Those of you who read through the News every week probably already know this, but I'm going to recap it here because there have recently been some significant advances in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
First off, last week we had the IBM Watson super computer competing against people in the American game show Jeopardy. After the first round it was tied for first, but by the end of the competition it was well out in front. This is a big deal because Watson had to take purely audio cues from the host and had the same amount of time to answer as the human contestants. This is a significant step forward in terms of a linguistic interface for computers and despite it's limitations, testing is underway to bring Watson into the medical field.
The Watson interface could also apply quite smoothly to another of my favorite projects: the South Korean Classroom Robots. These things are great... They're basically automated conversational partners to help Korean kids learn English. Teachers can also remote control them to give lessons. The South Korean government is putting a ton of funding into the project ($36 Million USD in 2012) and are planning to have the little robots in 8000 preschools by 2013.
Those are just two of the advances in AI and Robotics, we're also using the latest AI to test theories of human thought, we've got another that can tell how we're feeling from conversational cues, we've got robots exploring the bottom of the oceans, and another that has sensitive eyes and fingers.
Robotics and Artifical Intelligence are becoming more and more capable (I'm hesitant to use the term "more human") and very soon they are going to be interacting with us on a daily basis.
Think about how computers have become an indespensible part of human existance in the last 15-20 years. In the next 20, I think it's obvious that we'll be looking at the same integration of Robots and AI into our world, society and daily lives.
Thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying the posts. As always, if you think it's cool (or you think it's horrible), please comment. And tell your friends.
-Odd
"Intelligence is the art of good guesswork." - H.B. Barlow, The Oxford Companion to the Mind
Tuesday 22 February 2011
In The News:
Scientists build first Anti-Laser - Damn! We haven't even got laser guns yet, and they're already coming up with defenses. I want a laser gun....
Ants build cheapest computer networks - Yep, scientists are studying the way that ants dig their tunnels to get an insight into how to build more effective computer networks.
Iceland to tap liquid magma as a new energy source - awesome idea... and I think it's impressive that we have the technology to be able to tap this primal force.
Microsoft releases a development kit for the Kinect system - so we'll soon be seeing some really useful (and cool, no doubt) applications for this motion capture system... time to use that hack to hook it up to my PC then.
Scientists build bigger anti-matter 'bottles' - not so sure I like the idea of them storing more and more of what is effectively the most volatile substance we've ever discovered.
Ants build cheapest computer networks - Yep, scientists are studying the way that ants dig their tunnels to get an insight into how to build more effective computer networks.
Iceland to tap liquid magma as a new energy source - awesome idea... and I think it's impressive that we have the technology to be able to tap this primal force.
Microsoft releases a development kit for the Kinect system - so we'll soon be seeing some really useful (and cool, no doubt) applications for this motion capture system... time to use that hack to hook it up to my PC then.
Scientists build bigger anti-matter 'bottles' - not so sure I like the idea of them storing more and more of what is effectively the most volatile substance we've ever discovered.
Friday 18 February 2011
A little bit of fun
Wow... two posts in one week? That's amazing! Woot!
... Don't get too excited, this is not going to be a regular schedule... Think of this more as a bonus post.
I realised that my last few posts have been quite political... and as this is supposed to more of a geeky/techie blog, I wanted to do something a little more lighthearted.
With that in mind, I'm going to give you links to a couple websites run by two unconventional but truly epic artists:
I would also like to thank everyone who stopped past the site on Wednesday, and all those who linked to it. The Odd Blog had over 100 hits that day. It might not sound like much to you... but to me it's increadible that 100 people thought it was worthwhile to take out some time and read what I spew out on here.
Thank you. ^^
Come back next week for another post, tell your friends, and please use the comment buttons on the posts.
-Odd
"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." - Mitch Hedberg
... Don't get too excited, this is not going to be a regular schedule... Think of this more as a bonus post.
I realised that my last few posts have been quite political... and as this is supposed to more of a geeky/techie blog, I wanted to do something a little more lighthearted.
