Operation Clambake present: Baloney Detection Kit
This is something I've been looking for for a while. It wouldn't hurt anyone to use this in their daily lives.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
Library, The Matter of Dowsing
Library, The Matter of Dowsing
I've actually tried this... as he says, the ideomotor effect is very compelling. All it takes is a little clarity of thought and perception and you can see that it's all in your head.
I've actually tried this... as he says, the ideomotor effect is very compelling. All it takes is a little clarity of thought and perception and you can see that it's all in your head.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions: Planet X
Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions: Planet X
Oh my Q... before this nonsense spreads any further, please read this page! For your sake and mine!
Oh my Q... before this nonsense spreads any further, please read this page! For your sake and mine!
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Look, up in the sky!
Superman is my idol.
Not because I have a penchant for lycra tights in primary colours, but because of his unwavering determination to do good.
His mission to serve truth, justice and the honourable way is only the tip of the iceberg.
What most inspires me is that he isn’t afraid to take responsibility for anything. He habitually shoulders the duty to help anyone and everyone who needs him, above all else.
Superman never takes a holiday. He is always on call… his super-hearing constantly tuned and scanning for the possible sound of a call for help.
Even when he loses his powers, which happens from time to time for various reasons, he continues to fight to the best of his ability.
I try to emulate that in my own life. Although I lack super-hearing, my cellphone is always switched on, just in case someone needs my help.
No matter what happens to me, I try to always be ready to help, regardless of the cost. Particularly for people I care about. It was that attitude that contributed to the demise of my last relationship. But still I persist.
It frustrates me no end that there are many things that are beyond my power to fix. If a friend is depressed… I can’t fix that. But I’m prepared to do what I can, even if it’s only to listen to them over a cup of coffee and give a consolatory hug.
What really eats me up is when people I really care about resist that… when they refuse the ear and shoulder combo I offer, as my best friend has now done.
Without going into too much detail, she has reached a place where she has a lot of things to figure out… things that seem to be troubling her greatly. Naturally I want to do what I can, but she refuses to even speak to me about it since we don’t share the same spiritual beliefs.
This is the first time she has deliberately excluded me from her pain. Naturally I’m hurt and frustrated… but of course I can’t burden her further with my problems, since she has enough of her own to deal with.
So, Superman… may I call you Kal? So, Kal, has this ever happened to you? Has there ever been a time when Jimmy, Lana or Lois have pushed you out of their lives? Refused to allow you to help them? Did it hurt you as much as it does me?
Seems like Kryptonite isn’t the only thing we have to worry about.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
The Prophet of Immortality - Popular Science
The Prophet of Immortality - Popular Science
Ok, so call me a transhumanist... this stuff is fascinating.
Ok, so call me a transhumanist... this stuff is fascinating.
Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? - Popular Science
Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? - Popular Science
Is the Singularity a stepping stone towards digital "immortality"?
Is the Singularity a stepping stone towards digital "immortality"?
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
The proof of my existence
I’ve been spending some time lately investigating the current theories in immortality.
I’ve uncovered two interestingly plausible ones.
The first is a medical solution.
Through genetic manipulation, we may be able to halt the aging process, and gradually eradicate any and all potentially fatal diseases. Thus rendering one immune to death by natural causes. Of course that method doesn’t render you immune to being hit by a bus, but it does theoretically lengthen your life-span indefinitely. You could live for centuries, or millennia. Not quite immortality, but close as dammit to it.
The second solution is a technological one. I think this is more exciting.
Within 50 years or so, we will probably have computers sufficiently sophisticated that they will be able to match, if not better, the processing power and storage capacity of the human brain. We will also, most likely, have developed interface technology allowing us to use computer instruments to read and interpret the electrical signals and chemical subtleties of the brain, thus allowing us to effectively “read people’s minds”.
What the theory proposes is that we will be able to combine these technologies in such a way that we will be able to copy the human mind in its entirety and install it within a computer.
Once your mind is running within the computer, there will be two of you. A biological one (the original you) and a digital one. Each living its own life, with its own experiences. Although the biological you will most likely eventually expire, the digital you can continue to live as long as there is a computer for it to live in… or at the very least a backup medium for it to be stored in.
Of course, being like any other data, the digital you can itself be copied, and installed onto other systems, thus creating even more copies of you. The more copies there are of you, the less likely it is that you will “die”.
Naturally this raises all sorts of interesting metaphysical questions. What about the immortal soul? Which one is the real you? Will a digital human still see themselves as human? Will digital people be capable of things like emotion, compassion and love?
I can’t wait to answer those questions.
What got me interested in this in the first place was when I started thinking about my own mortality.
I’m not afraid of dying. When I was young I had a dream about my own death... It was actually very pleasant and, to be honest, I’m sort of looking forward to it. What does concern me is my life coming to an end, and not having anything to show for it.
If I died tomorrow, what would my legacy be? I hope there would be some people crying at my funeral, but once the mourning was over, what effect would there really be?
Would I really leave a hole in the world that no one else could fill? Centuries from now, would people say “Thank goodness for that 01. If he hadn’t done what he did, we would really be in the soup now”?
If pressed to answer those questions, I would have to say “I don’t know. Probably not.” Not for lack of trying though. I don’t even have any children who can thank me for their existence.
