Aliens

Emerging ethical dilemmas in science and technology

As a new year approaches, the University of Notre Dame's John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values has released its annual list of emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology for 2014.

Space Junk is Becoming a Serious Security Threat

Do some of the proposed technologies for removing space debris pose dual-use concerns?

The short answer is yes. In fact, pretty much any technology for removing debris could be used to take down a satellite under hostile circumstances. This is one of the reasons that many in the space community believe such activities will require a multilateral development approach and an international governance structure.

Visit to the MET 12/27/18

Going to the MET with a friend tomorrow, my list of things to check out...

SPECIFIC ITEMS

Bacchanal: A Faun Teased by Children by Bernini (sculpture)

Viewpoint:  “The action unfolds as you encircle the piece.”  Very cool, one of the things that I like about his sculpture of Daphne and Apollo is that as you walk around the sculpture story is brought to life, action is given form.  

I’m excited that I’m going to get a chance to see one of his works in NYC. 

Aside from Daphne and Apollo at Villa Borghese, my other favorite Bernini pieces I saw in Rome:  Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi nella Piazza Navona, St. Peter's colonade, the angels on the Ponte Sant'Angelo, Ecstasy of St Teresa in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria

The Denial of Saint Peter by Caravaggio (painting)

I am also excited that I will be able to see one of Caravaggio’s works at the Met.  Caravaggio is best known for his technique of chiaroscuro.  I saw many of his paintings in Italy:  the works in Cappella Contarelli in the church San Luigi dei Francesi on the theme of St. Matthew, David with the Head of Goliath and Saint Jerome Writing in Villa Borghese

If there’s time, I’d like to see paintings by Velázquez, Goya (or this one) and El Greco and some works by Rodin (or the Hand of Rodin, Study for Obsession, Pygmalion and Galatea or The Hand of God)

EXHIBITS

Dutch Masterpieces

- The Disillusioned Medea - Curiosity - Young Woman with a Water Pitcher

Everything is Connected:  Art and Conspiracy

And then depending on what my guide is interested in viewing, perhaps something from one of these exhibits?

Dangerous Beauty:  Medusa in Classical Art Relative Values:  The Cost of Art in the Northern Renaissance Celebrating Tintoretto:  Portrait Paintings and Studio Drawings The Poetry of Nature:  Edo Paintings from the Fishbein-Bender Collection Children to Immortals:  Figural Representations in Chinese Art Streams and Mountains without End:  Landscape Traditions of China Epic Abstraction

Links to exhibits on the Met website with information and digital resources

Teaching Techniques Online: Assessment of student competency, How to translate face to face activities to online environment, and How to vet tools

It’s finally here!

The trailer is finally out... looks awesome, Dune is one of my favorite books of all time, and I’ve read A LOT of books.  Can’t wait to see this!!!!  

I’m not very familiar with director Denis Villeneuve but he directed Arrival which I thought was brilliant, and I’ve heard good things about his other films so the excitement factor is high.

I love that the trailer is set to a cover of Pink Floyd, which is one of my favorite bands.  Io9 does a great wrap up for folks who are looking for the breakdown of the rest of the trailer (spoiler alert).

"Herbert's creation of this universe, with its intricate development and analysis of ecology, religion, politics, and philosophy, remains one of the supreme and seminal achievements In science fiction." (The Louisville Times)

See also:

Dune, 50 years on: how a science fiction novel changed the world

Rare DUNE Interview with Frank Herbert

A major breakthrough.  

Cognitive creativity is inspiring artists like Alex Da Kid to make music unlike ever before. He used the emotional insights Watson found in millions of data points to create an original song about heartbreak. Now it’s your turn to see what Alex was inspired to do.

Watch the lyric video for Alex Da Kid’s ‘Not Easy’. →

#educationimagined

Which Marvel Superhero Could Run a University?

Important Question: Which Marvel Superhero Could Run a University?

The World Wide Web, AR, VR, and MR

 “Technologies like Magic Leap’s will enable us to generate, transmit, quantify, refine, personalize, magnify, discover, share, reshare, and overshare experiences. This shift from the creation, transmission, and consumption of information to the creation, transmission, and consumption of experience defines this new platform. As Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz puts it, “Ours is a journey of inner space. We are building the internet of presence and experience.”

We haven’t yet fully absorbed the enormous benefit that the internet of information has brought to the world. And yet we are about to recapitulate this accomplishment with the advent of synthetic realities."

The Untold Story of Magic leap, the World’s Most Secretive Startup by Kevin Kelly via Wired. This is a looooong article, but a must read.  

On a side note, Kevin Kelly (founding editor of Wired) is one of my favorite futurists.... check out some of his other stuff:

We Are the Web (Wired timeline/feature)

The Next 5,000 Days of the Internet (TED talk)  

One more must read from today’s surfing (much, much shorter!) is a piece from the NYT:  The Web’s Creator Looks to Reinvent It.  

See also The Internet Part II from my wiki for related info and articles as well as my page on Privacy.

I protected my privacy by ditching Chrome for Brave–and so should you

This web browser looks and works like Chrome–if Chrome were built to shield your data from prying eyes.

I’ve been reading about Brave, going to give it a go....