Not my fault

I'm a pretty regular pocket dialer. Like everyone else I don't mean for it to happen but feel some responsibility when it does. Yesterday asn sat, still, oh the couch my wife presented her phone to me had lo and behold she was getting a call from me.  The phone was in my pocket, I was sitting still and a number was dialed. I don't think I can take responsibility for that.

Sound Wars

50, 60, 70 dB barraging the internal workings of a delicate system working on calculations big and small. Without a proper defense the calculations fall apart, scattering like broken glass on a concrete floor.  Sure, sometimes when the shards are melted down and repurposed the products are as stunning as the original, but work lost is work lost.

Coming in defense of the mind is an active protector. The hero is a chameleon, recognizing the character of its foe and providing the perfect protection. Rather than swinging a bigger club or attempting a flanking maneuver, this defender wields a mirror. No matter how hard the enemy strikes, every blow is perfectly returned for a perfect outcome of peaceful and productive silence.  

Most Fortunate Advancements in Technology

Imagine all the time saved with the advancement in oral hygiene commonly known as the tooth brush. This simple device allows the efficient cleaning of each tooth without requiring individual attention. Brilliant!

Imagine the time required if every blade of grass needed to be individually manicured. Enter the lawnmower and the ability to cut wide swaths of grass via the rotational motion of a a 20,22 or 24” blade attached to motor. Genius!

And finally the compression technology in shorts, tights and shirts for athletics and general comfort. Need I say more? Absolutely not!

TKO

We’re changing companies and glitches in the install process have left us without internet.  I’ll post these words from a phone (actually just posting now- internet is back!). A phone I might add that knows if it is in front of you or up at your ear.  Boy ain’t technology grand.  We have one of the new Sony SLR cameras at work that has a similar feature.  When at your eye the viewfinder turns on and when away from your face the display turns on.  Technology is quite grand, as long as it is working.

Only as far as you can throw it

I’m not sure how the saying goes but there is some expression about only trusting something as far as you can throw it.  This surely applies to technology (as in things you plug in like computers and stuff not the broader sense like the wheel or the concept of an assembly line) and when you’re talking about something expensive or something that belongs to your employer throwing is pretty well excluded as an option. Based on this logic you really can’t trust technology at all. Unless you’re willing to chuck it somewhere.

Moving Food from Field to Meal One Lego at a Time

If you want to know how to get a delicious and fresh head of lettuce from the farm to the table without contaminating it with E coli there is one simple thing to do.  Ask a fourth grader. They'll tell you to keep it clean, away from meat and to wash your hands before handling it because once the bug is on the leaf it is impossible to get it off.  In the case of contamination they have a solution for that too.  You can heat it to really high temperatures to kill the germs, and then put it back in the refrigerator.  Funny I don't think I ever would have considered that. That's why you should ask a fourth grader and not me.  They know just enough to be dangerous, but not too much to stymie their creativity.

If you do ask a fourth grader you likely won't be breaking new ground. The First Lego League (FLL) asked them, and other kids from kindergarten to sixth grade, to consider food safety in their annual robotics competition.  The competition consisted of a food safety research project, adherence to the FLL core values of teamwork and sportsmanship, and the development of an autonomous Lego robot to complete food safety themed missions.

The great thing about the competition was that kids were asked to do something fun and educational, they did it, then got actual feedback on their efforts. All of the judges for the competition were volunteers from the science, technology, engineering, business or education community.  All of the judges were also very good at drawing the best out of the kids while still being critical and providing valuable feedback.

I think kids are pretty used to getting patted on the back these days but the art of kicking them in the pants is sometimes lost.  The Lego competition I saw today managed to do both well and in the process fostered interest and enthusiasm for science and engineering.

To close I'll report that in the elite eight of the head to head robot competition, team  "Fire Emblem" was edged by "Lego Men" with a final score of 84-87. The loss ended the team's day of competition but the whole experience may have helped spark a lifelong enthusiasm for science, technology and engineering.