Minding the Planet

Reverse Anthropology: Native Tribe Visits UK to Study Brits

Check out this fascinating article about a new show on the BBC:

ne bright morning in St James's Park and a stream of tourists approaches Buckingham Palace, where trumpets will shortly herald the Changing of the Guard. In the middle of the crowd walk five very short, very odd-looking men. They carry camcorders, gesticulate wildly, and talk in a language no one can understand. In the heart of picture-postcard London, this bizarre group stands out like a sore thumb.                                         

  Further investigation reveals that a film crew is tracking the party, at a   discreet distance. Something is going on. In fact, the cameras are bearing   witness to a historic event: the odd-looking group, whose skin is dark and   whose smiles are wide, and who all measure around five feet tall, are on the   verge of completing an extraordinary social experiment.

Virtual Out of Body Experiences

A very cool experiment in virtual reality has shown it is possible to trick the mind into identifying with a virtual body:

Through these goggles, the volunteers could see a camera view of their own back - a three-dimensional "virtual own body" that appeared to be standing in front of them.

When the researchers stroked the back of the volunteer with a pen, the volunteer could see their virtual back being stroked either simultaneously or with a time lag.

The volunteers reported that the sensation seemed to be caused by the pen on their virtual back, rather than their real back, making them feel as if the virtual body was their own rather than a hologram.

Volunteers

Even when the camera was switched to film the back of a mannequin being stroked rather than their own back, the volunteers still reported feeling as if the virtual mannequin body was their own.

And when the researchers switched off the goggles, guided the volunteers back a few paces, and then asked them to walk back to where they had been standing, the volunteers overshot the target, returning nearer to the position of their "virtual self".

This has implications for next-generation video games and virtual reality. It also has interesting implications for consciousness studies in general.

The State of our Country: Newscaster Refuses to Read Paris Hilton Story; Burns Script on Camera

This is quite an amazing video clip -- a news anchorwoman on MSNBC took a heroic stand and refused, on air, to lead with more news about Paris Hilton, despite her fellow anchormen and her producers trying to force her to. They actually almost get into a scuffle as she tries to burn the story with her lighter on camera! You've got to watch this. Mika Brzezinski has just proved she is perhaps the only major network journalist in America with a spine. She should get an award for this. Where do I sign up to join the Mika Brzezinski fan club?

Wow! Watch this Multi-Touch UI Demo Video

If you are interested on what computer user-interfaces are going to feel like in the future -- you must see this video of a demo of a new multi-touch computer monitor. This is amazing technology -- and the various demos themselves are interactive artworks in their own right. For more information about the researchers and projects behind this, click here. I want one of these NOW!

This Guy is Funny

Thanks to a recommendation from my folks, I just watched the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Have you ever seen him? He's a Scottish comedian with his own US talk show and his monologues are awesome. He changes personalities on a dime, his jokes are edgy, intellectual, and trippy all at once. It's amazing to watch. He reduces his guests to quivering heaps of stunned laughter. If you haven't seen Craig in action, don't miss it! I'm going to TIVO this from now on. Here are some suggested clips from his site. Here are some examples of his stuff on YouTube.

Note: After watching a lot more Craig Ferguson, I have one criticism: He recycles his jokes! He often tells the same jokes and repeats the same gags. This is actually annoying. I guess it makes sense economically -- he doesn't have to come up with as much new material, but I find it awkward. His jokes are still very funny and good -- but not as funny or good the second, third and fourth time. Craig, if you are listening, pay your joke-writers to work a full week!!!

The Lost Room -- Great Fun

Ok I lied, one more post before I dissappear for a little while. I've been watching The Lost Room mini-series on the Sci-Fi Channel and highly recommend it. It's probably the best new premise for a reality-bender since the original Matrix -- and a totally great new twist on a treasure hunt. It would be perfect for a game too. It looks like they are going to turn it into a series too. If you're into this genre definitely catch the re-runs of the series on Friday (or TIVO it!).

Venice Project Making Heavy Use of RDF

I just found out from Pete, that the Venice Project is making really heavy use of RDF. Very interesting. Another major proof point. It's looking like 2007 is going to be the year of mainstream RDF applications. It sounds like there are some similarities between what the Venice Project is making, on a platform level, and what we've already built on a platform level. Of course the application they are making (video syndication, as I understand it) and the application we are making (not video; not announced yet) are completely different.

LOST: My Newest Obsession

I know, I know. I'm several years late to the party on this one, but I have become quite obsessed with the television show, Lost. It's possibly the most addictive show on TV. Ever. You have to start from the beginning though. Sign up for Netflix if you haven't already, and be prepared to not leave your house until you run out of discs to watch...

My New Tivo Series 3

I got the TiVo Series 3 box today and installed it. It takes 2 cable cards and can record simultaneously on two channels at once, in HDTV. It also connects to my wireless network instead of using regular phone lines. Nice. Unfortunately one of the cable card slots was defective -- this apparently is a pretty common defect with these boxes according to my cable guy who spent an hour trying to get it to work and has already encountered the same issue for 3 other customers of his recently. So TiVo is shipping me a replacement box. Anyway it looks like it will be worth the hassle. Prior to getting this new toy, I had a generic DVR from my cable provider and it sucked so bad by comparison I'm surprised they even bother. TiVo has a vastly superior menu system, and the recommendation features can't be beat. 

Moments of Past Geekiness: Shatner Commercial for C-64

This is a nice, VERY dated commercial for the C-64 computer starring none other than William Shatner!