CHINESE TYPEWRITERS
THE CHINESE invented the world’s first movable-type printing press around 1040 A.D., yet practical Chinese typewriting had to wait until the late 20th-century and the computer era. Indeed, there has … Continue reading
ROLL OVER EVERY FEW WEEKS
I USED to believe that bears were the typical hibernators. However, “Squirrels With a Rainy Day Fund,” by Mitch Leslie, in AAAS Science magazine, March 2, 2018, encouraged a bit … Continue reading
QUANTUM AND AI TIDBITS PART 2
WHAT A challenging time for artificial intelligence! Quantum computers have proven their efficacy by running millions of test programs. Yet there are fundamental questions remaining about AI. Here are two. … Continue reading
QUANTUM AND AI TIDBITS PART 1
I AM fascinated by AI, artificial intelligence, and its potential capabilities enhanced by the hyper performance of quantum computers. Today and tomorrow, I offer several tidbits I’ve collected over the … Continue reading
STEVEN PINKER AND ENLIGHTENMENT
IT IS only appropriate to offer some optimism after yesterday’s SimanaitisSays item on Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 dark and wonderful Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love … Continue reading
MAKE-DOS—DONE BRILLIANTLY
WHAT FOLLWS are scientific counterexamples of the cautionary “Use Only as Directed” label on everything these days from prescription drugs to coat hangers. Science, the weekly magazine of the American … Continue reading
WHAT’S A “78,” GRANDPA?
HEARING ABOUT the Great 78 Project may fall on ear-bud-deadened senses. But, in fact, it’s an interesting project for anyone interested in recorded music. The Great 78 Project is a … Continue reading
SMART CLOTHES
THE TERM “dressing smart” used to mean a man’s natty decorative handkerchief in a blazer breast pocket or a woman’s fine pearls and simple black dress. The technology of smart … Continue reading
NIPS IN LONG BEACH, LRB REPORTS
LONG BEACH, California, about 20 miles up the 405 from where I live, had an international conference this past December on NIPS, Neural Information Processing Systems. The London Review of … Continue reading
ACCESS + ABILITY AT THE COOPER HEWITT
THE COOPER HEWITT, Smithsonian Design Museum has a thoughtful exhibit focusing on accessibility and inclusive designs developed for and by people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. The Cooper Hewitt, … Continue reading
