PHP Regression
Goto added to php 5.3. Is it a bug? Apparently not.
Eyes Like Lightning Ubiquity Script
I rolled the experimental javascript "speed reading" code (that I wrote a couple of days ago) into a more polished Ubiquity command this evening. It's called "Eyes Like Lightning".
The command can be subscribed to at this gist on github.com. Note that this is a 0.5.3 command and is not compatible with Ubiquity 0.1.9 or lower. Ubiquity is a FireFox extension that turns your browser into a powerful command-line for the web. It can be installed from this page.
Eyes Like Lightning uses jQuery heavily and dynamically includes the jQuery-UI library. The source code might be useful for other Ubiquity developers who want to create pop-up windows or sliders, etc. on top of a web page.
Here's a little screenshot:
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Speed reading app
I recently learned that the primary inhibitor for speeding up our reading is the mechanical movement of our eyes (saccades), so I had this idea to make the text move past your eyes rather than your eyes move past the text. The result is this little speed reading app I made in html/javascript. It's probably not original (I was influenced by other things I've seen, but can't recall where). Nevertheless, I thought you might like it too.
Just load up the text you want to read into the "source.txt" file. Save it and then open "speed.html" in a browser (I tested it in Firefox). Adjust the slider to the reading speed you're comfortable with.
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Peter Schiff for Senate
I've blogged about Peter Schiff before, and as many of you know, I've commented on his prescient 2007 statements when he predicted the current recession.
Now, he is beginning the process of running for office as a Senator from Connecticut. I think he would provide a formidable ballast to the free-floating government. I donated $10 tonight--perhaps you will too?
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Algorithmic Learning
I'm learning about learning right now. I've become fascinated with SuperMemo, an algorithmic learning assistant. Unfortunately, it's only for windows and so I keep searching for alternatives. Here are a few that I'm looking at... each of these look like possibilities for both the iPhone and the Mac (the first because it is cross-platform and the other two because they are web-based). Has anyone found other apps that meet these qualifications (iPhone & Mac compatible)?
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Dark flash photography
This project at NYU sounds so neat: enhancing photographs in the dark by taking information from flashes of light outside of the visible spectrum.
It reminds me of an "invention" idea that I had when I was younger that I still haven't seen... a pair of glasses with a knob on the side that can "squish" as much or as little of the electromagnetic light spectrum into the visible light spectrum as you'd like. Perhaps there would also be a knob on the other side that "moves" the band of light that you can see, like the tuning knob of an old radio.
It would be so fun! Imagine being able to calibrate your glasses so you could see wireless internet access points, or maybe if you'd like to see through buildings you could switch to the 900 MHz band. You'd probably want to have some "presets" (like a radio has) so that particularly useful settings are easy to access. Of course, what you see at each band wouldn't be "normal", but I think our brains might be able to adapt to various wavelengths.
If you happen to see a product like this, please let me know... ;)
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Ideas to Improve the Economy
The economy seems to be stabilizing, but almost everyone agrees the patient is still sick. I've been encouraged by several economic ideas that are popping up around the internet.
My favorite is the return to a single "unimproved property" tax that would promote the most efficient use of land. Rather than taxing people who don't even own property and are still getting their feet under them, a single property tax would shift the burden to the wealthy while also giving prime land a churn rate so that new ideas and ventures get their day in the sun.
A second idea is a re-thinking and democratization of the banking system itself. Basically, we would lower the bar for individuals or corporations to start a bank and lend money. Then, instead of using an arbitrary "credit score" between entities that don't really know each other, these new (smaller) banks would lend to those within their social network--in other words, if you know that your friend Simon is credit worthy, then you will lend to him, but not to your friend Bob who is more likely to live it up on your tab.
Because of the massive improvements to our communication backbone, and the fundamental shifts in the economy, new ideas are bound to make a difference right now. Does anyone else have some worthy ideas to share?
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Collecta Search Engine
I found out about the help Iran's election website through collecta.com, a real-time search engine. It's kinda cool to have the very latest tweets and blogs updated on the website as they come in.
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DONE!
My classes at BYU are officially over! The graduation ceremony comes in a month and a half.
I took my last final exams yesterday... and it was actually kind of funny. Kelty and I had visited her brother and sister-in-law in Mesquite, NV on my Tuesday Reading Day and since we left very early in the morning I hadn't yet shaved. Kelty and I drove straight through until noon when she dropped me off at the BYU-Provo campus for my Artificial Intelligence final exam. I went in without any problems and took the exam.
Next, I raced to the BYU-Salt Lake campus where I was to take my American Heritage final. But oh! They are square there. I think they get a monthly recognition award for catching wayward students. Anyway, the exam proctor young lady told me that I had to be clean shaven to take the exam. She wouldn't hand out the exam, so I went to the bathroom to shave. I finished the exam without any fuss and laughed my way through the rain to the parking lot.
I loved my Computer Science education there, but it sure feels great to be free from 7 years of BYU community rules! :)
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Humans prefer cockiness to expertise
Interesting short article at NewScientist. Here's a snippet:
The research ... shows that we prefer advice from a confident source, even to the point that we are willing to forgive a poor track record. Moore argues that in competitive situations, this can drive those offering advice to increasingly exaggerate how sure they are. And it spells bad news for scientists who try to be honest about gaps in their knowledge.
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Moore said that following the advice of the most confident person often makes sense, as there is evidence that precision and expertise do tend to go hand in hand. For example, people give a narrower range of answers when asked about subjects with which they are more familiarThere are times, however, when this link breaks down. With complex but politicised subjects such as global warming, for example, scientific experts who stress uncertainties lose out to activists or lobbyists with a more emphatic message.
I wonder if this also applies to the growth of religions. It seems that religions whose members are "most sure of" their conclusions are prone to grow faster, even if they have a shaky track record. I'm thinking of the JWs for example, who have consistently failed to predict the material second coming of Christ (1914, 1915, 1918, 1925, 1975). There are other religions that I could just as well use an example, but I will refrain. The point is that this line of research seems to be on to something--as a general human principle we tend to believe in confidence more than expertise.
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