Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Luke Skywalker's got nothing on this guy

Okay, so I've got all these great ideas for things to do here, but sadly, math is hard and programming is harder. So, here's something really cool from the good Dean Kamen, the guy who invented the Segway, which is really cool, even if it isn't the world-changer we all hoped it would be (at least until they ban cars in metropolitan city centers). But this is really cool. I think I'll let him explain it.


So I think this is what Ray Kurzweil would call 'the knee of the curve,' the point at which a technology starts getting exponentially better. It's scary and exciting to think that this is version 1.0, and that this sort of tech will only be getting better and better. There's a quote, I don't know who said it, but it goes something like "in the future, it will be a liability to be completely human". This is a freaky and awesome first step in that direction. The only real problem I can notice is that it makes those whirring noises, but hey, it's a 1.0 thing. I suppose the real race is going to be a three way between the ability to a) regrow limbs, b) clone them and reattach them, and c) creating the perfect prosthetic. God, I love science.

Next time: Actual project. I promise!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Ferromagnetic Fluid Art

Okay, I've been a terrible blogger. I've failed in my 'build one thing a week' mission, primarily because building things is hard and expensive. So, while I will endeavor to continue to build things at a more sedate and manageable pace, I will also post up cool engineering/science/transhumanist news and items I find on the internet, plus random ideas I have. So, onto the actual subject matter!

I was cruising one of my favorite blogs the other day, io9, and found this. It is the work of a Japanese artist/professor Sachiko Kodama, who uses ferromagnetic fluids and magnets to make magnificent works of art. For the curious ones in the audience, ferromagnetic fluids are colloidal suspensions of iron particles in water or a compatible solvent that react to magnetic fields in interesting ways. Ironically, the closest thing I've had to an art appreciation class (Making of the Modern World six) utterly destroyed my appreciation of art. I mean, honestly, a urinal set down on its side? This was a big thing? There's a reason I'm an engineer. Anyhoo, below is the video of her work, which is pretty damn awesome. The main thing that gets me is that it is all real. This isn't some computer generated effect, it's the basic laws of physics applied in a new and interesting way to make dynamic, otherworldly structures.



Sachiko Kodama