Aug 17 2009 Fail: How Not To Use An Automatic Door
This is a video of an alleged Pakistani engineering student failing to use an automatic door correctly (read: with his face). You just have to see it to believe it. God only knows how he treats escalators.
Engineering Student Takes On Electrical Door, Loses [gizmodo]
Jun 17 2009 It's Been Fun: Teaching AI How To Kill Us All
In one of the sickest and twistedest announcements I've read in recent history, programmers attending the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers symposium will attempt to program AI to destroy us all in a game of DEFCON.
Part of the symposium is a sort of "Turing Test" challenge, in which contestants program an AI to play a videogame. The objective is to try to trick a panel of human judges into thinking the AI is a human player.
This year's videogame is DEFCON, the brilliant nuclear war strategy game from indie developer Introversion.A group of talented programmers will pitch their DEFCON bot against enemy bots in a series of one-on-one thermonuclear chess games. The winner is the programmer whose bot successfully annihilates its opponents and racks up the highest death count. IEEE is offering a $500 prize to the deadliest DEFCON AI bot competition winner.
WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! Like I don't have enough to worry about without people programming artificial intelligence to kill us all. You KNOW the robots are behind this. And also, BEHIND YOU -- DUCK! *pew pew* I just saved your life. No need to thank -- actually, yes, sing my praises. *cocking laser blaster* DO IT!
Symposium will teach AIs how to wage nuclear war [fidgit]
Thanks Kenny, shall we play a game?
Jan 7 2009 Casting Call For New Discovery Science Channel Game Show 'Catch It Keep It'
Remember the last time I announced a casting call for a show? Did any of you actually apply? Is 'Super Testing' on the air? Has it started yet? I have no idea, I only watch educational programming. Sexeducational programming. HIYO! Porn basically. Anyway, here's the chance for you Geekologie readers to prove yourselves, and show the billions of [fact check this] Discovery Networks Science Channel viewers what you're made of!
Producers for a Discovery Science Game show are looking for contestants. Contestants can be a gonzo engineer/scientist or just a high-energy, creative, fun, builder!
They are looking for garage warriors (builders, scientists, inventors, engineers, carpenters, welders, mechanics, architects, etc...) who love to invent new gadgets, build robots, racing power tools, weld together bizarre machines that drive, fly, climb, shoot flames or launch projectiles.This Game Show is for thinkers, dreamers and doers, who are eager to let their inner MacGyvers be seen and ready to collaborate with a team of other builders to beat the clock in order to "save" the big prize!
Holy shit, I'd be perfect for this! I can hardly wait! I'm gonna be building the coolest stuff. All LEGO too! And there's a big prize involved! I love big prizes! Well, as long as they're not in the form of penises. Oh boy, oh boy! Do you think it's gold bullion? Cold hard cash? I don't know but I can hardly wait to find out! Pick me, pick me! Oh, wait, there's more.
Consumption of alcohol prohibited during challenges.
F*** that. It might just be the booze talking, but I love booze.
Dec 5 2008 U.K. Launches (Teddy) Bears To (Near) Space
The University of Cambridge, in cooperation with a bunch of school kids, ballooned four teddy bears to 30,000 meters. Because, I mean, why the hell not?
A helium balloon was used to get the bears up up and away flying to Near Space or the Edge of Space as it is known. The bears endured temperatures of minus 53 degrees on the three hour flight from Cambridge and all were returned safely to Earth.
The project was intended to "engage local schoolchildren in science and engineering" with young pupils making the Teddy-nauts' space-suits.
Oh yeah, making Teddy-naut suits, that's science and engineering for you. Let's see, the dumbass bear on the left doesn't even have a freaking helmet, so that poor bastard's long gone. And the one on the right....is that an inside out Doritos bag zip tied to his body? Wow. There was no good picture of the balloon they used, but we can only assume it was of the 'Get Well Soon' variety from the grocery store.
Photos of teddy bears in space [newslite]
Thanks to Charles, who once launched a polar bear into space with a single punch. The dude's strong.
