I agree that the voyager is a nice thing to be there, but even a brick (4000 bc technology...:) would fly to alpha centauri if given enough time. What would be really neat is that if it would still actually do something.
I wouldn't worry about ETs not understanding us, looking at the pictures from the 70's. Our world hasn't changed that much really, from an outsider point of view. If the ETs can figure out what the dna picture means, I bet it doesn't matter if it represents our knowledge from 1970's or 2020's.
Why is the probe running on batteries? Is it even possible to use solar power that far from the sun? What does it use energy for anyway? Is it transmitting something back to earth?
I think the biggest value added in Dell's business has been their build-to-order, which helps them reduce the inventories to minimum, as well as the optimization of the whole supply chain. It seems quite strange that they now enter the mass market, especially when they're not a component manufacturer, but an assembler of computers.
Here's an extract from dell's website, stating their mission. Note that the new model conflicts with mostly everything.
---clip---
Price for Performance. By eliminating resellers, retailers and other costly intermediary steps together with the industry's most efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process Dell offers its customers more powerful, more richly configured systems for the money than competitors.
Customization. Every Dell system is built to order. Customers get exactly, and only, what they want.
Service and Support. Dell uses knowledge gained from direct contact before and after the sale to provide award-winning, tailored customer service.
Latest Technology. Dell's efficient model means the latest relevant technology is introduced in its product lines much more quickly than through slow-moving indirect distribution channels. Inventory is turned over every 10 or fewer days, on average, keeping related costs low.
---clip---
Looking at this, I cannot help but wonder what is driving these guys into mass markets? It has never been that attractive a market, as you can see when you look at most other traditional computer manufacturers (HP, IBM...), as they move away from the manufacturing into more profitable e-business, system integration and consulting.
I know, these things get me a little confused. I'd like not to be cloned after my death, ever. The space thing was just a funny thing that occurred to me in the middle of the sentence, and I couldn't stop writing.
I'll stick to passing my dna to future generations in the traditional way, a lot more fun and less scientific.
Does it ever puzzle you to think about some future civilization on earth that discovers your skeleton, extracts your dna and brings you back to life after a million years of peaceful time underground?
I wonder, how could you make sure none of your own dna is preserved after you're done with this living thing? I still hope I have copyright for my blueprints, even after my death. Or another thing, how could you send your dna in a spaceship to distant stars, hoping that the aliens out there can clone you and start a new civilization on a nearby planet, you being the Adam or Eve...
This cloning thing is confusing me... gotta live now and worry later.
"i'd like to preface this entire comment by saying that i've been drinking. a lot."
To begin with, I've been working. The whole day.:)
"if you really want to impress people, build a machine that has no idea what the rules are, but rather is taught the rules as it plays the game. if that machine can beat the best players in the world, then we have an argument for a machine intelligence that is both strategic and insightful."
What a brilliant idea! What would be a better proof of AI than a computer that first learns the rules of the game, perhaps by looking at other people playing, and then figures out how to become a champion... now THAT would be real AI. No pre-programmed algorithms or anything. I bet it's gonna take a while before we see something like that...
Does anyone know if this even possible, or has it already been done? I mean of course in more general terms, and with simpler games etc.
Re:Can there ever be a fair match?
on
Men vs. Machines
·
· Score: 1
I agree that in serious chess one should always be able to know his adversary beforehand. The problem is, however, that where to draw the line when it comes to computers? I'd say studying the games it has played is ok, but playing against it is not. I mean, Kasparov doesn't practise with Kramnik when preparing to play with him, but only studies the games he's played recently.
Another thing, having a large memory is part of computers' nature, and I think it is just humans' disadvantage if we don't remember every single opening line perfectly. It just proves that the machine is better at something, doesn't it? Ok, someone has "given" the openings to the machine, whereas we humans have to "learn" them, it makes a difference, of course.
Finally, I'd say that a fair game includes that the machine is on it's own after the kick off. It should remain unconnected to anything outside the playing room, receive only opponent's move as input, and play the game according to whatever it has and knows. All human intervention should be forbidden during the game.
