A chalkboard could get the job done too, but then that would be inconvenient. This is just another convenience in a long history of conveniences going back to fire and the wheel. I'm sure great-great-great^1000-granddad Oodaloop (who's name was actually Oodaloop Sr. coincidentally enough) was standing next to Grog The 1st whining "why we need fire, meat alright cold, good enough"
1. Its completely practical considering the first ever case of these types of waves ever being sent was just published and the first ever example was done on a 48 antenna space array, not to mention they don't have a receiver. Given that most technology moves immediately from research to mass production in the space of a week, I'd say $20-30.
2. Again, seeing as the first ever examples of this were just transmitted with no receiver there's been a lot of time for field study. Or are you saying you're one of the unlucky few/. readers who don't have a home built twisted radio frequency array?!?! I built one and I didn't even RTFA! So first step is to get one working, and then I'll beam the answer to you at twist frequency 124.
Actually, all kidding aside the answer is that this technology is brand new. Its also completely worthless because there isn't an immediate practical application available in the store. Stupid scientists!
Yeah, that's a pretty interesting point. Intelligence isn't well understood, so the gaping whole in all of it is "intelligence + 1 = ?". In Kurzweil's defense, he does call out that the initial intelligence or what we'd call "hard AI" wouldn't be much smarter than you or I, but it would have the "subtleties" of human intelligence, that is, logic, reasoning, independent thought, etc.
His reasoning goes on to say that if you could simulate a human mind on a piece (many pieces) of silicon, then that human mind becomes subject to accelerating returns of hardware advancement. (This assumes hardware keeps advancing). So a mind that runs on my 2025 486 runs 32 times as fast on my 2035 PIV - and assuming there's advances in tech maybe it runs hundreds of times faster. Then you've got a brain that can cover a thousand years of thinking in one year.
The gap I find in his logic is that a) the mind doesn't go mad because its inputs are happening really slowly (having a conversation with the outside world is like talking, waiting a day, then getting a response), b) that one guy sitting around for a thousand years will build something better than itself.
I don't find the concept of machine intelligence ridiculous, but I find that Kurzweil flounders a bit trying to make predictions about what a true machine intelligence will be like as we're still so far away from producing one.
Much of the work in designing computer chips, atom bombs, and airplane wings happens purely in virtual space. As much of our design for things breaks down to software and more of the analog world goes digital, you can do much of what you want on a computer, and only ever spit out the end product for testing. New materials? Properties have already been simulated on a computer instead of a lab. New building designs? Stress reports and simulations already done for you (not that I'd want to go in it:) As more and more of our work moves into the digital world, the more impact computer "thought" has on it. If we ever eventually get to the point where computers are capable of human or greater thought, I feel like there's a lot they could get to work on that would advance technology at a pretty rapid pace. (Of course, whether they'd want to help us pesky organic ape creatures out is another thing entirely.)
Not that I'm on board with all his predictions (I did find the book interesting). What you're describing is towards the tail end of it - his main proposition is still that machine intelligence (and enhanced human intelligence) will lead to faster and faster scientific breakthroughs, which lead to smarter machines, which leads to....the singularity is dependent on new generations of people/machines that can improve on their own intelligence.
I think of course the part he missed is when they wake up the first smarter than human computer intelligence. They tell it to go to work on making something smarter than itself, and it tells them to "GTFO, I'm going to be a screenwriter, not a stupid nerdy computer scientist!"
My Review of Comment #26611353 (Re:Nope. Never.) by user 813711(flyingsquid)
This comment had me sitting on the edge of my seat. At no point from scrolling from the top of the comment to the bottom was I let down by the gripping realism and hard hitting factual basis of the comment. The protagonist, Stanley Stumpkowitz, is a loosely autobiographical amalgam of the typical/. reader. Finally, someone who gets it! The comment really has everything - real uses of technology like ASCII and DVRs, and a scope wide enough to include the daily dramas we all deal with - our Mom's trying to give us soup.
My only issue with the comment as written is that Stanley would not only already have known about the "Babulon (sic) Five" marathon via newsgroups and IRC, but would also have a complete collection on his shelf and ripped into high quality open standards copies on his media server.
Other than that minor quibble, I really liked this post and can't wait for the sequel. Hopefully, we'll find out what kind of soup Stanley's Mom made, and whether he finally is hungry enough to eat it. (My wish: chicken noodle!)
Not sure why you're modded flamebait - I feel like as I've gotten older there's a lot more TV shows that I actually like. Characters are more complex, shows tend to be more serial than episodic with plotlines extending over the course of a season. Also because there are more channels you get things more tailored to specific tastes. Shows like "Dexter" or "The Shield" or even BSG would not have made it in the 70's or 80's.
