Tuesday, June 24, 2003

number crunching

number crunching

Mathematica is an amazing tool. It is so much more than a number cruncher; it is also a remarkably flexible programming language. It is easy to learn to program in Mathematica, (particularly if you have had experience in C, though that is not necessary), as the on-line help window is very detailed and full of tips. Once you get the hang of programming in Mathematica, programs naturally evolve an object-oriented nature. The built-in visualization (and many other ) tools allow for easy visualization of any data selected, usually with just a single short line of code.

Saturday, May 31, 2003

The Failure of NASA: And A Way Out

by Philip K. Chapman
Sunnyvale - May 30, 2003
I was in Mission Control when Neil Armstrong announced that the Eagle had landed. The applause was unexpectedly muted as we were all overwhelmed by the significance of the moment. Nobody had any doubt that Tranquility Base was the first step in an expansion into space that would drive human progress for centuries to come.
We had of course all seen the 1968 Kubrick/Clarke movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the facilities depicted there seemed entirely reasonable. In our lifetimes, we expected to see hotels in orbit, translunar shuttles operated by commercial airlines, and settlements on the Moon. Only the alien monolith was questionable.

None of this has happened.

Sunday, May 25, 2003

Age of Empires II is FAR TOO ADDICTIVE. it should carry a label: WARNING: THIS GAME IS THE VIDEO EQUIVALENT OF CRACK COCAINE. Such a label could also be applied to SimCity, Civilization, Tetris, and a host of other games

Sunday, May 11, 2003

not too much has been going on lately. well, that's not entirely true... i could tell you, but then i'd have to kill you