Rocket Science

My rocket science thought for the day…

A big difference being at a large university like MIT? There are all these cool (and relevant) seminars happening all the time here.

Duh.

In today’s class I helped Kim use a really old fashioned educational technology…the overhead projector.

Photo Credit: kevandotorg

Overhead Projector
oh no!

What did I do?

Focus it.

My work for the day is done, I can go home now. j/k

So, as you know by now, I travel quite a bit, and try and fly United when I can.

One step forward two steps back.

It looks like United has finally implemented a digital in-flight media system. From the mid-1990s through late-2008 they typically used a tape-based system (it looked like Hi8 or maybe some other 8mm format tape) that required manual operation by the flight attendants. The new system appears to work in a nearly automated fashion. The purser/flight attendant enters an access code, the duration of the flight, and the system takes over. I’ve wondered why, as other airlines have moved to on-demand systems and integration with new technologies such as USB ports at seats, the ability to play iPods via entertainment systems, why United has taken so long to adopt these “new fangle technologies”.

Things aren’t all peachy. The problems with fully automated systems…

Photo Credit: vividhsiddha

Well, at least it's open source

It’s more of a, “Push the button and hope for the best.”

“Restart” If the system needs to be restarted, it has to start over at the beginning. On a flight in June, someone noticed that the wrong movie was playing. Apparently the purser selected the wrong programming (they were going to show the westbound programming on an eastbound flight—which means I’d have to watch the same movie over again, it wasn’t that good the first time through). The purser reset the system, but we had to watch the lead in short feature before the movie, even though the prior programming was queued up to the movie.

“Commericals” The system automatically inserts commercials in the short features and movies. For TV shows, this isn’t so bad, they’re designed with commercials and are intended to have interruptions. For movies, the system seems to pick bad times to insert the commercials. The commercials don’t seem to be programmed in, but inserted randomly. So if there’s a dramatic moment, or a action sequence, expect a commercial to interrupt the flow of the movie. By contrast when movies are played on TV, the broadcasters usually do a much better job of breaking up the flow of the movie. Or perhaps United needs to pay someone more money to select better spots for its commercials. Now that I think about it, hey, what are “commercials” doing in the middle of a movie. that’s new too! =(

/sigh

Ok, so that’s not rocket science…

A recent article by the BBC says…

Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a “soliciting purr” to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.

Gill, Victoria. (2009, July 13). Cats exploit humans by purring.
Retrieved July 15, 2009 from BBC Web site http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8147566.stm

There’s also some interesting reading in the comments on Slashdot. And you may enjoy these cats as well.

Photo Credit: firesign

Turn signal, use it!

1. Use them!
2. Use them!
3. Use them? Please?
4. Turn signals are there to communicate your intent. Please help others not hit you because you’re doing something that you can easily communicate.
5. Turn signals are not substitutes for your hazard lights. If you signal to pull over to the side of the road and then stop there, switch to your hazard lights. You’ve gone from “turning” to “stopping”, you have different controls to indicate that.
6. Use your turn signal before you start to brake for a turn. If you’re going to be considerate enough to use your turn signal, please do it before you start to brake for the turn. Otherwise others might think you’re doing something really dumb.
7. Heck, use your turn signals before you start to do that action, not after.
8. Just using a turn signal does not give you the right to turn left in front of on-coming traffic, especially after the light turns from red to green. This is more common than it should be in the Boston area. One of the things that prevents those idiots from getting hit is that drivers on oncoming traffic don’t want to damage their cars. It really is just rude.
9. It’s ok to turn your turn signal on even while you’re waiting stopped at a light. No, really.
10. Seems like there should be a 10 but I can’t think of any more right now.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.