As technology advances, the need to power that technology increases. This is becoming more concerning as we're running out of our chief energy resource: oil.
Now, of course, it's not possible to for any energy source to last forever. Delta S > 0. Even the stars will die. But, hey, a billion year fix is better than a hundred year one.
So, what other options are there? What will keep our technological society chugging along?
Well, there's ethanol.The idea makes sense. By far, the best solar cells known to man are contained in plants. Chlorophyll converts the energy of sunlight into the more storable and transportable form of sugar. Then we can process that sugar and make fuel we can run our cars off of. The problem is, raising crops isn't that easy, and requires us to put our own energy into it, in the form of fertilizers, harvesters, etc. That's true of any means of acquiring energy, but in this case, we put in more than we get out. Ethanol isn't feasible as an energy source even on a short term basis.
There's coal and natural gas. There's still plenty of that left, at least compared to oil. But that's hard to get out of the ground, and it's horribly polluting.
And then there's the nuclear option. Although nuclear power plants have their dangers, most of them are exaggerated. While there is the possibility of a meltdown, modern nuclear power plants are extremely well shielded. You wouldn't be exposed to significantly more radiation standing right outside of a nuclear power plant that was melting down than you would anywhere else. And nuclear power plants are well protected against external threats as well.
The only real concern about nuclear fission is the waste. Radioactive waste will stay radioactive for millions of years. What do you do with it? Right now, our best solution is to bury it deep under mountains. But that's not terribly secure. I haven't seen these ideas anywhere else, and they're probably not feasible, but the best I can think of is to either bury them deep under a subduction zone or launch it into space.
But anything we do now, is really just tiding us over until we can harness the power of the sun directly, either with extremely high efficiency solar panels, or fusion power plants.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Glitches, Bending the Rules to Your Favor
I am a huge fan of video games. I like any kind, ranging from your classic first person shooters, adventures, role playing games, and even the multi-player party games. I was playing the classic Nintendo Game Cube game Super Smash Brothers Melee with my friend the other day, and he showed me all of these really random but really cool glitches that the game can encounter. I was amazed at the simple little things I never knew existed in SSBM.
First, I'd like to tangent my entry by stating how fun glitches are. There is a difference between a cheat in a game and a glitch. Sometimes glitches are just as intentional as cheats when the game makers create each game, but usually the glitches are found by hardcore gamers who love to investigate the capabilities and possibilities of games. In any rate, glitches are always fun to come upon and hear from others. I always feel like I'm super intelligent and important, feeling as if I know the secrets to the White House or CIA. Some glitches are simple little things. Such as falling through floors into nothing, such as in Mario Kart 64 when you are racing some of the raceways. Others are more complicating, such as the one my friend recently showed me.
This cheat in SSBM is what I call the "Raddish of Infinite Damage". This takes at least three people. Have two of the players be Fox and or Falco. One player must also be Peach. Peach and one of the Fox/Falco's must be on the same team against the other player(s). Go to either the Battle Field arena or the Hyrule Castle to do this. Make sure you have the beam cannon as one of your items. Once you enter the game, my explanation is in Hyrule Castle, position the enemy Fox/Falco on the pillar seperating the map. The ally Fox/Falco should be on the ledge to the left of the enemy on the other side of the gap where the arena goes to the lower level. Peach must obtain the beam cannon and glitch it to have infinite ammo. (Which is another fun glitch in itself. It will not be explained here). Peach then must shoot the beam cannon through her ally and at the opponent. Both Fox/Falco's should be using their reflective shields to bounce the beam cannon shots back and forth between the two of them. If done correctly, the beam shots with begin to collide with each other, creating little cancelling explosions. All three players should play around with their position until they are able to get almost all the area between the Fox/Falco's to have these cancellations. This is where you may need a fourth player. He or she must fall down through the path of the shots to off-set the cancellations to create an even set of shots colliding with each other. If there is no fourth player, then simply wait for some item box to fall down in your path. If you are patient enough, eventually the path of cancellations with completely fill up, creating a very complicating glitch that temperarily slows the game down. Once this is done, the Fox/Falco's are frozen still.