With that in mind, I'm going to give you links to a couple websites run by two unconventional but truly epic artists:
- Pavement Art - this is the guy who does those amazing 3D chalk drawings on the sidewalks... every time I see one of these online, I'm bowled over anew... awesome work.
- Banksy - A graffiti artist out of the UK, this man is a serious talent, and his work is great fun.
I would also like to thank everyone who stopped past the site on Wednesday, and all those who linked to it. The Odd Blog had over 100 hits that day. It might not sound like much to you... but to me it's increadible that 100 people thought it was worthwhile to take out some time and read what I spew out on here.
Thank you. ^^
Come back next week for another post, tell your friends, and please use the comment buttons on the posts.
-Odd
"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later." - Mitch Hedberg
Word of the Week:
Hebetudinous - Adjective
- One who lacks mental stimulation, dull-minded, very lethargic
In The News:
Video Games: An hour a day is key to success in life - see... I told you I was working!!
Israeli General claims credit for StuxNet worm - A retiring general from Israel has been credited with instigating the StuxNet worm which attacked Iranian nuclear facilities... wow.... I never thought I'd see someone own up to it.
Too many Facebook friends causes stress - hmmm.... maybe I'm damaged... but if I only see you online... I don't really care... but it's still and interesting article.
Anything you search for can and will be used against you in a court of law - wow.. .this is seriously scary... so much for the anonymous and neutral nature of the 'net.
The Khan Academy is the future of education - This is an absolutely incredible idea!!! With the lack of effective teaching in this country... We should really jump into this program.
Israeli General claims credit for StuxNet worm - A retiring general from Israel has been credited with instigating the StuxNet worm which attacked Iranian nuclear facilities... wow.... I never thought I'd see someone own up to it.
Too many Facebook friends causes stress - hmmm.... maybe I'm damaged... but if I only see you online... I don't really care... but it's still and interesting article.
Anything you search for can and will be used against you in a court of law - wow.. .this is seriously scary... so much for the anonymous and neutral nature of the 'net.
The Khan Academy is the future of education - This is an absolutely incredible idea!!! With the lack of effective teaching in this country... We should really jump into this program.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Peaceful Protests
The last few weeks have seen the Egyptian population hold a (mostly) peaceful protest to oust the dictatorship ruling their country and to call for a more democratic government.
Sure, there were a few sporadic instances of violence, but considering the sheer number of people involved, those are negligible.... and it worked. Due to their peaceful protest, Mubarak has stepped down and they will (hopefully) be having democratic elections in the next few months.
Theirs is an example that I wish we could emulate in this country.
We've also been having demonstrations in South Africa this week... union action... a strike. This protest is not about freedom, democracy or liberty... it's about money. So you would think that we would be at least as well behaved as our Egyptian friends who were quite literaly fighting for their future. Right?
Wrong.
There has been massive violence, with people being dragged out of their cars and beaten. It's sickening and frankly makes me ashamed. Is a few extra rand a month really worth turning into a howling barbarian for?
It seems that every time a large trade union strikes in South Africa, we have looting, violence and mob rule. It's crazy... if the unions can't control their members, then they should not be allowed to strike... the right to strike does not (or rather, should not) cancel out the rule of law.
Maybe the new Lead SA initiative of a bill of responsibility will work. I hope it does. We in South Africa need to stop shouting about our rights and start realising that those rights also come with responsibilities... and not rioting, not looting and not beating the crap out of your countrymen are definately on that list!
Anyway... enough ranting... I love this country... and I know others do too. It's only a few idiots who always seem to ruin things. So I'm going to put out a call to the striking union members (not that I think they read my blog): If you see someone at your rally that is about to do something illegal or immoral: jump on him! kick him in the head! you will get far more support from the public if you show that you can actually hold a peaceful protest.
-Odd
"I contend that non-violent acts exerts pressure far more effective than violent acts, for the pressure comes from goodwill and gentleness." -Mahatma Gandhi
Sure, there were a few sporadic instances of violence, but considering the sheer number of people involved, those are negligible.... and it worked. Due to their peaceful protest, Mubarak has stepped down and they will (hopefully) be having democratic elections in the next few months.
