My NEXT Camera #2

Ok, so molecular imaging is coming far in news this week.
Prediction: Digital camera's are reaching a point of ultrahigh resolution - the finale would be the ability to image the location and movement of every molecule in a 3D system. The issue is with the scanning time involved


Anyway, this is not a new idea (even I've made mention to it in the past). But it has some attention in the news.
Published by Wired News, there is a new contender for fastest camera. With this new design "Light itself moves just a fraction of a centimeter in that time."

It would appear the road trip to California has a little bit of ammunition: at UCLA, Keisuke Goda focused on this idea of serial time-encoded amplified microscopy (STEAM).

Anyway, interesting stuff.

Future Talk

Ok, here's a question for you in the transhuman movement: how do you think we'll evolve the first example of multiple hearing channels?

The hearing-brain interface is well studied - would it be an augmentation at the brain level - in the perceptual regions? Would it be the augmentation of the cochlear nerves through more mechanical means?

I argue for something stimulating nerves electrically from within the processing center.

For what it's worth, I hope this one happened sooner on the time frame as it would be a superb transhuman trait to carry on multiple, simultaneous conversations at once.

By the time we reach this point though would auditory perception be describable in these terms. Perhaps by default we will gain infinite channels of input at this level.

Talk about the voices in my head.

Note: these combined with optical nerve modification it could be possible to create virtually super high resolution images of people as if they exist in reality. As if we're always with someone invisible (Like our AI counterpart).

What would the implications of a society talking to random people be like? I suppose it might be like cell phones today. Perhaps through you're own implant you would see that there was something there, but perhaps it would be blocked. And your OptiNerv Implants would inform you thusly.

But back to my original question: how will multiple-channel audio processing evolve in humans?

Why Whedon Wrules

Ok, just a very important point to make about Joss Whedon's success with the Firefly series and also with his more recent work with NPH.

Mal's crew and the entire universe took place in a time frame that is only extended from ours. There is no gamble on intelligence in space, there is only the inevitable point to work with that 'Humans will continue to change'

This, has always been, our best feature. We are evolving right in front of our eyes and compared to Star Wars or any other popular franchise it rules out things we have little chance of accomplishing and it really exaggerates what technology we have today.

River is a super hero. We have grown up in a society that would like to see the super hero, and would do many things for it.

Including taking away that super hero's rights and freedoms to accomplish it.

The show just asks these rhetorical questions of the audience. It questions the morallity of the human race by staying focused on just one species. No BORG here to write for. This is why it's good. And this is why the fans are so focused on it.

This point can be further extended to his later work with Dr. Horrible. No super powers. Nothing that we don't make ourselves. No free rides.

This really connects to the modern human experience. Without even really drawing the focus to that fact. It just points out the obvious to the newer generation.

In the background it also really illuminates the fact that the human decisions being made are still human. The technology involved changes the game a bit, but the human decisions are always flawed in some way, Dr. Horrible's inventions are his undoing.

Automated Camermen 2

The machines would be able to self organize via GPS and modify configuration.
Here the system has been adapted as a rail for the camera to follow while recording.

Autonomous Cameramen Continued

If the robot recognizes the position of each camera actuation and compiles that data with the video (which would be aided by currently existing RealD 3D technique) you could produce a much more stable and information-rich model of what you're filming.

This would be an advantage for next-generation holographic display.
Multiple units such as these could act in synchronization in capturing a scene for 3D use.

The green and blue regions (x and y axis actuations) outline where the AI system would receive the position information from. Also note the Segway/PUMA design, for maximum stability.

Robotic Cameramen

A feature that is likely to recur.

But I want to focus on something specific about that idea, if you have a camera system, that could be fully actuated, and fast; would it be possible to scan an area completely in 3D with multiple cameras and a good use of thinking software running on fast computers, thereby replacing green screens completely, because you could just replace the backdrop in a camera generated 3D image?

I think yes, in the holographic age, yes.
(Patented Pending)

Eyes on Evolution

First there were organisms. Sensory input from directly proximal stimuli.
Then eyes, which reflected light coming from a distance.
Then language. We could explain what we saw and convert the information into something that 'accelerates learning'.

Then the photograph. Harnessing computation at the molecular level and creating a read out for others to see.
Digital sensor - a universal mathematical readout of an image in binary. Further unifying the interpretation in both the human and machine world.
Digital cameras outsell performance film cameras in the consumer market. Then the prosumer market. Then the professional market.

This is the perfect example of the Law of Accelerating Returns because each of these paradigms were only possible because of the mindset that the previous paradigm had left behind.
It also illuminates how short those paradigms last for as they continue.