This is where Peach will finish the glitch. She must go underneath the cancellation path and begin to throw her raddishes up at the path. They will lodge into the path. Throw as many as possible, creating a very condense ball of raddishes. After you are done, walk Peach back around the arena so she is positioned above the path. She will then need to fall through. This will break the path, but leave the ball of raddishes behind, floating in mid-air. You have successfully created the glitch, which if anyone on the team against peach jumps into, will freeze there, jump to 999 percent damage, and be shot of the screen
Enjoy the fun of the raddish ball of death!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Green Bombs?
War is a very touchy thing with me. I was raised pacifist and I have family in the military. And the Iraq War started on my birthday. So hearing about bombs doesn't always make me excited but this report just tweaked my interest.
The Russians claim that they have developed the most powerful vacuum bomb. They call it the "Father of all bombs" (Thanks EURSOC!) Now, if you are wondering, a vacuum bomb is a bomb that first releases a cloud of fuel into the oxygen rich air and then ignites it. (Thanks The Free Dictionary!)
Of course, when I first looked at the article, that wasn't what I was focused on. Russia claims that they have made an environmentally friendly bomb. The first thing I think is how can a bomb be environmentally friendly? All last summer, as I have alluded to in earlier posts, I worked at the EPA in the Air department. Fuel and air isn't a good thing, even if it is ignited and burned out of the air. That just makes another problem, CO2. We don't need more of that in the air. And I don’t even take into account all the green and growing things on the ground that get killed by the blast.
But, if you think about it in terms of nuclear bombs, I see that he has a point.
My stance is firm, though. Bombs are bombs and all bombs are bad. They only help us kill each other and destroy the environment. Maybe Russia should spend more time solving world hunger instead of finding new ways to kill people.
Thanks also RIA”>RIA and Brisbane Times
Thanks Green with Envy Gifts and Jooyeol for the pictures.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Over Labor Day weekend I was able to get my hands on the game and play it while I was at home (my family insists on keeping the Wii at home). My first impression of the game was mixed. The graphics are improved from the previous installment, but the new controls where you "point and click" your Wii-mote to aim, shoot, and look around took time to master. As an avid player of the first two Metroid Prime games, the new controls were disheartening. However, after a few hours of solid game play, the controls become second nature and I was able to sit back and appreciate the game without worrying about controller difficulties.
The controls themselves are quite intuitive. As I said before, the player shoots by pointing the Wii-mote and firing with the hard to miss A button. The rest of the most used controls are placed where your fingers naturally rest, which makes game play even more natural. Another fun feature is that the nun chuck can be flicked forward to use the "grapple lasso" on enemies and objects, a fun movement that makes sense and makes the gameplay all the more interactive. In addition to slinging your lasso, Samus will twist, turn, pull, and push the Wiimote to activate switches and levers to solve different puzzles throughout the game
As I mentioned before, the graphics in the game are upgraded from the first and second installments of Metroid Prime, yet some may criticize that the graphics are not of the same caliber as games found on the PS3 and Xbox 360. I'm here to say though that the graphics are quickly forgotten about in Corruption. The graphics are enough to create the look and feel that the game needs to achieve, and the controls are immersive enough to pull you even deeper into the action. Also, by not pushing for higher graphics, the game play is smooth and flawless. You won't find any hint of lag or glitches in the graphics even during the most frantic firefights. This smoothness puts a proverbial cherry on top and makes the experience seem all that more real. The game pulls you in so effectively that you lose all sense of time and you feel like you've just been deep into a good book.
Ice missiles have been implemented and work just like they do in Metroid Fusion (with the typical homing feature of Prime), and beam replacement has been implemented as well. Instead of having to switch beams like in the first two games, the Plasma Beam in Corruption works just like your normal Power Beam but with the added element of heat and fire. Hypermode has also been added to give you added firepower for short time periods and the mode is eventually extended to Morph Ball mode as well. Finally is the lock on feature combined with the new Wii controls. In the other Metroid Prime games, locking onto an enemy meant being able to fire at only one spot. However in Corruption, the locking feature works only to center your screen and allow strafing. Your aim is no longer constrained and you are free to fire at anything still in your field of vision.
