#W. Daniel Hillis

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Norman Foster Foundation Madrid

Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid, On Archives Masterclass, Digital X Workshop News, Spain

Norman Foster Foundation Madrid

Public debates in which practitioners from the fields of design and innovation, Spain

29 July 2021

Norman Foster Foundation ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series

Madrid, 29th of July 2021 – The Norman Foster Foundation (NFF) presents the ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series, a series which explores the fundamental aspects related to architectural archives and libraries around the world. Given by fourteen leading experts in the fields of archiving, architecture, art, design and heritage management, this video series supports the NFF’s extensive educational programme by promoting an exchange of knowledge across a range of geographic and disciplinary perspectives.

While archives have, for centuries, been the core of cultural, historic and artistic institutions, these online lessons also acknowledge the relevance of archives for the performance of other disciplines, such as architecture and design, and for the future of society. From the Canadian Centre of Architecture (CCA) to the Vatican Museums, speakers will touch on key themes such as the materiality of archives, the concept of interarchive, the challenges of digitising archive materials, new preservation methods based on a dynamic order and how to manage special collections, among other topics.

While archives have, for centuries, been the core of cultural, historic and artistic institutions, these online lessons also acknowledge the relevance of archives for the performance of other disciplines, such as architecture and design, and for the future of society. From the Canadian Centre of Architecture (CCA) to the Vatican Museums, speakers will touch on key themes such as the materiality of archives, the concept of interarchive, the challenges of digitising archive materials, new preservation methods based on a dynamic order and how to manage special collections, among other topics.

In addition to an introductory masterclass given by Norman Foster (President, Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain / London, UK / New York, USA), in which he considers the important role that archives play in anticipating the future, contributing speakers include the following experts:

Giovanna Borasi, Director, Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Sol Camacho, Director, Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi – Casa de Vidro, São Paulo, Brazil; Estrella de Diego, Academician, Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid, Spain; Michelle Elligott, Chief of Archives, Library and Research Collections, MoMA, New York, NY, United States of America; Patricia Hartmann, Director, Sitterwerk Foundation, St. Gallen, Switzerland; Charles Hind, Chief Curator & HJ. Heinz Head of Drawings, British Architectural Library, RIBA, London, United Kingdom; Barbara Jatta, Director, Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Italy; Valerie Maasburg, Director, Bookshop and Artist’s Books Collection, Ivorypress, Madrid, Spain; Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries, London, United Kingdom; Mar Perez Morillo, Head of Division of Digital Processes and Services, Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid, Spain; Marcia Reed, Chief Curator, Associate Director and Head of Special Collections and Exhibitions, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America; Mathias Schwartz-Clauss, Director, Domaine de Boisbuchet, Lessac, France; Bill Sherman, Director, The Warburg Institute, London, United Kingdom.

As part of the NFF’s upcoming digital initiatives, the ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series will be soon followed by the release of the ‘Future Cities’ Conversation Series, a virtual dialogue series in which Norman Foster will reflect on the future of cities alongside ten leading voices and visionaries, as well as the release of the ‘On Archives’ Conversation Series, another virtual dialogue conducted by academician Estrella de Diego and art curator Hans Ulrich Obrist on the most compelling issues related to archives and libraries.

The masterclasses included in this series are part of the Norman Foster Foundation’s Education + Research Programme and have been developed thanks to the research fellowships supported by BYD, Crankstart Foundation, David and Nina Fialkow, Ford Foundation, Lisa and Richard Cashin and the Rolex Institute.

The ‘On Archives’ Masterclass Series is currently available for viewing on Youtube.

24 Jan 2019

Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop 2019

The natural world and the artificial world are becoming interchangeable. Change will happen very rapidly

18 – 22 February 2019

• The Norman Foster Foundation presents the second edition of its annual Digital X Workshop with public debates in which practitioners from the fields of design and innovation will participate, including Amber Case, W. Daniel Hillis, Mary Lou Jepsen, David Moinina Sengeh, Nicholas Negroponte and Ben Vickers.

• The 2019 Digital X Workshop is designed to pose key questions and come up with some considered conclusions in a week-long event hosted in the Madrid headquarters of the Norman Foster Foundation.

• A distinguished group of specialists will engage with ten selected students from ten universities around the world who share a common interest in the subject. The workshop mentor is Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and former director of MIT Media Lab.

Image from the first edition of the Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop (2018) photo © Norman Foster Foundation

Madrid, 23 January 2019

The second edition of the Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop will take place on 18-22 February 2019, in association with e-flux Architecture. ‘All things digital are simultaneously local and global, large and small, inside and outside of any given boundary’ states workshop mentor Nicholas Negroponte. ‘The digital world brings together previously separate worlds, like those of discovery, invention and expression. It does that because it has become the DNA of each. The natural world and the artificial world are becoming interchangeable. Change will happen very rapidly. Fasten your seatbelts.’

With that concept as a background, the workshop is designed to pose an key questions and come up with some considered conclusions . Can you build a city without infrastructure: no roads, no sewers, no water or power? Why bother? The answer is to renovate slums without bulldozing them, which is something that could impact two or three billion people. Call it a new autonomy, that of a house or a small community, taking some pages from outer space and bringing them back to earth.

The Academic Body spans a wide range of practitioners from the fields of design and innovation, including Amber Case, Co-founder of CyborgCamp, Cambridge, MA, United States; W. Daniel Hillis, Co-founder of Thinking Machines Corporation and of Applied Invention, Cambridge, MA, United States; Mary Lou Jepsen, Founder of Openwater, San Francisco, CA, United States; Hasier Larrea, Founder and CEO of Ori Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States; David Moinina Sengeh, Chief Innovation Officer at the Government of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone and Ben Vickers, Chief Technology Officer at the Serpentine Gallery, London, United Kingdom

After reviewing applications submitted by hundreds of candidates from around the world, the selection committee awarded ten scholarships to students from the following universities and institutions: American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; American University in Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ashesi University, Berekuso, Ghana; Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cape Town University, Cape Town, South Africa; Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands; George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States; Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, United States; Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain and the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

These ten students will be asked to park reality at the door. Inviting them to bring their most advanced thinking, craziest ideas, whether they relate to architecture or not, to apply them, their derivatives or simply their point of view to the needs of the world’s poorest people, especially the increasing number who live in slums.

The Digital X Workshop will include seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring and architectural tours to learn more about the context of Madrid culminating in a five day workshop led by the Atelier mentor, Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and former director of MIT Media Lab.

e-flux Architecture will join this year’s edition of the Digital X workshop as its editorial partner. Editors Nikolaus Hirsch and Nick Axel will conduct a series of interviews during the duration of the workshop, the result of this joint initiative will be unveiled in Spring 2019.

Public Debates

Tuesday 19 February 2019, 12:30 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos Paseo del General Martínez Campos 14, 28010, Madrid, Spain With the participation of Amber Case, W. Daniel Hillis, Mary Lou Jepsen, David Moinina Sengeh, Nicholas Negroponte and Ben Vickers.

Tim Stonor, Managing Director of Space Syntax, London, United Kingdom, and part of the Advisory Board of the Norman Foster Foundation, will chair the debates.

e-flux Architecture

e-flux Architecture is a sister publishing platform of e-flux, archive, and editorial project founded in 2016. The news, events, exhibitions, programs, journals, books, and architecture projects produced and/or disseminated by e-flux Architecture describe strains of critical discourse surrounding contemporary architecture, culture, and theory internationally.

Since its inception, e-flux Architecture has maintained a dynamic international program of projects and events in collaboration with leading institutions and practitioners. Editorial content commissioned and published by e-flux Architecture consistently showcases rigorous, critical, sincere and engaged theoretical work being produced today in and around the fields of architecture, urbanism, and design. For more information, visit https://ift.tt/377zaPr

7 Sep 2018

Norman Foster Foundation Urban Mobility Workshop

Could the new technologies change the reality and perception of new ways of transportation?

