Nothing flashy this week. Just some links and articles
First, a crazy interesting article/webpage by John Suler on the Psychology of Cyberspace.
A news clip about synthetic telepathy
And... Mathematicians have found the formula for snowflakes
Have you ever wanted something impossible your whole life? I know I have. I have always wanted to be able to move things with my mind, Matilda style... probably inspired by the book and movie actually. I actually try to do this pretty frequently, just to make sure I can't do it (I'll never do it if I don't try). Anyway,
NOW I CAN!
Follow the jump to read about a new toy that lets you move a ball up and down using a brain-wave reading device that then moves a ball in a separate device based on where you point your hand. It's only about $100.
I cannot wait.
Sometimes you get distracted. In my case (this week) it has been because internet costs a bundle in the Big Easy, plus I've been a little distracted by the city, the conference I'm at and all the pretty beads! Some weird things about the city so far while I wait for my friends in the lobby:
Anyway, time to go do some sightseeing.
If you've noticed a decline in political posts lately it is for the simple reason that I can't watch the news for too long anymore before I get all sad and freaked out. Naturally, I'm a little less up on current events and the soap opera that the 24 hour news turns them into. I understand however that the big thing right now is the stimulus package. If it works, we still have years of recession to work through and a trillion dollars of debt to repay. If it doesn't work, nobody knows but I've heard everything from a second great depression to the government collapsing (I'll go ahead and say I think that if America had a valid presidential election during the civil war, the government will remain pretty sound through this too).
When I start to get worried about something I'll generally come up with a worst-case-scenario plan, so that I know that no matter how bad it gets, I'll at least know what to do. Here are some of my backup plans for various scenarios.
Scenario 1 - I can't find a job anywhere! I'll join the peace corps. For two years I will make almost no money, but I will be provided for and may even be able to get a graduate degree in the process. During two years the country will probably have started to recover, so by the time I get out I'll have two years good experience plus that possible extra degree. Other people might want to consider the military for better pay but I personally couldn't handle that.
Scenario 2 - Money Becomes Worthless Oh noes! Well, since I don't have that much right now at least I wouldn't be losing that much. I suppose I would squat in my house (or one near it) and try to get by. I would probably not work, since it would require paying for gas which I couldn't afford with the money I'd be making. It would be like a big camping trip, but with a house instead of a tent. I would likely team up with a group of my friends for more safety and better resources.
Scenario 3 - South Carolina Tries To Secede... Again This would make the fourth time it has been attempted. Anyway, I'd probably leave. New England here I come. (This one is really just an oddball possibility, don't take me too seriously)
Scenario 4 - Government Collapses Well... F*ck. I suppose I'll just have to do what everyone else does and survive. Again, probably team up with some amigos, maybe grow some vegetables, loot some grocery stores and play defend your castle for a while. At least it's not as cold as Russia...
Why is everyone so excited about the Kindle? It costs more than the ipod that does the same thing. Hot gadget my ass. Who would pay that much to give up going to the bookstore anyway? Bookstores rock.
I just want to let the world know I just made the tastiest half-ass attempt at a meal. I literally put two frozen chicken breasts in a pan, smeared some tikka masala on them, put a block of cheap frozen spinach ON TOP of the chicken (it was a block and I didn't feel like melting it) sprayed it all with pam and baked it for... some time. It is actually really good. So ha! Seat-of-her-pants chef wins again.
Last September, there was a shortage of gas in the Southeast. There was a hurricane, and damaged pipelines and a lack of backup storage due to the switch from summer to winter grade fuel combined with the economic climate to create the perfect storm for a gas shortage. One morning I woke and turned on the news to see that my bank, Wachovia, was collapsing (or so the news reported at the time). I called my father to ask what I should do with my money. We talked for a bit and he asked if I was still visiting home this weekend. I told him no, probably not, since there was no gas in town. A friend's car was empty by this time, so three of us walked to the nearest gas stations with an empty can only to find them empty. Everyone was calling and texting friends from various neighborhoods, trying to find gas. The best we ever got were rumors. Lines at the stations that were open all filled with more cars than the stations could handle and most stations would only stay stocked for a day at best. I had to call out of work, which required a commute, and spent a few days walking to the store and school before I found a station near my house with gas (which was gouged to a full dollar over what the price should have been). I filled up and by the time I was out again the stations had been re-supplied. I was lucky.
It took three days for police to stop patrolling for parking ticket violations. Three days before the first bits of order started to chip away from society.
Well, I have been on this kind of futurist kick for a while. Taking a graduate level Cyber-Rhetoric class didn't help much. Reading Gibson didn't either. Now, I've just started reading The Singularity is Near by Raymond Kurzweil, and will definitely review on here later (I hear you should at least read a book before you discuss it). Anyway, I'm pretty pumped about the future and I have decided to post my predictions. Partially to be able to look back and say AHA! I called that! You were fools to doubt me! and partially because I really want some of these things to happen and the best way help is to get people ready for it. Some of this stuff already exists in various stages of development, but I am predicting that they will become everyday, mainstream occurrences.
No More Mice - I'm sure a few people will stick to using a mouse for their computer out of habit and reluctance, but touch technology will be the primary interaction. For all-in-one tv/computer/whatever systems a pointer will substitute for the hand (think wiimote). Eye-tracking devices will then become the cutting edge. This will enable users to interface with computers almost as fast as they can think about it. The eye tracking device may be a small camera or sensor placed near the face, or even a contact lens.
Hands-free Internet - Take that eye-tracking technology I just mentioned. Now take a bluetooth earpiece which happens to be attached to an internet-ready phone. Clip on a tiny screen that fits in front of one eye, or integrate the two into sunglasses. People will be able to functionally use the internet while walking down the street.
