Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri was published in January 31, 1999. It is the only game to have invoke in me both a sense of introspection and an awareness of the sweep of time. It is less of a game than a novel and a movie combined. From the lights of its compelling narrative I saw the glimmer of an inspiring future. From the moment of the landing on Planet to The End of the Singular Sentience Era, humanity's strive and progress rages unabated. On this 10th anniversary of publication, I salute you SMAC!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wireless, future
me: wireless is going to be one of the emerging economic frontiers, I'm excited about its prospects
basti: Yeah, I've seen this inductive power things before.
It will definitely be a luxury, but I am not sure it's such an innovation.
me: it will be a boon in manufacturing, electronics and drive new consumer demand
basti: You still have to make a physical connection - it's just a qualification on what kind of connection that is.
me: yes, there only needs to be one physical connection now as oppose to say, twelve
basti: No, there are still twelve physical connections.
me: how?
basti: Well, compare wireless power to wireless networking.
Wireless networking is much more of an innovation (when it was invented, like, a billion years ago) because it means that whether two devices in a communications network can connect is no longer a function of their locations. There is no need for a physical connection at all. I can put my laptop or cordless phone at any (x,y,z) point in this entire house and still be chatting with you. Inductive power doesn't really work like that. I can't take my laptop out onto the patio and have it powered there. I need to stick it on charging surface. So, while I no longer have to fumble around with cords and the very precise physical action of connecting the male power adapter to my laptop's female AC input, I still have some restrictions on where I can place my laptop if I want it charged.
I'm trading a precise action of "male->female connector" for a less precise action of "place on mat." But I'm still stuck to that mat. Whether I receive power is still a function of the location of my laptop - it's just not nearly as constrained as before. Do you see what I mean?
me: yes
basti: I'm just moving up in the classes of connectors from the simpler "male-female" style to a much more flexible "contact point" style. This can provide a lot of luxury, but it's not terrible groundbreaking.
me: sure, and it will drive innovations in industrial design. That is why I'm optimistic about its economic impacts
basti: Yeah, definitely. But you do realise this is nothing in comparison to what we would see with consumer-grade true wireless power. That would truly be monumental.
The effects might seem kind of minor, but, man, that coupled with cheap energy, and we'd really be living in the future.
me: we will also be dosed with electromagnetic radiation
basti: Yes, but we already are. EM radiation sounds scary, 'cause it has the word radiation in it, but the term radiation in this sense does not mean alpha or gamma decay; it refers to the dispersal mechanism. It "radiates." Sitting in a room with a lightbulb on exposes us to electromagnetic radiation. As does going out in the sun.
However, one is far more damaging than the other, which suggestions that the problem isn't just that it's EM radiation, but that there is some qualifying aspect to it. e.g., UV rays and radicalising, &c. Anyway, I have no idea how consumer-grade wireless power would even work.
me: anyways, wouldn't it give great satisfaction to be working on those technologies that would bring society into the future? Instead of analyzing human's pettiness, endlessly
basti: Is that really what we do?
me: yes, and in doing so we try to free ourselves of this pettiness
basti: Yeah, that's good. Better than some damn boring power engineering crap.
I prefer the analytical path, really. What would you suggest?
me: whichever that makes the more money and gives more spare time
basti: ha, sinecure
me: honestly, something that would be continuously challenging. I imagine the power engineers would be like "Ok, what now?" after they introduce wireless power
basti: Well, it would be a long, long path to just that. Like, I could just as well become a doctor with the intent of curing cancer.
basti: Yeah, I've seen this inductive power things before.
It will definitely be a luxury, but I am not sure it's such an innovation.
me: it will be a boon in manufacturing, electronics and drive new consumer demand
basti: You still have to make a physical connection - it's just a qualification on what kind of connection that is.
me: yes, there only needs to be one physical connection now as oppose to say, twelve
basti: No, there are still twelve physical connections.
me: how?
basti: Well, compare wireless power to wireless networking.
Wireless networking is much more of an innovation (when it was invented, like, a billion years ago) because it means that whether two devices in a communications network can connect is no longer a function of their locations. There is no need for a physical connection at all. I can put my laptop or cordless phone at any (x,y,z) point in this entire house and still be chatting with you. Inductive power doesn't really work like that. I can't take my laptop out onto the patio and have it powered there. I need to stick it on charging surface. So, while I no longer have to fumble around with cords and the very precise physical action of connecting the male power adapter to my laptop's female AC input, I still have some restrictions on where I can place my laptop if I want it charged.
I'm trading a precise action of "male->female connector" for a less precise action of "place on mat." But I'm still stuck to that mat. Whether I receive power is still a function of the location of my laptop - it's just not nearly as constrained as before. Do you see what I mean?
me: yes
basti: I'm just moving up in the classes of connectors from the simpler "male-female" style to a much more flexible "contact point" style. This can provide a lot of luxury, but it's not terrible groundbreaking.
me: sure, and it will drive innovations in industrial design. That is why I'm optimistic about its economic impacts
basti: Yeah, definitely. But you do realise this is nothing in comparison to what we would see with consumer-grade true wireless power. That would truly be monumental.
The effects might seem kind of minor, but, man, that coupled with cheap energy, and we'd really be living in the future.
me: we will also be dosed with electromagnetic radiation
basti: Yes, but we already are. EM radiation sounds scary, 'cause it has the word radiation in it, but the term radiation in this sense does not mean alpha or gamma decay; it refers to the dispersal mechanism. It "radiates." Sitting in a room with a lightbulb on exposes us to electromagnetic radiation. As does going out in the sun.