Dates: 17-21 Sep 2018

Location: Monte Esquinza 48, Madrid, Spain

The Norman Foster Foundation presents its Urban Mobility Workshop with a public debate with the participation of Alfredo Brillembourg, Tilly Chang, Norman Foster, Carlo Ratti and Tim Stonor. The 2018 Urban Mobility public debate will explore how new technologies could open up an exciting range of opportunities in the infrastructure of movement.

Norman Foster Foundation Urban Mobility Workshop

26 May 2018

Norman Foster Foundation Madrid News

Norman Foster Foundation presents its annual ‘On Cities’ Workshop with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies

NORMAN FOSTER FOUNDATION WORKSHOP 18-22/06/2018 – ON CITIES

• The 2018 On Cities Workshop will explore the premise that emerging urban innovations can create more livable, entrepreneurial communities and dramatically reduce resources consumed by cities, in a week-long event hosted in the Madrid headquarters of the Norman Foster Foundation.

• A distinguished group of specialists will engage with ten selected students from ten universities around the world sharing a common interest in the subject. This year’s workshop mentor is Kent Larson, Director of MIT Media Lab City Science Group and Initiative.

Madrid, 25 May 2018

The Norman Foster Foundation On Cities Workshop will take place on 18-22 June 2018, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, closing the 2017-2018 Educational programme initiative. The workshop will focus on Autonomous Innovative Communities, selecting a district in Madrid as a case-study for a research project that will be developed throughout the week.

Can each community locally produce all of the energy, food, and clean water needed for basic living— requiring no centralised infrastructure? Can humans transition from ownership to sharing, while living and working in compact, agile, supportive environments? This workshop explores the premise that emerging urban innovations can dramatically reduce resources consumed by cities while simultaneously creating more livable, entrepreneurial communities.

‘We are living in an era of extreme urbanisation and rapid global warming’, states workshop mentor Kent Larson. ‘The challenges of both call for more than mere incremental adjustments.’

After reviewing applications submitted by hundreds of candidates from around the world, the selection committee awarded ten scholarships to students from the following universities and institutions: American University of Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, United States; London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile; Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark; Technische Universiteit Delft, Delft, the Netherlands; Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Barcelona, Spain and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

These ten students will engage with a group of specialists through a series of seminars and lectures culminating inafive day workshop led by the mentor Kent Larson, Director of MIT Media Lab City Science Group and Initiative, and his team.

The Academic Body spans a wide range of practitioners working in different fields interrelated with the City, including: Beatriz Colomina, Director of Graduate Studies, School of Architecture, Princeton University, Princeton, United States; Luis Cueto, General Coordinator for the Mayor in Madrid, Madrid City Hall, Madrid, Spain; Anupama Kundoo, Principal, Anupama Kundoo Architects, Madrid, Spain/Auroville, India; Winy Maas, Co-Founder and Director of MVRDV and Director of the Why Factory, Delft, the Netherlands; Tim Stonor, Managing Director of Space Syntax, London, United Kingdom; Leonor Tarrasón, Director of Environmental Solutions, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Oslo, Norway; Belinda Tato and José Luis Vallejo, Founders and Directors of Ecosistema Urbano, Madrid, Spain/Miami, United States.

The On Cities Workshop will include seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring and urban architectural tours to learn more about the context of Madrid and it’s districts. During the course of the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to engage with the Norman Foster Foundation’s archive and research projects.

Nicholas Negroponte, Co-Founder and former Director of MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, United States will act as the Chief Advisor of the workshop tutoring the students through the research process.

As a way to disseminate knowledge and ideas, the public lectures will be recorded and documented for publication in series of annual books published by the Norman Foster Foundation

Public Debates

19th June 2018 6 p.m.- 8 p.m. Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos Paseo del General Martínez Campos 14, 28010, Madrid, Spain

6:00 p.m. – On Cities: Governance • Introduction by Kent Larson • Keynotes by Beatriz Colomina, José Luis Vallejo, Leonor Tarrasón and Luis Cueto • Debate between Beatriz Colomina, José Luis Vallejo, Leonor Tarrasón and Luis Cueto, moderated by Kent Larson

7:00 p.m. – On Cities: Transformations • Introduction by Workshop mentor Kent Larson • Keynotes by Winy Maas, Belinda Tato, Anupama Kundoo and Tim Stonor • Debate by Winy Maas, Belinda Tato, Anupama Kundoo and Tim Stonor, moderated by Kent Larson

8:00 p.m. – Wrap up • Dialogue between Norman Foster and Kent Larson

Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organisation focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation, corporate and personal giving. In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $702 million.

For more information, please visit www.bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

8 Jan 2018 The Norman Foster Foundation presents its annual Digital X Workshop with the support of Future Planet Capital

NORMAN FOSTER FOUNDATION WORKSHOP

15-19 Jan 2018

DIGITAL X

• Norman Foster Foundation presents its first Digital X Workshop with the support of Future Planet Capital.

• The 2018 Digital X Workshop will explore the kinship of Architecture and the Digital World in a week-long event hosted in the Madrid headquarters of the Norman Foster Foundation.

• A distinguished group of specialists will engage with ten selected students from ten universities around the world sharing a common interest in the subject. This year’s Atelier mentor is Nicholas Negroponte, cofounder and former director of MIT Media Lab.

The first Norman Foster Foundation Digital X Workshop will take place on 15-19 January 2018, supported by Future Planet Capital.

‘All things digital are simultaneously local and global, large and small, inside and outside of a given boundary’, states Atelier mentor Nicholas Negroponte. ‘The digital world is not crisp; it is porous and diffuse. It brings together previously separate worlds, like those of discovery, invention and expression. It does that because it has become the DNA of each. Architecture does that too.’

What happens when the natural world and the artificial world become one and the same? How does society change when direct brain communication occurs among humans, and between humans and machines? The workshop will focus on this kinship, that of architecture and the digital world, how the two play together now, and how they will change the world together, going forward, discussing things that, outrageous today, will be commonplace tomorrow.

After reviewing applications submitted by hundreds of candidates from around the world, the selection committee awarded ten scholarships to students from the following universities and institutions: Architecture and Geomatics, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Architecture and Urbanismo Faculty (USP), Sao Paolo, Brazil; Bartlett School of Architecture, London, UK; Centre for Urban Science and Engineering IIT, Bombay, India; City Futures Research Centre, University New South Wales, Australia; National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; Stanford Department of Civil and Environmental, California, US; Technion Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv, Israel; Technische Universiteit Delft (TU), The Netherlands and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

These ten students will develop an essay ontheme of Digital X tutored by a group of specialists through a series of seminars and lectures culminating in a five day workshop led by the Atelier mentor, Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder and former director of MIT Media Lab.

The Academic Body includes: Ricky Burdett, Director of LSE Cities and Urban Age Programme; Hugh Herr, Co-Director of the MIT Center for Extreme Bionics; Kent Larson, Director of MIT City Science Iniacitive; Amanda Levete, Founder and Principal of AL_A; Greg Lynn, Professor at UCLA School of Arts and Architecture; Farshid Moussavi, Principal of Farshid Moussavi Architecture and Benedetta Tagliabue, Principal of Miralles Tagliabue EMB Architects.

The Digital X Workshop will include seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring and architectural tours to learn more about the context of Madrid. Architectural critic and writer Jonathan Glancey will act as the Editor-inChief of the workshop tutoring the students to think ahead and to elaborate an essay with their personal view on the subject

As a way to disseminate knowledge and ideas, the public lectures will be recorded and documented for publication in series of annual books published by the Norman Foster Foundation. During the course of the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to engage with the Norman Foster Foundation’s archive and research projects.

