In no particular order…
~
It’s important that these songs never go onto the same playlist.
Thanks for your understanding in this matter. ~
(Am I missing anything?)
(note: this article has a few spoilers)
Much of what Adam and Jamie bust are related to performance and stress issues. For example, in episode #10 they attempt to see at what point the real axle of a police car can be ripped out the back. In this episode, we first hear what their ongoing strategy is: “replicate the circumstances, then duplicate the results”.
Applying this to Perf and Stress Testing (and I’m simplifying things here greatly), the first step is to replicate the typical environment(s). The next step, is to keep pushing the limits until the system exceeds the limits placed on it, e.g. ripping the axle out the back of a police car. The first step gives you the information most valuable for something usable, while the second step provides further information about the boundaries of the environment something can operate in.
Whenever the Mythbusters tackle a problem, they tend to follow some methods that reduce the problem down to a small scale, or into many smaller problems to solve. We see this demonstrated, for example, in the lead balloon episode where Adam and Jamie first make tiny small scale mockups in order to try out different theories. All the different theories they try demonstrate a corollary to this method: always brainstorm many different theories and then try out the best ones. With this method, the Mythbusters save themselves significant time and money in the long run because the small scale experiments are quick, easy, and cheap to execute. Also, in the case of film myths, they consistently break the myths into sub-myths that can be individually tested, otherwise they would often be replicating a Rube Goldberg chain reaction doomed for failure.
This method proceeds from the previous two methods. Once the Mythbusters have a small prototype that seems compelling, they begin to expand the scale of testing. Consider if they always started big. They might spend a significant amount of time and resources and ultimately fail–and worse, they would be back where they started. Conversely, repeating and expanding experimentation yields a constant stream of information that the Mythbusters feed back into the next iteration. Even if they sort of fail, they can just refine the previous iteration and ultimately get to the end of the episode with a large body of data. Often, as in the concrete glider episode, they have learned a great deal about the various materials involved, they have generated new methods and tools, and they have recognized various patterns within the data. At the end of the episode, their gliders crashed and crumbled, but Adam and Jamie called the myth “plausible” because they had done enough testing to discover working methodologies and to see the promising affects of the force of lift on the gliders (among other things). Had they created a full scale concrete glider or lead balloon at the very beginning, they certainly would have failed before completing any end to end working model and before getting any useful data. That likelihood of failure is, in fact, the reason for the myth, and it was by creating steady refinements that Adam and Jamie eventually created a full scale floating lead balloon.
This is a meta-method in testing, which the Mythbusters demonstrate whenever they need something to go flying through the air at a specific speed. They have learned that the way to send something through the air is with the “air cannon design pattern”. In other words, use an air cannon to shoot the thing through the air, because it’s easy to control the air compression, easy to build, easy to maintain, and easy to re-use. The specific materials don’t matter. They can apply the Air Cannon Design Pattern to any situation, building any size they need, shooting at any specific speed (more or less), using any materials–to create an instance of an Air Cannon. This is the essence of design patterns, and the Mythbusters execute it with elegance.
One of the benefits the Mythbusters have taken advantage of over time, by using design patterns, is the ability for them to re-use their tools in all sorts of situations. Over and over, we see them re-use various air cannons. Over and over, we see them bring Buster the test dummy into episodes so that they can shock him, shoot him, drop him, or explode him. They certainly got their money’s worth with Buster, and the more they use him, the more they knew how to use him again. ~
Susan and I attended the 2008 Space Elevator Conference! Unfortunately, I could only make it on one day, but it still had enough content in it to be well worth it. Much of the fun was in listening to the debate that followed each speaker, which really brought to light the issues that space elevator professionals are most passionate about. I also enjoyed what they called the Shotgun Science sessions, where anyone could jump up and present any wild ideas they want, such as Tesla’s idea about encircling the Earth in giant rings that would stay in geosynchronous orbit. Lastly, I really enjoyed a few of the in-depth scientific presentations–one on designing the space elevator for safety from the start, and another on why a space elevator won’t be built on Earth. Note: I am a huge fan of Alan Boyle’s blog, but he got it wrong in stating that LaserMotive thought a space elevator would never be built. I attended the conference in person, and it was clear they meant on Earth. They didn’t rule out Mars, and another presenter mentioned the “infrustructure” of Saturn’s moons as being useful.
It’s refreshing to go to a science based conference and see a real embrace of dissenting opinions and open dialog. 08 SEC was such a conference. Tom Nugent from LaserMotive gave a robust presentation on some of the major unsolved challenges of the space elevator, namely the unweildly mass of the ribbon required for a solution that is safer than rocket travel (among others). Other participants immediately jumped at the challenge, and it sounded like there will be an effort made to address that issue at the next conference. That’s what science is about. Meanwhile, the President’s Council on Bioethics is the opposite. As Dr. Steven Pinker’s essay points out (you need to scroll down, and it’s worth the read), there are no biologists on the council, let alone scientists!
There was a sizeable representation from Japan this year, which is handy since the next conference is in Japan, but no representation from China, India, or Dubai. Why would that matter? Because those countries are most likely to make the most progress, i.e. spend the most money (actually, while Japan is the “dark horse”, China was just a huge question mark). Hopefully they will be represented in 09.