Theirs is an example that I wish we could emulate in this country.
We've also been having demonstrations in South Africa this week... union action... a strike. This protest is not about freedom, democracy or liberty... it's about money. So you would think that we would be at least as well behaved as our Egyptian friends who were quite literaly fighting for their future. Right?
Wrong.
There has been massive violence, with people being dragged out of their cars and beaten. It's sickening and frankly makes me ashamed. Is a few extra rand a month really worth turning into a howling barbarian for?
It seems that every time a large trade union strikes in South Africa, we have looting, violence and mob rule. It's crazy... if the unions can't control their members, then they should not be allowed to strike... the right to strike does not (or rather, should not) cancel out the rule of law.
Maybe the new Lead SA initiative of a bill of responsibility will work. I hope it does. We in South Africa need to stop shouting about our rights and start realising that those rights also come with responsibilities... and not rioting, not looting and not beating the crap out of your countrymen are definately on that list!
Anyway... enough ranting... I love this country... and I know others do too. It's only a few idiots who always seem to ruin things. So I'm going to put out a call to the striking union members (not that I think they read my blog): If you see someone at your rally that is about to do something illegal or immoral: jump on him! kick him in the head! you will get far more support from the public if you show that you can actually hold a peaceful protest.
-Odd
"I contend that non-violent acts exerts pressure far more effective than violent acts, for the pressure comes from goodwill and gentleness." -Mahatma Gandhi
In The News:
New Zealand emergency services computers go offline - they were able to make do while their IT guys brought them back online, but this highlights just how dependent we've become on computers.
IBM Watson (Super computers) vs. Humans in Jeopardy game - two of the champions of this american game-show are taking on IBM's new Watson Jeopardy super computer... after the first round, Watson is tied for first.
Removing a 'dumb' gene from mice makes them smarter - interesting article, but like it points out: we have no idea what other effects removing this gene will have... the whole field of study seems terribly hit-and-miss to me.
Steps towards a robotic eye - I've posted a lot of the build up to this specific piece of tech in earlier News, but this article sums up where we are quite nicely.
Obama seeks big boost in cyber-security spending - looks like we might be amping up to a new arms race... the cyber-arms race.... why do I have a picture of a bear with robot arms in my head?
IBM Watson (Super computers) vs. Humans in Jeopardy game - two of the champions of this american game-show are taking on IBM's new Watson Jeopardy super computer... after the first round, Watson is tied for first.
Removing a 'dumb' gene from mice makes them smarter - interesting article, but like it points out: we have no idea what other effects removing this gene will have... the whole field of study seems terribly hit-and-miss to me.
Steps towards a robotic eye - I've posted a lot of the build up to this specific piece of tech in earlier News, but this article sums up where we are quite nicely.
Obama seeks big boost in cyber-security spending - looks like we might be amping up to a new arms race... the cyber-arms race.... why do I have a picture of a bear with robot arms in my head?
Tuesday 8 February 2011
South African politics and the official opposition
With our municipal elections coming up soon, I'd like to talk a little bit about our political landscape, and my views on it.
I personally think that democracy is the least flawed form of government, and that our specific flavour of it in South Africa is more flawed than it has to be.
We don't live in a multi-party democracy... sure it says that on paper, but practically there is only one party: the ANC. This is due to the fact that they are still seen as the revolutionary party and so a majority of the constituency will continue to vote for them out of a sense of responsibility. "They gave us freedom, so we must continue to vote for them." This view continues despite the massive heap of broken promises piled around the ANC... In fairness, a lot of those promises were absolutely impossible to keep... but that simply means they shouldn't have been made in the first place.
Now I'm not resting all of our governmental ills entirely on the ANC: our illustrious 'official opposition', the DA, haven't exactly lived up to my expectations either. They may well be better at the administration that is required of government (Cape Town seems to be thriving), but as a political party they've left me disappointed. Their entire platform seems to be ANC bashing and that irritates me. I have very little idea of their platform, what they stand for (besides the mandatory generalistaions like more jobs, less crime and the like), or what their plan would be if they, by some miracle, got elected to national government. Sure... I could probably track down all that detail, but I don't think it's my responsibility. If they want my vote, then they should be the ones chasing after me. If they're not willing to put in the effort to get my vote, how much work will they do for me after they've got it?
