Weird Science Offered As University Class

ludwigvan968 writes "The ACTLab at the University of Texas at Austin is making waves with its Weird Science class. The link is to the TA's blog with documentation of some of the projects: a laser harp, a 3D environment constructed with fog and an LCD projector, and a 'water bridge' using a 50,000-volt transformer. Next semester, they're introducing a new class called 'Disruptive Technologies.'"

Comments

Re:slashfags

[DNAtsol]

mod down troll/flamebait

Disclosure.

[Lethyos]

If this is a rational world, why would rational women read cosmo? Why would rational men read maxim, look at playboy, or watch the man show?

If my comments implied even the faintest idea that all people are always rational actors in a rational world, then I wrote them poorly and I enjoy that you point out the contrary. My next question is: why is reading Cosmo or Playboy irrational? That is meant to be rhetorical, of course. We can easily find good reasons to explore fashion or consume pornography, but motives in these cases may simply boil down to entertainment.

Anyways, time for an assumption, given your wife has a PHD I would postulate that you too, have at least reached some manner of success in your career, education, or business. If not, you're probably good in bed and she's quite a bit older. Presuming gigolo gold diggers post on myspace not slashdot, I guess you both have achieved a nominal degree of success in at least one area of your lives. I assert this leaves the both of you with a predisposition for at least marginal success, if not happiness in love. You are not Mr. and Mrs. Joe & Jane A. Verage and Love is never necessarily rational.

It is hard to compare success, let alone measure it across two different fields or in physical relationships. The intimate details here are unimportant as far as I am concerned, but only because they clutter the conversation with distractions. I think what we have developed is a balanced partnership, cemented by mutual intellectual and emotional satisfaction.

Love is, in my opinion, often rational. Not only is it a biochemical process that can be measured and affected, it has clear evolutionary purposes. That is an entirely different discussion, however, and I think Dawkins explains it far better than I ever could.

Women often claim that "men are dumb" or things like "all the good ones are taken" or whatever. At what point do these idioms of dating angst become misogynistic? Is it really when we're talking about a movie where two nerds have trouble with the opposite sex and decide to build their own girl?

I am a little annoyed by those comments. Most times I encounter those statements—regardless the gender of whoever is making them—and their like, they are used to gloss over some misunderstanding or failure to clearly communicate. I understand your example of the man-made woman, but that could also be commentary on the attractiveness of the men themselves.