J. R. Martin (@FMSBattalion) has shared a Tweet with you: "KurzweilAINews: Google’s new Director of Engineering, Ray Kurzweil, is building your cybernetic friend: World-renowned artificia... http://t.co/JOKT2h1v" --http://twitter.com/KurzweilAINews/status/288098177897353218
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Painting pictures with words...
Painting pictures with words is what all of the great science fiction writers are able to do. More than just paint pictures, they are able to transport you away to a distant galaxy or some fantastic future civilization. They are able to enthrall you with their words so deeply that you forget that you're even reading a book. This has happened to me on several different occasions in my life while reading books by such authors as Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Abnett and many others. I look up after reading for a while and instead of fifteen minutes, two hours has passed. I have been envious of this kind of writing ability ever since I was an adolescent.
It all started when I was fifteen and my mother gave me a copy of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. She had read it for some college class that she was attending at the time and was finished with it. It served as a way for her to unplug my brain from the television. I was constantly watching reruns of Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica. I suppose she thought that I would find the subject matter interesting. She was right! I was immediately entranced by the story and in awe of Mr. Clarke's writing ability. I had read many stories in school of course, but nothing that had captivated me like this. I dreamed of one day being able to do this myself. To transport people and engage them with my writing. Time passed however and I grew older realizing that this dream would most likely go unfulfilled. Then independent book publishers began to emerge on the internet. What a wondrous and glorious thing! Smashwords.com has given me the chance to live out my dreams! To paint my pictures with words for people all over the world to see!
Below is a link to my newest novella ebook Striking Deep. It is set in my fictional Fleet Marine Striker Battalion universe. In this universe the inner human colonies, which are based around Earth are at war with the outer colonies located further out in the Orion Arm of the galaxy. In this story I have attempted to develop the characters more and give the readers an in depth view of what motivates them as well as how the war began. All of my usual characters are present Sgt. Gallagher, Doc, Sgt. Cook, Sgt. Davis, Cpl. Harris and a few new ones that I hope the readers will enjoy. Download your copy today! If you like it pay me the ultimate compliment and tell a friend!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/244438
It all started when I was fifteen and my mother gave me a copy of Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. She had read it for some college class that she was attending at the time and was finished with it. It served as a way for her to unplug my brain from the television. I was constantly watching reruns of Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica. I suppose she thought that I would find the subject matter interesting. She was right! I was immediately entranced by the story and in awe of Mr. Clarke's writing ability. I had read many stories in school of course, but nothing that had captivated me like this. I dreamed of one day being able to do this myself. To transport people and engage them with my writing. Time passed however and I grew older realizing that this dream would most likely go unfulfilled. Then independent book publishers began to emerge on the internet. What a wondrous and glorious thing! Smashwords.com has given me the chance to live out my dreams! To paint my pictures with words for people all over the world to see!
Below is a link to my newest novella ebook Striking Deep. It is set in my fictional Fleet Marine Striker Battalion universe. In this universe the inner human colonies, which are based around Earth are at war with the outer colonies located further out in the Orion Arm of the galaxy. In this story I have attempted to develop the characters more and give the readers an in depth view of what motivates them as well as how the war began. All of my usual characters are present Sgt. Gallagher, Doc, Sgt. Cook, Sgt. Davis, Cpl. Harris and a few new ones that I hope the readers will enjoy. Download your copy today! If you like it pay me the ultimate compliment and tell a friend!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/244438
Monday, October 1, 2012
Bow down to your robot overlord!
Bow down to your robot overlord! And check his oil while your down there! This is something many people around the globe could be hearing in the near future. Robots are moving into several different places of business these days, not just the assembly lines of old. Although the assembly line robots are still there and more efficient than ever. Your job may be in danger and you don't even know it!