One of the few complaints I would have about the game is the addition of friendly NPCs. In the previous Metroid Prime games, the player is stranded in a strange environment and the only other life they encounter is hostile. The addition of the NPCs in the game's space station setting also makes the first hour or so of play a bit sluggish, with much less action than the opening areas of the other two games.
Overall the game met my expectations and then surpassed them. I highly recommend the game to everyone who owns a Wii, even if you don't think you'd like a first person shooter. I can't wait to visit home and get my hands on the game again.
Not the best preview of the game, but it's the best I could find.
The controls themselves are quite intuitive. As I said before, the player shoots by pointing the Wii-mote and firing with the hard to miss A button. The rest of the most used controls are placed where your fingers naturally rest, which makes game play even more natural. Another fun feature is that the nun chuck can be flicked forward to use the "grapple lasso" on enemies and objects, a fun movement that makes sense and makes the gameplay all the more interactive. In addition to slinging your lasso, Samus will twist, turn, pull, and push the Wiimote to activate switches and levers to solve different puzzles throughout the game
As I mentioned before, the graphics in the game are upgraded from the first and second installments of Metroid Prime, yet some may criticize that the graphics are not of the same caliber as games found on the PS3 and Xbox 360. I'm here to say though that the graphics are quickly forgotten about in Corruption. The graphics are enough to create the look and feel that the game needs to achieve, and the controls are immersive enough to pull you even deeper into the action. Also, by not pushing for higher graphics, the game play is smooth and flawless. You won't find any hint of lag or glitches in the graphics even during the most frantic firefights. This smoothness puts a proverbial cherry on top and makes the experience seem all that more real. The game pulls you in so effectively that you lose all sense of time and you feel like you've just been deep into a good book.
Ice missiles have been implemented and work just like they do in Metroid Fusion (with the typical homing feature of Prime), and beam replacement has been implemented as well. Instead of having to switch beams like in the first two games, the Plasma Beam in Corruption works just like your normal Power Beam but with the added element of heat and fire. Hypermode has also been added to give you added firepower for short time periods and the mode is eventually extended to Morph Ball mode as well. Finally is the lock on feature combined with the new Wii controls. In the other Metroid Prime games, locking onto an enemy meant being able to fire at only one spot. However in Corruption, the locking feature works only to center your screen and allow strafing. Your aim is no longer constrained and you are free to fire at anything still in your field of vision.
One of the few complaints I would have about the game is the addition of friendly NPCs. In the previous Metroid Prime games, the player is stranded in a strange environment and the only other life they encounter is hostile. The addition of the NPCs in the game's space station setting also makes the first hour or so of play a bit sluggish, with much less action than the opening areas of the other two games.
Overall the game met my expectations and then surpassed them. I highly recommend the game to everyone who owns a Wii, even if you don't think you'd like a first person shooter. I can't wait to visit home and get my hands on the game again.
Not the best preview of the game, but it's the best I could find.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Video games: What Do Games Teach Kids?
Many parents question the ethics of video games. Many parents say that video games are the reason for kids knowing violence and using violence in the real world. However, I find this isn't the case in most situations involving video games, violence, and kids.
Some kids happen to play video games and are violent. This doesn't mean that the video taught them the violence, or convinced them that violence was ok in the real world. The majority of the time, these kids also see violence in television, movies, the neighborhood they grew up in, and even in their homes. Every child is exposed to violence, but must be taught how to react to it. This is where most parents have a problem. If the child isn't taught how to respond to violence, the parents leave it up to the child and his or her immature mind to make a decision on how to handle the violence they are experiencing.