Public Debates

16th January 2018 at Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Madrid – COAM (Hortaleza, 63, 28004 Madrid, Spain)

• 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Keynote by Nicholas Negroponte • 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Dialogue between Hugh Herr and Kent Larson, moderated by Ricky Burdett. • 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Dialogue between Greg Lynn and Benedetta Tagliabue, moderated by Luis Fernández-Galiano. • 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Dialogue between Norman Foster and Amanda Levete, moderated by Jonathan Glancey

31 Oct 2017 Norman Foster Foundation Robotics Atelier 2017

NORMAN FOSTER FOUNDATION ATELIER 2017 – ROBOTICS

• Norman Foster Foundation presents its first annual Robotics Atelier with the support of the Rolex Institute

• This year’s Robotics Atelier, related to design and building, will be explored in a week-long event hosted in the Madrid Headquarters of the Norman Foster Foundation.

• A distinguished group of specialists will engage with ten selected students from ten universities around the world who share a common interest in the subject. This year’s Atelier mentor is Professor Mathias Kohler from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.

Norman Foster Foundation, Madrid, Spain, 2017: photo © Luis Asín © Norman Foster Foundation

The first Norman Foster Foundation Robotics Atelier will take place on 20-24 November 2017, supported by the Rolex Institute.

Society is on the edge of being transformed through robotics and artificial intelligence. These technological innovations have the potential to change every aspect of our lives in far-reaching ways. Last June, in the Norman Foster Foundation’s inaugural forum ‘Future is Now’, a glimpse was given into how the world of construction would be revolutionised by these developments in what could prove to be a second digital era.

Ten scholarships have been given to students selected by the following universities and institutions: The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, UK; Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD), Stuttgart, Germany; Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain; National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, India; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), MA, USA; Universidad Iberoamericana de Ciencias y Tecnología, Santiago, Chile; Ashesi University, Accra, Ghana; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland; Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), Barcelona, Spain.

The selected students will engage with a group of specialists through a series of seminars and lectures culminating in a five days workshop led by the Atelier mentor, Professor Mathias Kohler and his team. Leading robotics manufacturer Universal Robots will loan three units of their highly flexible robot arm, the UR5 Robot, to the Atelier.

Contributors to the workshop include Luis Miguel Ciprés, CEO of Barrabés Next, Pablo Jarauta, Coordinator of the European Institute of Design (IED) Scientific Committee, Amelie Klein, Curator at Vitra Museum, and Gijs Van der Velden, Co-CEO of MX3D.

The Robotics Atelier will include workshops, seminars, lectures, one-to-one tutoring, and development of projects by the students. As a way to disseminate knowledge and ideas, the public lectures will be recorded and live-streamed through the Norman Foster Foundation’s website: https://ift.tt/33XGpYI. The lectures will be documented for publication in an annual series published by the Norman Foster Foundation.

During the course of the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to engage with the Norman Foster Foundation’s archive and research projects.

Public lectures

22nd November at Auditorium Fundación Telefónica – Fuencarral 3 28004 Madrid, Spain

• 18:00 h Lecture “The Robotic Touch” by Matthias Kohler, Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

• 19:00 h Matthias Kohler in conversation with Amelie Klein, Curator, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany

NORMAN FOSTER FOUNDATION

The Norman Foster Foundation promotes interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations of architects, designers and urbanists to anticipate the future. We believe in the importance of connecting architecture, design, technology and the arts to better serve society and in the value of a holistic education that encourages experimentation through research and projects. The Norman Foster Foundation holds the Norman Foster Archive and Library, which provide a window into the larger narrative and history of our built environment through the work of Norman Foster.

The Norman Foster Foundation is based in Madrid and operates globally.

ROLEX INSTITUTE – Encouraging individual excellence through philanthropy and education

Driven by an unwavering pioneering spirit, Rolex SA is renowned for its many technical innovations in watchmaking that have made it a symbol of excellence around the globe. The company brand values of quality, know-how and individual achievement pervade all of its endeavours. Rolex is closely linked to many of the world’s highest achievers and, since its beginnings, has supported visionary men and women in a variety of fields.

The Rolex Institute embodies this philosophy. Comprising the company’s philanthropic programmes and educational initiatives, it aims at recognizing excellence and making a significant contribution to society.

23 Sep 2017

Norman Foster Foundation

Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid

“I believe that cities can change the world for good. They are doing so. Cities are the future now.” — Norman Foster

On June 1st 2017, the Norman Foster Foundation officially launched in Madrid with the forum, ‘Future is Now’. Scholars, students, thinkers, and practitioners from the fields of architecture, design, and technological innovation were invited to discuss the most pressing concerns regarding the built environment.

The forum successfully challenged preconceived ideas about the future of our cities through diverse points of view.

Forum – Future is Now | Norman Foster Foundation from Norman Foster Foundation on Vimeo.

More than 2,100 people attended the event, 1,057 of whom were students from 32 international universities.

To watch the complete forum go to Forum – Future is Now.

Address: Norman Foster Foundation, Monte Esquinza 48, 28020 Madrid, Spain

Architecture in Madrid

Madrid Architecture Design – chronological list

Madrid Architecture News

Madrid Architectural Tours by e-architect

Norman Foster – Key Projects

Featured Foster + Partners designs, alphabetical:

Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong Norman Foster airport

Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, Hong Kong HSBC Bank Building

Stansted Airport, London area Stansted Airport

Hotel Puerta America, Madrid, Spain Hotel Puerta America

Pritzker Prize Winner 1999

RIBA Gold Medal Winner 1983

Norman Foster Book

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship

Carré d’Art-Nîmes Architecture Exhibition, France Carré d’Art-Nîmes Exhibition

Foster + Partners – Venice Architecture Biennale : Common Ground, Italy Venice Biennale British Pavilion

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship – Winner News image of Norman Foster

Foster + Partners Prize

Architecture Studios

Buildings / photos for the Norman Foster Foundation Madrid page welcome

Website: www.fosterandpartners.com

The post Norman Foster Foundation Madrid appeared first on e-architect.

[scripta-elegans]

W Daniel Hillis – How Jerry Lettvin talked me out of neurobiology (73/248)

[saffronsplace]

The Foxclaws Saffron with her parents at the last gala the Macauleys hosted - and her parents actually turned up to

Pose @ FOXCITY. Glow Bento Friend Pose

Saff: Eyeshadow @ Veechi - Vive Shadow Lipstick @ Izzie's - All the Colour Matte Lipstick Necklace @ Earthstones - Zahira Necklace (IC Gift) Septum Piercing @ Yummy - Ariana Septum Hair @ Truth - Eternity Outfit by E.K. @ Cosmopolitan - Layla Sem Sheer Top / Skirt - White Underwear @ Just Because - Ava Lingerie Shoes @ Just Because - Iris Heels

Mum: Head @ GENUS Project - Genus Head - Strong Face GIFT001 - Mocap Body @ Slink Hands & Feet @ eBody Skin @ The Skinnery - Alice 1 (old gacha using BoM) Hair @ Exile - Instant Crush Dress @ [hilly haalan] - Nadia Gown (GROUP GIFT) Shoes @ Hilly Haalan - Mothers Day Gift

Dad: Head @ CATWA HEAD Daniel Hair @ Exile - Tommy Skin @ The Skinnery - Javier w/ Izzie's Age Yourself Appliers Outfit @ Deadwool - The Dandy Grey

[magazinmix-blog]

Woodbury Lions Club hosting American Red Cross blood drives

Blood Drives in Cannon County for over 60 years.