I read a very interesting article the other day in the New York Times Business Day section that every person of working age should read. Basically the article talks about all of the people around the world that are and will be loosing their jobs to robots. That won't happen to me you say. Why do you think that? Because you have a union job and it's very secure. Think again! Union jobs are some of the first to disappear when the robots come to town! Not that I object to robots; quite the contrary I love robots! I just worry about what the loss of these middle class jobs will mean to America and the rest of the world. Will the middle class cease to exist in our life times? Probably not, they will just have to become more educated if they want to survive. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for us and our new robot coworkers. Below is a link to this very important article. Check it out, especially page 4.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-adept-robots-is-changing-global-industry.html?pagewanted=1&smid=tw-share
I read a very interesting article the other day in the New York Times Business Day section that every person of working age should read. Basically the article talks about all of the people around the world that are and will be loosing their jobs to robots. That won't happen to me you say. Why do you think that? Because you have a union job and it's very secure. Think again! Union jobs are some of the first to disappear when the robots come to town! Not that I object to robots; quite the contrary I love robots! I just worry about what the loss of these middle class jobs will mean to America and the rest of the world. Will the middle class cease to exist in our life times? Probably not, they will just have to become more educated if they want to survive. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for us and our new robot coworkers. Below is a link to this very important article. Check it out, especially page 4.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-adept-robots-is-changing-global-industry.html?pagewanted=1&smid=tw-share
Monday, September 24, 2012
We are type Zero!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
I want to be a cyborg...
I want to do something with my life; I want to become a cyborg. This is a quote from Kevin Warwick Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England.
He instigated a recent series of experiments involving the neuro-surgical implantation of a device (Utah Array/BrainGate) into the median nerves of his left arm in order to link his nervous system directly to a computer to assess the latest technology for use with the disabled.
These experiments and others like them could lead to fantastic things for humanity. Open you mind and embrace the possibilities!!
Darpa is spending $24 million per year on direct interfaces between the brain and computer. The ability to become a cyborg may be here sooner than we think. Miguel Nicolelis in association with his colleagues at Duke University have implanted sensors into the brains of monkeys allowing them to control a cursor. This was accomplished by collecting signals from EEGs (brain sensors) allowing the monkeys to move the cursor just by thinking. This system was then hooked up to a robot and the monkeys were then able to control it using only their thoughts. By getting visual feedback from the robot's movements the monkeys were able to perfect their control over it. The goal of this experiment is to one day provide a similar system for paralyzed humans enabling them to control their limbs and environment.
Think of how wonderful this would be!! A world where all of the handicapped could be given the ability to walk!! I hope to see this technology become a reality and in wide spread usage within my lifetime.
He instigated a recent series of experiments involving the neuro-surgical implantation of a device (Utah Array/BrainGate) into the median nerves of his left arm in order to link his nervous system directly to a computer to assess the latest technology for use with the disabled.
These experiments and others like them could lead to fantastic things for humanity. Open you mind and embrace the possibilities!!
Darpa is spending $24 million per year on direct interfaces between the brain and computer. The ability to become a cyborg may be here sooner than we think. Miguel Nicolelis in association with his colleagues at Duke University have implanted sensors into the brains of monkeys allowing them to control a cursor. This was accomplished by collecting signals from EEGs (brain sensors) allowing the monkeys to move the cursor just by thinking. This system was then hooked up to a robot and the monkeys were then able to control it using only their thoughts. By getting visual feedback from the robot's movements the monkeys were able to perfect their control over it. The goal of this experiment is to one day provide a similar system for paralyzed humans enabling them to control their limbs and environment.
Think of how wonderful this would be!! A world where all of the handicapped could be given the ability to walk!! I hope to see this technology become a reality and in wide spread usage within my lifetime.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Free yourself from the delusion...
A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive. (Albert Einstein, 1954)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Bourne Legacy?
I was a bit skeptical of the new movie The Bourne Legacy and was reluctant to see it, but I'm glad I did. I am a huge fan of the original Bourne movie trilogy and had my doubts about a franchise reboot. Since the death of writer Robert Ludlum I wondered if the story line would be any good in a movie that wasn't based on his source material. The american born writer Tony Gilroy who had worked on the original three movies came through with a pretty good story however. The lead character Aaron Cross played by Jeremy Renner was very convincing. I really like Jeremy Renner and I think he was an excellent choice for this roll. The movie has a fast moving plot and an excellent supporting cast that includes: Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton and Stacey Keach. If you're a fan of the original movies it's worth watching in my opinion, check it out!
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