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I agree that the voyager is a nice thing to be there, but even a brick (4000 bc technology...:) would fly to alpha centauri if given enough time. What would be really neat is that if it would still actually do something.
I wouldn't worry about ETs not understanding us, looking at the pictures from the 70's. Our world hasn't changed that much really, from an outsider point of view. If the ETs can figure out what the dna picture means, I bet it doesn't matter if it represents our knowledge from 1970's or 2020's.
Why is the probe running on batteries? Is it even possible to use solar power that far from the sun? What does it use energy for anyway? Is it transmitting something back to earth?
I think the biggest value added in Dell's business has been their build-to-order, which helps them reduce the inventories to minimum, as well as the optimization of the whole supply chain. It seems quite strange that they now enter the mass market, especially when they're not a component manufacturer, but an assembler of computers.
Here's an extract from dell's website, stating their mission. Note that the new model conflicts with mostly everything.
---clip---
Price for Performance. By eliminating resellers, retailers and other costly intermediary steps together with the industry's most efficient procurement, manufacturing and distribution process Dell offers its customers more powerful, more richly configured systems for the money than competitors.
Customization. Every Dell system is built to order. Customers get exactly, and only, what they want.
Service and Support. Dell uses knowledge gained from direct contact before and after the sale to provide award-winning, tailored customer service.
Latest Technology. Dell's efficient model means the latest relevant technology is introduced in its product lines much more quickly than through slow-moving indirect distribution channels. Inventory is turned over every 10 or fewer days, on average, keeping related costs low.
---clip---
Looking at this, I cannot help but wonder what is driving these guys into mass markets? It has never been that attractive a market, as you can see when you look at most other traditional computer manufacturers (HP, IBM...), as they move away from the manufacturing into more profitable e-business, system integration and consulting.
I know, these things get me a little confused. I'd like not to be cloned after my death, ever. The space thing was just a funny thing that occurred to me in the middle of the sentence, and I couldn't stop writing.
I'll stick to passing my dna to future generations in the traditional way, a lot more fun and less scientific.
Does it ever puzzle you to think about some future civilization on earth that discovers your skeleton, extracts your dna and brings you back to life after a million years of peaceful time underground?
I wonder, how could you make sure none of your own dna is preserved after you're done with this living thing? I still hope I have copyright for my blueprints, even after my death. Or another thing, how could you send your dna in a spaceship to distant stars, hoping that the aliens out there can clone you and start a new civilization on a nearby planet, you being the Adam or Eve...
This cloning thing is confusing me... gotta live now and worry later.
"i'd like to preface this entire comment by saying that i've been drinking. a lot."
:)
To begin with, I've been working. The whole day.
"if you really want to impress people, build a machine that has no idea what the rules are, but rather is taught the rules as it plays the game. if that machine can beat the best players in the world, then we have an argument for a machine intelligence that is both strategic and insightful."
What a brilliant idea! What would be a better proof of AI than a computer that first learns the rules of the game, perhaps by looking at other people playing, and then figures out how to become a champion... now THAT would be real AI. No pre-programmed algorithms or anything. I bet it's gonna take a while before we see something like that...
Does anyone know if this even possible, or has it already been done? I mean of course in more general terms, and with simpler games etc.
I agree that in serious chess one should always be able to know his adversary beforehand. The problem is, however, that where to draw the line when it comes to computers? I'd say studying the games it has played is ok, but playing against it is not. I mean, Kasparov doesn't practise with Kramnik when preparing to play with him, but only studies the games he's played recently.
Another thing, having a large memory is part of computers' nature, and I think it is just humans' disadvantage if we don't remember every single opening line perfectly. It just proves that the machine is better at something, doesn't it? Ok, someone has "given" the openings to the machine, whereas we humans have to "learn" them, it makes a difference, of course.
Finally, I'd say that a fair game includes that the machine is on it's own after the kick off. It should remain unconnected to anything outside the playing room, receive only opponent's move as input, and play the game according to whatever it has and knows. All human intervention should be forbidden during the game.