It has been said that the Lions Club drives are the best in the Tennessee Valley Region Blood Services area, which includes all of Tennessee, parts of Kentucky, and Alabama.

The extra effort put forth by the Lions Club has little to do with it. The Woodbury Lions Club has a committee of members that work together to help insure that everything runs smoothly, along with community volunteers who like to help out.

Some of the volunteers have more experience working with blood drives that the actual Red Cross staff who go out daily working with blood drives within the area.

Committee chairmen’s Patsy and Carl Hirlston and Bobby Bogard with committee members Ken and Artie Jean McIntyre, Lois Larimer, Clyde Thomas, Nolan Northcutt, Robert Jennings, Charlie Brown, Clyde and Kitty Bush, Chris Brushaber, Danny Miller, Cliff Swoape, Andy Jacobs, Doug Combs, and Gina Mitchell, all work together along with community volunteers of Bessie Miller, Orval and Esther Gray, Juanita Burks, Cathey Parker, Betty Harder, Shirley Borren, Jane Jennings, Grace Young, Nile Young, Della Young, Robert Young, Kay Campbell, Carol Davenport, Bobbie Henline, Jim Henline, Betty Paschal, Ann Todd, Mary Sue Vinson, and Mary Nelle Hillis too create a professional staff that assist members of the American Red Cross staff.

The Lions Club assigns a task of greeting donors and signing them in, handing out water and assigning donors with a number.

Copies of the Cannon Courier are provided for donors to read before or after their donation.

Red Cross provides snacks and the Woodbury Lions Club has additional snacks such as: a one-of-a-kind trail mix, peanut butter and crackers, baloney and crackers, and cheese and crackers.

A staff works in the canteen area who assist the donors after they have donated by getting them a drink of juice, water, soda, or coffee and then sitting with them and talking. They also watch the donor to see if the donors face color changes or if their arm starts bleeding from where the donor had given blood.

Woodbury Club also keeps records of each donation and awards donors with pins and Certificates when completing gallon donations. Along with taking pictures of donors receiving awards and being pinned with a gallon donation pin, plus having members of the Lions Club calling and reminding donors of upcoming blood drives also adds a little bit more to why Cannon County Blood Drives are better and produces more regular donors than other areas which has a larger population.

Woodbury Lions Club host six blood drives a year, always the third Thursday in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Each blood drive is noon until six pm except May’s drive, which runs from 9 am until 6 pm. May’s blood drive is a donor appreciation drive, and most of the businesses in Cannon County donate door prizes.

In the last five to six years, each donor was able to win three of four items because of the generosity of the businesses and their support of the Lions Club and wanting to reward the true everyday heroes of Cannon County, those who give of themselves to help save the lives of others. In most cases, they are saving the lives of people who they do not know.

On May 20th, 2010 the following businesses provided door prizes for the heroes of Cannon County: A Touch of Home Flower’s & Gifts, Arts Center of Cannon County, Auto Zone, Birdsong Adhesives, Boyd’s Garage, Briar Rose Flowers and Gifts, Bromley/Jennings Automotive, Cannon County Chiropractic, Cannon Market, Captain D’s, CareAll, Cell Plus, Coco Tan & Spa, Chilangoes Mexican Restaurant, Curves, Cutting Edge Hair Salon, D J’s Pizza and Steakhouse, Family Dentistry Deason & Bucher, Farm Bureau Insurance, First National Bank, Flower Occasions, Gina’s Boutique, Hardee’s, Hayes Bros Auto Care, Hibdon’s Body Shop, Higgins Car Wash, J P’s Fine Swine Bar-B-Que, Jennings Jewelers, Joe’s Place, Legendary Cuts, Lightwriters Photography, Lions Pizza Den, The Millennium Hair Salon, Moonlite Drive-In, NAPA, The Old Feed Store, One Stop Market, Parsley’s Market & Deli, Paul Reed’s Furniture, Paul’s Auto Service, Piggly Wiggly, Potter’s Ace Hardware, Quick Shop Market, Reed’s Building Supply, Regions Bank, Roger Hindman Body Shop, Scavenger Hunt Flea Market, Scavenger Hunt Trading Post, The Scoreboard, Shirt Shack, Shotgun County Pawn & Gun, Smitty Tire Shop, Stewart’s Printing, Stone Gait Tack and Feed, Subway, West End Tobacco Store, Woodbury Auto Express, Woodbury Insurance Agency, and Woodbury Lawn & Garden. Every donor and volunteer received a promotional ink pen from DTC, a pillbox from Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperation, Chap Stick from FirstBank, a value meal card from Sonic, and a 3 pound bag of stone ground corn meal from The Readyville Mill.

The Red Cross also provided promotional items and the Woodbury Lions Club provided $10 gift certificates and a grand prize of $100 gift card.

It is very hard to find another community that has so many businesses that support a civic club as much as the ones in Cannon County.

Most all the businesses give support to the Woodbury Lions Club for sponsorship of the Lions Club Horse Show, White Cane donations, and door prizes for the donor appreciation Blood Drive. Without support from the local businesses, the Woodbury Lions Club would not be able to do as much as it does within the community, state, country, and world. Local businesses are one of the leading reasons why Cannon County Blood Drives are so much better that anywhere else in the state.

Another reason and probably the number one reason the blood drives are the best anywhere is the volume of regular donors in Cannon County. In any community only a certain per cent are eligible to donate and of that per cent only about 3 to 5 percent actually donates, but the donors in Cannon County has a much higher percent.

This is not due to the Lions Club and its part, nor the businesses and its part, but it is the individual donor and the way of life in Cannon County, the way most have been raised to want to help others in need in any way they can.

The mentality of the average person in Cannon County is to serve in any way they can. This mentality is one of the reasons Woodbury Lions Club is one of the largest clubs in the state.

It is why the businesses give as much as they do, and why so many volunteers do jobs within the county for little or no pay. The parents, schools and churches within the community teach the children from an early age of the importance of giving back to the community in which they live and the lesson that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

This is why Cannon County has had over 360 donors in the past 2-½ years. Woodbury Lions Club and the American Red Cross both use fiscal years that begin on 1 July and end 30 June.

The following is a list of local heroes who gave during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Those donating Double Red Blood Cells count as two donations, the max number of times any one can give in a fiscal year in whole blood or double red cells is 6. The number that follows a persons name is the amount of pints given as of 30 June 2010.

One-time donors: Stephanie D. Alford 5, Annie L. Barton 60, Peggy S. Baxter 30, Timothy L. Bell 11, Stephen E. Blonder 10, Brenda Bogard 23, Candace Jones Bond 1, Charles H. Bowman 20, Tami M. Bragg 12, Billy D. Brinkley 3, Charles E. Brown 33, Joe R. Bryson 23, William H. Bryson 33, Stephen A. Burnett 3, Clyde W. Bush 14, Charmaine D. Cawthorn 1, Patrick A. Cecil 1, Manuel Chapa Jr. 15, Karen J. Chumbley 11, Barbara Daingerfield 44, Mary Carole Davenport 42, Paul W. Denninger 7, Bonita O. Doxey 30, Frances Edwards 1, Clint A. Fann 5, Angela M. Ford 11, Mary Frances Foster 9, Autumn M. Fly Franks 1, Tonya Gannon 4, Leslie Joe Giley 28, Nora Lee Gilliam 10, Eric M. Good 4, Donna B. Gunter 4, Marilyn E. Hale 7, Sharon L. Hay 14, Carolyn E. Barton Hemby 7, Barry D. Hibdon 33, Erin T. Higdon 5, Sharon Duggin Hindman 25, Melisa L. Hobbs 17, Shannon D. Jett 9, Fairy L. Johnson 2, Lori J. Malay 7, Perry M. Markum 5, Vicky L. Melton 34, Brittany L. Mingle 7, Angela P. Moore 18, Danielle Nicole Mosley 12, Talma S. Mosley 8, Lauren M. Nicolay 2, Rita G. Nokes 7, Misty G. Orr 1, Brittne H. Parker 4, Joseph A. Patterson 11, Brenda Faye Phillips 15, Jo Ann Pirtle 1, Joy Pope 3, Janice O. Purvis 28, Walter E. Reifschneider 19, Shantika M. Reiter 2, Phyllis S. Robinson 47, Marianne Teresa Sadler 15, Amber M. Scott 1, Kelly Edward Sissom 30, Valerie D. Smith 4, Wayne P. Smithson 26, Olivia D. Snyder 1, Teresa S. Stoetzel 6, Crystal B. Street 4, Eddie N. Taylor 41, Jamie A. Trail 2, J. D. Underhill II 2, Falischa Urban 1, Jennifer Vallieres 2, Sean N. Vance 3, Amanda J. Winfrey 1, Dorothy D. Winnett 13, Tracey L. Winters 9, and Alan D. Wollard 8.

