These guys may save us

Did you hear this NPR story about The Singularity Institute? The organization is trying to understand what may happen if computers get to be so smart they take over.

The story was broadcast on about two weeks ago - sorry I only now just got around to thinking about posting it. Ooops!



The entire piece is 7 minutes. A bit long, but it's fun to listen to. And includes this wonderful quote:

If you want to maximize your expected utility, you try to save the world and the future of intergalactic civilization instead of donating your money to the society for curing rare diseases and cute puppies.

(By the way, hi people of POT! Sorry I've been absent for a while!)

Fortune smiles...

For my CGI class this semester we had to draw occupations out of a hat to create. I chose "Professional Wrestler".

I'm thinking Dwarf Luchador, but am open to any particularly good suggestions. Anyone?

IM HERE

What do we think about this?

All those Moments will be Lost...

Blade Runner - Tears in Rain (in LEGO) from Zach Macias on Vimeo.

Seen on various blongs. Lifted from the Vimeo site. Rutger FTW.

Origami and its "real-life" applications

Since we are being infected by Japanese sex robots, I figured I'd try to find some sort of counterbalance. Superstar artist Corinne Kamiya posted this on facebook. I thought I'd re-post it here. It has a funny sort of parallel resonance to how the Europeans found ukiyo-e in their packing crates in the nineteenth century and went crazy.

Art question

Mr. Tanaka, my elementary school art teacher who has taught K-9 art since 1977, says computers are changing the way students experience art.

I think art programs have changed drastically because of the computer ... which makes kids think that they can produce something, because they can make it on the computer. But it's not the same as really making something. They tend to have poor motor skills as a result.

I haven't talked to him personally about this personally - the quote was in an alumni newsletter my school sends out. I think it's fascinating though. What does this mean for the art 20 to 30 years from now? Do you think it matters? Or will talented artists emerge regardless of whether they develop good motor skills when they're young?

Apologies if this is something people in the art world talk about all the time... This was the first I'd heard of it.