Nov 21 2008 Bridge Constructed By Shooting Cable-Carrying Rockets Across Huge Valley
Just look at that bridge. I was almost tempted to call it Photoshopped, but then I remembered I'm not a stupid idiot. The Siduhe Grand Bridge has been in construction for over 4 years and stands 2,132 feet above the ground below. Holy shit! One of the initial problems with building the bridge was how to get the 3,200ft long cables across the valley. The answer? Attach them to rockets and blast them across.
so you've erected the enormous towers on each side of the deep valley, deeper than any valley previously bridged. how do you get a pilot cable from one tower to the next? previous solutions have included: attaching the cable to a kite and flying it over (e.g. niagara falls suspension bridge), carrying one end by helicopter (e.g. akashi kaikyo bridge) and floating one end on a boat (e.g. brooklyn bridge). the brains behind the siduhe bridge decided to ignore all those options and break another record instead. they attached the 3200ft cables to rockets and accurately fired them over the valley, becoming the first people to do so.
Hell yes! Ah, ingenuity at its finest. And also, rocket power. PSSSSSHOOOW! But seriously, for a case of beer I'll let you shoot me out of a cannon. Two cases and I'll even wear a paper hat.
Hit the jump for several pictures of the actual rocket firings. Pretty cool stuff.
Continue Reading " Bridge Constructed By Shooting Cable-Carrying Rockets Across Huge Valley "
Aug 11 2008 Sweet!: LEGO Donkey Kong Game
This is a video of a Donkey Kong game made with LEGO Mindstorms RCX. You push a button, the opening game audio plays, and then Kong starts throwing barrels. Mario jumps over them, but never makes any forward progress. And sometimes the barrels actual hit him, which, at least in the real game, results in a death, a thrown controller, and a barrage of profanity. But then your mommy says no more video games for the rest of the night and you, in a rage, call her a bad name. Unfortunately, your father hears so you take off running and lock yourself in your bedroom. Then, while he's punching through the door, you contemplate the best way to survive a three-story dive out the window.
Hit the jump to see another video from the back showing how it all works.
Jun 24 2008 The 730-Ton Ball That Keeps The Taipei 101 Earthquake Tolerant Is Pretty Big, Heavy
The Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building, sits a paltry 600 feet from a fault line. So is the structure doomed? Nope -- it's rocking a uni-ball of steel.
To counteract the forces working against it, architects installed a $4 million, 730-ton tune massed damper, which is a big ball 18 feet in diameter, made of 41 steel plates, and suspended by strong cables 3 1/2-inches think. It's said to cut down on the swaying of the building by almost 40%.
Pretty cool stuff there. Anything that keeps buildings standing and people safe during an earthquake is A-okay in my book. Even if it is a 730-ton ball. Which, incidentally, explains why I've never taken a fall. *wink* Ladies?
Hit the jump for some more pictures, an animation of how the damper works, along with a video of the ball in action during the recent Chinese earthquake.
Apr 8 2008 2008 Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is held every year at Purdue and requires contestants to complete a simple task with a complex machine in 20 or more ridiculous steps. Last year's objective was to juice an orange into a pitcher and pour the juice into a cup. This year's was to build a hamburger with patty, two vegetables, and two condiments. For the third time in four years the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers took top honors. Coincidence? I think not. I have the feeling there's something fishy going on here. Let's review the evidence: The contest is held at Purdue. Purdue wins a lot. *puts feet on desk, lights pipe* I think my work here is done.
Another video about the winning team and machine after the jump.
Aug 22 2007 Forbidden LEGO Instructions
As a world renowned architect, I grew up building a lot of LEGO sets. Most of them skyscrapers and other buildings of my own design. Now, No Starch Press is releasing a book of LEGO designs (208 pp., $24.95) that you were not allowed to make growing up, most of which are weapons. I had a lot of these ideas as a kid though. Of course my "Lego Grenade" looked less like a grenade and more like my mother smashing one of my houses because I hid her liquor.
A video after the jump.