Two time donors: Misty D. Bain 14, Teresa D. Bain 19, Ronald F. Born 6, Christopher B. Brandon 2, David L. Brown 3, Lacey N. Buchanan 9, Charles Ronny Burks 34, Jennifer M. Coppinger 16, James Morgan Cummings 90, Franklin Daniel 12, Edgar E. Davenport 6, Rebecca M. Davenport 68, Andrew L. Duggin 5, Joyce Frazier 2, Kenneth P. Garrett 11, Andrea K. George 4, Rodney Lee Gilliam 17, Kay F. Goff 69, Cory S. Hollandsworth 14, Christopher J. Hollenbeck 5, Pamela F. Hoskins 43, Christopher Johnson 5, Robert D. Jones 27, Thomas D. Mason 56, Tammy W. Mathis 14, Shelby J. Merriman 60, Brandon S. Mims 8, Dean More 6, Jennifer R. Mosley 5, Travis C. Prater 9, Michael T. Reed 3, Xavier P. Romero 18, Melody R. Rutledge 9, John W. Sanborn 56, Roger J. Smith 14, Darrell G. Snyder 26, McKenzie Solomon 5, Candice B. Stoetzel 13, Nancy L. Studd 9, Jessica L. Sullivan 3, Brandee S. Summers 5, Garry L. Underhill 12, James E. Weller 3, and Nile Young 45.

Three time donors: Richard D. Burks Sr. 83, Joshua W. Demembreum 4, Jeffery D. Denny 11, Russell D. Fann 33, Jo Ann Francis 54, Randy A. Gerdes 47, James W. Henline 44, Patsy Miller Hirlston 43, Debbie Renee Israel 12, Jennifer M. Johnson 8, Melanie G. Lyon 4, Ann D. McBride 53, Calvin F. Orwig 39, Alan W. Paschal 17, Jan Powell 34, Kenny Denard Sanders 5, Brittany A. Stluka 6, David L. Stone 7, Nellie F. Stone 5, Melissa L. Talley 3, Annette A. Tidwell 3, Billy R. Tidwell Jr. 5, Charie Ann Urban 4, Micki M. Vinson 74, Jack B. West 16, Michael L. Witty 41, and David W. Zabriskie 3. Four time donors: Jimmy Alexander 39, Cynthia D. Betts 39, Carmella K. Burton 13, Mary E. Duncan 42, Jana M. Gannon 62, Joan Hayes 14, Kayla E. Hindman 14, Joseph E. Hurst 16, James L. Logan 48, Gina A. Mitchell 38, Valerie L. Morton 4, Tracy A. Parker 39, Rebekah L. Parton 19, Karin P. Petty 40, James F. Sabia 44, Billy K. Tenpenny 33, Juan S. Urban 4, Travis M. Urban 5, April D. Vance 12, and Millisa A. White 17.

Five time donors: Guy Alexander Jr. 41, Jeff R. Campbell 8, Gabriel S. Cantrell 9, Rita F. Cook 12, Randal L. Curtis 52, James P. Davenport 12, Andrew B. Dimartino Sr. 84, Cheryl K. Franklin 44, Timothy H. Grandey 50, Esther E. Gray 39, Orval L. Gray 55, Herbert C. Haley 64, John Arthur Haugh 9, Roger G. Hindman 28, Sandy K. Hollandsworth 77, Timothy A. Minerd 15, Charlie Luther Mooneyham 48, Steve R. Perkerson 67, James Powers 38, and Leland J. Schwamberger 19.

Six time donors: Christopher E. Brushaber 6, Allen Wade Duggin 29, Rainey Hunt 48, Charles W. Jennings 18, Stephen R. Moss 20, Teddy L. Powers 77, Steve A. Smith 140, and Howard W. Witty 163.

The Woodbury Lions Club has received several awards of appreciation from the American Red Cross for their support of the Community Blood Program, and there is a lot of speculation as to why a small community does so well on the blood drives.

A lot of the credit is given to the Lions Club for putting out an extra effort.

Some credit is given for having good media coverage with the Cannon Courier, the Cannon Wire, and WBRY radio. Some credit is given for the support given by the businesses in Cannon County.

Any community can have a civic organization that puts forth the extra effort, and have good media and local businesses supporting them, but they don’t have the attitude and dedication of serving others that is instilled into Cannon Countians from birth until death.

The Woodbury Lions Club expresses heartfelt gratitude to all the media, businesses, and donors for exceeding the yearly goals set forth by the Red Cross based on past history.

It is so great to live among so many heroes. Likes: 7 Viewed:

The post Woodbury Lions Club hosting American Red Cross blood drives appeared first on Good Info.

[motherofchinchillas-blog]

I come from a suburb east of Topeka, Kansas, born and raised in the same house my entire life. My family consists of my parents, and my 2 much older brothers, Kevin and Samuel. I think having 2 older brothers affected my life in that a lot of my interests and hobbies are related to things they life. Such as, I love video games, and technology, and anime, but maturing through high school helped me develop my own interests. My top favorite would have to be makeup, I’ve gotten pretty good over the years and my makeup bag has grown by several hundred dollars. Second is video games, the Witcher 3 has, no doubt, become my favorite game over the years. I think video games are what first introduced me to an interest in computer science. I thought about being a video game developer a long time ago, but decided that’s not where I really wanted to go in life.

As for why I’ve decided to come to Kansas State University, throughout high school I knew I was going to be a veterinarian. It was my life goal, I was set on going to veterinary school to become a veterinarian. I got a 3.2 GPA my first semester here, and my advisor told me to do better if I planned on vet school. And I got a 2.9 GPA my second semester, and somewhere in my mind I knew even if I tried for a GPA better than 3.5, it wasn’t going to happen. Over the next year, I really had no idea what I was going to do. I thought about Wildlife Conservation, but it didn’t feel right. I didn’t really want to do that, but I went for it anyway. When I went to Dallas for a wedding, I thought it was such a beautiful city. I wanted to make enough money in my life to live in a place like that and have disposable income. My mom was a data analyst at Colgate-Palmolive and she was very well known and highly respected at her job, when manufacturing plants had problems all over the world, she was the one everyone went to take care of it. Even the Vice President of the company acknowledged her work. I want to be like her in my career. So I decided to switch my major to computer science.

For this oncoming semester, I think in The Pattern on the Stone, the chapter titled “Computers That Learn and Adapt” looks interesting to me. AI has always been an interesting concept to me, so I’m interested to know what this chapter entails. In the 9 Algorithms that Changed the Future, I’d also like to read “Public Key Cryptography: Sending Secrets on a Postcard”. In elementary and middle school, my friends always loved to create secret codes and keys for ourselves and send them to each other during class or send notes home with each other. If its anything like that, it’ll be fun (and somewhat nostalgic) to read. 

