So I missed the lecture on April 2nd because I was attending the Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing 2009 conference. This conference was in Portland. I really liked Portland, except for all the rain. I figured I could write a little about my experience at the conference.
The Tapia conference brings together students who are underrepresented in computing, including hispanics/latinos, african-americans, women, pacific islanders, and native americans. There were about 400 attendees in the conference. Joel Martinez, an undergraduate in CS, and I were the "representatives" of UNR (not really representatives, we were just the only ones from UNR). The conference consisted of several parallel tracks: faculty workshops, a doctoral symposium, and workshops tailored for career building (such as resume stuff). There was also a poster and a robotics competition.
The goal of the conference is to get students to network, and to motivate students to pursue graduate degrees and to realize that they are not alone (with regards to being minority students in their departments). Most of these programs seem to really focus on this idea of helping students who might help alienated in their departments. I think it's a noble sentiment, but I've never really felt alienated in my department, even though there are no latino/hispanic faculty members. Many students talk about the need to see someone who is just like them, coming from similar ethnic backgrounds, etc. Maybe it's different in other departments, but at least here at UNR I've always had strong support from faculty members, and have been fortunate to have positive experiences (for the most part).
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Climate Change with No Pictures
I attended the Climate Change Documented talk by Dennis Dimick, Executive Director of National Geographic Magazine. The talk felt very similar to the film An Inconvenient Truth. First he explained the greenhouse effect, followed by the presentation of data which showed how the current levels of carbon dioxide and temperature levels are much higher than past natural cycles of the Earth, and ending with possible solutions to the problem.
Dimick presented a very interesting look of how human actions contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. He did this not by talking about cars, or coal factories, or the ever increasing consumption of energy. Instead, he used cheeseburgers. He presented the work of one National Geographic correspondent who looked at the greenhouse emissions caused by cheeseburgers. It's not something we really consider when thinking about global warming, but it just goes to show how every aspect of our lives is contributing a little more to global warming.
So first Dimick stated the number of cheeseburgers consumed by the average American every week, which I don't remember, but I think it might have been at least 2. He then went through the process of producing and making one cheeseburger. It starts with the cows, which have to be feed quite a bit, and which produce a lot of methane from natural processes :) . It then continues with the processing of the beef, and the transportation of the beef to the burger place. On top of that you have the processing of the cheese, and the transportation of the cheese and the burger fixings. Finally, there is the energy consumption while cooking and preparing the cheeseburgers before they are served to the customer. In the end, it was concluded that the carbon footprint of cheeseburgers is very high when compared to other processes, more than one would ever imagine.
The second half of the talk discussed potential solutions to the problem. One of the most important points, which was repeated several times, is that it's not enough to reduce current carbon dioxide emissions. Instead, solutions must be taken which can reduce the current carbon dioxide levels to previous average levels. He a bath tub example, saying that the tub is currently half full, and if the rate of water coming in to the bath tub is the same as the rate of water coming out of the tub, then we will never reduce the current carbon dioxide levels. The rate of water coming out of the tub needs to be increased via carbon sequestration methods, and only then will we be able to return the planet to reasonable carbon dioxide levels.
The talk concluded by a discussion of how it is not just a matter of finding a universal solution that will fix the problem. Instead, it is a matter of taken a variety of approaches and combining them. For example, wind power alone will not solve the problem, but combining it with solar power, and cars which get better gas mileage, and using energy efficient bulbs, etc.
Overall, it was a good talk. Talks related to global warming tend to be very interesting, and really make you aware of the problems we and future generations might face unless we change. However, I think the people who usually show up to these kinds of talks are people who are already aware and believe that change is necessary in order to address the problem of global warming. So in the end the message does not reach audiences which really need to hear it.
Dimick presented a very interesting look of how human actions contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. He did this not by talking about cars, or coal factories, or the ever increasing consumption of energy. Instead, he used cheeseburgers. He presented the work of one National Geographic correspondent who looked at the greenhouse emissions caused by cheeseburgers. It's not something we really consider when thinking about global warming, but it just goes to show how every aspect of our lives is contributing a little more to global warming.
