Rant 442 / Derailing A Rant Would Make It No Less A Rant

I never expected complex numbers to be useful when dealing with electronics. The more you know, the more (you realise) you don't.












Singapore opposition is now laughable. Some members of an opposition party were let off instead of getting charged for holding a procession without a permit because their "procession" was so pathetic the judge decided that what happened was merely some guys walking on the street. You can't sue people for just walking from one place to another.

It looks like the Singapore judicial system has a sense of humour.












There is now a lot of talk that the currency for oil may change, giving rise to a new inflation surge to the USD. Usually raising such an issue would result in that person being treated as a laughing stock, but now things are different.

The recent record prices of gold probably wouldn't have occurred if those unconfirmed reports of certain secret talks never surfaced. Despite the immediate denials by the Middle East states that such things never happened, the idea itself didn't die as quickly.

After this latest recession began, anything that has to do with not using the USD probably looks much more attractive than it did before 2008.












The people behind the Empires mod of Half Life 2 is remaking the entire research system, hence explaining why there hasn't been a patch in months. The Empires mod is a hybrid of real-time strategy (RTS) and first-person shooter (FPS), in which all players in each team play as soldiers except one who commands everyone else.

In this game, just like all RTS games, there is a research system which allows different weapons and tanks. It seems they are remaking the tech tree altogether for the next patch, which basically means a major revamp of the entire game.

After the next patch which should be released soon, they will finally do nothing but make Empires v3.0, which they have promised right from the beginning years ago will contain aircrafts. This v3.0 patch will require at least half a year, so everyone expects a lot.

Why is it that everything good seems to be happening the next year, every year?












http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/513573

Speed Scrabble. Well, not really. The goal of the game is to type words as fast as you can with the letters provided. Not using them is fine too, but pointless.












I find that without the Internet, I know nothing. Not the whole Internet, but Google and Wikipedia. I have Wikipedia opened all the time in one tab so that I can check out stuff I don't know.

But I cannot remember them all. Even while I'm emailing my prof about desalination I'm checking related articles on Wikipedia. I dare not imagine what sort of student I'd be without the Internet.

But he has asked me to discuss my questions after his next lecture instead of typing a complete answer. I cannot see how I can go any further than ask prepared (ie mentally scripted) questions without remembering details of what I "know".

I recall this quote from A Song of Ice and Fire, one that Ygritte said to Jon several times," You know nothing, Jon." I feel like Jon now.

Seriously, if you always have Google and Wikipedia opened on tabs in your Internet browser, you practically know everything. It's not a trick or anything, but more like a better way of making use of the Internet.

Which is why I believe a much faster way of connecting to the Internet is inevitable. Even now, everyone like how they can access the Internet via their mobile phones. What if there is an even more convenient way?

For example, by using holograms projected by a smaller device, perhaps the watch or even an implant. It is impossible today, but the concept of the Internet was not even imagined 100 years ago.

You know what I see? I see the Internet as the present stage of Man's path to achieving a group mind.

For centuries humans have sought to find faster means of data exchange. At first, there was the wheel. Carts driven by animals carried people faster than before, allowing exchange of information over long distances via stories and mere conversation.

Written communication and eventually the printing press brought about another way to exchange information faster and allow the data to last longer.

Phones, telegrams and radios were the next step.

Then the Internet.

What can be faster than the Internet? What slows you down in your connection to the Internet?

The concept of the net is the second best medium of data transfer - direct connection between anyone and everyone. Only the physical condition of the wires linking everyone limits the speed.

If such limitations can be overcome, what can be faster? What can exceed the speed of information exchange in a direct link between physical bodies?

A group mind, of course. Direct connection between minds. But that's the far future, the stuff of science fiction of today. If I go any further I'd probably look insane. Hell, someone reading this is likely to think that way already.