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!)

Screw that last post. THIS one:

Ladies and dudes: Dan Telfer.

John Hodgman vs Patton Oswalt

LOBOT!

Science Fiction Trivia Challenge: John Hodgman vs Patton Oswalt

From WFMU's Beware of the Blog

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.

30 rock porn

finally. "beep beep, bop bop. I'm a black robot motherfucker." Totally SFW.

Revenge of the Nerds

John Hodgman - "I'm a PC" and occasional Daily Show contributor - gave a speech at the Radio and TV Correspondents' Dinner last Friday, slightly roasting Obama. Hail to the Chief Nerd.

How did I miss this?

Excerpt from a piece by Michael Goldfarb with reference to Orson Swindle on McCain;

"It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others. John McCain has often said he witnessed a thousand acts of bravery while he was imprisoned, and though not every one has been submitted into the public record, they are remembered by the men who were there (one such only recently reported by Karl Rove though it escaped mention in any of Senator McCain's books). But as Swindle said, this is a "desperate group of people trying to make something out of nothing."

Clearly this guy has never tanked Shattered Halls, or Tempest Keep, and had Shaman gear drop. Ignoramus.