How is it sad? Assuming their middle aged, statistically, those nice guys "finished" first!
(p.s. I'm one of the horrible non-humans born in the 70s you mentioned. We're the first generation of truly evil people. There was no such thing as pain and anguish and cheating and backstabbing and goldigging and whatever else you think we made up before. No sir, we made that shit! Right after playing GI Joes and before "nintendo" was invented.)
They are. They've been running commercials for two years talking about the switch and how to get a break on a box. One of the OTA channels I watch has a bar going across the top of the channel ever y five minutes talking about the switch. The only people that don't knoww about this switch probably don't watch TV.
RTFA. The patent picture is a 1/4" wood screw and a bottle of Jack Daniels. You aren't going to feel a thing.
But seriously, RTFA, or a least look at the pretty picture they throw up there before playing backseat scientist. I'm sure there's a lot of other things you can't think of, but somehow they're getting done!
Ahah! The software has only been out for a couple years, so you can't have complained for 17!
Oh snap, that was the tripwire! My legs....I can't feel my legs...Johnson, tell my wife I loved her...cold...so very cold here...why'd this happen Forrest...
I've had an 8925 (ATT Tilt) for over a year and what broke (I dropped it) was the screen, not the moving parts. I had to disassemble it to put in a new screen, and its actually really well put together. The moving parts are not cheap plastic but pretty solid metal parts.
Damn, that was you? I remember reading that article in 8th Grade Science Weekly. Mindblowing dude, mindblowing. If I recall correctly, it was right next to an article about a new field of geological theory based on the observation of baking soda volcanoes. That reminds me, better go renew my subscription!
You're so right! The 8/16 bit era was a golden age of wonder where every game was a modern masterpiece of digital entertainment. There wasn't such thing as repetitive gameplay, games without stories, or games that had levels loop over and over again. Enemies were numerous and varied, and didn't just change a color palette bit to show up as different! This was true gaming at its finest, since I also stopped playing them in 2000 I can say the same thing. Story? Sound? Please. We didn't need that! The thrills of a high-score counter is all you need! Will I beat it, or won't I? (And 254 other variations to boot!)
Truly we've lost a lot since then, and until we go back to 3 lives and 2 continues and dispense with the tragedy of "save files" and "60 hours of gameplay" will we ever get it back!
I disagree - I found the action pretty realistic. I especially like that Bond was sweating it out in the plane scene rather than cooly pulling off yet another escape. There was a sense of true danger and panic and the way it was shot it made it seem like they just barely made it. Of course, I would have liked to see a cracked rib or something after that, but even in CR he had his heart stop and then went on to do some ridiculous fight scenes.
Re:Did you laugh during the homage segment? (spoil
on
New Star Trek Trailer
·
· Score: 1
So you think they just dragged the afore mentioned homage up through the elevator? I'm pretty sure there was some type of container involved here.
Then again, I like the cleaning crew idea. Its probably the same squad that keeps all those 1960s volcano lairs squeeky clean!
I was responding (facetiously) to the "HAM Radio is more important than the internet" in the GP post, which I don't see to be true. I'm talking today in terms of direct influence of course, not in a historical sense, which you could make a case for given how much tech today (like you pointed out) relies on advances from HAM hobbyists. I feel when people talk about stuff like this they're quick to point out what stuff has done for us, but not the relevancy today (emergency radio?)
Its like saying "Analog TV broadcasts have given us so much entertainment and changed the world so much we probably shouldn't go to digital".
I'm all for hobbies, and BPL seems like a dumb idea, but if there's a use for public spectrum that benefits the vast masses over the selective few who's legacy is "we were here first", I'm more about the public good.
Its really true. After all amateur radio has really changed the world. After the great HAM radio tech bubble where billions of dollars dumped into "vacuum tube valley", things settled down and REAL change began to happen. Dubbed "HAM 2.0", this is when businesses really began to come on line and change the way commerce works. No longer are orders sent via tedious "snail mail" or fax machine - instead operators fire up their radio, dial the frequency of their business partner, and wait for them to respond. Revolutionary!
Now, as the technology has matured, a new generation (dubbed "Generation HAM") has grown up using the technology, and couldn't imagine doing without. Over 1 billion people planet wide use HAM radio every day! Imagine that!
I've played through a bunch of it and it does seem like in almost every instance you can avoid combat. And disarming a person doesn't mean you keep the gun, most of the time you just drop it because you need to perform a move you can't do with the gun in your hand. It is definitely possible to mow some people down once you get your hands on a weapon, but its not required and mostly not encouraged by the game.