In my head the difference between a D90 and a D70 from Nikon is more than 5 years. It's closer to 50 years of research in a Bell Laboratory in 1890.
But, but, but....
No buts! These are the factors:
-more people using cameras.
-more people talking to each other about cameras.
-more people (this is crucial) buying cameras.
-more camera companies.
-more camera research (sensors, lens, etc)
-the fact that this research comes from more than the camera industry at an accelerating rate (space telescope development, cameras mounted on rovers, image detection technology, etc) because...
-more people from outside the industry are doing experiments and research and combining ideas online.

Am I pointing to a super-duper camera? No, I'm just making an unprepared argument for Accelerating Returns as a fact and not a concept.
Obviously, very briefly.

My NEXT Camera #1

Ok, so I would like to outline a feature that should exist in the camera of tomorrow. I numbered the tag in the title because I plan on discussing this more as time goes on.

Ok, so a tool I use sometimes is a BIC lighter. Aside from it's obvious function, it is also a very perfect scale anemometer with a really good feedback.
So you can measure tiny air currents.

Ideally I can observe that from a single position. With a 200MP plus system, and developed intelligence systems could probably calculate changes in air flow. Dust particles. On that note a camera that could scan the movement patterns of the dust in a projector beam. I think this is a feature that will be available in the not too distant future.

One thing you might be able to do is plane a 3D cubic grid over the image and move a flame around to see how the wind reacts.
As supercomputing abilities shrink to the size of a camera this will be a standard feature.

3D holographic anemometers that work from scanning ONLY photon movement from a single perspective.

A favorite movie scene

Ok, so I'm rewatching Pulp Fiction. This is probably in my Top 5 list of movies.
I want to talk about the scene with Mia and Vincent Vega. When they get to the restaurant. The swoop that follows Vincent as he makes his entrance.


Incidentally catches the entire elaborate set and hundreds of stand ins.
Anyway, the point Mia makes during that bit of dialogue is that human communication through silence is equally as good as language. Especially for the more subtle forms of communication. When we're trying to communicate interest or love - as she was with Vincent.

She also argues that making conversation for the sake of avoiding silence is redundant.
This are things that I believe in.
I'm happy a movie as popular as Pulp Fiction takes the time to point this out.

What you don't know (can hurt you)

You don't know who I am or what my angle is. And you never will. No one will.

Kanye still doesn't get it

Ok, so if you ever get made of on South Park for having a screw-ball Napoleon complex and don't get it, that's fine.



But then you struggle like a 17 year old kid from a meth-home trying to get a 50% pass on an Essay focused on MacBeth. Apparently Kanye thought it was funny and has gone through the process of informing his fans of his agenda that includes "[MAKING] PEOPLE BELIEVE [HE'S] NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE"

I really don't think you get the joke, Kanye. But this is what Matt and Trey were expecting. If Kanye had deviated from this at all it would have seemed much less desperate.
Caps lock. Really? Writing this in full caps lock. You're retarded.
This really was a surprising thing to see. The internet is home to strange and wonderful, but this is really odd.
I hope I'm looking foolish here and it wasn't him personally but judging by the comments on the Digg submission and his blog that seems wishful. The positive thing is that he's not suing or worse.

OLED Achievment!

I'd like to take a very brief moment and discuss a couple things I've just recently uncovered.
The first item is coming to me from the blog Engadget.
The new development of OLED material is always good news, but this brings me to the second item: The Fast2Light Project - a group consisting of AGFA-Gevaert, IMEC, Holst Centre and Philips in addition to some Universities.


This project is spearheaded by manager Mary Kilitziraki. In an interview about a year ago, she seems to really understand the developments in this field. She is devoted to dethroning the current OLED technology which utilizes various layers of plastics and metals. She understands that the flexible display technology of tomorrow need also be fully transparent if need be.

This is what she was focused on a year ago when she talked to OLED-INFO.COM

Now, she has succeeded. The old material indium tin oxide is out.
Fast2Light's Orgacon is in.
One step closer.

JDM HQ

This is 70 images on my D90 stitched together. I tried to edit the control points to optimize it, but I still have a couple things to focus on in the future:
1) The bright orange shelf over my desk is difficult to warp properly, some orange 'fuzz' surrounds it.
2) The closet door is considerably out of proportion more than the windows.
3) The light coming through makes a reflection pattern ( you can see it as those green waves across the book shelf)
4) Too much vignetting, avoid the cir. pol filter.

Happy Easter

I waited until today to buy work pants/shoes/belt and forgot about this obsolete holiday.
Ooops, apologies to Randy Marsh.

Sanctum Piter oteum, Deus ore uneum
Hippitus hoppitus reus homine
In suspiratoreum, lepus in re sanctum
Hippitus hoppitus Deus Domine

Kanye didn't get it.

