Loligo Blog - Distraction

AI - Time for a New Name?

nospam@example.com (John R) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:33:00 -0800

Linguists have recently discovered [1] that almost all words are metaphorical at their base, and some people (e.g., me) posit that they all are. Though speculative, it is at least conceivable that even the sub-language signaling in the brain, which eventually leads to language, is also metaphorical. Consider that the bell becomes a metaphor for food in the mind of Pavlov's dog.

Language is also able to relate ambiguity about the concepts it conveys. The word “life,” for example, can mean life-biology, or life-consciousness. Up until now, it has been perfectly acceptable to use these two meanings interchangeably. There simply has never been an instance of consciousness that existed outside of a biological body — at least none that we could directly experience with our physical senses.

Things may be changing now. . .

Continue reading "AI - Time for a New Name?"

Experimenter and Theorist Scientist - When Soulmates Divorce Friends Must Choose

nospam@example.com (John R) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 19:17:00 -0800

It was the end of a tough, on-again off-again breakup, when Experimentalist and Theorist Scientist finally parted ways.

Experimentalist (Experimenter to his friends) remained deeply committed and humble throughout the whole ordeal.

If you asked, he would tell you, "I am nothing without Theorist."

Theorist, however, felt trapped and constrained. She increasingly saw Experimenter as holding her back; as being too rigid and set in his ways.

Where Are They Now?

Quite some time has passed now, since that fateful, final day. Experimentalist Scientist has not fared as well as Theorist. He spends many lonely nights in the lab, gathering information, letting it lead him where it will, to new experiments that answer more seemingly uninteresting questions. He is adrift, and no longer seems to have any sense of purpose. He has confided to me that he doesn't know what it's all for anymore, though he sometimes seeks emotional solace in the hospital district, helping sick people.

On a brighter note, Theorist seems to be handling the breakup much better. It probably doesn't hurt that she has clearly retained the richer, more stylish friends. Their accelerating lifestyles are colliding in so many different and quarky ways it makes your head feel like it's spinning on a string.

After the final break (and some speculate, even before it was over) Theorist began spending a great deal of time with Philosopher Theologian. The two of them have gotten along swimmingly together, and have even started doing that thing where they finish each others sentences. A fact which causes no end of heartbreak to Experimenter and his friends.

Some relationships are just classics, like Bogey and Bacall. It doesn't matter if we have chosen Theorist's circle, or Experimenter's, we are all deeply saddened by the apparent hopelessness of ever seeing these two back together. When they were together, they were a towering beacon of clarity and a brilliant light shining in all of our lives. Now we are left with only the old familiar tower.

Oh well.

Dance and Sound

nospam@example.com (John R) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:41:29 -0800

Remember the Moog synthesizer days? Just get the waveform and the attack/decay envelopes right and you could perfectly match the sound of any musical instrument.

Not quite. Each instrument was played in a particular way by a human, and those particular ways added slight imperfections in timing and tone. Music turned out to be as much about the dance performed to make it, as it was about the sounds that were made.

I wonder if this extends to language.

See also:

-djr

Important: YOU May Have This Rare Condition

nospam@example.com (John R) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:36:00 -0700

Watch carefully. Is this you?

many thanks to Bill Porter for finding this

-djr

Who's On First Shakespeare

nospam@example.com (John R) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:29:00 -0700

It's baseball season in the U.S.!

Here, presented for your approval, is a very funny skit to honor the Philadelphia Phillies' home-opener (today at 3:00pm Eastern time):

Lord Abbot and Sir Costello's classic stand-up comedy routine, performed in a slightly more classical style.

-djr

A song for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

nospam@example.com (John R) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:22:57 -0800

Developed by Dr. Kary Mullis, PCR is one of those seemingly little discoveries that changed the world. It is only fitting that somebody would write and perform an inspiring song about it

-djr

Goldberg, Reuben Lucius :-)

nospam@example.com (John R) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:18:00 -0800