Finding my face in this world... Interesting... Actually, I had no idea that face recognition software had gotten that good. Had I seen it on CSI... I wouldn't have believed it.
AI continues to amaze me... ...in fact, even though I have studied AI and know (more or less) the concepts behind it, it's really still kind of magic. Take for instance, this article, stolen from David. Amazing.
Another type of (less human) AI, Pandora, a customizable radio station program based on the music genome project, is also amazing. Probably the best ever "learning" radio station I have ever used. Way better than Launchcast. Check out my girly music station.
Thunderstorming here... big time thunderstorm, too. The thunder is shaking the building... and I can't see any of it, because I'm inside... in class. Sinfest on rain...
In other news, yay for open source software that does exactly what you need it to do, and has an awesome graphical interface (specifically Cluster 3.0, which is currently doing my machine learning homework for me).
So I'm sitting in this class, and it's boring. I mean. Really. I think this teacher (I won't post her name, just in case) is the only perosn in the world who could make this stuff sooooo comfusing and soooo boring.
And the one class I really want to take next semester... she teaches. At 8am.
Only my love for AI will get me up for that class...
Alan Turing, one of the great pioneers of computer science (and, I might add, "The" great pioneer of Artificial Intelligence), and one of my all time favorite CS/AI role models... was gay. And committed suicide.
Don't you hate it when humanity butts in and tarnishes the pedestals you have so diligently put people on?
That being said, such things have little effect on how good a computer scientist you are (except the suicide thing... I mean, you can't make more discoveries after you're dead, right?)... And sometimes, it's nice to know that my imperfections shouldn't limit my success (at least to some extent).
At least the government isn't forcing me to take hormones because they think my lifestyle choice is a chemical imbalance. Sheesh.
I, Robot Not so much like the book... but and awesome movie from the standpoint of Artificial Intelligence. More like the book than I expected... and much more AI theory than I expected. If you have never read the book.. it's a pretty good sci-fi movie with good graphics and only a few slightly unbelievable parts, overall ok. If you read the book... enjoy the line in the credits: "Suggested by a book by Isaac Asimov". The nude scene with Will Smith was totally not important to the plot, and was (I assume) designed only to show off all the work he did preparing for Ali. Overall: Good movie, I'll prolly buy it on DVD.
Collateral Weird, screwed up movie. But good. In a weird, screwed up sort of way. The camera guy was on crack, though... the whole movie looks like he was carrying the camera on his shoulder. Like Blair Witch, only wihtout the running, and they didn't mic him to get the paniced breathing. Really. I think I might want to see it again... but in a little while, not right away. Tom Cruise made a good and totally beliveable badguy... So I guess that should make up for the cinematography.
um... so like, those are the only movies I've seen recently... Sorry?
But as I have no Intar-web at the apartment until tomorrow... the evil bloggage will have to wait a day or two.
Interesting project afoot, though... any java programmers out there? Looks like a few of us are going to try to code a card game... kinda as a warm up to programming something big that someone else has been planning for awhile :-)
And I got a spiffy new AI book... specifically targeted at game AI (as in, rpg and first person shooters), but applicable to such mundane things as Shanghi. *sigh* Life is good.
No, I’m not dead… I’m home for break, which is close, I suppose. So here’s a rundown of what’s going on in my life:
Family wise, I guess everything is ok. My Granny is home from the hospital… but it looks like we’re going to have to hire someone to watch her… Aunt Dorinne can’t do it all the time, and Granny has no awareness of the fact that she can’t just get up and do things, like walk without a walker, or go downstairs. We’re still trying to figure out what we’re going to do for Christmas Eve at her house… I know we’re eating dinner, but I have a feeling it won’t be the 4-6 hours thing it usually is.
Personally… life is ok. I’m working, trying to juggle my work hours with my family life and Chad time (sounds suspiciously like the real world, huh?). Work is nice… I have a cushy government job, which means I’ve worked two and a half days this weeks so far, and two days of that were spent in meetings and Christmas parties. And now I’m blogging. Yay for me! Chad is coming to visit sometime Christmas day… not sure what time yet, but hopefully by 2 or so, to be in time for dinner. And Presents…. I got Chad the coolest thing… at least, I think it’s cool… I hope he does.
School… Well, school actually got a lot more interesting in the last few days. Weird, but interesting. So here’s how everything played out: I was really upset over this whole circuits thing… went to Nosser’s office, I bawled all over the place, nothing happened with my grade, he couldn’t do anything. So he calmed me down and reminded me that God is still in control… and told me to drop all my courses that depended on Circuits and sign up for half ECE and half CS courses for next semester. So I did. And I stressed a lot. But I looked more into CS, and learned what cool courses I can take if I go that route (AI, Computer Forensics, Software Engineering, stuff like that). I looked at taking 4+ semesters of straight hardware courses in a department that is known for failing students… or 3 semesters of programming courses in a department that is at least somewhat more cordial. And I decided that the CS route wouldn’t be that bad, I would enjoy it more, and I would get out on time.
Then I got a flood of e-mails from Hamaker saying that due to a misprint on the syllabus, I actually have a C in the course. Which means I could, with some schedule tweaking, still go engineering. But the question now becomes this: is the word engineer (it’s not even a title) worth 3+ semesters of hell in the ECE department, taking courses I don’t particularly like from professors that don’t want to be there? What does it mean to be and “engineer” as opposed to a “scientist”? Am I copping out by taking the CS route?
My life is suddenly more complicated. I hate complicated.
Chad said he would make my decisions if I made his…. So I told him he was coming to State *grin* But he didn’t make my decision yet…
This is my brain..... in part, at least.
