CompInfoFuture Homework 13: Cat-Mediated Zombification by Brain Parasites

chrishota — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:55:26 +0000

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Recall the relevant class. Comment on Toxoplasma Gondii. What do you think??
1. 1. 1. 1. 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!
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.

CompInfoFuture Homework 10: Proof and Project

chrishota — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:16:33 +0000

We discussed in class how there is no such thing as a “scientific proof.” Explain in your own words.
- Every scientific theory must take into account that there may be new and better evidence discovered in the future which may negate or extend that theory. Therefore, scientific theories take into account that nothing is ever “final” and therefore the theory is only ever the currently-available best explanation, that fits available evidence. This contrasts with the closed systems of logic and mathematics, where proofs can be reliably proven.
- From a Psychology Today article, “Common Misconceptions About Science“: “The creationists and other critics of evolution are absolutely correct when they point out that evolution is “just a theory” and it is not “proven.” What they neglect to mention is that everything in science is just a theory and is never proven. Unlike the Prime Number Theorem, which will absolutely and forever be true, it is still possible, albeit very, very, very, very, very unlikely, that the theory of evolution by natural and sexual selection may one day turn out to be false. But then again, it is also possible, albeit very, very, very, very, very unlikely, that monkeys will fly out of my ass tomorrow. In my judgment, both events are about equally likely.”
Write a new part for your project of 250 words or more.

- Up until recently, the view of most people was that interacting with the digital world would mean “jacking in” to some sort of fully-simulated virtual reality environment. However, a recent confluence of technologies is beginning to birth a new outlook on digital interaction: Augmented Reality.
- Current iterations of AR technology are exemplified by the iPhone 3GS. This state-of-the-art phone combines ample storage space (up to 32 Gb), GPS location, compass, video camera, impressive processing and RAM capacity (for doing complex visual recognition), and touch-screen interaction. These integrated, high-quality elements make the iPhone a good platform for writing AR applications.
- AR interfaces overlay digital information over our analog sight system (eyes) through technological mediation of some sort. This mediation can be in the form of images projected directly on the retina, through a loupe or other viewing device (such as a phone), and maybe one day through direct ocular prostheses.
- Augmented Reality applications include a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, military and emergency-response, prospecting, architecture and other real-world design fields, sight-seeing, collaboration (usually with the name “mixed reality”), and entertainment.
- Some existing examples of augmented reality for iPhone include:
  - Le Bar Guide, sponsored by Stella Artois, transforms the iPhone into a loupe: hold it up and turn, and it will tell you where the nearest Stella-serving bar is located, as well as give you reviews and indications of amenities.
  - Car Finder solves a minor annoyance that many people face; namely, the “where did I park” moment that people experience upon leaving a shopping center or other location with a large parking lot. Simply ping your location upon leaving your car, and when you’re ready to return, the application will guide you on the quickest path back to where you’ve parked.

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CompInfoFuture Homework 13: Cat-Mediated Zombification by Brain Parasites

CompInfoFuture Homework 10: Proof and Project