Ok, so last night's South Park was a great deal more welcome than last weeks Queef sisters. It was focusing yet even more on the demented thinking process of Eric Cartman, and how he augments his reality to satisfy his desires.



It was pretty good, but the best part of it was the dis towards Kanye West from Matt and Trey. They obviously dislike the man for some good reasons, and this episode with the fish dicks joke really summed it up.

Carlos Mencia: You're a gay fish... man. C'mon man.
Really terrific stuff last night.

Hey, this is neat.

Segway and GM for the win on this electrical car.
Zero turning radius reminds me of Speed Racer T180 design.

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen hosted SNL this past weekend. I've just got around to watching it. All this episode did for me was made me love Bill Hader more.


Earlier this season John Malkovich was on the show and Bill was in the Skit "La Revista Della Televisione", in which Bill always does very breif impersonation of the guest. His J.Malkovich is really hilarious, and he got to do it again a week ago pretending to be talking to Seth Meyers about Bernie Madoff in the Malko-guise.

Anyway, he burned Seth Rogen this week in the same way, really capitalizing on Rogen's AM announcer voice. These two are really good on screen together.
That image is a retitled movie poster from Superbad used in the skit. Seth is bearman.

Panorama Art

I took these earlier today and using a trial piece of software called PTGui, created this:

Enjoy.

Eeny Teeny Maya Moe

This season is shipping up to include some of the best episodes ever. I'm saying that as a Simpsons-Child (circa. 1988) and having experienced a lifetime of Simpsons episodes these recent episodes starting with Gone Maggie Gone from about 5 weeks ago.

The new 720p standard has actually raised the bar in other respects we are seeing.
This week's episode stars an A-plot with Moe. This is his best performance in drama. He loses faith at the end, but things are turned around with just truly original conception. Moe's fragility is a recurring theme. But he is rewarded at the end with some good advice.
This one is Emmy-worthy. The most emotional episode yet.

Accepted

This is the model I made for a portfolio and my letter from Ryerson University.

POWER

Ok, so I was discussing this the other day with a compadre. What automobile has more appeal: electric or petrol? Especially in terms of power.
Consider the oil industry's opinion of GM's EV1? They destroyed that.
It makes me consider the episode of The Simpsons where they go to Epcot and enjoy a ride called 'The Electric Car'. The ride was sponsored by the oil companies. Between the current geek-favorite: Tesla and the newer Shelby Ultimate Aero EV old stereotypes of electric motor drive trains are disappearing.

The later mentioned EV includes "twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration" - this is the new power plant that electricity promises. Although I suppose it's not as obvious as when you look under the hood and see an equally impressive V12. But that's part of the paradigm shift that we're in the middle of. People that grow up and experience electric cars dominating in motorsports will have a much different understanding of transportation.
There is a good chance that our generations experience which was initially shaped by Petrol performance will be one of the more enlightened as electric systems continue to take over.
The most recent development I want to bring up is the Hydrogen Cell concept from my favorite company of all: Mercedes Benz.
The F Cell concept looks more like a stage coach than a normal auto. I'm surprised that it's not toting iCoach for Mercedes as an autopilot system.


It's time for a paradigm passage in progressing power.
But the question is, what's more powerful? The old or the new. I think you know my stance.

The news I love to blog about!

Incredibly exciting news. News that reaches me on a very personal level. This news - news of an intelligent, problem solving robot at Aberystwyth in the UK has reached my ears.



I know very little about the project, I do know that it has worked and isolating gene's and their functions in brewers yeast. The advantage to the automation is that it could carry out 1000 individual gene experiments a day, deriving information from a massive encyclopedia of varied samples gene mutations in the yeast.

The noted discovery in the article from New Scientist explains that the robot dubbed ADAM had identified several genes and hypothesized which 3 encode an enzyme important in producing the amino acid lysine - it was tested by humans and was accurate.

Although this is on a small scale, and the experiments were part of a series, the robot was still able to guide the direction of new experiments it performed from what it new in the previous set of experiments. A learning system. The incredible efficiency of this new intelligence is increasing so rapidly. The tools that will be available to us in 5 years, 10? It's unimaginable.

The Prof. at Cambridge who's quoted in the article imagines "robots may even be capable of conducting truly independent research".

I postulate that the December 12, 2012 doomsday prediction will be the advent of machine intelligence. When I search for 'Artificial' on 2012predictions.net I find nothing. When I Google predictions that early very few items can be found.

At any rate we are on track to have it sooner than we realize.


The other thing from today's news I wanted to talk about is the unanimous approval and submission of an immediate press release from a company called VisionCare discusses a new form of micro technology lens design. This company, according to their website, have tested this in 200 clinical trials.

More and more proof everyday that we are the ultimate, evolving species.