I think that Algebra is one of the most important math courses for young people.
I learned Algebra in 7th grade (I had a great teacher). I stopped taking Math courses in 10th grade, and didn't start-up again until my mid-twenties, when I decided to return to school instead of remain working at word-processing jobs by day (while trying to write novels and children's stories by night).
I found that I still understood the Algebra after I returned to school. I was pleasantly surprised. To my mind, it's because Algebra can be learned as a set of ideas, rather than a set of facts and rules to be memorized and forgotten. (I'm not called 'Forgotten Password' for nothing).
Later, I taught Algebra in college, as well as to junior high kids. I've watched a lot of Algebra instructors: I was often disappointed by what I saw, and wondered how any of the kids in the classroom could possibly see the simplicity, or fun, or beauty of the subject by listening to the instructor that they'd been placed with.
Without interest, insight and a little mathematical maturity on the part of the instructor, Algebra can easily be taught as a book-keeping or rule-memorization activity, rather than as a perspective and mode of inquiry. And, if students learn that Algebra is boring, I doubt that it will be easy for them to find the fun in future science or math classes.
Sorry for the rant. I just think that Algebra is an incredibly important subject that should be taught well.
If advanced(?) civilizations eventually spread their broadcast information content (e.g. cell phone calls) evenly across the radio spectrum, does that mean that if we were to tune into the radio emissions from such a planet (e.g., earth in 20 years as observed from the moon) that there would be no readily discernable signals, but rather the planet's radio signature would appear to be just a bunch of evenly distributed radio noise,-- since broadcasters would dynamically fill any frequency "holes" that might appear?
Turning our attention to observing planets outside our solar system: would our current SETI searches be able to tell that such a radio spectrum represented information content? If not, how would a SETI search have to be organized to recognize this signature of a radio-active;-) civilization?
I wouldn't worry too much about burning a bridge or two when you're young,-- if you then get a degree. It takes effort for a prospective employer to look past the most recent degree on a resume....completing a degree is like being reborn into the job market, with all prior work sins cleansed.
At 19, I think that your primary concern should be your long-term strategy: what would you like to be doing in 10, 20, 30+ years? What is the background of people who are older than you and presently employed in the types of jobs you want to occupy? How can you get a similar background, and position, by the time you are their age? (or sooner, or course.)
If you don't organize and follow a strategy to achieve long term goals while you're young, please try not to act surprised when your job sucks rotten eggs 20 years from now.
Also, I maintain that at your age there is nothing wrong with being fired a few times while you're figuring out what you want to do, and how to get ahead.
Having said all that, I don't recommend that you 'go down swinging'. Whether it's true, or not, I would encourage you to think of this problem as an opportunity to distinguish yourself in the eyes of your boss and your IT manager through the maturity you show in taking an appropriate level of initiative to resolve the problem.
...and, if that requires personal growth on your part, so much the better. Maturity and depth are often hard won qualities, and do not come automatically with age.
I maintain that it's good to practice thinking like this, as there *will* be more complex situations than this that you will feel a need to turn to your advantage as your career progresses.
Summary (Where's Waldo?): Develop a protocol to intelligently look out the cameras attached to, or the "windows" of, the web.
Preface: My guess is that the planet, as well as the solar system, will soon be 'covered' with a large set of randomly distributed CCD cameras attached to the web,-- managed by many different people/orgs.
At the same time: 1.) It would be nice to be able to take a virtual walk that preserves physical continuity, by visiting camera after camera: maybe even "walking up" into outer space, or "down" into the oceans when the available window-space of the web makes that possible.
2.) It would also be nice to be able to visually locate, as well as visually follow someone,--let's assume that they want to be located and followed and that they are aiding us in our attempt at finding them and 'sharing their day' by carrying a portable GPS that is also attached to the web. (Super ICQ.) --in the future, image recognition would become an order of the day--
More Specifically: Perhaps a fun AI project would be to a.) develop a web front-end and internet protocol for the cameras in WWW-space (that wanted to participate in the window-space of the web) that would allow these cameras to be query-able as to location and pointing, as well as b.) develop a traversable network of these nodes which could be correlated with (real-time) positional and GPS data (or other types of data,--but we're just starting out so let's make the problem well-defined).
quick aside: --Could you build camera-anonymity into the project?
In any case: there is
1.) A theory component:
a.) Developing the protocol. (which would need to be complete enough to take into account our outer-space, under-water, etc., nodes.) b.) Developing the traversal algorithms (which can be your AI component).
2.) A technology component: a.) You can get five, or 10, or a hundred cameras, and one of those cute SONY GPS devices and implement a 'toy' system as proof of concept.
3.) A web component: a.) As well as being inherently web-centric, there are multiple web front-ends that could be put on a system like this.
4.)...The ever-present commercial component: a.) Realistically, building a new, ordered, visual means of traversing the web will have plenty of commercial spin-offs.
Slashdot Mirror
I think that Algebra is one of the most important math courses for young people.