So first Dimick stated the number of cheeseburgers consumed by the average American every week, which I don't remember, but I think it might have been at least 2. He then went through the process of producing and making one cheeseburger. It starts with the cows, which have to be feed quite a bit, and which produce a lot of methane from natural processes :) . It then continues with the processing of the beef, and the transportation of the beef to the burger place. On top of that you have the processing of the cheese, and the transportation of the cheese and the burger fixings. Finally, there is the energy consumption while cooking and preparing the cheeseburgers before they are served to the customer. In the end, it was concluded that the carbon footprint of cheeseburgers is very high when compared to other processes, more than one would ever imagine.
The second half of the talk discussed potential solutions to the problem. One of the most important points, which was repeated several times, is that it's not enough to reduce current carbon dioxide emissions. Instead, solutions must be taken which can reduce the current carbon dioxide levels to previous average levels. He a bath tub example, saying that the tub is currently half full, and if the rate of water coming in to the bath tub is the same as the rate of water coming out of the tub, then we will never reduce the current carbon dioxide levels. The rate of water coming out of the tub needs to be increased via carbon sequestration methods, and only then will we be able to return the planet to reasonable carbon dioxide levels.
The talk concluded by a discussion of how it is not just a matter of finding a universal solution that will fix the problem. Instead, it is a matter of taken a variety of approaches and combining them. For example, wind power alone will not solve the problem, but combining it with solar power, and cars which get better gas mileage, and using energy efficient bulbs, etc.
Overall, it was a good talk. Talks related to global warming tend to be very interesting, and really make you aware of the problems we and future generations might face unless we change. However, I think the people who usually show up to these kinds of talks are people who are already aware and believe that change is necessary in order to address the problem of global warming. So in the end the message does not reach audiences which really need to hear it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
What is Art and Computers and Stuff
What is Art?
I found the definition of art given by the art students to be enlightening. I agree with the definition given, in terms of it being a form of expression. The example of the pen in the table was interesting, and if other weird things are considered art, such as that body exhibit in Vegas, then there's no reason why the pen in the table shouldn't be art.
I do wonder about the appreciation of art. I think a lot of it revolves around expert opinion, and forcing that opinion onto others. For example, since I was little I have been told time and time again that the Mona Lisa is a great work of art, and for me to question that would be infamy. Not that I would ever question the greatness of the Mona Lisa or whatever messages it might be hiding ...
What is a computer?
"A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions."
That's the definition from wikipedia. I figured that since I was going to look it up, I might as well include it here. When I think of the computer I think of Turing's definition, where the machine consists of a tape and some adder or something, I forget. I think the point was that if you had a tape of infinite size, you could compute anything. My tape is faulty, so don't quote me on that.
Eat Your Veggies
My idea for a serious game is diet related. A user creates an avatar, resembling the user's appearance, kind of like the Miis in the Wii. The user then specifies a strict diet to be followed by the user. This can consist of only Chinese food, fast food, vegeterian, red meats only, raw vegetables, etc. The appearance and health of the avatar would then change over time based on the diet picked by the user. This program would answer the question of, "If I ate burgers 24/7, how would that affect my health?" Or, "Could I die from eating tacos every other day?"
A user which specifies a healthy diet, would see the avatar lose or gain weight to an optimal point. Instead, a user who specifies a diet of just fast food, would make the avatar gain weight. Then again, the result will vary based on each user's age, metabolism, health history, and family history. The user can then have fun exploring how his/her appearance would change based on a specific diet. As an advanced mode, the avatar would suffer from diseases based on the diet and its effects on the avatar's health. A user could then bear witness to seeing his avatar die of diabetes because of a diet consisting of Oreos and Frappucinos. Similarly, a user preparing for a marathon could experiment with various carb loading diets, and analyze how this affects the avatar's appearance and overall health.
I found the definition of art given by the art students to be enlightening. I agree with the definition given, in terms of it being a form of expression. The example of the pen in the table was interesting, and if other weird things are considered art, such as that body exhibit in Vegas, then there's no reason why the pen in the table shouldn't be art.
I do wonder about the appreciation of art. I think a lot of it revolves around expert opinion, and forcing that opinion onto others. For example, since I was little I have been told time and time again that the Mona Lisa is a great work of art, and for me to question that would be infamy. Not that I would ever question the greatness of the Mona Lisa or whatever messages it might be hiding ...
What is a computer?
"A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions."
That's the definition from wikipedia. I figured that since I was going to look it up, I might as well include it here. When I think of the computer I think of Turing's definition, where the machine consists of a tape and some adder or something, I forget. I think the point was that if you had a tape of infinite size, you could compute anything. My tape is faulty, so don't quote me on that.