Thus, I have been drawn into a quest for immortality. The way I see it, the longer I live, the more time I will have to do something truly remarkable, and really make a difference in people’s lives.
I’ve uncovered two interestingly plausible ones.
The first is a medical solution.
Through genetic manipulation, we may be able to halt the aging process, and gradually eradicate any and all potentially fatal diseases. Thus rendering one immune to death by natural causes. Of course that method doesn’t render you immune to being hit by a bus, but it does theoretically lengthen your life-span indefinitely. You could live for centuries, or millennia. Not quite immortality, but close as dammit to it.
The second solution is a technological one. I think this is more exciting.
Within 50 years or so, we will probably have computers sufficiently sophisticated that they will be able to match, if not better, the processing power and storage capacity of the human brain. We will also, most likely, have developed interface technology allowing us to use computer instruments to read and interpret the electrical signals and chemical subtleties of the brain, thus allowing us to effectively “read people’s minds”.
What the theory proposes is that we will be able to combine these technologies in such a way that we will be able to copy the human mind in its entirety and install it within a computer.
Once your mind is running within the computer, there will be two of you. A biological one (the original you) and a digital one. Each living its own life, with its own experiences. Although the biological you will most likely eventually expire, the digital you can continue to live as long as there is a computer for it to live in… or at the very least a backup medium for it to be stored in.
Of course, being like any other data, the digital you can itself be copied, and installed onto other systems, thus creating even more copies of you. The more copies there are of you, the less likely it is that you will “die”.
Naturally this raises all sorts of interesting metaphysical questions. What about the immortal soul? Which one is the real you? Will a digital human still see themselves as human? Will digital people be capable of things like emotion, compassion and love?
I can’t wait to answer those questions.
What got me interested in this in the first place was when I started thinking about my own mortality.
I’m not afraid of dying. When I was young I had a dream about my own death... It was actually very pleasant and, to be honest, I’m sort of looking forward to it. What does concern me is my life coming to an end, and not having anything to show for it.
If I died tomorrow, what would my legacy be? I hope there would be some people crying at my funeral, but once the mourning was over, what effect would there really be?
Would I really leave a hole in the world that no one else could fill? Centuries from now, would people say “Thank goodness for that 01. If he hadn’t done what he did, we would really be in the soup now”?
If pressed to answer those questions, I would have to say “I don’t know. Probably not.” Not for lack of trying though. I don’t even have any children who can thank me for their existence.
Thus, I have been drawn into a quest for immortality. The way I see it, the longer I live, the more time I will have to do something truly remarkable, and really make a difference in people’s lives.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Who needs the real thing?
Now this is really cool. If I had one of these I wouldn't need a real woman!
There's no better feeling than lying on the couch or whatever with your head in her lap. Now I don't even have to go through the hassle of acquiring a real-life girlfriend to enjoy that sensation!
Genius!
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
It's official
So this weekend marked a milestone in my life. I had it confirmed by a respected authority that I am as smart as I always thought I was.
Yup, I took the Mensa test and passed!
Guess that makes me some kind of genius or something. I dunno... I still feel the same.
Too bad being a genius doesn't help you laid in this country. Oh well.
I know this isn't really a big deal... I now know for a fact that my school teachers were right when they kept telling me I wasn't reaching my "potential". Truth is I'm probably smarter than all of them. That's a cool thought.
Although I was quite chuffed about it, I didn't get the ticker-tape parade I was expecting.
Sure, my mom and my best girl were happy to hear it and proud of me and all... but it seemed there was something missing. Some kind of party to celebrate the fact that I really am more remarkable than is immediately apparent.
But none was forthcoming. My celebration consisted of going home to watch Star Trek by myself. Maybe being a genius really isn't all that remarkable.
I suppose it's selfish of me to expect people to drop everything to help me celebrate something they see as trivial and frankly unimportant. It seems many of my recent achievements in life have gone largely unnoticed by those closest to me.
Maybe my achievements have been trivial and unimportant.
Or maybe that's part of being a grownup. If that's the case, maybe I should consider a new career as a Forest-dwelling, green-clad, flying pirate-slayer.
Yup, I took the Mensa test and passed!
Guess that makes me some kind of genius or something. I dunno... I still feel the same.
Too bad being a genius doesn't help you laid in this country. Oh well.
I know this isn't really a big deal... I now know for a fact that my school teachers were right when they kept telling me I wasn't reaching my "potential". Truth is I'm probably smarter than all of them. That's a cool thought.
Although I was quite chuffed about it, I didn't get the ticker-tape parade I was expecting.
Sure, my mom and my best girl were happy to hear it and proud of me and all... but it seemed there was something missing. Some kind of party to celebrate the fact that I really am more remarkable than is immediately apparent.
But none was forthcoming. My celebration consisted of going home to watch Star Trek by myself. Maybe being a genius really isn't all that remarkable.
I suppose it's selfish of me to expect people to drop everything to help me celebrate something they see as trivial and frankly unimportant. It seems many of my recent achievements in life have gone largely unnoticed by those closest to me.
Maybe my achievements have been trivial and unimportant.
Or maybe that's part of being a grownup. If that's the case, maybe I should consider a new career as a Forest-dwelling, green-clad, flying pirate-slayer.
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