Freedom and 3-D Printing

"The Next Battle for Internet Freedom Could Be Over 3D Printing"

Fractal Cat Images

Mathematicians have finally created fractal cat images.

Economics In Virtual Worlds

How macroeconomic theories operate in the massive multiplayer virtual worlds.

Free Stanford Online Class on Computer Networks

Stanford University announces "Free Public Online Class: An Introduction to Computer Networks".

From the e-mail description by Professor Nick McKeown:

Professor Philip Levis and I are teaching one of these free (and often massive) public online classes this Autumn quarter as an "Introduction to Computer Networks". The material is designed to be broadly accessible to anyone who wants to understand the design principles of computer networks, with a special emphasis on how the Internet works. The class is based on our CS144 class for Stanford juniors and seniors, which will run in parallel.

The class begins October 8, 2012.

Aircraft Carriers in Space

What Battlestar Galactica gets right (and wrong) about space warfare.

Why Online Poker Should Be Legal

Freakonomics: "Why Online Poker Should Be Legal"

Enormous Raindrop

"What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water in a single giant drop?"

Binoculars on Steroids

"Military's 'Luke Skywalker' Binoculars Use Brain Waves to Spot Threats". (Via N.L.)

Detailed Article on Quantum Cryptography

Ars Technica: "Quantum cryptography: yesterday, today, and tomorrow"

Honest Trailers: The Avengers

Honest Trailers: The Avengers.



 (Via @supatrey.)

A Conversation With Randall Munroe

"A Conversation With Randall Munroe, the Creator of xkcd"

Human Support Robot

"Toyota has unveiled a new assistant robot designed to help the disabled live more independently."

Called the Human Support Robot (HSR), it represents the latest initiative in Toyota's Partner Robot program and is intended to help out around the home by fetching things, opening curtains, and picking up objects that have fallen to the floor.

(Via Kelly V.)

Can a Robot Pass the University of Tokyo Math Entrance Exam?

"Can a robot pass the University of Tokyo math entrance exam?"

From the article:

The test uses high-school math problems. For a computer to solve a math problem, it needs three things, according to NII:

1. Semantic analysis: Understand the problem text, which is expressed as natural language and formulas easily understood by humans.
2. Formulation: Convert to a form that can be processed by a computer.
3. Calculation: Find the answer using the mathematical solver.

So far, Todai Robot can solve about 50–60% of Todai’s Level 2 entrance-exam problems, Fujitsu says.

Gorilla Glass

"Gorilla Glass is the thin strong glass used for the screens of most smartphones. It was invented in the 1960s by Corning but was shelved in the early 1970s due to a lack of demand. The iPhone brought it out of retirement in a big way."

Laser Pointering The Moon

xkcd: "If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?"

Meeting A Troll

Man confronts internet troll in real life. With a very surprising ending.

Stanford For All

Stanford University's big push for online education.

Driverless Cars Update

Lots of people are working on driverless cars.

Robotic Fish To Catch Drug Dealers

"Something's Fishy Here: Robo-Tuna Sinks War On Drugs To New Depths". (Via Marginal Revolution.)

Are Prehistoric Cave Drawings Really Animations?

Are prehistoric cave drawings really animations? (Includes video.)