Cybrpnk's Rantings

I am very excited to announce that I have received a major research grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a new methodology I have developed for use in bio-medical research. Intended to counter the biases that inevitably intrude themselves into the analysis of complex scientific research, the triple-blind methodology enhances traditional scientific methodology by ensuring that not only do the active participants in a research program not have the ability to distinguish between test and control subjects, but that those evaluating the research results are also unable to make such a distinction. The adoption of this methodology should remove any incentive that pharmaceutical companies, or other corporate interests, have for suppressing vital research. Since no one will be able to determine whether or not the research indicates the efficacy of commercial products, there is no longer a potential corporate downside to free proliferation of scientific results.

See more ...

I'm freshly back from three weeks on some islands in the Indian Ocean (fortunately one of the safest places in that ocean during the recent tsunami), and ready to get back to work here. For today just a couple of quick hits.

If tomorrow's coronation of W. is supposed to be such a show of freedom and democracy why is it looking more like an unholy alliance between a fascist dictator's triumphal parade and an unseemly public purchase of influence by large corporations?

See more ...

Just back from a fabulous week in New York. Doing the family thang and all that. Saw one mediocre play (Reckless) and one fabulous show (Cookin'). Too many great meals to list. Thanksgiving vegetarian creation for this year: Pumpkin Ravioli in Cinnamon Brown Butter. Very easy. Cook ravioli. Brown butter - just throw some butter in a sauce pan, heat over a medium-low flame, skim off foam as it develops, cook until nicely brown. Add some cinnamon to taste, toss in some dried cranberries. Serve with toasted walnuts and pepitas. Yum. Also got together with my college don (faculty advisor to you poor souls who attended neither Sarah Lawrence nor Oxford). Really great time all around.

One sour note: discussion of impending bear hunt in New Jersey. I understand the issues about managing wildlife on the human/nature interface, and it is quite complex.

See more ...

The title of this entry is a paraphrase of the title of David Foster Wallace's article 'Consider The Lobster' published in Gourmet Magazine. They don't seem to have the essay on their site, but there is an interesting article about it on The Boston Globe's website. In a similar spirit (but without footnotes) I would like to question the assumptions of those who wish to legislate against abortion. It strikes me that part of the problem with the whole abortion question is the lack of scientific answers to the core questions in the debate. To date we have not yet figured out what consciousness is, nor do we know how to determine whether or not a creature lacking language skill is or is not conscious. We have this strong intuition that there is some continuum from single-cell creatures up to higher primates, but can't assert with any certainty whether we really are more advanced than some number of our fellow creatures here on earth. In fact, it is unclear that attaining consciousness really does make us more advanced. Bruce Sterling has posited in some of his writing that hive minds could actually be more advanced than individual consciousness. So while we have some understanding about what makes one physically homo sapiens we have no clear definition for what makes one human.

See more ...

Okay, gotta be honest here, part of why I haven't been writing lately is that not only have I been so wrapped up following the Red Sox amazing post-season, but have been worried about jinxing them by breaking that silence. But, now, after last night's victory there is no longer any such threat. Not going to get any politics out of me today, just basking in the happiness over the Red Sox actually winning the world series. I was ten years old in 1975 and vividly remember the heartbreak of that year. In my heart Pete Rose should be kept out of the hall of fame just because of his being part of the team that won that year. Flash forward to 1986, watching on my roommate's TV in our darkened Brooklyn apartment daring to believe that I was actually going to see the Red Sox win the world series, followed by the crushing collapse. Heartbreak redux. Then came this year.

See more ...

Not going to have much time to post this week. It's Siggraph time. For those who don't know this is THE computer graphics conference. All of my fellow visual effects production types, academics, tool vendors, etc. converge for one crazy week of presentations and parties. It's in LA this year (as it is about every other year) which is a bummer. Too much driving. When it's out of town it's always more fun.

Today I got to see the keynote speech which was given by Bruce Sterling. The gist of what he had to say was that our society is on a non-sustainable course, and that the technological leaders like us Siggraph types should take the initiative and try to make a difference. He talked quite a bit about technological innovation, sustainable manufacturing, and the preservation of democracy. Clearly some in the audience had been hoping for something more in the area of adoration of their technological selves, but if they'd read his books they shouldn't have been surprised at what he had to say. Most of the audience seemed to appreciate what he had to say as much as I did.