Triumph of the Nerds Part 3

I had heard of Steve Jobs but didn't really know much about him, until this video. He seemed to me, a man of incredible creativity and always striving for better. A lot of his engineers thought him to be "intense and a tyrant" but also someone who "pushed them to think outside the box". When I think of how popular Apple is today, it's strange to think that it was near bankruptcy at one point and that Jobs was let go because his MacIntosh did not earn the profit they were expecting. This video which was filmed in 1996, ends with saying that Apple was basically a dying company so it's pretty neat knowing now in the future, the turn around in his success.

Today, a vast majority of the world uses apple in one way or another through iphone, ipad, itunes, ipod, macbook etc. It has become so widely sought after that whenever a new version comes out, people are literally waiting at the doors to buy the latest and greatest. What I liked about this last portion of the video and knowing where Apple really ended up, is that it reminds us to never give up on our ambitions, no matter how hard the road may seem. It's really easy to see barriers and roadblocks, but that could just mean that maybe it isn't the right time.

My goal is to one day become a nurse and right now I'm taking one class at a time, which may seem easy but trying to balance this out with work and family can be difficult. It would be easy to throw in the towel but then I would never get to where I want and likely regret it. Just like Steve Jobs, if he called it quits when he reached rock bottom he would never have become as successful as he did and with that we may not have all the cool technology and applications that we use today.

Human Computer Interfaces

I had never heard the name Kevin Warwick until this short video. It is surprising, considering all the new and interestingly bizarre advances he has made and is making with humans and technology. Often using himself as the guinea pig in his experiments, I believe Warwick can give an honest report first hand his findings and progress.

What I found most interesting among his research was the deep brain stimulation in relation to Parkinson's Disease; implant positioning in the brain. Warwick and his team are using artificial intelligence to make current technology  "smart"so that it can predict an oncoming tremor and stop it before its starts, as well as, send stimulation only when needed. I believe the accuracy of his research can save people and insurance companies a lot of money and resources. It would obviously improve peoples lives who live with Parkinson's through basic things such as walking, coordination and movement.

Though I find his research with implants interesting, I also find it a bit scary. The idea of a robot, which is essentially constructed metal, thinking for itself, is so unnatural. It reminds me of movies such as Terminator or I Robot where the robots, given a mind of their own, turned and attempted to take over the world. Maybe this example is a bit extreme, but I think some things are better left the way the are. With that said, I'm hesitant to try any of it myself, although maybe with the exception of a medical purpose.