Snake vs. Robosquirrel

Animal behavior scientists are teaming up with engineers to devise new kinds of research tools: mechatronic animal models. Or you could just call them robots. Robosquirrel Is that a real squirrel? Nope! Chuck Testa. That was a joke…Chuck Testa was not involved with this study. But given his talents, maybe he should be involved with ethology research robots. Now you may [...]

Syndicated 2012-02-06 02:28:10 from SynapticNulship

Does a Chinese Boy Really have Nightvision Eyes?

Well, no. But so many people seem to be taking this seriously that I felt the need to make a skeptical commentary on society’s desire for mutants (and the lack of skepticism in memes): Alien Mutant Hybrid Has Super Cat Eyes That Glow In The Dark

Syndicated 2012-01-31 06:26:02 from SynapticNulship

Social Games for Health Behavior Modification

Gamification is a topic I have mentioned not too long ago (see this post). Recently I attended a Boston CHI presentation by Chris Cartter called “The Socialization and Gamification of Health Behavior Change Apps.” Gamification One thing that Cartter said that sounds right, and may resonate with some of my readers, is that games are fuzzy, not [...]

Syndicated 2012-01-17 03:10:58 from SynapticNulship

The Seed and the Flower

Right now I’m reading an architecture book from the 1970s called The Timeless Way of Building.  So far it has to do with theories of how towns and buildings and other things seem more “alive” than others, and how to achieve this quality—the “quality without a name”. This of course goes far beyond merely architecture; indeed [...]

Syndicated 2011-12-31 04:43:44 from SynapticNulship

Recursion and the Human Mind

It’s certainly not new to propose recursion as a key element of the human mind—for instance Douglas Hofstadter has been writing about that since the 1970s. Michael C. Corballis, a former professor of psychology, came out with a new book this year called The Recursive Mind. It explains his specific theory that I will attempt [...]

Syndicated 2011-12-06 01:21:55 from SynapticNulship