I mostly get my news (whether it be technology, political, etc) from friends, Facebook, and my family. Most of my interaction with social media is communicating with friends, and I don’t typically look at the news. I do get some of my news sources from the emails that Kansas State sends out to everyone. However, I do follow Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Facebook, and often times he’ll create posts about recent discoveries and advances in technology.

 Hillis, W. Daniel. The Pattern on the Stone: the Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work. Basic Books, 2015.

MacCormick, John. Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's Computers. Princeton University Press, 2012.

“Neil DeGrasse Tyson.” Facebook www.facebook.com/neildegrassetyson/.

[willjschabel-blog]

Blog 2 -Algorithms

In my blog today I’m going to be covering the Sethi-Ullman algorithm. The Sethi-Ullman algorithm originated from two inventors, Ravi Sethi and Jeffrey D. Ravi. The Algorithm was created in Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Sethi was an Indian computer scientist who worked for Bell Labs and was the president of Avaya Labs Research.  Ullman is a computer scientist at Stanford University and has written many books on compilers and data structures. This algorithm also happens to be named after the two, because they both worked on it together. The algorithm was made to translate abstract syntax trees into machine code using as few registers as possible, basically meaning it’s output is very optimal. When compiling, a compiler chooses the most efficient way to translate an expression into terms of the number of instructions utilized and the amount of registers needed to solve a subtree. The order the generated code is evaluated is very important to the length of the code that is generated because different sets of orderings can cause bigger or smaller numbers of values, which in turn can cause issues in values spilling into the memory. The way the Sethi-Ullman algorithm fixes this is by producing code that needs the least number of instructions, and the least number of storage references. So basically the Sethi-Ullman algorithm makes the compiler’s job easier, just like The Pattern On The Stone says by W. Daniel Hillis, and algorithm “is a fail-safe procedure guaranteed to achieve a specific goal” (W. Daniel Hillis, p.78), and Sethi-Ullman’s algorithm fulfills this goal. Ullman and Sethi themselves believe what makes the algorithm unique is that it takes the “shortest possible number of instructions” (Ravi Sethi and J.D. Ullman, p. 715). And also this algorithm is unique in that it minimizes the number of registers requited by only considering commutative properties such as multiplication and addition.” Based on my research I have found very few algorithms that achieve similar outcomes, none so far do it quite like the Sethi-Ullman algorithm does. I believe the reason there is not many algorithms like the Sethi-Ullman is because it’s uses are minimal. I find this algorithm really interesting, the fact that someone created this and made every computer scientist of his time more efficient and that they could suddenly compile much easier is amazing. This algorithm can also be done by hand, but not easily. In Ravi Sethi and J.D. Ullman’s journal titled The Generation of Optimal Code for Arithmetic Expressions they show the concept entirely by hand, but doing it by computer is definitely more efficient. They show the actual process of drawing out the tree, and how to do almost each step. In The Pattern On The Stone, Hillis states “we describe the speed of an algorithm by how much time is required to complete the task grows along with the size of the problem” (W. Daniel Hillis, p.79), relating to how Sethi and Ullman created the Sethi-Ullman algorithm to eliminate that speed, making the time faster to complete said task. The Sethi-Ullman algorithm is still used today in some compilers. According to Andrew Apel and Kenneth Supowit “ Real compilers must deal with expression trees containing nodes of varying degree, and multi-word values. By generalizing the Sethi-Ullman register allocation scheme, we make it possible to write one simple procedure that does the tree reordering, rather than many special cases and heuristics spread throughout the code generator (A. Apel and K. Supowit, p. 10). So basically the Sethi-Ullman algorithm only works in specific cases, but when used it makes everything much easier to work with.

Works Cited:

Sethi, Ravi, and J. D. Ullman. “The Generation of Optimal Code for Arithmetic Expressions.”The Generation of Optimal Code for Arithmetic Expressions , doi:http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/330000/321620/p715-sethi.pdf?ip=162.238.111.249&id=321620&acc=PPV&key=4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2EA177E370A5630E22%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35&CFID=1115310&CFTOKEN=44739744&__acm__=1505783941_d52443127a523d7e7edb25ad88586d2e. 

Appel, Andrew W., and Kenneth J. Supowit. “Generalizations of the Sethi-Ullman Algorithm for Register Allocation.” Generalizations of the Sethi-Ullman Algorithm for Register Allocation, 24 Sept. 1986, doi:https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ae53/6010b214612c2571f483354c264b0b39c545.pdf. 

“Sethi–Ullman Algorithm.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2016, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sethi%E2%80%93Ullman_algorithm.

[ty-redmond-blog]

ME

My name is Tyler Redmond and I’m from Kansas City, MO. I chose to come to Kansas State because I have a scholarship that pays for everything and my mom graduated from here. I am currently a junior and I major in management information systems. I am taking CIS classes because I want to familiarize myself the different aspects of coding. I’m most excited to talk about chapter eight, “Databases: The Quest for Consistency” of Nine Algorithms that Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas that Drive Today’s Computers by John MacCormick. I’m eager to learn about databases because they are one of the major topics in my MIS (management information systems) classes and we are currently working on some projects that deal with databases. On page 123 of MacCormicks’s book, he says that we will learn about relational databases which is specifically what we are focusing on in MIS.

Another chapter that I’m excited to read is “Beyond Engineering” of The Pattern on the Stone by W. Daniel Hillis. I’m excited to get into this chapter because I Hillis incorporated the brain into this chapter and I want to find out how he compares the brain and computers. I can only think of a few ways the brain and computers function like each other but Hillis always finds a way to break down explanations in a way I would have never thought of. Willis also talks about artificial intelligence (A.I) in this chapter and I find that interesting because I play video games where they have A.I bots. I never understood how they get the bots to play as if a human would play, hopefully this chapter informs me on that.

I like to do a variety of activities that I call hobbies. The two main hobbies that are partake in the most would be basketball and collecting shoes. Basketball is a common hobby, but I only know a few people that collect shoes. The proper term for someone who loves shoes is “sneakerhead.” Google defines the word sneakerhead as a sneaker enthusiast. I currently have 32 pairs shoes and my collection is still growing. My collection consists of Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Pumas. Complex magazine came out with an online article, “8 Signs You’re a Basic Sneakerhead Bro” by Matt Welty. The sign that I resonate with the most is never tying my shoes. I let my laces hang out the side of my shoe but not too low where they are touching the ground. In my opinion, it makes shoes look ten times cooler.

One of the more important areas of my life is my faith/spiritual background. Coming into college I would claim to be a Christian but my life choices did not support that claim. Around the end of the first semester, my freshman year, a guy named Blake Slaughter showed me an illustration that clearly painted the picture of what it looks like to be a Christian. The illustration explained Romans 6:23 and showed me that the decisions I was making were going to lead me in a bad direction. Since then I have become apart of the leader’s team for Student Mobilization (STUMO). My goal is to help guys who want to grow in their faith and give them an idea of what that looks like.

My dream job would definitely be any role at 2k Sports. 2k Sports creates sport video games such as NBA 2k18 and WWE 2k18. Being able to apart of a glorified video game and meeting the athletes when they make special appearances is enough for me. I think I would be genuinely happy to wake up and go to work. I have been playing 2k Sports games since I was a child and they have never disappointed me. If I ever got the chance to work there I would play an NBA player one on one for courtside tickets to a game.

