Wednesday December 9, 2009 13:55
CompInfoFuture Homework 13: Cat-Mediated Zombification by Brain Parasites
Image via Wikipedia
- Recall the relevant class. Comment on Toxoplasma Gondii. What do you think??
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- In an abstract sense, things affecting our psychology are nothing new. All of the effects of toxoplasma gondii can supposedly have on us can also be the result of psychological stimulation, like being on a sports team, or having an overbearing mother.
- So, I’m not too shook up about it. Then again, I live with two cats (and have all my life). Who’s to say I’m not infected, and just being a mouth for the protozoa? If it were really as sinister and slippery as characterized, it would’ve long ago made me love my cats so much that I would defend our relationship no matter what.
- Therefore, as a possible gondii-controlled human by cat proxy, I must recuse myself from the question!
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- Add more to your project. Put the new stuff in a new blog posting. Consider new material that has some connection to Toxoplasma Gondii. Alternatively, it could have a connection to some other parasite or disease, or parasites or diseases more generally. Or it might be about something completely different…your choice!
- For my project, there’s not much that organisms (other than humans) factor in. So, I decided to read and take notes on the “Internet of Things,” also known as “object hyperlinking.”
- There are a few ways to get this done. Either every device can be “smart” and carry its own addressability (identification), or one can overlay identification onto “dumb” objects, similar to asset tagging.
- There have been recent rumors that Apple will put an RFID scanner into its 4th generation iPhone. This would truly bring this concept to the forefront in the US.
- However, the Japanese market is already used to such convenience, using their RFID-enabled phones to interface with the ATM network, get on public transit, pay for parking, and hyper-local information retrieval.
- Some other uses of RFID include:
- Tracking of endangered species. Arizona’s Saguaro National Park is implanting RFID tags into cactii to be able to track when they’re stolen. Likewise, the New Delhi forest department requires that elephants get implants to prevent illegal trade.
- For that matter, tracking non-endangered species like cattle can provide a chain of accountability for meat products.
- Tracking things you don’t want to lose, like surgical sponges, car keys, pets, etc.
- Authentication. The article mentions police badges, but I’ve also read that high-price, commonly-knocked-off luxury handbags will also be getting RFID chips, to prove authenticity. (For example, an RFID signed with Gucci’s public key inside a purse).
- Tracking prisoners. This is kind of scary, but: “Forced to release prisoners due to overcrowding, Britain wants to chip them. Cops would know if, say, a felon enters a school.”
- Hong Kong has had RFID-enabled payment cards since 1997 (Octopus Card). These cards were originally used for public transit, but now can be used at stores, vending machines, parking meters, and many other places, including in other parts of mainland China.
- Another way, besides RFID, is the use of QR Codes to “tag” an object. These codes (2D bit matrices) can be generated and decoded easily in software, printed on a sticker, and stuck to an object. QR Code readers were some of the first applications to enter the App Store for iPhone. Now there are many 2D barcode readers available for iPhonee which use the built-in camera.
- Category: Computing, Information, and the Future
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