www.fastcompany.com/1636325/ibms-cityone-is-like-sim-city-except-the-solutions-are-real
I play a fair amount of video games, and it always gets me excited when someone finds a way to use the enormous manpower of the video gaming world for a positive benefit. It seems to me as though in the past year, policymakers have discovered this resource. This is one example, launched by IBM. CityOne is fun on its own, but it's even more rewarding to know that your solutions are being sent to people who can use what fixes you create in the real world, so that what you do in the private arena of your computer can help in the public world. If you like this sort of stuff, you might also be fascinated by the Navy's use of a video game to stop Somali pirates, or the recent discoveries in biology made through the use of a protein-folding game. As we get better and better at including technology in our lives, this sort of "crowd-sourcing," as Silicon Valley puts it, will become more and more popular, which I believe can only be for the best.
www.onlineschools.org/state-of-the-internet/soti.html
Just in case you didn't realize how big and powerful the Internet is getting, here's a site that will gladly remind you. The Internet is getting more and more powerful each day, and can have massive impacts, as the Arab Spring reminded us. Several non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, have subscribed to the belief that a free Internet without censorship is one of the best tools for combating repressive regimes, and the first infographic on the site shows us that repressive regimes know this, and attempt to combat it. However, it's nearly impossible to stop the Internet, for better or for worse, and sometimes there can be too much information revealed online, given that 12% of time online is spent on Facebook. One famous example of this comes from Justin Hall, an early blogger who eventually broke down on his final video log. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it, search "Dark Night Justin Hall" on youtube, and brace yourself.
www.forensicscience.net/organization_files/889/csi-infographic.jpg
I love CSI, I watch it all the time on hulu and have several seasons at home. However, it is worrisome when one hears about a person who is obviously guilty getting away with a crime because of a lack of DNA or fingerprint evidence. In reality, the majority of cases rely on detective work and interviews with witnesses, and rarely involve the forensic scientists unless necessary, and never in an interview. However fun it is to watch Horatio Caine drive around in his Hummer and make witty one-liners after shooting a suspect, we need to keep in mind that the shows are fun to watch because they are silly, not because they are true.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Findings from September 20-21, 2011
www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-09/killer-drones-when-will-our-weaponized-robots-become-autonomous
As a former debater, I heard a lot of debates about combat drones deployed in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while we didn't examine the future implications of autonomous drones, this article does so very nicely. The scary part about this whole situation, and for many situations of sci-fi weaponry, is that the technologies exist to deploy these weapons, and the only obstacles are cost and a desire to maintain old methods. At the end of the article, the author begs the question that I feel most relevant, "At what percentage of error are we willing to say autonomous robots are ready for war?" This question can not only be applied to drones, but also how much error is an army willing to allow before questions are raised. This could also be used as a message for us, the civilians - how much error do we and can we allow before we need to ask the hard questions in a public sphere, much as has happened in blogs protesting almost any topic imaginable, protected by the government they rail against.
www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27185%253Fnlid%253Dnldly%2526nld%253D2011-09-22
Full disclosure, I love my Kindle, and at the speed I read, it wouldn't be feasible for me to take the number of books I need on a family trip without adding another bag to the trip. However, this raises issues of what happens when ebook readers become even more ubiquitous. In addition perhaps being able to read them during take-off and landing (I wish), perhaps they may create a learning divide between the "haves" and "have-nots." While ebook readers are certainly more cost-effective for textbooks, I can't give that textbook to the next person, be it my sibling or my friend, to use. While I'm a big fan in some instances, I'll admit that sometimes a physical book is better. As a bonus, the comments at the bottom are actually worth reading, and don't dissolve into a flame war or obnoxious ad hominems.
www.buzzfeed.com/fxnetwork/the-best-lines-from-its-always-sunny%253Ffb_ref%253DHSUA1
After the two deep finds, I thought this was hysterical. I enjoy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but I don't get to watch it nearly enough, so some of these lines were surprises to me. For those who don't know, It's Always Sunny is a show on FX in it's seventh season that follows five
obnoxious friends, called "The Gang," as they try to run a bar. The humor comes from their attempts to game the system and their various personality traits, ranging from huge egos to alcoholism. The humor is crude and offensive, but worth it all the same. I suggest at least reading these, then if any of them make you laugh, watch the new episodes on FX and reruns on Comedy Central.
As a former debater, I heard a lot of debates about combat drones deployed in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while we didn't examine the future implications of autonomous drones, this article does so very nicely. The scary part about this whole situation, and for many situations of sci-fi weaponry, is that the technologies exist to deploy these weapons, and the only obstacles are cost and a desire to maintain old methods. At the end of the article, the author begs the question that I feel most relevant, "At what percentage of error are we willing to say autonomous robots are ready for war?" This question can not only be applied to drones, but also how much error is an army willing to allow before questions are raised. This could also be used as a message for us, the civilians - how much error do we and can we allow before we need to ask the hard questions in a public sphere, much as has happened in blogs protesting almost any topic imaginable, protected by the government they rail against.
www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27185%253Fnlid%253Dnldly%2526nld%253D2011-09-22
Full disclosure, I love my Kindle, and at the speed I read, it wouldn't be feasible for me to take the number of books I need on a family trip without adding another bag to the trip. However, this raises issues of what happens when ebook readers become even more ubiquitous. In addition perhaps being able to read them during take-off and landing (I wish), perhaps they may create a learning divide between the "haves" and "have-nots." While ebook readers are certainly more cost-effective for textbooks, I can't give that textbook to the next person, be it my sibling or my friend, to use. While I'm a big fan in some instances, I'll admit that sometimes a physical book is better. As a bonus, the comments at the bottom are actually worth reading, and don't dissolve into a flame war or obnoxious ad hominems.
www.buzzfeed.com/fxnetwork/the-best-lines-from-its-always-sunny%253Ffb_ref%253DHSUA1
After the two deep finds, I thought this was hysterical. I enjoy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but I don't get to watch it nearly enough, so some of these lines were surprises to me. For those who don't know, It's Always Sunny is a show on FX in it's seventh season that follows five
obnoxious friends, called "The Gang," as they try to run a bar. The humor comes from their attempts to game the system and their various personality traits, ranging from huge egos to alcoholism. The humor is crude and offensive, but worth it all the same. I suggest at least reading these, then if any of them make you laugh, watch the new episodes on FX and reruns on Comedy Central.
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