mathoda.com
the art and observations of Ranjit S. Mathoda
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- What makes an animal wild?
When I was about 6, I was bitten pretty badly on the back of one leg by a neighbor’s German shepherd that saw me running around in circles and mistook me for fleeing prey. It had the effect of making me look at dogs differently than most people. In even the smallest dog [...]
Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:31:07 +0000 - A decline in violence
If you feel instinctively that humanity has been getting more violent all the time, and you feel acutely that modern society is a horror as a result, you should watch Steven Pinker’s presentation at TED, where he provides evidence that human progress has led to diminishing violence over time. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/163
Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:48:13 +0000 - On Freeman Dyson’s opinions on climate change
In my prior post on Michael Crichton, I wrote about how Mr. Crichton had taken the time to evaluate the computer models that have led so many people to have such strong concerns about a global warming crisis. Mr. Crichton found them lacking, particularly with respect to predicting doomsday scenarios. I stated [...]
Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:27:51 +0000 - A new favorite quote, by Galileo Galilei
“E pur si muove.” [translation: “It still moves.”] Galileo Galilei (muttering under his breath at Inquisition, after he had publicly recanted his position on Earth’s movement) You can find my other favorite quotes here: http://mathoda.com/quotes
Wed, 05 Sep 2007 01:15:46 +0000 - On learning, producing and wisdom
I’ve been pondering the question of how to improve my ability to learn and produce more effectively, and become wiser. Here are my thoughts: There are some basic questions that it’s good to think about before taking on a goal, task or action: If it was on the front page of [...]
Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:52:27 +0000 - Skating to where the DVD player will go
As iPhone excitement reaches a fever pitch, let’s take a moment to ponder what Steve Jobs called Apple’s “hobby”, Apple TV (product page). Jobs explained to Walt Mossberg that Apple TV is not another set top box or a set top box replacement, but is “sort of a new DVD player for the Internet [...]
Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:38:03 +0000 - The first multi-touch laptop?
Steve Hodges of Microsoft Research’s Cambridge office attached some infrared sensors to a jury rigged laptop to demonstrated a multi-touch laptop. It’s a pretty hacked system, but this is the future (as I’ve stated before). See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulwA3n8AYM0
Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:07:29 +0000 - A very brief history of sushi
Sushi refers to the vinegared rice. Rice farmers in Southeast Asia packed fish and cooked rice in jars to preserve the fish. I assume the fermented result was an “acquired” taste. The Japanese copied this technique but tried fermenting for less and less time. The fish (often carp, which was salted and pressed [...]
Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:24:34 +0000 - Murdoch: “They’re all going to Facebook at the moment.”
In my prior post (http://www.mathoda.com/archives/160), I stated that the most impressive web company today is Facebook. They have created a clean, elegant interface, populated it with an ecosystem of other companies, and have an incredible core value proposition they call the social graph, which lets you easily see what your friends and acquaintances are [...]
Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:43:19 +0000 - Even as her husband struggled … she barely looked up
This is the funniest news item I’ve read in years: Shortly before landing, Bob Hayden and a flight attendant had agreed on a signal: When she waved the plastic handcuffs, he would discreetly leave his seat and restrain an unruly passenger who had frightened some of the 150 people on board a Minneapolis-to-Boston flight Saturday night [...]
Wed, 06 Jun 2007 22:20:03 +0000 - Create your own heart, using your own skin
Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University has created a new technique that by inserting four genes into a mouse skin cell reprograms it so it appears to be an embryonic stem cell. This technique has already been verified by other teams of scientists. This is huge news. This means that rather than have a controversy over extracting [...]
Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:14:24 +0000 - Multi-touch desktop computer revealed by Microsoft. What’s next?
When I first saw multi-touch screens being developed in universities, I knew it would be pretty revolutionary. They later showed up in movies like Minority Report, devices like the Apple iPhone (my iPhone post), and presentations such as the one shown here: http://www.mathoda.com/archives/112. Microsoft has now thrown it’s hat into the ring with Surface, a [...]
Wed, 30 May 2007 14:13:39 +0000 - A Tesla Motors dealership is coming to Los Angeles!
Tesla Motors, creator of an all electric car, is creating a dealership in Los Angeles. Near Santa Monica Boulevard & the 405. I’m excited, even if I’m not quite ready to spend $98,000 for a 2 seat roadster. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-garagebriefs26may26,1,987834.story?track=rss
Sat, 26 May 2007 20:42:30 +0000 - The most impressive web company today… is Facebook
I am consistently more impressed by the innovations emerging from one web company in particular than any other, and no, it’s not Google or Microsoft or Myspace or Wikipedia. There is another company that seems to innovate much faster, and focus more strongly on being very useful in many interesting ways to many people, that has [...]
Fri, 25 May 2007 01:10:17 +0000 - Book: Lincoln at Cooper Union. And a little on what it says for the 2008 campaign.
Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech that Made Abraham Lincoln President, by Harold Holzer. The Way to Win (see my prior book review) confirmed that despite the criticism presidential campaigns get for concentrating too little on substantive ideas, it is critical for a candidate, particularly an unknown candidate, to put forward a powerful message on the [...]
Tue, 22 May 2007 20:50:37 +0000
