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| There are great benefits to connectedness, but we haven't wrapped our minds around the costs. |
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On Fall TV, the Networks Are Planning Something Borrowed |
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| Topic: TV |
9:30 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
For the six big broadcast television networks, imitation is the sincerest form of desperation. "Everybody Hates Chris," a sitcom to appear on UPN, is based on the Brooklyn childhood of the comedian Chris Rock, who will narrate each episode. Oh, boy! I hope it's like "Everybody Loves Raymond!" "An off-the-charts hit, the best comedy of the season, hands down, no contest, the show to watch," raved Shari Ann Brill. It is, it is like Raymond! Yay! Of the 31 new series scheduled to appear in the coming season on the 6 networks, more than a dozen can be categorized as inspired by, or, more cynically, derived from, current hits. I just thought this quote was amusing: "CBS has a significant dependence on crime now." On Fall TV, the Networks Are Planning Something Borrowed |
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I Love You With All My Hype |
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| Topic: Society |
9:25 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
Mr. Cruise and Ms. Holmes may very well be head over heels, but they should not be surprised that even the most star-struck fan seems to be having trouble embracing their romance, Through all the changes that have swept Hollywood over the years, one thing still endures: strategic love. This story makes for an interesting entry in the selfishness vs. altruism file, if nothing else. I Love You With All My Hype |
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'Social Defense Mechanisms', Or, How To Build Your Own Cell Phone Jammer [PDF] |
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| Topic: High Tech Developments |
9:16 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
In contemporary Western society, electronic devices are becoming so prevalent that many people find themselves surrounded by technologies they find frustrating or annoying. The electronics industry has little incentive to address this complaint; I designed two counter-technologies to help people defend their personal space from unwanted electronic intrusion. Both devices were designed and prototyped with reference to the culture-jamming "Design Noir" philosophy. The first is a pair of glasses that darken whenever a television is in view. The second is low-power RF jammer capable of preventing cell phones or similarly intrusive wireless devices from operating within a users personal space. By building functional prototypes that reflect equal consideration of technical and social issues, I identify three attributes of Noir products: Personal empowerment, participation in a critical discourse, and subversion. 'Social Defense Mechanisms', Or, How To Build Your Own Cell Phone Jammer [PDF] |
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| Topic: High Tech Developments |
9:13 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
She got the idea when a friend with whom she was eating dinner broke off their conversation to answer her cellphone. She got mad. Then she got even, in the way a graduate student at the MIT Media Laboratory, very well might. She built a gadget. Widespread interest in jammers suggests an unslaked need that legal and technical refinements may one day allow legitimate companies to satisfy. Zone of Silence |
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Star-crossed | IEEE Spectrum |
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| Topic: Military Technology |
9:09 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
From orbiting lasers to metal rods that strike from the heavens, the potential to wage war from space raises startling possibilities -- and serious problems. Our analysis suggests that the military advantages that might be gained from space-based weapons are outweighed by their political and economic costs. Star-crossed | IEEE Spectrum |
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| Topic: Military Technology |
9:04 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
The Air Force is pressing hard to develop defensive and offensive space weapons. It is not clear whether Air Force aspirations for these weapons are mostly technological fantasy or have some real hope of success. This all sounds similar to the technological hubris shown by missile defense planners, who started out with grandiose Star Wars designs two decades ago. Nobody knows how well the new weapons might work. IEEE needs to give the NYT editorial board a complimentary subscription to Spectrum. Weapons in Space |
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The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation |
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| Topic: Science |
9:01 am EDT, May 24, 2005 |
Zoologist and science writer Matt Ridley explains how cooperation evolved in the generally selfish world of humankind. The result is a fascinating tale incorporating studies in theoretical and evolutionary biology, ecology, economics, ethology, sociology, and anthropology. The material will captivate a wide audience, including scholars who appreciate the original literature cited. Highly recommended. The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation |
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Seriously, the Joke Is Dead |
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| Topic: Arts |
12:41 pm EDT, May 22, 2005 |
In case you missed its obituary, the joke died recently after a long illness, of, oh, 30 years. The new humor sneaks by on little cat feet, all punch line and no setup, and if it bombs, you barely notice. To tell a joke at the office or a party these days is to pronounce oneself a cornball, an attention hog, and of course to risk offending someone, a high social crime. "Jon Stewart just has to twist his eyebrows a little bit, and people laugh." Seriously, the Joke Is Dead |
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Evolution vs. Creationism, Redux |
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| Topic: Education |
12:35 pm EDT, May 22, 2005 |
I hope that school boards will come to their senses. In the meantime, though, my advice is to avoid being hospitalized in Kansas. Evolution vs. Creationism, Redux |
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