Slashdot Mirror
A chalkboard could get the job done too, but then that would be inconvenient. This is just another convenience in a long history of conveniences going back to fire and the wheel. I'm sure great-great-great^1000-granddad Oodaloop (who's name was actually Oodaloop Sr. coincidentally enough) was standing next to Grog The 1st whining "why we need fire, meat alright cold, good enough"
1. Its completely practical considering the first ever case of these types of waves ever being sent was just published and the first ever example was done on a 48 antenna space array, not to mention they don't have a receiver. Given that most technology moves immediately from research to mass production in the space of a week, I'd say $20-30.
2. Again, seeing as the first ever examples of this were just transmitted with no receiver there's been a lot of time for field study. Or are you saying you're one of the unlucky few /. readers who don't have a home built twisted radio frequency array?!?! I built one and I didn't even RTFA! So first step is to get one working, and then I'll beam the answer to you at twist frequency 124.
Actually, all kidding aside the answer is that this technology is brand new. Its also completely worthless because there isn't an immediate practical application available in the store. Stupid scientists!
And when smallpox kills a few million 20 years after that, who do I get to sue?
Yeah, that's a pretty interesting point. Intelligence isn't well understood, so the gaping whole in all of it is "intelligence + 1 = ?". In Kurzweil's defense, he does call out that the initial intelligence or what we'd call "hard AI" wouldn't be much smarter than you or I, but it would have the "subtleties" of human intelligence, that is, logic, reasoning, independent thought, etc.
His reasoning goes on to say that if you could simulate a human mind on a piece (many pieces) of silicon, then that human mind becomes subject to accelerating returns of hardware advancement. (This assumes hardware keeps advancing). So a mind that runs on my 2025 486 runs 32 times as fast on my 2035 PIV - and assuming there's advances in tech maybe it runs hundreds of times faster. Then you've got a brain that can cover a thousand years of thinking in one year.
The gap I find in his logic is that a) the mind doesn't go mad because its inputs are happening really slowly (having a conversation with the outside world is like talking, waiting a day, then getting a response), b) that one guy sitting around for a thousand years will build something better than itself.
I don't find the concept of machine intelligence ridiculous, but I find that Kurzweil flounders a bit trying to make predictions about what a true machine intelligence will be like as we're still so far away from producing one.
Much of the work in designing computer chips, atom bombs, and airplane wings happens purely in virtual space. As much of our design for things breaks down to software and more of the analog world goes digital, you can do much of what you want on a computer, and only ever spit out the end product for testing. New materials? Properties have already been simulated on a computer instead of a lab. New building designs? Stress reports and simulations already done for you (not that I'd want to go in it :) As more and more of our work moves into the digital world, the more impact computer "thought" has on it. If we ever eventually get to the point where computers are capable of human or greater thought, I feel like there's a lot they could get to work on that would advance technology at a pretty rapid pace. (Of course, whether they'd want to help us pesky organic ape creatures out is another thing entirely.)
Not that I'm on board with all his predictions (I did find the book interesting). What you're describing is towards the tail end of it - his main proposition is still that machine intelligence (and enhanced human intelligence) will lead to faster and faster scientific breakthroughs, which lead to smarter machines, which leads to....the singularity is dependent on new generations of people/machines that can improve on their own intelligence.
I think of course the part he missed is when they wake up the first smarter than human computer intelligence. They tell it to go to work on making something smarter than itself, and it tells them to "GTFO, I'm going to be a screenwriter, not a stupid nerdy computer scientist!"
My Review of Comment #26611353 (Re:Nope. Never.) by user 813711(flyingsquid)
This comment had me sitting on the edge of my seat. At no point from scrolling from the top of the comment to the bottom was I let down by the gripping realism and hard hitting factual basis of the comment. The protagonist, Stanley Stumpkowitz, is a loosely autobiographical amalgam of the typical /. reader. Finally, someone who gets it! The comment really has everything - real uses of technology like ASCII and DVRs, and a scope wide enough to include the daily dramas we all deal with - our Mom's trying to give us soup.
My only issue with the comment as written is that Stanley would not only already have known about the "Babulon (sic) Five" marathon via newsgroups and IRC, but would also have a complete collection on his shelf and ripped into high quality open standards copies on his media server.
Other than that minor quibble, I really liked this post and can't wait for the sequel. Hopefully, we'll find out what kind of soup Stanley's Mom made, and whether he finally is hungry enough to eat it. (My wish: chicken noodle!)
Not sure why you're modded flamebait - I feel like as I've gotten older there's a lot more TV shows that I actually like. Characters are more complex, shows tend to be more serial than episodic with plotlines extending over the course of a season. Also because there are more channels you get things more tailored to specific tastes. Shows like "Dexter" or "The Shield" or even BSG would not have made it in the 70's or 80's.
How is it sad? Assuming their middle aged, statistically, those nice guys "finished" first!