Why do video games get blamed? Video games get blamed because the parents don't want to take a fault, or step up and admit that they didn't raise their child the best they possibly could. How can this be true? Everyone believes the parents, because in society, adults are looked at as people who can be trusted (usually). Another reason parents don't question the fact that other parents raised their kids poorly is because parents don't want to put themselves in a position where others can question the way they raise their kids. (A side note: Even if video games were the cause of the violence shown in kids, who bought the child the video game anyways) No matter what it goes back to the parents.
So what are the positive possibilities of video games? This is something a lot harder to see. Why is this so hard to see? Simply because anything positive learned from video games, isn't associated with video games. More specifically, this includes many historical facts, in games such as Civilization, Stronghold, and even Rome: Total War. This knowledge is so easily overlooked because it is also taught in a classroom. So, parents naturally just think their kid is actually learning something in school. Personally I have countless experiences of sitting in a history class, (completely bored as it may be) until the teacher asks a question. I know the answer. But why? This shouldn't be happening. This is school, and I didn't even read last nights assignment. Then I realize, no wait, a galley is the type of boat I built last night while playing civilization.
I am not saying that there isn't a kid somewhere, who no matter what, will experience violence, and express it in society. I am simply saying that parents can typically prevent children from expressing this violence. First of all, don't buy your kid the game that is rated M. It's for adults who are mature. (Maybe some adults shouldn't buy the game) But in no way should a 9 year old kid play a game that is rated M. They simply aren't mature enough to handle it, especially if a parent hasn't explained that movies and video games are FAKE. Secondly, take the time with your kid. Not two minutes every week, that's not a parents job. A parents job is twenty four seven, and if you can't handle it, then don't sign up for it.
Some kids happen to play video games and are violent. This doesn't mean that the video taught them the violence, or convinced them that violence was ok in the real world. The majority of the time, these kids also see violence in television, movies, the neighborhood they grew up in, and even in their homes. Every child is exposed to violence, but must be taught how to react to it. This is where most parents have a problem. If the child isn't taught how to respond to violence, the parents leave it up to the child and his or her immature mind to make a decision on how to handle the violence they are experiencing.
Why do video games get blamed? Video games get blamed because the parents don't want to take a fault, or step up and admit that they didn't raise their child the best they possibly could. How can this be true? Everyone believes the parents, because in society, adults are looked at as people who can be trusted (usually). Another reason parents don't question the fact that other parents raised their kids poorly is because parents don't want to put themselves in a position where others can question the way they raise their kids. (A side note: Even if video games were the cause of the violence shown in kids, who bought the child the video game anyways) No matter what it goes back to the parents.
So what are the positive possibilities of video games? This is something a lot harder to see. Why is this so hard to see? Simply because anything positive learned from video games, isn't associated with video games. More specifically, this includes many historical facts, in games such as Civilization, Stronghold, and even Rome: Total War. This knowledge is so easily overlooked because it is also taught in a classroom. So, parents naturally just think their kid is actually learning something in school. Personally I have countless experiences of sitting in a history class, (completely bored as it may be) until the teacher asks a question. I know the answer. But why? This shouldn't be happening. This is school, and I didn't even read last nights assignment. Then I realize, no wait, a galley is the type of boat I built last night while playing civilization.
I am not saying that there isn't a kid somewhere, who no matter what, will experience violence, and express it in society. I am simply saying that parents can typically prevent children from expressing this violence. First of all, don't buy your kid the game that is rated M. It's for adults who are mature. (Maybe some adults shouldn't buy the game) But in no way should a 9 year old kid play a game that is rated M. They simply aren't mature enough to handle it, especially if a parent hasn't explained that movies and video games are FAKE. Secondly, take the time with your kid. Not two minutes every week, that's not a parents job. A parents job is twenty four seven, and if you can't handle it, then don't sign up for it.
Walking: A Thing of the Past?
Ever get tired of walking? Sometimes it can be exhausting.
Now, all your walking problems are solved. The Segway PT is the answer for everything. Segway created a personal, 2 wheeled, environmentally safe vehicle that is great for traveling around your city. Segway didn't stop with the personal Segway, they also made a Segway for businesses. This Segway has multiple compartments for storing all of your files. Segway took their designs one step further by creating a Segway for police officers, which can be detailed with police lights and spot lights. No matter which version you look at, it is pretty safe to say that there is a Segway for you, whether it is for getting to work, patrolling the streets, or even that quick round of golf on Sunday.
