Risk intelligence
Interesting concept: risk intelligence. I find it an interesting tool for better self-assessment. Yes, I took the test and its seems I need to take care a bit with my decisions, I tend to be too self confident. One particular aspect that bothered me in the test though was the strong U.S.-centered culture references. I understand and I know that not the encyclopedical aspect is essential in the test, but the unfamiliarity of the topics clearly threw me off-balance (and it is accepted that when we have nothing more to lose, we get more daring).
The origins of the test and the associated project are very interesting too (read the presentation in the About page at the site). Only this age of the Internet would allow two independent individuals to conduct such a large scale operation of scientific flavor out of their personal pockets. Very interesting.
[via Pharyngula]
2010-02-04 17:47 (0 comments)
Terry Pratchett and Death
Terry Pratchett argues for the right to arrange his encounter with death in his own terms. A very moving and logical statement from the author which perhaps most humorously and most profoundly characterized Death in his literary creation.
2010-02-04 06:33 (0 comments)
Home fuel cells
I fell on this topic while semi-idly browsing this morning. Very interesting topic. For one, I didn't know that fuel cell technology already reached mass production stage (and this is a shame for a chem.eng.). For two, at least on one (non-verified) estimate in the internet, the price for producing energy with fuel cells in home applications is already lower (6 cents/kW) than what I pay to Hydro Québec once I override the ridiculously meager baseline (think of Québec winters) — but not complaining here, our electricity prices are extremely low anyways. But what seems most interesting are a) means of selling electricity back to the grid in underuse periods and b) use in remote locations. Flip side (at least for me and for now), house has to be heated with water or air, not with electricity, for the promised efficiency to appear.
2010-01-31 13:34 (0 comments)
Light field photography
A very interesting development in photography technology seems to promise more focus control in postprocessing. The work by a team at Stanford, presented in this article (PDF), is tagged as light field photography. The text is quite technical, but the presentation of the results is very convincing.
2010-01-28 10:54 (0 comments)
Too much of a good thing
Earlier, I was giving an internet resource as exemplification for ideas that currently trott inside my skull. And even as I was doing so, I was fearing for not making my thoughts clear (so much so that even myself would probably have a difficulty of understanding that small phrase in a year's time). Well, danger creeps on us from everywhere. Even the author of that nice column managed to get lost inside his own argument, and masterfully prove that too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Yes, there are tools in our brain that evolved tremendously in the last 20000 years from lowly feedback loops to brilliant mind processes. And Tallis managed to explain this colourfully in his "Neurotrash" piece. Yet, he so much exaggerates and defends his point in the "God spot" part, that he amounts to involuntary self-ridicule. Or caustic satire, difficult to decide. So, this convinces me that my best go at saying what I will is by... actually saying it rather than hazily citing others. I guess I have to deliver now... or soon.
2010-01-27 23:03 (0 comments)
Brain hive
For some time now I was collecting ideas for a little essay I would try about the rapid evolution of social interaction and the effect of this phenomenon on individuals and their social drive. Raymond Tallis published recently in New Humanist a column which illustrates part of what my reflections amount to. A fine read, very well informed and in a delicious literary style.
2010-01-27 18:20 (0 comments)
All hope is not lost
I had recently a work task that required the creation of a LaTeX style from scratch. Since I'm mostly a user of LaTeX and I never did design before, I naturally turned to the Internet for information. After a few misled initial google searches, I finally found what I looked for, but I was in for a surprise. My virtual instructor into LaTeX class writing turned out to be a 17 year old highschool student, Ankur Dave, who managed also to impress me with his skills and the breadth of his culture (surprising for his age). Little gems like this help illuminate a bit my grim view of humanity's future.
2010-01-19 10:41 (0 comments)
Celebrity
Heh, I guess one must be careful what one wishes for. Celebrity has its quirks and Bill Gates finds this out once more.
2010-01-17 09:38 (0 comments)
Mr Deity
I like Mr. Deity. Last episode is exquisite. One has to listen twice in order to capture all the depths of the densified jokes. Excellent.
2010-01-12 20:08 (0 comments)