(p.s. I'm one of the horrible non-humans born in the 70s you mentioned. We're the first generation of truly evil people. There was no such thing as pain and anguish and cheating and backstabbing and goldigging and whatever else you think we made up before. No sir, we made that shit! Right after playing GI Joes and before "nintendo" was invented.)
I was laughing at your post, and then I realized you were making a point at the expense of Detroit. Not cool dude, not cool.
They are. They've been running commercials for two years talking about the switch and how to get a break on a box. One of the OTA channels I watch has a bar going across the top of the channel ever y five minutes talking about the switch. The only people that don't knoww about this switch probably don't watch TV.
RTFA. The patent picture is a 1/4" wood screw and a bottle of Jack Daniels. You aren't going to feel a thing.
But seriously, RTFA, or a least look at the pretty picture they throw up there before playing backseat scientist. I'm sure there's a lot of other things you can't think of, but somehow they're getting done!
I think the ??? in this case is "Cash the check"
Ahah! The software has only been out for a couple years, so you can't have complained for 17!
Oh snap, that was the tripwire! My legs....I can't feel my legs...Johnson, tell my wife I loved her...cold...so very cold here...why'd this happen Forrest...
KAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHNNNNN!!!
I've had an 8925 (ATT Tilt) for over a year and what broke (I dropped it) was the screen, not the moving parts. I had to disassemble it to put in a new screen, and its actually really well put together. The moving parts are not cheap plastic but pretty solid metal parts.
Damn, that was you? I remember reading that article in 8th Grade Science Weekly. Mindblowing dude, mindblowing. If I recall correctly, it was right next to an article about a new field of geological theory based on the observation of baking soda volcanoes. That reminds me, better go renew my subscription!
You're so right! The 8/16 bit era was a golden age of wonder where every game was a modern masterpiece of digital entertainment. There wasn't such thing as repetitive gameplay, games without stories, or games that had levels loop over and over again. Enemies were numerous and varied, and didn't just change a color palette bit to show up as different! This was true gaming at its finest, since I also stopped playing them in 2000 I can say the same thing. Story? Sound? Please. We didn't need that! The thrills of a high-score counter is all you need! Will I beat it, or won't I? (And 254 other variations to boot!)
Truly we've lost a lot since then, and until we go back to 3 lives and 2 continues and dispense with the tragedy of "save files" and "60 hours of gameplay" will we ever get it back!
I disagree - I found the action pretty realistic. I especially like that Bond was sweating it out in the plane scene rather than cooly pulling off yet another escape. There was a sense of true danger and panic and the way it was shot it made it seem like they just barely made it. Of course, I would have liked to see a cracked rib or something after that, but even in CR he had his heart stop and then went on to do some ridiculous fight scenes.
So you think they just dragged the afore mentioned homage up through the elevator? I'm pretty sure there was some type of container involved here.
Then again, I like the cleaning crew idea. Its probably the same squad that keeps all those 1960s volcano lairs squeeky clean!
Awww shit dude, your day is totally ruined! Don't worry, I think Crysis and Beowulf made it in. Phew! I thought /. was losing its edge!
I was responding (facetiously) to the "HAM Radio is more important than the internet" in the GP post, which I don't see to be true. I'm talking today in terms of direct influence of course, not in a historical sense, which you could make a case for given how much tech today (like you pointed out) relies on advances from HAM hobbyists. I feel when people talk about stuff like this they're quick to point out what stuff has done for us, but not the relevancy today (emergency radio?)
Its like saying "Analog TV broadcasts have given us so much entertainment and changed the world so much we probably shouldn't go to digital".
I'm all for hobbies, and BPL seems like a dumb idea, but if there's a use for public spectrum that benefits the vast masses over the selective few who's legacy is "we were here first", I'm more about the public good.
We're looking to outsource!
Its really true. After all amateur radio has really changed the world. After the great HAM radio tech bubble where billions of dollars dumped into "vacuum tube valley", things settled down and REAL change began to happen. Dubbed "HAM 2.0", this is when businesses really began to come on line and change the way commerce works. No longer are orders sent via tedious "snail mail" or fax machine - instead operators fire up their radio, dial the frequency of their business partner, and wait for them to respond. Revolutionary!
Now, as the technology has matured, a new generation (dubbed "Generation HAM") has grown up using the technology, and couldn't imagine doing without. Over 1 billion people planet wide use HAM radio every day! Imagine that!
I've played through a bunch of it and it does seem like in almost every instance you can avoid combat. And disarming a person doesn't mean you keep the gun, most of the time you just drop it because you need to perform a move you can't do with the gun in your hand. It is definitely possible to mow some people down once you get your hands on a weapon, but its not required and mostly not encouraged by the game.
So you are anti-create then?