[itunesbooks]

The Pattern On The Stone - W. Daniel Hillis

The Pattern On The Stone The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work W. Daniel Hillis Genre: Computers Price: $11.99 Publish Date: December 9, 2014 Publisher: Basic Books Seller: Hachette Digital, Inc. Most people are baffled by how computers work and assume that they will never understand them. What they don't realize—and what Daniel Hillis's short book brilliantly demonstrates—is that computers' seemingly complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts that perform the same simple procedures over and over again. Computer wizard Hillis offers an easy-to-follow explanation of how data is processed that makes the operations of a computer seem as straightforward as those of a bicycle.Avoiding technobabble or discussions of advanced hardware, the lucid explanations and colorful anecdotes in The Pattern on the Stone go straight to the heart of what computers really do. Hillis proceeds from an outline of basic logic to clear descriptions of programming languages, algorithms, and memory. He then takes readers in simple steps up to the most exciting developments in computing today—quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems.Written clearly and succinctly by one of the world's leading computer scientists, The Pattern on the Stone is an indispensable guide to understanding the workings of that most ubiquitous and important of machines: the computer. http://dlvr.it/R19bq3

[iseenick-blog1]

Blog 4 - The Filter Bubble

I was required to watch a Tedtalk video – by the way, Tedtalks are awesome – about something called, “The Filter Bubble.” “The filter bubble is a phenomenon on the internet where personalized algorithms present users only with information or opinions that match her or his own thoughts,” it basically depicts what you get to see on the world wide web when you search a topic or relevant news. It does this by using your past history, location, and click-history. It entraps the user into a culture bubble. The personalized algorithm eliminates anything the user does not want to see, which may include the important, current news.

 ​In attempt to see how the filter bubble works, I tried an experiment with a friend who is a different race, sexuality, and associates with a different religion. I asked him to search different topics, any of his choosing. He preceded to search: Major League Baseball, food recipes, Duke University, and couple of other random things. As I stated early, the filter bubble uses a personalized algorithm to showcase what it thinks the user wants to see. In this case, I believe that past history & click-history played a huge part in seeing vast different results. When my friend searched the about the Major League Baseball, he didn’t not get any current news about what is happening in baseball. He actually got news about the first openly gay Major League Baseball player. But when I searched the exact same thing, my result came back with the playoff scores, and the top stories regarding the playoffs. These results are very different, but why are they? The answer is simple, filter bubble. Google, which uses filter bubbling, knew the preferences of my friend’s search. It knew what his sexuality was, due to previous click-history. While, my computer knew that I like the Yankees so it brought up the playoff scores for the Yankees.

 The big part that comes in to the question about the filter bubble is it ethical? I would like to say that I do not think it is. I think an article sums up my thoughts really well, “Much as it might comfort me to only view results which sit comfortably with my own politics, is it good for me? We’re handing over control to an algorithm that by design does not strive to provide a balanced mix of results,” (Hannah Smith). I would like to see a variety of results for things I search for. I rather would like to know about the issue going on in Puerto Rico – important world news – then what happened to the squirrel in my front yard. Even if my interests are in squirrel, it is irrelevant to show me that, then the disaster going on in Puerto Rico. I think a great solution to this unethical “filter bubble”, would be to give the user a choice if they would like a personalized search or not. But as the video stated, majority of people do not know that they are having tailored search suit to their “interests”. The filter bubble makes me thing of a specific chapter in the “The Pattern on the Stone”, the chapter where it talks about “Algorithms and Heuristics”. It talks how an algorithm is a fail-safe procedure, and how it’s mostly expressed in the in a program form (Hillis 78). So, I wonder how the “filter bubble” is set up. Is it a program, script, or something else exotic? I wonder how what the future of the “filter bubble” is. Will the average user catch on, or will search engines keep personalizing searches to benefit themselves?

[samanthaintrocs]

Book Review

Today, I will be talking about my thoughts on the book, The Pattern on the Stone by W. Daniel Hillis. I thought it was pretty interesting, however it could be sometimes dry depending on the subject of the chapter. I am most used to reading exciting fiction books, so that could be part of the problem.

I did learn a lot while reading this book, and almost every chapter contained new information. My favorite part of the book was chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9. I did not care very much for the first part of the book, as it could be longwinded at times and was easy for me to get distracted while reading. However, I did enjoy when he was explaining that a computer could be made out of pretty much anything you want, and how he built a computer that could play Tic Tac Toe out of Tinkertoys.

I liked Chapter 6 (Memory: Information and Secret Codes) because of the descriptions of compression and the encryption discussion. Hillis used examples that were easy for me to understand and described how the book itself could be compressed. He also talked a little bit about encryption and encryption keys, which I also liked. The concepts were explained in a way that was comprehendible for me and it was also interesting to read about.

Chapter 7 (Speed: Parallel Computers) was enjoyable for me as well. I liked reading about parallel computers and how they worked. There were arguments and people were skeptical when the idea of these parallel computers was first introduced. However, as technology progressed and computers became more common and efficient, people began to realize just how powerful these machines could be. In fact, the fastest computers today are massively parallel and have lots of processors working together to be that way.

Probably my second favorite chapter of the book was Chapter 8 (Computers That Learn and Adapt). Software that can change and learn, or "get smarter" is very interesting to me. I also appreciated the idea of proportional control thermostat because sometimes the room just doesn't heat up or cool down fast enough for me! The AI program that Patrick Winston made was capable of being trained to recognize things like an arch was another part of the chapter that I liked. Hillis' explaining of artificial neural networks was pretty cool as well. It's hard to think that something as complicated and as mysterious as the human brain can be simulated using modern technology.

However, I saved the best for last. My favorite chapter of this book was number 9 (Beyond Engineering) it goes deeper on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and how exactly the brain works. I also enjoyed the story about the monk Roger Bacon and the creepy talking head he created. Kind of reminded me of some weird “Ex Machina” stuff. When he was talking about the brain, it was cool to learn that certain parts of the brain are specialized and devoted to names, or language and grammar. However, if part of the brain is damaged (like in a stroke, for example) the neurons in a different part of the brain will adjust and be recruited to "relearn" that function. Hillis' discussion on simulated evolution was interesting as well (although it was kind of hard to understand at times).

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and probably would've never reached for it on my own, so I suppose it's a good thing I am taking this class. And I have one small complaint: he never put the accompaning diagrams on the page where he was discussing them... it was always the next page! That would confusing and annoying to have to flip pages, but maybe it's the publisher's fault I guess.

See you later, Samantha

References:

The Pattern on the Stone by W. Daniel Hillis

(Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9)

“Ex Machina.” Directed by Alex Garland. 2015.

[oksengel]

I etch a pattern of geometric shapes onto a stone. To the uninitiated, the shapes look mysterious and complex, but I know that when arranged correctly they will give the stone a special power, enabling it to respond to incantations in a language no human being has ever spoken. I will ask the stone questions in this language, and it will answer by showing me a vision: a world created by my spell, a world imagined within the pattern on the stone.

W. Daniel Hillis, The Pattern on the Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work

[pasteshare-blog]

W. Daniel Hillis - People are mostly focused on defending....

People are mostly focused on defending the computers on the Internet, and there's been surprisingly little attention to defending the Internet itself as a communications medium.

W. Daniel Hillis

#Bestquotesaboutlife, #topquotes, #Top10LoveQuotes, #pasteshare

#Bestquotesaboutlife, #topquotes, #Top10LoveQuotes, #pasteshare

Read more: https://pasteshare.net/p/1578184375

Famous Quotes at Pasteshare.Net

[allanbondcs-blog]

CS Blog 8 *Late

    Computer science is a field that is rapidly expanding. Each day new members are entering the field with new thoughts and ideas. Computer Science is a unique field because it spans a massive amount of different things. Almost all of which are important as we move forward. Though most of the sub fields within computer science could be described as interesting, there are a few that I, personally, would rank higher on that list than the others. CIS 115 has helped me make that decision about the kinds of things that I am interested in within the field of computer science. When I began the class I was pretty sure I wanted to do something in software development, now I am not quite as sure. One of the fields that was kind of brought to light for me over the course of the class was Artificial Intelligence. Now, this may be partially due in part to the fact that it was the research topic my group chose but that is honestly what that project is supposed to do.