So, the concept of the Space Elevator still kicks butt. Yes, after the conference I’m more realistic about its safety and maintanence issues. But it still offers the chance of getting off this lump of coal before we extinguish ourselves in an atomic blast. It still offers a chance to move massive quantities of cargo between planets and astroids. It still is an elegant solution that doesn’t involve explosions or g forces, and it still will require a cooperative effort between nations.
I have been thinking a lot about an article in Discover Magazine about Max Tegmark’s theories on cosmology. What I like about cosmology is its contradictory attributes of theory and application. It has all the longing, optimism, and creativity of metaphysical philosophies… but it’s completely tied to physical observation. It’s imaginative… but at the end of the day, like any scientific endeavor, there must be a repeatable experiment. And it is fitting that often the experiment is a thought experiment. When I think of thought experiments, it reminds me of how we all thought the Earth was flat for a long time. But then we observed the stars, and ignored a bunch of murderous religious zealots, and made some theoretical computations that led us to realize that the Earth was a sphere. No one had to go into space to figure that out.
Tegmark has been exploring the possible blueprints of the universe that quantum physics makes possible. At the very heart of his theories is the widely accepted notion that there are many parallel universes that exist along with ours and are affected by each other’s gravitational forces. He has created several levels of paradigms–each answering more and more questions. In these “multiverses”, some have dopelgangers of us, while most don’t involve any human existance at all.
The most interesting outcome of this, to me, is that Tegmark points out that all those alternate realities, most of which we could never possibly imagine, still follow the rules of mathematics. So he is going one step further (or some would argue that he’s starting over) by saying that in fact everything is just a mathematical object. That reality is just a collection of rules, and since we exist within that collection of rules then we perceive chunks of rules as real, observable objects. Perhaps put another way, as we zoom in, closer and closer, everything becomes nothing… but mathematical laws. We’re talking Platonic elements here, people.
After reading the article, I encourage you to check out his web site. I’m still exploring it. To get a taste of what he has to offer, just look at his FAQ. For example, he points out that there are a finite number of parallel universes. Huh?
Imagine that someone could observe a multiverse from the outside, somehow. They wouldn’t just view a moment in time, because that’s what people inside the multiverse would see. Instead, they would see all of time, since the observer is outside of time. Much like how a 3D person can view all of a piece of paper, but an ant on the paper probably would have a hard time viewing that person. More precisely, it’s like someone flying high in the sky in a jet and looking down at train tracks. They don’t see the trains, just the tracks. They see all the tracks from beginning to end and how they intersect. Meanwhile, the engineer who’s driving the train just sees the track that stretches before her, until it turns out of site or heads into a tunnel. (Max gives a horrible metaphor involving a bird and a frog for some reason, which makes no sense.)
This notion of seeing the whole thing from above, and not worrying too much about the specific implementation or instance of the design reminds me of something else I’ve been studying on the job a lot lately: design patterns. This is something that really took off in architecture, thanks to Christopher Alexander, which enabled architects to design many different buildings that all followed certain well known patterns that work well. You might have a bunch of instances of designs that look completely different, but that follow the same pattern. I don’t know much about architecture, but I would imagine having a foundation is particularly useful. There are many ways to build one, but you gotta have one. In software, we use these like crazy, and in fact in the testing world that I live in, there are common sets of design patterns–design pattern patterns. Design meta-patterns? The “factory” and “singleton” are two that I run into very often. So when I see something that there should only be one of, I immediately know the design. Then it’s just a matter of thinking what color to make it, or what to call it.
The wheel is an example of an instance of a design pattern. What’s the pattern? A shape that has a constant diameter. There are other instances of this pattern.
Anyway, it all goes to show that numerology has some short-sightedness. It focuses completely on the implementation of the design, and then assigns certain emphasis on specific instance characteristics. I prefer to think more about the design that led to our universe… and all the other countable alternative universes where PI doesn’t matter at all. That’s Cosmology.
What does this stand for? The Security and Exchange Committe’s report for 2008? The Southeastern Conference Men’s Basketball 2008 season?
NO
It is the 2008 Space Elevator Conference! And who will be there?
Me.
Here’s the agenda. It’s totally awesome. As you know, I have been following space elevator technology for some time now, so this should be exciting.
(The weird coincidence is that Msft is sponsoring it this year.)
I was ruminating on the $4/gal gas price the other day, remembering when it was at $1/gal around the turn of the century, and it occurred to me that there’s no reason why gas prices will ever go down again. Perhaps in the old days, OPEC would generate some arbitrary supply & demand that fit their fancy at the moment. But now the dwindling oil supply, crossed with an ever increasing range of competing products, means that they don’t have to worry too much about the customer service side of things. We are going to eventually abondon crude oil anyway, and replace it with a variety of other fuels and technologies, so there isn’t much incentive for oil companies to care about any long term customer contentment. Right now most of us are stuck with crude oil vehicles, and we will continue to be in the short term, so it seems like prices will continue to rise until some sort of threshhold is reached. I don’t know what that threshhold will be, but my best guess is that it will be the point where consumers have an equal choice between oil and alternative energy & transportation. So, cut your losses now while you still have the chance.