Not that I see much alternative... and that's where the major problem lies. The social ills of crime, corruption, greed and graft all seem to point to a lack of leadership in this country. We have no one to point to and say, "Look! he/she/it is doing the right thing, so I will follow their example."
Despite all this moaning and complaining, I urge all of you to make sure that you're registered to vote (you can sms your ID number to 32810 to check), and turn out to vote on the day.
If you don't vote, you can't complain. Period.
-Odd
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user." -Theodore Roosevelt
I personally think that democracy is the least flawed form of government, and that our specific flavour of it in South Africa is more flawed than it has to be.
We don't live in a multi-party democracy... sure it says that on paper, but practically there is only one party: the ANC. This is due to the fact that they are still seen as the revolutionary party and so a majority of the constituency will continue to vote for them out of a sense of responsibility. "They gave us freedom, so we must continue to vote for them." This view continues despite the massive heap of broken promises piled around the ANC... In fairness, a lot of those promises were absolutely impossible to keep... but that simply means they shouldn't have been made in the first place.
Now I'm not resting all of our governmental ills entirely on the ANC: our illustrious 'official opposition', the DA, haven't exactly lived up to my expectations either. They may well be better at the administration that is required of government (Cape Town seems to be thriving), but as a political party they've left me disappointed. Their entire platform seems to be ANC bashing and that irritates me. I have very little idea of their platform, what they stand for (besides the mandatory generalistaions like more jobs, less crime and the like), or what their plan would be if they, by some miracle, got elected to national government. Sure... I could probably track down all that detail, but I don't think it's my responsibility. If they want my vote, then they should be the ones chasing after me. If they're not willing to put in the effort to get my vote, how much work will they do for me after they've got it?
Not that I see much alternative... and that's where the major problem lies. The social ills of crime, corruption, greed and graft all seem to point to a lack of leadership in this country. We have no one to point to and say, "Look! he/she/it is doing the right thing, so I will follow their example."
Despite all this moaning and complaining, I urge all of you to make sure that you're registered to vote (you can sms your ID number to 32810 to check), and turn out to vote on the day.
If you don't vote, you can't complain. Period.
-Odd
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user." -Theodore Roosevelt
Monday 7 February 2011
Word of the Week:
Eclat - noun
- Brilliance of success, reputation, etc.
- Showy or elaborate display.
- Acclimation; acclaim.
In The News:
"Soft" robot has deft touch - massive metal hands have trouble holding squishy objects? You don't say! .... while this is possibly a big advance in robotic science, I unfortunately foresee the sex industry making the most use of it.
Could the US shut down the internet? - coming off of Egypt's not so succesful shutdown, this article explores how that happened and if it could be duplicated in the US... the short answer is "not really".
Proposal for cyber war rules of engagement - with the possible exception of earth orbit, this is going to be the biggest theater of war in modern conflict, so it's probably a good idea to set some boundaries.
All the internet has (kind of) run out of space - all the IP addresses for the world wide web have now been shipped out for sale... so all 4.3 billion addresses have been marked for sale. That's quite a number... but don't worry, the introduction of IPv6 that will happen shortly should mean that you won't even notice the difference.
RoboEarth teaches robots to learn from peers - I'm just glad they didn't name it SkyNet... this project aims to connect all robots through an internet-like network so that they can share what they learn... either making them better servants of more invincible overlords... not sure which yet.
Could the US shut down the internet? - coming off of Egypt's not so succesful shutdown, this article explores how that happened and if it could be duplicated in the US... the short answer is "not really".
Proposal for cyber war rules of engagement - with the possible exception of earth orbit, this is going to be the biggest theater of war in modern conflict, so it's probably a good idea to set some boundaries.
