Dave? I'm sorry Dave.

Artificial intelligence in science fiction always demonstrates the capacity and knowledge of having a machine govern its self -- mostly for logical thinking -- at times to doom humanity. Our technology, and our programming method for A.I. is getting closer to science fiction now. Researchers at MIT have designed a computer chip to simulate the capacity to be self aware -- self aware just like humans, by modeling and programming it's electrons to a humans ion channels.  

"There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain, each of which forms synapses with many other neurons. A synapse is the gap between two neurons (known as the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons). The presynaptic neuron releases neurotransmitters, such as glutamate and GABA, which bind to receptors on the postsynaptic cell membrane, activating ion channels. Opening and closing those channels changes the cell’s electrical potential. If the potential changes dramatically enough, the cell fires an electrical impulse called an action potential."

"The MIT researchers designed their computer chip so that the transistors could mimic the activity of different ion channels. While most chips operate in a binary, on/off mode, current flows through the transistors on the new brain chip in analog, not digital, fashion. A gradient of electrical potential drives current to flow through the transistors just as ions flow through ion channels in a cell."

The human brain is more complex to actually model, and program into a computer chip, but MIT researchers are compelled and exited that this new form of computing is an advancement for true A.I. It may be years before we see a computer demonstrate quality behavior like a humans. However, we're now  one step closer for A.I. found in science fiction to be a real thing. I don't know about you guys, but the fact of having computers aware, and self governed is fascinating. 

Sorce: Mimicking The Brain

Isolated Beard

Now that Fall has arrive, the days are getting longer, sadder, and the nights will become more cold. Currently, I have decided to grow my beard once again. Last year I grew my beard for several months... it was an experience, no, it was a pleasurable experience --  like an adult, manly comfort blanket. This Summer, this year hasn't been the most pseudo prevalent, I sometimes look through the window, and wonder of life. I walk my dog, and process many delightful categories life has to show -- all wonder, and beautiful. Regardless, of anything, I am ready for Fall. The crispy clean air, the icy cold gust -- something of a delight -- the closing seasonal ceremony to the year it is. With that said, my beard will be good, It will be groomed, and trimmed on a daily basis for the great beard challenge will soon start. And speaking of soon to start, The Walking Dead will also start soon.

Last year, around the same time  of my beard challenge,  The Walking Dead  premiered, as in isolation with plot of the series, and the pseudo isolation you feel when your growing a beard, they both collided in probably the best begging of Fall to annotate. Maybe this year, it will be the same.

Lifeless playground

I sat under the tree's shadow at a park, reading my new novel (World War Z). As I read some pages of instant gradfication from the words, I started to think of this park becoming isolated and abonded from a potential biological or nuclear attack. For a second there, I felt like Sarah Conor -- the scene from Terminator 2 -- looking at kids play when suddenly an nuke explodes. But my daydream was a little different. I sat there, visualizing park dark, and eerie, and only walking dead prowled the grass and dirt. The kids laughing and screaming were replaced by growls, and moans. It only took me a second to appreciate this small area of the city, where children/people come to spend thy're recreational time.

I continued to read more of my novel. I continued to wonder not only the park becoming isolated, but the walking dead's isolated -- whats left of it -- they're brain/memory. Could it be possible for the walking dead to remember this pace of importance? I saw a father playing with they're children, frolicking on the grass and on the playground. I visualized them as walking dead also frolicking on playground lifeless, and maybe joyless. But the more that I thought of it, I started to think, being alive in a park is no different than being in the park dead. It may, or may not be, that the walking dead come to places that was important for them when they were alive.

I continue to read...

Sping Anime: X-Men The J-J-Jean Edition

Well now that Spring has officially started -- given the fact that theirs a drought in new videogames, anime, or films means that many  nerd-filled media will sure to come out. Thus, anime Spring calendar has been released and has started in Japan. There are a couple of interesting anime series I wanna check out, but the X-Men anime series was atop of my viewing roster -- a priority do to the fact of how this transfer (U.S to Japan animators) might look since X-Men anything originated from the U.S. and there hasn't been an outstanding X-Men animated series since the heydays of  Fox Kids Saturday morning cartoons.With that said, I check out the first episode of the X-Men series this morning, and I was, in all nerd-honesty, quite impressed.

The first episode starts out with a bang. Phoenix (Jean Gray) is on the verge of having her psychological meltdown/berserk/female havoc -- the norm in the X-Men universe -- an encyclopedia tell. Sure, you have Cyclops, Wolvereine, and Storm trying to preemptively stop Jean's doom -- but fail. A year passes, Cyclops is all emo, Storm in on vacation, Wolvereine is held by airport security, and Professor Xavier is (like an old man) sleeping in his chair meditating infront of Jean's grave. The story follows by a young Japanese women (a mutant) being kidnnaped by a mysterious man wearing a cloak. The X-Men are called back, and are reunited to investigate the kidnapped girl. The Blackbirds  lifts, and takes flight. Credits roll, and I'm left wanting to watch more. Now that I pretty much told the story in a nutshell, lets get on to the meat of my nerd-anime-boner -- the art department.

Was it well drawn? Was the animation good? The answer (not including the poor buffering/stream state it was in) YES! I was a bit skeptical about the X-Men being made into an anime, but after the credits rolled I was satisfied. I really dislike androgynous looking males, and overly breasted girls in my anime, but the animator at Madhouse did quite an impressive job. The guys/girls look well proportion, but my only disliked was, the whole Halle Berry look to Storm (meh).  The animations is fast, fluid, quick passed conversation, and tons of eye pleasing flashes, bangs, and explody stuff -- an animation fusion of Western-Japanese style to satisfy both nations demographics indeed. I really enjoyed every seen, and like how the team at Madhouse styled each X-Men character right down to their outfits. And if I'm correct, even the Sentinals got quite a mechanical body/paintjob. Also, during the opening, and closing credits you get glimpses of more mutants that will most likely be appearing as the series develops in episodes.

Overall, yes, I will be watching during the anime spring calendar, and hope the first episode was a good indication.