Category: Life

I saw the other day an article in the newspaper where the author asked members of the public whether they believed intelligence existed outside of Earth.

I myself do believe that there is life out there. However, the issue I forsee is dealing with the philosophical question of what constitutes intelligence. I’m not so sure that we would recognize it if we saw it.

Our experience as humans appears to frame intelligent life as an organism that is self-aware, breaking free of the evolutionary constrictions placed on its existence. Little green men.

But this concept of self and being for us is very much focused on the presence of a brain-like apparatus. Yet the developmental process on this planet is so chaotic and unbelievably unique when it comes to life on our scale, that I find it extremely unlikely that something with any ressemblence to Earthly brains could develop elsewhere. No, it would likely be something different entirely.

This makes being able to perceive intelligence difficult as we are so reliant on the brain to help define what is intelligent here on Earth. But when we think of it, what is the brain except for a complex set of interactions. Provide a stimulus to the same brain, and the “output” is entirely predictable.

I believe that if we had sufficient computational power, that we could simulate the entire human brain. That in essence, the computer would contain within it a person as indistinguishable in its humanity as you or I. A dreary thought, but it reinforces the notion that we are in essence a machine. The fact that it comes down to no more than an orderly set of interactions is what I think makes the whole question of how to recognize intelligence so difficult in the first place.

Because if we are no more than a complex set of interactions behaving in a way pre-determined by our evolutionary baggage, then we come to undermine our own definition of intelligence as we use it to differentiate our existence from that of something like a microbe.

These things that we believe reinforce our status as intelligent beings are relevant only to our own existence as determined by the brain structure we share. The art we produce and enjoy only serves to satisfy the evolutionary-imposed demands of the brain. It would be as invisible to an exoplanetary entity as it is now to a microbe.

Yet since we don’t see intelligence in those creatures on this planet that seem to behave with such predictability despite their incredible similarities in behaviour to us, would we likewise be able to distinguish intelligence in an exoplanetary entity?

I’m not so sure.

What do you think? Do you believe there’s intelligence outside of our planet?

This is what we do around the water cooler at work now: we talk Minecraft. We talks about the underwater tunnels we built. About the castles in the sky someone else put together. About the huge Earth someone recreated.

The best way I can describe Minecraft is to say that it is a computer game that is like a huge living Lego world. This world, made up of oceans, mountains, beaches, and land is randomly generated – every game is unique for everyone. This world goes through a day-night cycle. During the day, this Lego-like world will be inhabited by blocky reproductions of ducks, cows, and pigs. At night, by chunky monsters.

There is no goal, other than to do whatever you want. There is no quest to fulfill. So in my case, I built myself an underwater base, with windows to look out into the pixelated abyss. Like nearly all things in Minecraft, I “crafted” the glass for my windows: I gathered sand from the beach, put it into a furnace I made, along with some coal that I had mined. The pick for my mine was fashioned out of wood that I had collected by chopping up trees. You get the idea.

When I heard others describe to me the premise of the game, it didn’t sound like fun. But as more and more people talked about it, I decided to give it a go. I have to say, it’s the best $15 I’ve ever spent. You can try it out for free at the official website (minecraft.net), with the older “Classic” version of the game. Check it out. It’s well worth it.

For a better explanation and pictures, check out the blog post here.

Most of what you see there comes from a single issue of a magazine aimed at the pre-teen girl crowd. There was just no end to the cutting – every page was either a full-page photo of him or had three pics of him up. Darren, the poor victim here, is actually hiding in his chair for this photo.

I bought a new phone on Monday. It’s the Android-powered Huawei U8100 offered by Wind Mobile, which is being sold for $160. I have to say, I’m pretty amazed what you can get for that much.

Let’s look at what this little device includes:

• A CPU (500MHz) and some RAM (128MB). This is equivalent to what you would find in a desktop computer ten years ago. A whole computer – in the palm of your hands.
• A GPS receiver. These used to cost hundreds of dollars and be bulky devices just a decade ago. Now this thing can provide turn-by-turn navigation with a pretty user interface.
• Wifi connectivity. This phone can latch onto a wireless network, so you can surf without using up your data plan.
• A bluetooth antenna. So this thing can communicate on three different levels: cellular, wifi, bluetooth. All in this little package.
• Tri-axis accelerometers. You can literally take gravity readings of where you are. Or know exactly what orientation the device is in.
• Tri-axis magnetometers. In layman’s terms: a built-in digital compass.
• A camera. It takes still pictures and videos.
• An FM radio. Why the heck not.
• And of course, a GSM modem, speaker, microphone, touch screen, and the other usual trimmings you’d expect from a phone.

