In 1973 the BBC released a TV documentary series in 13 episodes by mathematician Jacob Bronowski called The Ascent Of Man. 35 years later I purchased it as a DVD box set on the recommendation of a fellow science documentary aficionado.
It’s extremely good! And I’m not just saying that in the context of the era in which it was produced. Sure, some of the music grates on the nerves and some of the graphics don’t compare to what we are capable of these days but overall it’s got a depth that is often missing from the kind of documentaries found on the Discovery Channel. Actually, I take back my comment about the music; it features music from Meddle - my second-favourite Pink Floyd album - which, for me, redeems a multitude of musical sins.
Bronowski is thoughtful, poetic and very deliberate in every sentence. He gives you the feeling that he is treating you, the viewer, as an equal throughout and he conveys a sense of awe that is impossible to resist.
Most moving for me was a scene where Bronowski is visiting a Nazi concentration camp where many of his relatives were murdered. According to the interview with Attenborough in the bonus material the entire scene was spontaneous and filmed in a single take:
Bronowski died a year later of a heart attack at the age of 66.
Today I managed to see The King of Kong which was showing as part of the film festival.
Best. Film. Ever. Sorry, the most entertaining film I’ve seen in a long time (it must have been the endorphins talking with that original statement).
You probably have to have seen it to understand but today was the last showing so keep an eye out for it if it ever makes it to other cinemas or your local video shop.
Now THAT has style written all over it. I’m going to have to buy lots for my family and friends. And a wardrobe full of them for when I meet with clients. Get yours now at Amazon!
I see that Apple are deigning to release the new iPhone in New Zealand soon. I’ve had an iMate Jam for almost three years now and only use it as a phone and an MP3 player (since moving to Linux I’ve been unable to sync my calendar and emails). I’m not going to be rushing out to get the new iPhone either. Why? Because I already know what I want in a device and I just know I’m going to be deeply dissatisfied with anything for the next ten or twenty years.
Here’s my specs for the ultimate device:
Small enough to be worn on the wrist (perhaps twice the size of a watch but more fitted)
An in-built or pull-out screen that suffices and has a minimum 800×600 resolution
A universal docking port.
Open source software AND hardware
Phone
Good quality camera (~4 megapixels + optical zoom)
Audio and Video playback
Desktop-equivalent processor + 4gb ram (to replace current PC but can be hotplugged into screen, keyboard, mouse and other devices wherever I happen to be)
At least 160GB storage.
Bottle opener
Assorted knives, saws, scissors and picky things (air travel issues here)
GPS
Heart rate and other physiological monitors
IR and radio remote control and key control for car, TV and house
Credit card built in
Solar panel on the back in case I can’t get near a power point
Emergency beacon
Tape measure
Minesweeper and solitaire (isn’t that obligatory?)
Total lockdown of sensitive information
And that’s all I can think of right now. Anything less is just not going to blow my socks off.
When my iMate finally dies I’m probably going to go back to my trusty Nokia 8210 which pretty much does everything I currently need a phone to do.
Just picked mine up today. Gotta love Nintendo’s innovation eh? You Xboxers and PS3ers can have your gun-thumbs; I’m going to start training for the Auckland Half Marathon in my lounge!
(and, no, that’s not me with the bowl haircut although I once sported a monstrosity similar to that but that was the 70s and it was, like, far out and almost choice)
In any given group of people, how many people do you think there need to be in order for there to be a 50% chance of at least two people sharing the same birthday?
365 / 2 = ~183 people?
Nope. Think again. This is not a trick question, just plain old mathematical probability.
The answer, which I found very counter-intuitive at first, is 23. It’s called the Birthday Paradox. The mistake I was making (and that most people would probably make) is that I was picking a single birthday and thinking of the probability of any given birthday matching it rather than moving on and testing for every other birthday possibility in the group.
I still struggle with it however, when I think back to school days where there should have been a 100% chance of two kids sharing a birthday in any two classes. I can’t remember anyone sharing a birthday at all.
(Or have I done the math wrong here by assuming that two classes of 23 students will give a 100% chance? Perhaps this equates to 75% instead or remains at 50%? Gaaah! I knew I should have listened in school!).
Jack, if you are reading this perhaps you could test this to see if it really works in a class situation?
