Yeah, so THEY can sell your data...

Does it make sense to assume that in the future one will use a Chinese VPN service in order to have external access the Chinese alternate/walled-garden internet?

Novel or blingy wins over taking rational direct action. Human nature I guess.
I think many see these tools as fun distracting games, where you see if you can alter the numbers and get a feeling of control.
But do any of these "tools" actually ever help in the long run?

A great win for those "deciders" who brag about their ability to make decisions without needing facts or input...
(justifying their avoidance of the actual fact finding, invention, dissent and debate that's part of real decision making.)

Anybody have some spare genius in their pocket, or serendipity they can muster up?
I agree with the assessment that Prosecutorial system Structural and Motivational challenges are a big part of this situation, but even with changes, there exists all the other complications described.
Some transformational technical invention is going to be needed.

@dltaylor - Thanks for mentioning this! Walmart has the 50" U515CV-U for $200? - wtf.
Viewing angle is my main concern, and this being an IPS screen fits the bill. Certain the contrast ratio might be poor, but this actually looks like a good "punt" option. (I just can't justify the OLED's cost)

Good reminder to research, but then sit on it for a week, and then re-assess your assumptions.
I got way deep into researching "the best" options - and had written off dumb tvs due to lack of variety, and assumption that viewing angle would be poor.

This news makes a case for going with Sony for replacing my old dumb Samsung LCD.
TFA says this involves Sony, TLC and others(?) using AndroidTV.

I was researching replacements, and LG was front runner, but I experienced WebOS on a 2018 model, and was dreading that...

I just watch OTA on special occasions, and use Roku box. The old samsung has a Source button to toggle through inputs - that LG I saw certainly had nothing like that.
Another fun variable I've been dealing with is 49"-class challenges (e.g. you can't get the wide angle tech on the QLED on the smaller screens)

Could there have been a more nuanced plan here? From the end of the article:
"Ellis, the chief data scientist of Nous Group, said it was unclear why Desai made such bold claims about his products given how likely it was that the global research community would scrutinise them.
“My first reaction is it was to draw attention to his firm, Ellis said. “But it seems really obvious that this would backfire.”"

Could the plan all along have been to sow confusion and doubt regarding legitimate concerns about safety or efficacy, and/or hurt WHO credibility?
1. WHO takes action based on data analysis that was purposely compromised,
2. Data inevitably called into question.
3. WHO has to reverse course.
4. WHO loses credibility.

As observed previously, this works out as a nicely as a compromise in a new space-sharing paradigm...

I wonder if there is a "formula" predicting if/when this will happen for a given individual?
Perhaps it starts with one individual with high social capital with a nocturnal bent, and everyone migrates to that schedule to keep in touch (via FOMO)?
What family situations contribute? Bored parent avoiding real work by "helping" the student. Newly unemployed parent who is bored and helping? Or one doing many projects that distract/annoy the student (let me show you how to Bake Bread!)?,

Thank you - a paraphrase like this should have been in the OP share summary.

Evidently a Syracuse professor was involved in the beacon development, per 2018 article...
http://dailyorange.com/2018/03...
"Yun Huang, an assistant professor in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, was recently awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for her development of Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon technology, "

The issue is people who get stressed by seeing the extra boxes as pure clutter - EVEN IF they are out of sight 99% of the time..I don't understand the psychological underpinnings, but it is definitely a trait. Actually I think it is the internal conflict experienced by the people with this trait WHO ALSO dread the painful/stressful situation of "... now I need it and I just threw that out!"

I definitely agree with the idea that the cost of searching for and buying thing X is greater (financially and stress-wise) than doing a quick search trough a few boxes.
And my wife has an interesting take on the storage/clutter concept: She assigns a pseudo-random cost/sq.ft. and if something is not worth as much as the space it takes, then it should go. She doesn't actually "enforce" that, but the extra stuff causes her psychic stress.

Yeah, definitely not an all or nothing scenario.
I'm not saying it is around the corner, but not too long ago a lot of the population of china was dirt poor, and now they are not, and are looking to experience the world. Same for US - People are out and about everywhere e.g. our national parks are getting swamped.
And I'm not saying we'll all go virtual for our idle time, just that it is going to have to be part of how we meet the needs. And probably in coordination with population control... though if Japan is any example, that element will take care of itself.

I have a brother-in-law who typically chose the first MS Word suggestion when writing college papers. Proofreading his work was both a chore and source of hilarity.

Automation and energy technology will soon provide the world with a lot of wealth and idle time (for lack of a better phrase).
            (*I'm assuming we'll find some way to distribute wealth, because if we don't I think we eventually go back to sustenance existence under autocracies)
I REALLY worry about how we will meet the leisure and travel demands of future populations. e.g. old European cities are becoming amusement parks already, and are about to get really crazy with the rise of the Chinese middle class.
We need to understand the interplay of this type of implementation and the human psychological characteristics that are involved, so we can employ this type of thing when most of the word meets 1st/2nd World status - or we are going to have a major situation (humans+ idle time==florida man).