We have just under 20 people (contrary to what was stated above). When I have to get involved in kitchen-level disputes, I try to have a good time with it. Plus I had a hell of a headache at the time and writing that memo was easier than doing real work.
As president of my company, I had to send this out earlier this week...
Today's Physics Lesson:
Generally speaking, when something is cooled down it contracts and when it is heated it expands. The chemical compound commonly known as "water" follows this rule until 4 degrees Celsius (just under 40 degrees Fahrenheit) when it reaches its maximum density and starts expanding as it is further cooled. One interesting fact is that if you read the ingredients for many common beverages (say Diet Coke for example), you would see that they are comprised mostly of this "water" substance and thus take on many of its interesting physical characteristics. Another interesting fact is that in order to make "ice" which is the common name for "water" in its solid state, you generally have cool it to below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Surprisingly enough, we actually have a device in our very own office building commonly known as a "freezer" capable of cooling "water" enough to bring about this magical state change.
So what is the point of my little physics/trivia lesson? When you put an (already pressurized) can of Diet Coke into a freezer for more than a few minutes, it typically explodes!
In the future, please refrain from placing beverages in the office freezer.
Things like this always remind me of an SNL episode hosted by William Shatner in the 1980's. In one skit, he was speaking at a Star Trek convention and he's says to some poor bastard dressed as a Vulcan, "Hey, you with the ears...Have you ever kissed a girl?"
I really liked Grand's last book. He has an extraordinary knack for taking concepts too remote for most and making them accessible. Creation is actually my favorite book to give to non-scientific types to introduce them to AI, autocatalytic sets, etc.
However, I do think it would do him well to publish in some academic journals in order to receive funding. Great ideas can come from outside academia, but the world of academia is where you get funding for 'thinking for the sake of thinking.' It seems his work could easily be translated into a few journal submissions.
Regardless, I'll buy his latest book and make my small contribution to his non-traditional research.
... insert plug...
By the way I released the latest version of my own AI software today, which allows a computer to learn protolanguage based on visual perception. More info here and in my sig.
...it was nice of the author to provide an explanation of the word "consolidate":
Some of the music download stores which opened in 2003, and are set to open in 2004, will "consolidate" - that is, close or merge, because it's not a great money-making market.
...and I'm sure all the spammers in countries I've never heard of with.xyz top-level domains would be happy to use their $0.28 copies of the latest and greatest Microsoft OS to comply.
Not sure if it's related, but I've gotten this freaking thing about 10 times today. It's brand new and claims to be a Windows patch. I can easily see how a n00b would open it.
Only the latest virus definitions catch this thing.
Slashdot Mirror
We have just under 20 people (contrary to what was stated above). When I have to get involved in kitchen-level disputes, I try to have a good time with it. Plus I had a hell of a headache at the time and writing that memo was easier than doing real work.
Nah, that's just an AI news site I maintain for fun. Sorry to spoil the irony.
Today's Physics Lesson:
Generally speaking, when something is cooled down it contracts and when it is heated it expands. The chemical compound commonly known as "water" follows this rule until 4 degrees Celsius (just under 40 degrees Fahrenheit) when it reaches its maximum density and starts expanding as it is further cooled. One interesting fact is that if you read the ingredients for many common beverages (say Diet Coke for example), you would see that they are comprised mostly of this "water" substance and thus take on many of its interesting physical characteristics. Another interesting fact is that in order to make "ice" which is the common name for "water" in its solid state, you generally have cool it to below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Surprisingly enough, we actually have a device in our very own office building commonly known as a "freezer" capable of cooling "water" enough to bring about this magical state change.
So what is the point of my little physics/trivia lesson? When you put an (already pressurized) can of Diet Coke into a freezer for more than a few minutes, it typically explodes!
In the future, please refrain from placing beverages in the office freezer.
The Management
Things like this always remind me of an SNL episode hosted by William Shatner in the 1980's. In one skit, he was speaking at a Star Trek convention and he's says to some poor bastard dressed as a Vulcan, "Hey, you with the ears...Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Ammianus Marcellinus gave a pretty nice discourse on the Onager 400 AD.
...the popular adult flick "Best of the Perl Necklace"
...that "Deep Throat" re-enter the popular vernacular.
Luckily there's a remedy for both... Guinness
I'm sure all the cars going the wrong way would easily crash the software.
I'm personally working on a robot alchemist ... gold baby!!!!
However, I do think it would do him well to publish in some academic journals in order to receive funding. Great ideas can come from outside academia, but the world of academia is where you get funding for 'thinking for the sake of thinking.' It seems his work could easily be translated into a few journal submissions.
Regardless, I'll buy his latest book and make my small contribution to his non-traditional research.
By the way I released the latest version of my own AI software today, which allows a computer to learn protolanguage based on visual perception. More info here and in my sig.
The ER1 from Evolution Robotics isn't a bad alternative. You can get one for as little as $199 via their garage sale.
It seems just a few months ago, the Iraqi media would have you believe that in a blind taste test, Saddam Hussein was preferred 10:1 over George Bush.
Some of the music download stores which opened in 2003, and are set to open in 2004, will "consolidate" - that is, close or merge, because it's not a great money-making market.
...and I'm sure all the spammers in countries I've never heard of with .xyz top-level domains would be happy to use their $0.28 copies of the latest and greatest Microsoft OS to comply.
If you have to travel with your AX please check it through...
Generally, yes, but when you type it quickly without really thinking about it, its called 'disclaimer.'
Disclaimer: I did write one of the papers.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/halflife2 is available if anyone is interested.
Only the latest virus definitions catch this thing.
Here is some more info on the Java bindings.
I never realized that ole Bill was such a tech expert!
Sure it is, but not everyone wants to install it. I'll be making a functioning server available for use in conjunction with the EBLA software soon.
I bet these people would be happy to contribute toe.
Big factors keeping people from using it:
1. no GUI
2. requires a local PostgreSQL install
Both will be fixed soon by the addition of a Swing GUI and a publically available DB server.
Bet it still won't be very popular though...