Coming soon: a device that lets you check your own vital signs the the press of a button.
English opera with surtitles
Because singing distorts words–stretching out vowels, and, especially in the case of classical singing, de-emphasizing some consonants–it can sometimes be hard to understand what a singer is saying, even if you speak the same language. My wife and I have often commented that even English-language opera should probably have surtitles (which are like movie subtitles, …
Blogging on the go
My newest toy–um, tool–is an Audiovox PPC-6600 “Harrier” PDA/cellphone. It’s not too painful using the virtual, stylus-operated keyboard (I’m not a big fan of thumb-typing, the other alternative). And soon I’ll have a nice little folding Bluetooth keyboard. So I now have, theoretically, at least, blog-anywhere capability. Hence this post, coming to you from the …
When our recent past was the future
It’s always interesting to see what our ancestors thought their future–our present–would be like. I recently came across a fascinating list of predictions for the 20th century made in the Ladies’ Home Journal in 1900. It’s interesting to see how close they came. Consider: Automobiles will be cheaper than horses are today. Tough one to …
CBC comments on Canadian science fiction
CBC’s Arts & Entertainment site takes a look at recent Canadian science fiction by Robert Charles Wilson, Robert J. Sawyer and Karl Schroeder, and aside from calling it “sci-fi” throughout, almost manages to avoid being condescending–almost, but not quite. This is the only paragraph I found rather annoying. After describing the situation of Wilson’s new …
Science fiction headline of the day: Mission to build a simulated brain begins
In what may be a first step along the road to copying consciousness described in last week’s science column, IBM and a Swiss university team have set out to create the first computer simulation of the entire human brain, one complete down to the molecular level. Nary a hint or whisper in this news story …
Controlling bacteria without antibiotics
Hebrew University of Jerusalem researcher Adel Jabbour has come up with a possible method: interfering with “quorum sensing,” a recently discovered bacterial communication network. We urgently need new ways to control bacteria. Here’s hoping this (and other approaches) pan out. (Via MedGadget.)
A morphine update
Here’s some new research into morphine that ties in with my recent column on the drug’s 200th anniversary. California researchers report that a drug cocktail containing morphine along with small doses of two versions of methadone can significantly reduce both tolerance (the need for greater and greater doses of morphine to achieve the same effect) …
Fantasy and science fiction writing began with the ancient Greeks
So says Dr. Ni-Mheallaigh of the University of Liverpool. I keep telling people it has a long and honorable pedigree, this weird stuff I like to read and write, but they don’t listen. Maybe now, they will!
Robots on the dance floor
I’ve always wished I were a better dancer than I am. Now the Japanese offer robotic help: the Partner Ballroom Dance Robot.
Dave Devries’s Monster Engine
Artist Dave Devries takes children’s drawings of monsters and superheroes and turns them into finished art–bizarre, slightly disturbing, but compelling nonetheless. (Via John Scalzi’s By The Way.)
Another SF staple comes to life
A video display that allows you to walk around three-dimensional images suspended in mid-air is now available from a Masschusettes company, Actuality Systems. And another staple of science fiction reaches reality.
My latest live walk and vlog
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