I experienced a bittersweet moment today, as news arrived that the shuttle Atlantis did manage to lift off from Cape Canaveral for the last time a few hours ago, despite the inclement weather in Florida -- here in Pittsburgh as well, it is overcast and rainy.
I liked this coverage in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/atlantis-astronauts-ready-for-final-launch-as-nasa-keeps-watchful-eye-on-cloudy-weather/2011/07/08/gIQA8FcR3H_story.html?wpisrc=al_national).
I also recommend clicking on the second video link for a brief (less than 6 min) history of the Space Shuttle program from the 1st to this the 135th and final flight (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/remembering-the-shuttle-era/2011/07/01/AG35yStH_video.html).
I have previously blogged about the "Coolest Job Ever", so my personal angle/excitement about the subject should be obvious.
The truth of the matter however, is that the International Space Station is now manned and operational and the only existing means of moving people to/from it are the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Unfortunately, the Soyuz spacecraft can carry far less in both personnel and payloads/cargo than the Space Shuttles.
Since it will be years before NASA's successor to the Space Shuttle will be operational, I believe the adventures in space (OK, near-Earth orbit if you want to be nit-picky) are just beginning.
From an economic/financial standpoint meanwhile, there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands of people currently employed by NASA, who will be added to the ranks of those seeking employment during these tough economic times. I would like to wish each of them a speedy resolution to their personal adventure as well.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Blurring the Line Between Games and Reality
Running errands this afternoon, I was driving and listening to the radio.
There was an extremely interesting discussion regarding how games affect us and about the future direction games may be headed in (http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/jul/01/future-gaming/).
Why would this interest me so much you ask?
Because I really enjoy playing games!
One of the lines uttered during the interview by the way, was that while people often play games to escape reality, more and more games are making connections to the real world (that is pretty profound).
One of the people interviewed was Jesse Schell, a professor at the CMU (Carnegie Mellon University - right here in Pittsburgh) Entertainment Technology Center and the CEO of Schell Games. In Prof. Schell's vision of the (near?) future, he sees a time when sensors will become so ubiquitous, that all our actions every day will be recorded, tabulated and assessed. Therefore our everyday actions in the real world, such as brushing our teeth, taking the bus instead of driving our cars, walking instead of driving, or watching certain commercials on TV, will all result in us getting awarded bonus points. In other words our daily actions and habits will be turned into a "game" and the points we earn in the "game" will have real-world implications (such as coupons for things we buy, lower health insurance premiums, or tax credits for the examples listed above).
I know this is a foreboding look at the future and one which does not sound like much fun to some, however Prof. Schell's thesis completely blew my mind. He stated that since all our actions will be recorded and will be available for our children and for future generations to inspect, if the "game" is designed correctly, it may be possible to modify our behaviors and inspire us to become better people than we might have otherwise turned out.
That puts a different spin on the game of Life ... or maybe it does not.
If you want to listen to Prof. Schell's talk entitled "When Games Invade Real Life", just click on the link (http://www.ted.com/talks/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real_life.html)
** warning it lasts 28 minutes **
There was an extremely interesting discussion regarding how games affect us and about the future direction games may be headed in (http://www.onthemedia.org/2011/jul/01/future-gaming/).
Why would this interest me so much you ask?
Because I really enjoy playing games!
One of the lines uttered during the interview by the way, was that while people often play games to escape reality, more and more games are making connections to the real world (that is pretty profound).
One of the people interviewed was Jesse Schell, a professor at the CMU (Carnegie Mellon University - right here in Pittsburgh) Entertainment Technology Center and the CEO of Schell Games. In Prof. Schell's vision of the (near?) future, he sees a time when sensors will become so ubiquitous, that all our actions every day will be recorded, tabulated and assessed. Therefore our everyday actions in the real world, such as brushing our teeth, taking the bus instead of driving our cars, walking instead of driving, or watching certain commercials on TV, will all result in us getting awarded bonus points. In other words our daily actions and habits will be turned into a "game" and the points we earn in the "game" will have real-world implications (such as coupons for things we buy, lower health insurance premiums, or tax credits for the examples listed above).
I know this is a foreboding look at the future and one which does not sound like much fun to some, however Prof. Schell's thesis completely blew my mind. He stated that since all our actions will be recorded and will be available for our children and for future generations to inspect, if the "game" is designed correctly, it may be possible to modify our behaviors and inspire us to become better people than we might have otherwise turned out.
That puts a different spin on the game of Life ... or maybe it does not.
If you want to listen to Prof. Schell's talk entitled "When Games Invade Real Life", just click on the link (http://www.ted.com/talks/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real_life.html)
** warning it lasts 28 minutes **
Friday, July 1, 2011
Independence
The long 4th of July weekend is upon us and thoughts naturally turn to the reason behind the holiday.
This holiday commemorates the United States' declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776, an act considered brazen by many at the time, given Britain's overwhelming military superiority. It also brings to mind other similar acts.
The Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 is celebrated on March 25. This began only a few decades after the Americans and perhaps the planners of that war had been heartened and influenced to some extent by the success the Americans ultimately enjoyed in their bid for independence. What I found interesting was the utilization of the media of the day to generate support for the Greeks among the European nations, a fact which ultimately helped lead to the intervention of Russia, France and the United Kingdom on the side of the Greeks against the Ottomans.
In the last few months we have witnessed what has been termed by some the Arab Spring with demonstrations and rebellions taking place in various Arab world nations. What has been interesting has been the utilization of social media by the protesters, to coordinate their activities, generate global support for their causes and provide transparency into the responses employed by the various governments, even when news reporters have not been present.
Ultimately the lesson we can glean is that people don't like to be constrained and they will seek ways to become independent from whatever constrains them. The tools they choose to use are what they have on hand and what they find to be most effective.
In today's world, social media are powerful indeed and they need to be employed by those seeking maximum effectiveness in their quest for independence from whatever is boxing them in.
I wish all my friends a happy Independence Day, however I also want to remind them to "think before you tweet".
This holiday commemorates the United States' declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776, an act considered brazen by many at the time, given Britain's overwhelming military superiority. It also brings to mind other similar acts.
The Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 is celebrated on March 25. This began only a few decades after the Americans and perhaps the planners of that war had been heartened and influenced to some extent by the success the Americans ultimately enjoyed in their bid for independence. What I found interesting was the utilization of the media of the day to generate support for the Greeks among the European nations, a fact which ultimately helped lead to the intervention of Russia, France and the United Kingdom on the side of the Greeks against the Ottomans.
In the last few months we have witnessed what has been termed by some the Arab Spring with demonstrations and rebellions taking place in various Arab world nations. What has been interesting has been the utilization of social media by the protesters, to coordinate their activities, generate global support for their causes and provide transparency into the responses employed by the various governments, even when news reporters have not been present.
Ultimately the lesson we can glean is that people don't like to be constrained and they will seek ways to become independent from whatever constrains them. The tools they choose to use are what they have on hand and what they find to be most effective.
In today's world, social media are powerful indeed and they need to be employed by those seeking maximum effectiveness in their quest for independence from whatever is boxing them in.
I wish all my friends a happy Independence Day, however I also want to remind them to "think before you tweet".
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