    Artificial intelligence really interests me because of the opportunity that lies within it. Even experts in the field are not even close to knowing everything there would be to know about artificial intelligence. That leaves a lot of room for discovery and innovation which are things I believe are important when choosing a job. I enjoy the idea of being able to create something new, working with a team to make and test new things. My understanding of the field is pretty general, but it seems like a field with great prospects for the future. Those prospects are only increasing as technology advances as well. Another area of computer science that I feel would be very interesting and a great career path would be cyber security.[3] One of my favorite parts from “Tubes” is when the author goes to a data site that the people working there do not seem very keen on showing him. The security on the site was, in terms of cyber defense, was quite strong, but when it come to physical defense. Clearly, it was not quite a strong as its cyber counterpart. After quite a few awkward conversations the author learned what he had came to learn, despite their unfriendliness.[1] Another book that I did a research project for in high school did a very good job of explaining the human half of cyber security, “Ghost in the Wires” by Kevin Mitnick is a great biography about Mitnick’s mostly illegal exploits in the world of computers.

    Wherever there is important information there are people and want that information as well as people who want to protect that information. That is really the origin of cyber security. I enjoy learning about how people think so I think this field would prove to be very interesting to me. Designing things around those thoughts entices me to be a part of that field quite a lot. I wish that there would have been a little more information gone over in the class with reference to cyber security. I understand, though, that CIS 115 is a very broad class that has to hit a huge amount of topics and areas within computer science in a relatively short amount of time. When you look at it like that I believe that the class did a very good job and more than accomplished that goal.[2] If I had to pick which of the textbooks was my favorite though it would have to be “The Patterns on the Stone.” The way the author interacts with the information in that book makes it an easy read because of the way the chapters flow together and keep you interested in reading further. Overall, a great book and a great class.

SOURCES:

[1] Mitnick, Kevin D., and William L. Simon. Ghost in the wires: my adventures as the worlds most wanted hacker. Little, Brown, 2012.

[2] Hillis, W. Daniel. The pattern on the stone: the simple ideas that make computers work. Basic Books, 2015.

[3] Blum, Andrew. Tubes: a journey to the center of the Internet. HarperCollins, 2013.

[leclercthomas-blog]

Patterns on the Stone

Showing up to my first day of CIS 115, I was a little overwhelmed when I was told that this course required a total of 3 (some what pricey but not ridiculous) textbooks in order to succeed in the class and maintain consistent upkeep of class content. However, I was slightly relieved when I started to break into the book Patterns on the Stone due to the books formatting. The way Patterns on the Stone is constructed is in such a way that the information in the chapters is easy to find and identify. For example, if I want to learn about neural networks, there is a very defined passage that tells me that a neural networks is a “ simulated network of artificial neurons.” (Hillis, W. Daniel. The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters) (p. 127). Basic Books. Kindle Edition.). However, my main issue with this text book is either the wording, or the lack of simplification of terminology. There were many times in which I found myself doing external research on topics I felt the text just rushed through. Granted it might just be the way that I think, or the way I learn, but I found it very difficult to comprehend what I was reading (at least to a level at which I would be quizzable”.

In absence of my complaints, this book accomplishes it’s mission. After reading Patterns on the Stone, I feel confident in my abilities regarding basic computer functions and the language and math shared by computers. In addition, if I am ever uncertain about how to do something, or why it is necessary, The topics, headings, and chapter titles of this book are not something that I need to decode. The table of contexts proved itself helpful quite frequently in aiding me on my assignments. 

For me, the most interesting parts of Patterns on the Stone were the early chapters because it introduced me to a new way of thinking. For example, I liked how Patterns on the Stone explained Binary and Boolean Logic. I think the reason I was fond of them is because they were not exactly complicated topics, but it introduced a concept that takes a certain way of thinking to understand, and I think the diagrams used by the text aided significantly in easing the reader into these topics. To go into further detail, the charts and diagrams displayed on page 23 of Patterns on the Stone do a very good job of relating and showing the similarities between Binary code, what binary actually is, Boolean Logic, and how Boolean Logic actually works.

In conclusion, for being an intro level text book I feel that it wants to rush it’s way through like a runaway train. I would’ve appreciated the textbook to use perhaps simpler terminology, as well as spend more time on the basic concepts before diving in to applications. I feel that this book is intended for those who already have a fair level of base knowledge on the topic of computer science, as well as those who are just naturally talented in comprehending complex material at a rapid rate. I would recommend this book to a friend, however all of my friends are super-geniuses, so I might be a tad biased. 

[cs-student-things]

CS blog 3

            In my computer science class, we had to read the book “The Pattern on the Stone” by W. Daniel Hillis. Since I had taken Computer science for my last two years in high school, the book seemed a bit repetitive to me. Because of this, there wasn’t very much “new” material but the most interesting thing that i did learn about happened to be in chapter four which i will be covering later in this post. However if I were to pretend i had not taken any classes beforehand that dealt with some of the same things that were in the book, then I would say that it is pretty interesting and catches the reader’s attention pretty easily. To further review this book, i will also be reviewing the nine chapters individually.

            Chapter 1 covered the basics of some computer logic. This included “boolean logic”, “bits and logic blocks”, as well as simple computers like the “Fluid computer”, and the one made out of tinker toys. Over all this chapter was quite informative and eye catching. This was quite apparent towards the end when the focused switched from logic to the different types of unorthodox computers people have built like the Tinker Toy computer described on pages 16-18. 

            Chapter 2 got more into the logic behind things as well as getting into things called “Finite state machines”. This chapter came off as more technical and was almost hard to follow even with my background in programming. That might make it a bit difficult to follow if the reader doesn’t know what they’re reading. Or at the very least make you have to re-read it a few times.

            Chapter 3 got into the actual programming of computers and how it all fits together. This chapter was a nice change of pace in comparison to the previous chapter. It was a bit easier to follow and offered helpful examples of code outputs.

            Chapter 4 gets into deep though about computing as well as bits of quantum computing. Tying back to the introduction, the most interesting thing i learned was about was Alan Turing on pages 62-64. Previously i had only known about him though the movie “The Imitation Game”, but now i know that he dreamed about larger things like more universal computers or computers that could imitate and other type of computer/computer function. Aside from the bits about Turing this chapter was relatively strait forward and easy to comprehend as a whole.

            Chapter 5 went into Algorithms in depth and was quite intriguing as i have seen and coded many of them before. To someone not experienced enough in coding it may seem like a bit too much to process all at once or just outright confusing. However i found it intriguing enough and saw some algorithms i hadn’t seen before.

            Chapter 6 gets into memory systems as well as compression and secret codes.This chapter was easier to follow and contained the kind of stuff that most people think of when they think computer programmers, secrets and hacking. This kept me thoroughly intrigued and attentive throughout this chapter.

            Chapter 7 talks about parallel computation and is decently interesting. however it is very similar to chapter 8 which is primarily about learning algorithms so they seemed to run together in my opinion. Both were interesting to read though and i was particularly drawn to the parts that referenced A.I..

            Chapter 9 goes in depth on the human brain and how to emulate that with computers and electronics. It is pretty intense to be entirely honest. but its easy enough to follow and is pretty interesting.

            Overall this was a pretty good book. I didn’t really dislike any major part of this book or was left with any major questions. I would recommend this to someone wanting to learn because it makes a great first impression.