I learned Algebra in 7th grade (I had a great teacher). I stopped taking Math courses in 10th grade, and didn't start-up again until my mid-twenties, when I decided to return to school instead of remain working at word-processing jobs by day (while trying to write novels and children's stories by night).
I found that I still understood the Algebra after I returned to school. I was pleasantly surprised. To my mind, it's because Algebra can be learned as a set of ideas, rather than a set of facts and rules to be memorized and forgotten. (I'm not called 'Forgotten Password' for nothing).
Later, I taught Algebra in college, as well as to junior high kids. I've watched a lot of Algebra instructors: I was often disappointed by what I saw, and wondered how any of the kids in the classroom could possibly see the simplicity, or fun, or beauty of the subject by listening to the instructor that they'd been placed with.
Without interest, insight and a little mathematical maturity on the part of the instructor, Algebra can easily be taught as a book-keeping or rule-memorization activity, rather than as a perspective and mode of inquiry. And, if students learn that Algebra is boring, I doubt that it will be easy for them to find the fun in future science or math classes.
Sorry for the rant. I just think that Algebra is an incredibly important subject that should be taught well.
Best wishes,
Forgotten Password
If advanced(?) civilizations eventually spread their broadcast information content (e.g. cell phone calls) evenly across the radio spectrum, does that mean that if we were to tune into the radio emissions from such a planet (e.g., earth in 20 years as observed from the moon) that there would be no readily discernable signals, but rather the planet's radio signature would appear to be just a bunch of evenly distributed radio noise,-- since broadcasters would dynamically fill any frequency "holes" that might appear?
;-) civilization?
Turning our attention to observing planets outside our solar system: would our current SETI searches be able to tell that such a radio spectrum represented information content? If not, how would a SETI search have to be organized to recognize this signature of a radio-active
--Forgotten Password
I wouldn't worry too much about burning a bridge or two when you're young,-- if you then get a degree. It takes effort for a prospective employer to look past the most recent degree on a resume. ...completing a degree is like being reborn into the job market, with all prior work sins cleansed.
At 19, I think that your primary concern should be your long-term strategy: what would you like to be doing in 10, 20, 30+ years? What is the background of people who are older than you and presently employed in the types of jobs you want to occupy? How can you get a similar background, and position, by the time you are their age? (or sooner, or course.)
If you don't organize and follow a strategy to achieve long term goals while you're young, please try not to act surprised when your job sucks rotten eggs 20 years from now.
Also, I maintain that at your age there is nothing wrong with being fired a few times while you're figuring out what you want to do, and how to get ahead.
Having said all that, I don't recommend that you 'go down swinging'. Whether it's true, or not, I would encourage you to think of this problem as an opportunity to distinguish yourself in the eyes of your boss and your IT manager through the maturity you show in taking an appropriate level of initiative to resolve the problem.
...and, if that requires personal growth on your part, so much the better. Maturity and depth are often hard won qualities, and do not come automatically with age.
I maintain that it's good to practice thinking like this, as there *will* be more complex situations than this that you will feel a need to turn to your advantage as your career progresses.
Remember, "practice makes better".
Good luck,
--Phil
Summary (Where's Waldo?):
Develop a protocol to intelligently look out the cameras attached to, or the "windows" of, the web.
Preface:
My guess is that the planet, as well as the solar system, will soon be 'covered' with a large set of randomly distributed CCD cameras attached to the web,-- managed by many different people/orgs.
At the same time:
1.) It would be nice to be able to take a virtual walk that preserves physical continuity, by visiting camera after camera: maybe even "walking up" into outer space, or "down" into the oceans when the available window-space of the web makes that possible.
2.) It would also be nice to be able to visually locate, as well as visually follow someone,--let's assume that they want to be located and followed and that they are aiding us in our attempt at finding them and 'sharing their day' by carrying a portable GPS that is also attached to the web. (Super ICQ.)
--in the future, image recognition would become an order of the day--
More Specifically:
Perhaps a fun AI project would be to a.) develop a web front-end and internet protocol for the cameras in WWW-space (that wanted to participate in the window-space of the web) that would allow these cameras to be query-able as to location and pointing, as well as b.) develop a traversable network of these nodes which could be correlated with (real-time) positional and GPS data (or other types of data,--but we're just starting out so let's make the problem well-defined).
quick aside:
--Could you build camera-anonymity into the project?
In any case: there is
1.) A theory component:
a.) Developing the protocol. (which would need to be complete enough to take into account our outer-space, under-water, etc., nodes.)
b.) Developing the traversal algorithms (which can be your AI component).
2.) A technology component:
a.) You can get five, or 10, or a hundred cameras, and one of those cute SONY GPS devices and implement a 'toy' system as proof of concept.
3.) A web component:
a.) As well as being inherently web-centric, there are multiple web front-ends that could be put on a system like this.
4.) ...The ever-present commercial component:
a.) Realistically, building a new, ordered, visual means of traversing the web will have plenty of commercial spin-offs.
Best wishes,
--Forgotten Password.