Eat Your Veggies
My idea for a serious game is diet related. A user creates an avatar, resembling the user's appearance, kind of like the Miis in the Wii. The user then specifies a strict diet to be followed by the user. This can consist of only Chinese food, fast food, vegeterian, red meats only, raw vegetables, etc. The appearance and health of the avatar would then change over time based on the diet picked by the user. This program would answer the question of, "If I ate burgers 24/7, how would that affect my health?" Or, "Could I die from eating tacos every other day?"
A user which specifies a healthy diet, would see the avatar lose or gain weight to an optimal point. Instead, a user who specifies a diet of just fast food, would make the avatar gain weight. Then again, the result will vary based on each user's age, metabolism, health history, and family history. The user can then have fun exploring how his/her appearance would change based on a specific diet. As an advanced mode, the avatar would suffer from diseases based on the diet and its effects on the avatar's health. A user could then bear witness to seeing his avatar die of diabetes because of a diet consisting of Oreos and Frappucinos. Similarly, a user preparing for a marathon could experiment with various carb loading diets, and analyze how this affects the avatar's appearance and overall health.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Joseph DeLappe/Art Lecture
FPS Don't Kill People
While the lecture was interesting, things took a wrong turn when the FPS protest was mentioned. I do think a game is just a game. If we choose to say, "well, it's actually more than just a game," then the same can be said of every other aspect of our lives. I can understand the use of a game such as America's Army as a means for propaganda for enrollment in the armed forces, but propaganda is part of every aspect of our lives. Every object is branded in some way, either by a corporation to increase market share or by an organization trying to gather support and increase the number of followers. America's Army is no more to blame for the increased enrollments in the army than the state of the economy, and probably most importantly, the quality of America's education system. If a person can come to idealize the view of war and of joining the army by just playing a video game, then parents, teachers, friends, and mentors are as much to blame for lack of guidance.
The Iraq war has not turned out as our leaders had hoped. It has been badly handled, and the government had no right in the first place to meddle in the state affairs of other nations. However, America's Army and other FPS games are not to blame. Such an accusation has as much validity as the claim that video games perpetuate violence.
In conclusion, long live TF2!
Tekken Tournament
On the topic of the Tekken tournament, it is just another example of providing haptic feedback in order to improve the gaming experience. While some users might be apprehensive to receiving electric shocks, other types of feedback have proven to be successful. Games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero, as well as Wii games, are examples which incorporate haptic feedback, and have been proven commercial successes.
Counter-Strike Image Spray
My experience with image sprays has been quite entertaining. People tend to be quite creative, without necessarily trying to stir a protest or being artsy. Others use them just for griefing, which can be incredibly entertaining as shown in this video by Team Roomba!
Second-Life
If you are going to socialize, at least do it in style and while fighting in World of Warcraft!
While the lecture was interesting, things took a wrong turn when the FPS protest was mentioned. I do think a game is just a game. If we choose to say, "well, it's actually more than just a game," then the same can be said of every other aspect of our lives. I can understand the use of a game such as America's Army as a means for propaganda for enrollment in the armed forces, but propaganda is part of every aspect of our lives. Every object is branded in some way, either by a corporation to increase market share or by an organization trying to gather support and increase the number of followers. America's Army is no more to blame for the increased enrollments in the army than the state of the economy, and probably most importantly, the quality of America's education system. If a person can come to idealize the view of war and of joining the army by just playing a video game, then parents, teachers, friends, and mentors are as much to blame for lack of guidance.
The Iraq war has not turned out as our leaders had hoped. It has been badly handled, and the government had no right in the first place to meddle in the state affairs of other nations. However, America's Army and other FPS games are not to blame. Such an accusation has as much validity as the claim that video games perpetuate violence.
In conclusion, long live TF2!
Tekken Tournament
On the topic of the Tekken tournament, it is just another example of providing haptic feedback in order to improve the gaming experience. While some users might be apprehensive to receiving electric shocks, other types of feedback have proven to be successful. Games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero, as well as Wii games, are examples which incorporate haptic feedback, and have been proven commercial successes.
Counter-Strike Image Spray
My experience with image sprays has been quite entertaining. People tend to be quite creative, without necessarily trying to stir a protest or being artsy. Others use them just for griefing, which can be incredibly entertaining as shown in this video by Team Roomba!
Second-Life
If you are going to socialize, at least do it in style and while fighting in World of Warcraft!
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