No More Hard Drives - Well ok, there will be hard drives. They won't be nearly as important though. Memory will be stored elsewhere, accessable via internet and therefore infinitely more convenient. This will help advance the use of net-books and internet-only gadgets. Google will lead the way. By the way this is called cloud computing.
Implants - Slowly but surely we will start to Borgify. It may or may not go well. I would not be surprised by dermal touch screens, implanted authorization chips (for perimeter security programs or debit card information), thought driven mechanical limb replacements or sensory enhancing implants. Most of these are already in development.
Organs - We will grow them in jars (well... that's the basic idea). No more organ shortage, no more organ donors.
3-d - We're already starting to see the re-emergence of the 3-d phenomenon that was a bit of a craze in the mid 90's. Eventually, holographic games and movies will be commonplace, and the internet will be powerful enough to accommodate live holographic transmissions.
First off, I'd like to apologize for being a little slack in updating. I'm a full-time student and have an internship as well, so my time budget gets a little tight sometimes. I promise an ultra-awesome Science Wednesday next week. Anyway, let's talk about
Things I would do with a time machine
I'm assuming that in my fantasy reality, going back in time won't lock my consciousness into an eternal loop or create some irreversible paradox. I won't change anything unless I mean to, and things turn out reasonably well and I can't somehow make Dick Cheney emperor of the Republic of America. I also would only be able to go back in time, mostly because I'm already working on a write-up of my thoughts on the future and only have so many ideas on the subject at once.
Since Governor Sanford is trying to refuse bailout money for the state, I figure I'll help out the tourism industry as best as I can.
Riverbanks Zoo - In Columbia, this is a truly great zoo. It can be a little crowded, but is large enough that the crowds don't usually feel pressing (unless you're at a feeding or event) Check out the gardens if you want to steer clear of the beasties, but be sure to check out the penguin feeding and the special area where you can feed tropical birds little cups of nectar.
Skip: Ripley's Aquarium - Typically crowded, boring and overpriced.
Downtown Greenville - Greenville's downtown is beautiful and lots of fun. On any given weekend you can almost always catch some sort of concert, festival or show either on the street, in a park, or at the Peace Center or BiLo Center. Restaurants range from sandwich shops to high-end sushi. Make sure you check out Falls Park and look for a series of actual size statues of bronze mice hidden around the main drag.
Skip: Downtown Charleston - If you are really into Southern history or have a lot of money, ignore this. The place is pretty hopping but most of the good stuff can get pricey. If you go to see the market or shop at all make sure you go during the day.
Piccolo Spoleto - While downtown Charleston is kind of a bummer unless you have lots of money for shopping and food, not so during Spoleto. This huge music festival takes place in the early summer. Concerts of all types take place in venues across the city all day long, and performers and patrons flock from all over the nation.
The Cooper River Bridge Run - This is a marathon across the historic Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. Now it is a brand-spanking new bridge, and a pretty one too! Those are the older two versions in the background although I think they are gone now. Anyway, get the event t-shirt and you can use it as camoflage to masquerade as a SC native anywhere you go.
Skip: The actual "run" part of the run. Sign up as a "walker" unless you want to be trampled by Kenyans.
Enjoy the Food - Find at least one greasy diner (like The Beacon in Spartanburg, or Ye Olde Fashioned in Charleston), one thouroughly southern restaurant (like Lizard's Thicket) and at least half a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. (If you see a red "hot and now" sign in the window it is time to pull over NOW.
Skip: The same old, same old. Promise me you won't head to Olive Garden when you're here.
Go to a Festival - Almost every small town will have one in the spring and many hold them yearround, it's just a matter of knowing when they are. Sometimes they will be specific - like the St. George Grits Festival - and sometimes just named after a plant or something. Anyway, these are usually an entertaining afternoon.
Magnolia Plantation - One of my favorite places in the world. Find this on the outskirts of Charleston outside of West Ashley. The gardens are beautiful year round, but when the azelias bloom in the spring is by far the best time to visit. Don't think cultivated flowerbeds, think towering bushes covered in blossoms, wooden bridges in lush forests, and generally a Secret Garden beautifully overgrown feel. There is also a series of walkways through the swamp (never get your feet dirty), a hedge maze, petting zoo and I assume some sort of museum.
Skip: Drayton Hall Plantation - It is literally down the road from Magnolia, but is not as fun or spectacular.
The Mountains - Check out Ceasars head, near Brevard or one of tons of other mountain-area parks and activities.
Go Strom Hopping - Everything here is named after Strom Thurmond. Check out Lake Thurmond, buildings on the campuses of nearly every major public university, statues of him at the capitol and his hometown (also the hometown of Strom Thurmond high school). Actually... this is not that fun. The lake is nice though.
Bull Island - A coastal island which is nearly pristine. You'll have to take a ferry to get there. This is one of the few places in the world where you'll have a chance to see a red wolf. This is a little more of an expedition than a tourist sight though, so don't bite off more than you can chew if you can't handle the bugs or the heat.
The Beach - We have some amazing beaches!! The tricky part? Avoid Myrtle Beach. Seriously! It's a fun city to hang out in, but the beach is so polluted crowded that it is no fun for actually be on. Check out Surfside, Edisto, Isle of Palms, Folly, and Ocean Isle (actually in NC but whatever). There are certainly others but ask someone who knows what they are like before you head on down.
that copyright laws don't work anymore.
Gears of War stopped working on the 28th for the people who bought the game legally, but not for those who pirated it. Mmhmm.
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