Thursday, March 15, 2012

Things you don't expect to read in a paper...

So I'm casually reading this paper that discusses the prototype and implementation of a system of "SpaceTags", which are this sort of set of digital objects, time and space limited, overlaid onto a real-world place. Difficult to explain, sorry. You can read it yourself if you wish, it's not long (reference below). Anyway, there I am, casually reading, when I see this:

I read it a few more times... yup, definitely suggesting that this application can be used to solicit sex from strangers. WTF?


Then later I saw this figure, which is definitely not the most illustrative figure I've ever seen, but moreso, they are using a spastic raptor and a lion to lend symbology to these SpaceTags. WEIRD.



Tarumi, H., Morishita, K., Ito, Y., & Kambayashi, Y. (2000). Communication through virtual active objects overlaid onto the real world. Paper presented at the International Conference on Virtual Environments

Friday, March 02, 2012

voltage + chocolate... why?

Included in my heavy course-load this semester is a Geo-Mechanics class. Our professor brought in the book Rheological Methods in Food Process Engineering for examples of material properties and their reactions under different stress regimes. For me, things like the data table outlining various materials (Newtonian, shear-thinning, etc.) and their properties and property values was hilarious because it also listed example foods, like "fish paste". Imagining the rheological behavior of fish paste under shear stress makes Geo-Mechanics highly entertaining. I downloaded the book and began perusing for other gems. This is my favourite so far...

Why do you think one needs to zap chocolate with various voltages? Why?