re extremely strange and unique movies. I would say, essential viewing, when you have the time and mindset to be taken on a journey that at times will feel painful. Though, I think that’s Tarkovsky’s intent to some degree.

I think this type of anthropocentrism extends to chess too actually. I’m not an expert on the subject, but I’ve heard that chess AIs are finding success doing unintuitive things like pushing a and h file pawns in openings. If, 10 years ago, some chess grandmaster was doing the same thing and finding success, I imagine they would have been seen as creative, maybe even groundbreaking.

I think the average person under-rates the sophistication of AI. Maybe as a response to the AI hype. Maybe it’s because we’re scared of AI, and it’s comforting to believe that it’s operations are trivial. I see irrationality and anger cropping up in discussions of AI that I think stem from a fundamental fear of its transformative power.

better tools for moderation

Where have I heard that before?