However, one is far more damaging than the other, which suggestions that the problem isn't just that it's EM radiation, but that there is some qualifying aspect to it. e.g., UV rays and radicalising, &c. Anyway, I have no idea how consumer-grade wireless power would even work.
me: anyways, wouldn't it give great satisfaction to be working on those technologies that would bring society into the future? Instead of analyzing human's pettiness, endlessly
basti: Is that really what we do?
me: yes, and in doing so we try to free ourselves of this pettiness
basti: Yeah, that's good. Better than some damn boring power engineering crap.
I prefer the analytical path, really. What would you suggest?
me: whichever that makes the more money and gives more spare time
basti: ha, sinecure
me: honestly, something that would be continuously challenging. I imagine the power engineers would be like "Ok, what now?" after they introduce wireless power
basti: Well, it would be a long, long path to just that. Like, I could just as well become a doctor with the intent of curing cancer.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Some thoughts
11:00 AM basti: haha
This is almost dramatic.
Like, there is so much pessimism about the future of the nation, with this being held up as a chance for a return to past greatness.
But it doesn't even try.
And it's obviously trying to try.
This is almost dramatic.
Like, there is so much pessimism about the future of the nation, with this being held up as a chance for a return to past greatness.
But it doesn't even try.
And it's obviously trying to try.
Friday, January 16, 2009
A Song of Ice and Fire in a Chinese Wiki
冰与火之歌
《冰与火之歌》系列
共七部：
第一部《权力的游戏》（A Game Of Thrones）
第二部《列王的纷争》（A Clash Of Kings）
第三部《冰雨的风暴》（A Storm Of Swords）
第四部《群鸦的盛宴》（A Feast Of Crows）
第五部《魔龙的狂舞》（Dance with Dragons)
第六部《凛冬的寒风》（The Wind of Winter）
第七部《春晓的梦想》（A Dream of Spring）(原先为 A Time for Wolves「奔狼的年代」)
作者已经完成并出版的为前四部，其中前四部已经由重庆出版社引进发行，翻译用心，质量非常优秀。
外传 《邓肯与伊戈》 系列
《雇用骑士》（The Hedge Knight）
《效忠剑士》（The Sworn Sword）
Translation on the titles have minor variations. 《权力的游戏》 is "A Game of Power" and 《冰雨的风暴》 is literally "A Storm of Icy Rain".
My take on the variations: the term 'power' is more salient to a Chinese audience. Struggle for the throne (singular) in Chinese historiography often meant a rebellion caused by grass roots discontent, natural disasters befalling the populace that nevertheless is perceived as a supernatural portent for dynastic change. Although the world of Westeros is on the verge of a supernatural cataclysm, it is not enough of a smoking gun for the events in the world of Ice and Fire. Hence, the story does not quite fit in the Chinese literary memory as something of a struggle for the 'throne'.
"Icy Rain"? or sleet? No idea.
"A Clash Of Kings" - see the Warring States, the Three Kingdoms, the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In short, yes, it is in the Chinese literary memory and hence would cause no dissonance.
《冰与火之歌》系列
共七部：
第一部《权力的游戏》（A Game Of Thrones）
第二部《列王的纷争》（A Clash Of Kings）
第三部《冰雨的风暴》（A Storm Of Swords）
第四部《群鸦的盛宴》（A Feast Of Crows）
第五部《魔龙的狂舞》（Dance with Dragons)
第六部《凛冬的寒风》（The Wind of Winter）
第七部《春晓的梦想》（A Dream of Spring）(原先为 A Time for Wolves「奔狼的年代」)
作者已经完成并出版的为前四部，其中前四部已经由重庆出版社引进发行，翻译用心，质量非常优秀。
外传 《邓肯与伊戈》 系列
《雇用骑士》（The Hedge Knight）
《效忠剑士》（The Sworn Sword）
Translation on the titles have minor variations. 《权力的游戏》 is "A Game of Power" and 《冰雨的风暴》 is literally "A Storm of Icy Rain".
My take on the variations: the term 'power' is more salient to a Chinese audience. Struggle for the throne (singular) in Chinese historiography often meant a rebellion caused by grass roots discontent, natural disasters befalling the populace that nevertheless is perceived as a supernatural portent for dynastic change. Although the world of Westeros is on the verge of a supernatural cataclysm, it is not enough of a smoking gun for the events in the world of Ice and Fire. Hence, the story does not quite fit in the Chinese literary memory as something of a struggle for the 'throne'.
"Icy Rain"? or sleet? No idea.
"A Clash Of Kings" - see the Warring States, the Three Kingdoms, the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In short, yes, it is in the Chinese literary memory and hence would cause no dissonance.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Anyone want to go to México?
"Anyone want to go to México?"
Grapefruit. The rush of relief that drug war violence didn't spill over from the Rio Grande. God Bless America.
Managed to pick 23 tons of grapefruit and citrus with 40 people in one day. Few people hauled off about 20 pounds of souvenir but I only felt like bringing one citrus back. And on the way to boarding a female flight attendant said that it looked lonely.
Citrus, poignantly alone
Grapefruit. The rush of relief that drug war violence didn't spill over from the Rio Grande. God Bless America.
Managed to pick 23 tons of grapefruit and citrus with 40 people in one day. Few people hauled off about 20 pounds of souvenir but I only felt like bringing one citrus back. And on the way to boarding a female flight attendant said that it looked lonely.
Citrus, poignantly alone
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