I ran across another article that questions the value of hybrid vehicles. In a nutshell: In 3 years, an Accord will cost 145% the cost of a Prius, but a Civic will only cost 116%. So, it’s still possible to stay thrifty with an all-gas car (there are other cars with higher mileage than a Civic). I guess a lot of people only keep their car for 3 years, but I can say from personal experience that my Prius has never had a problem in all 7 years that I’ve owned it. And I’ve taken it on regular 1000 mile road trips from Seattle to Southern Oregon and back.
There are other reasons to buy a hybrid vehicle. First, it’s a vote. In a capitalistic society, every dollar is a vote. Second, you’re hedging your bet. We saw what happened to SUV values. The value of all gas vehicles will be the next to plunge, so why risk it? Third, the gas engine in a hybrid vehicle can be replaced with anything. So, if the fuel change occurs while you own your vehicle, you can just swap out the gas engine. Fourth, there will be long term gains from the previous points that will be shared by everyone. Thinking and acting in the long term is an important step toward emotional maturity, and it is also a strategic decision because there is a feedback loop when you help those around you. And Fifth: it’s just really cool technology. Regenerative braking? Continuously variable transmission? A big-ass battery? Stealth mode?!! Very cool.
Anyway, I think the $4/gal price is just the tip of the iceberg, and heralds the beginning of the end of crude oil. Should be a wild ride. Any ideas what affect this will have on other petrolium based substances such as plastic, acrillic, fertilizers, asphalt, paraffin wax, pesticides, etc.? How else has oil affected you, and how will its loss affect you?
Update: President Bush is advocating opening up domestic offshore drilling. Now, given the strong involvement of government in oil regulation, and the percentage of oil imported from foreign sources, how much oil do you think would need to be produced to make a significant difference in price? Then add the fact that oil companies are in charge of this primary energy source. And lastly, consider Bush’s track record in the oil industry, as well as those who he surrounds himself with. Is there much credence in his claim that this will lower oil prices and, even if it does, will it really be due to supply and demand?
I was pretty disheartened to read an article about how recent studies found that carbon nanotubes can lead to cancer. For those of you who have not read my previous blog on MySpace, before I came to my senses and abandoned that cesspool, I have been tracking the progress of space elevator technology. Carbon nanotubes are a crucial component. They are strong, yet lightweight–creating the perfect tether between a satellite in space and the Earth below.
The end of the article seemed to hint, however, that carbon nanotubes come in many shapes and sizes, and that some of those shapes and sizes may not lead to cancer. I hope so, because it would suck if you had cancer by the time the elevator reached its destination.
The Balkan region created some of the most haunting, beautiful, and heavy music that I know of. Perhaps it is that they are at the crossroads between the East, Middle East, and West that lets them distill the best characteristics of all traditional music from the surrounding regions. Perhaps it’s their rich history. Perhaps it’s the years of war that give their lyrics such forlorn yearning and wisdom. Perhaps it’s all the damned vampires and werewolves. I don’t know. All I know is that it’s awesome and I can’t get enough. Even if the music was bland,the rhythms would still beat inside my brain in 11/8 and 7/8 meters. I was not surprised to learn that it was from the Balkan region where the Scotts found the bagpipe and brought it back home with them. It’s not often that music changes the course of history, and this is that kind of music.
Please join me in experiencing one of the most revered vocal groups from the Balkan region, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, on May 27th, 2008, at the Seattle Town Hall. I promise you won’t be disappointed. This is one of the few touring groups that are of the strong female acapella vocal tradition, and it is some of the most astonishing and epic sounds I have ever heard.
Recordings don’t do them justice because you’re not feeling the air resonate in person. You’re not feeling the gaida and flute merge seamlessly with their voices. I hope you get a chance to see them in person once in your lifetime.
My longtime friend and comedian, Jake, has a role in the film Vampire Hunter Hank (and his role is the opposite of comedy). I just got back from the premier, with a copy of the DVD in my hands, and am really excited. I was going to talk to the director some more about it tonight at the after-party, but I drank a 180 for the first time and it really messed me up. I’ve imbibed my share of energy drinks throughout the past few years, but none have ever put me in such a state of distraction. Note to self: try to focus on making a list of things not to do anymore at some point.
I digress. VHH is a must see low budget underground cult phenomenon, and I’m expecting more goodness from the Taco Cart Productions. Jake gave me some clues about the next project–still very early–but let me just say to get in line at the Taco Cart and order yourself a Numero Uno.
That also reminds me that the owner of the famous taco truck in Redmond, has opened a real restaurant with a roof and doors. But they have not sacrificed the taco truck experience. It’s still an incredible value, and Susan even said that it’s exactly the kind of food she likes. Translation: It takes minimal effort to carefully dissect the entree and categorize every major ingredient into separate portions on the plate. So, yeah, they have that going on, too. You never want to overwork your art, right? Check it out at the south east corner of the Crossroads Mall lot. It’s in it’s own building behind UPS.
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