All the internet has (kind of) run out of space - all the IP addresses for the world wide web have now been shipped out for sale... so all 4.3 billion addresses have been marked for sale. That's quite a number... but don't worry, the introduction of IPv6 that will happen shortly should mean that you won't even notice the difference.
RoboEarth teaches robots to learn from peers - I'm just glad they didn't name it SkyNet... this project aims to connect all robots through an internet-like network so that they can share what they learn... either making them better servants of more invincible overlords... not sure which yet.
Tuesday 1 February 2011
Appalling Ignorance
Last Friday night found me at a (truly epic, supremely awesome) party, but I'm not going to blog about how many drinks I had/ numbers I got/ fights I fought. What I'm going to blog about is ignorance.
I'm not sure how the topic came up, but I made some offhand comment about what's happening in Egypt... and I truly hope that by now all of the people reading this blog know what I'm talking about, because no-one I was chatting with at the time did. Inconceivable!
So, throughout the course of the evening, I accosted various groups of people at the party and asked them what they thought of the situation in Egypt (yes, I'm that weird guy at the party that you try to avoid eye contact with). The final result? I found two people who knew what was happening (both already friends of mine. Naturally.)
It blew my mind... here was a group of my supposed peers who had absolutely no idea. Sure: we were at Bohemians and a large proportion of the crowd were students starting a heavy weekend and so may not technically be peers of mine anymore, but they're STUDENTS, their entire purpose is supposed to be the accumulation of information (if not knowledge).
I don't understand how, in the modern era of the syndication, communication and community of information, people around me could be so unaware of the world around them.
Colour me shocked... It was still an awesome party though ^^;
-Odd
"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice." - Albert Einstein
I'm not sure how the topic came up, but I made some offhand comment about what's happening in Egypt... and I truly hope that by now all of the people reading this blog know what I'm talking about, because no-one I was chatting with at the time did. Inconceivable!
So, throughout the course of the evening, I accosted various groups of people at the party and asked them what they thought of the situation in Egypt (yes, I'm that weird guy at the party that you try to avoid eye contact with). The final result? I found two people who knew what was happening (both already friends of mine. Naturally.)
It blew my mind... here was a group of my supposed peers who had absolutely no idea. Sure: we were at Bohemians and a large proportion of the crowd were students starting a heavy weekend and so may not technically be peers of mine anymore, but they're STUDENTS, their entire purpose is supposed to be the accumulation of information (if not knowledge).
I don't understand how, in the modern era of the syndication, communication and community of information, people around me could be so unaware of the world around them.
Colour me shocked... It was still an awesome party though ^^;
-Odd
"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice." - Albert Einstein
In The News:
Manchester airport introduces hologram staff - that's right, if you travel through Manchester airport, you can be directed, assisted and reminded of security procedures by a helpful hologram... so cool!
520 day mock Mars mission nears landing - they're doing a dry run... that must mean we're pretty close to actually going... anyone besides me want to go to Mars?
Google beats Bing at Jeopardy questions - who would win if search engines played this popular US game show? Google of course!
Egyptians find new ways to get online - with all the unrest in Egypt, the government shut down the internet... which is troubling in and of itself... but as this article shows: The flow of information is far more robust than most people think.
Fernando Torres signs for Chelsea for 50 million pounds - 50 MILLION POUNDS?! For a guy that can kick a ball around a little? As signs of the apocalypse go... in my book this one is right up there with rains of blood and the appearance of the angel of death.
520 day mock Mars mission nears landing - they're doing a dry run... that must mean we're pretty close to actually going... anyone besides me want to go to Mars?
Google beats Bing at Jeopardy questions - who would win if search engines played this popular US game show? Google of course!
Egyptians find new ways to get online - with all the unrest in Egypt, the government shut down the internet... which is troubling in and of itself... but as this article shows: The flow of information is far more robust than most people think.
Fernando Torres signs for Chelsea for 50 million pounds - 50 MILLION POUNDS?! For a guy that can kick a ball around a little? As signs of the apocalypse go... in my book this one is right up there with rains of blood and the appearance of the angel of death.
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