All of this is pretty standard for a phone like this. But imagine trying to describe this device to someone from the eighties. Or heck, even the nineties. Technology has advanced by absolute leaps and bounds. And this is a low-end smart phone.

If you’re shopping for a new phone, I don’t know whether I’d recommend this one off the bat. In my case, I was looking for the cheapest device that would provide a good mobile web surfing experience. This delivered. It does browsing well, albeit with the third-party Opera browser instead of the one that’s bundled. It does email well. It handles YouTube videos with ease. There’s an app store that has tons of free programs and games for you to download.

That said, the low-resolution of the screen (320×240) means that you won’t have access to all the software on the Android app store. It also runs the last generation (2.1) of the Android OS, with no plans to provide an upgrade to the latest 2.2 Froyo build. The touch screen keyboard with predictive text doesn’t hold a candle to a physical keyboard.

Anywho, this post wasn’t really meant to be a review of the phone, so much as a statement that I can’t believe how much we can cram into these little things today. A desktop computer. In the palm of your hand. Amazing.

What will cellphones look like in ten years from now?

In our search for apartments, Jay and I have scoured the likes of Kijiji, Craigslist, and aggregates such as PadMapper. So far, three of the places to which we’ve enquired have turned out to be scams.

The story is always the same. The person is now out of the country, and has the only set of keys with them. As such you can view the outside of the apartment, not the inside. They’ll arrange to ship you the keys though, I assume in exchange for a large fee. Jay is busy playing with one of the scammers.

My initial email:

Hi there,

I saw your ad on Craigslist for the one bedroom condo on George street. We’re a young professional couple looking for a new home in downtown Ottawa, and we’re very much interested in your condo. When would it be available? Could we arrange a viewing?

Thank you,
Julien McArdle

The reply:

Hello Julien,

I got your mail in regards to my apartment for rent and thanks for your interest/inquiry in renting my apartment. Firstly, I want you to know that I’m not given my apartment for rent just because of money reason alone but due to my transfer of work to west Africa. I’m an X-RAY WELDER UNDER SHIP BUILDING, I have been working with nasco ship building here in the country, but have just been transferred to Niger dock Nigeria PLC. I left country with hope that I will be coming back in a month’s time but right now the company have asked me to stay for 2yrs under contract with them, that’s why I have made up my mind to put up my apartment for rent, but I will like you to keep the apartment for me well okay just like yours, okay. I want to let you know that the apartment is available for rent anytime, you can easily go there and check it, but the issue is that you will not be able to check inside of the apartment, so through the address you will provide for me which I will use to send you the keys and the documents to you through DHL COURIER SERVICE and It will be home delivery. I appreciate your expression and the apartment include cable /internet access, furnished, Central Air Conditioning, Laundry, Garbage Chute, Pets OK, cleaning service, dry cleaning,Heating, Electricity,etc and everything is already been furnished. And here is the application form below that you must answer to qualify for the rent of my apartment and I want you to know that I’m giving this apartment for rent base on trust and due to the way I read your reply to my apartment, hope you have a nice working day, in fact I will like to meet you when coming to visit you soonest. Also, Please let me get this answer and you can call me on my cell +2347053085884 OR 0112347053085884

RENT APPLICATION FORM

1)Your Full Name
2)Your Full Address & Phone Number
3)How old are you?
4)Are you married?
5)How many people will be living in the house?
6)Do you have a pet?
7)Do you have a car?
8)Occupation?
9)How long Do you intend to stay?

Looking forward to hearing from you with all this details so that I can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you and pets is allowed. Awaiting your reply so that we can discuss on how to get the documents and the keys to you, please we are giving you all this base on trust.

I will be waiting to read back from you as soon as possible.

Thanks and God Bless you.

Regards,
Wilfred

Another of the response was by an alleged woman in Manchester, and another yet in Cambridge, England. I responded to “Wilfred”, feigning interest. I’m curious to see if he’ll respond back.