After looking around on the Segway website for a short period of time, I came to realize that Segway basically has 2 different models, the i2 and the x2. The i2 model is for flat surfaces, such as pavement or blacktop. The x2 model is designed for use on all terrain surfaces. Besides the basics, the Segways are extremely customizable, with features such as lights, hard cargo storage bins, police lights, and cargo platforms. Both the i2 and the x2 models are a great source of transportation, whether you are planning on going hiking on your Segway or just traveling around town, Segway has a Segway PT for you. You can get your Segway Pt for approximately four thousand to six thousand dollars. A little pricy you may say, but these Segways are environmentally safe and are on the edge of the start of a new era.
Are inventions like the Segway perhaps causing people to become more lazy? If you look underneath all of the specs on the Segway, wut is the purpose? The Segway travels approximately 24 miles per charge and has a max speed of 12.5 mph. What sets this apart from a bike, or even walking? You might be able to argue that bikes don't have as much cargo space, but if you think about it, you can carry a book bag on your back. The only purpose of the Segway is to create something, that would eliminate almost any if not all effort one has to put forth to get from one place to another. To me, it seems as if the Segway was something created to be advertised as something that looks futuristic, so upper class people would want to buy it to show off to their friends. The only truly good thing about the Segway is that it is environmentally safe. Other than that, it features the same idea of a bike, except without anyone putting forth any effort.
The Ethics of AI
My personal system of ethics as it applies to humans is quite simple and straightforward. Happiness is good. An action that makes happiness is good and an action that makes unhappiness is bad.
But how does this apply to The Sims 15? The characters in the game can pass the Turing test and no one could say that they're incapable of making intelligent decisions. But does that mean that burning their house down just to watch them panic is evil?
Well, for me at least, the answer to this question relies on whether they're actually feeling unhappy. I know some people that would say "Of course the computer doesn't actually feel unhappy. It just has an algorithm that determines whether it should react in a way that looks like it's happy or unhappy." The problem I have with that is that Descartes made the same argument against animals, and one can even make that argument against people. I know I can feel happiness and unhappiness, but I have no way of knowing if you do too, or if you're just reacting as if you were happy or unhappy.
This line of reasoning leads the thought that since we can't know what others feel, we should assume that if they show signs of suffering or pleasure, they are really feeling those things. But consider a computer program consists entirely of a smiley face and a button. When you push the button the smiley face frowns. Surely that's not actually unhappiness?
Personally, I think there is a line somewhere, where the complexities of the algorithms determining behaviors are such that the being can be said to be aware. Above that line, causing apparent unhappiness is bad. But below it, it doesn't matter. Where is the line? I have no idea.
But how does this apply to The Sims 15? The characters in the game can pass the Turing test and no one could say that they're incapable of making intelligent decisions. But does that mean that burning their house down just to watch them panic is evil?
Well, for me at least, the answer to this question relies on whether they're actually feeling unhappy. I know some people that would say "Of course the computer doesn't actually feel unhappy. It just has an algorithm that determines whether it should react in a way that looks like it's happy or unhappy." The problem I have with that is that Descartes made the same argument against animals, and one can even make that argument against people. I know I can feel happiness and unhappiness, but I have no way of knowing if you do too, or if you're just reacting as if you were happy or unhappy.
This line of reasoning leads the thought that since we can't know what others feel, we should assume that if they show signs of suffering or pleasure, they are really feeling those things. But consider a computer program consists entirely of a smiley face and a button. When you push the button the smiley face frowns. Surely that's not actually unhappiness?
Personally, I think there is a line somewhere, where the complexities of the algorithms determining behaviors are such that the being can be said to be aware. Above that line, causing apparent unhappiness is bad. But below it, it doesn't matter. Where is the line? I have no idea.
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