by david allan van nostrand | Oct 14, 2024 | Artificial Intelligence, Items in the News, Technology
There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended his sheep at the foot of a mountain near a dark forest. It was rather lonely for him alone all day, so he thought upon a plan by which he could get a little company and some excitement. He rushed down towards the village...
by david allan van nostrand | Jul 15, 2024 | Americana, Experiments, Technology, The Wayback Machine
While majoring in English in college, Don Herbert acted in summer playhouse theater. He joined the US Air Force during World War II, became a B-24 pilot, and flew 56 bombing missions over Europe. When the war was over, Herbert came home and got involved in performing...
by david allan van nostrand | Jul 17, 2023 | Case Study, Technology, The world around us
Cavemen sharpened the points of wooden poles and used them to kill game and fight their enemies. When pointed steel tips were added to the business end of these long poles, spears became lances. When lances were adopted by cavalrymen (and yes, they were men) on...
by david allan van nostrand | May 16, 2022 | Americana, Technology, The Wayback Machine
“Oh, thank God and Greyhound you’re gone. That load on my mind got lighter when you got on. That shiny old bus is a beautiful sight, with the black smoke a-rolling up around the tail lights. It may sound kinda cruel but I’ve been silent too long. Thank God...
by david allan van nostrand | Mar 22, 2021 | Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Unintended Consequences
Robots are machines that respond automatically and unthinkingly to the commands of others. They perform routine mechanical tasks that have been pre-programmed by humans. They are not sentient beings and are not capable of conscious thought. Robots are best at...
by david allan van nostrand | Jan 14, 2019 | Fads, Items in the News, Research, Technology
In 1999, Star Wars was in theaters, Space Invaders was in arcades, and our team was crisscrossing Europe and Asia, testing mock-ups of what would one day become tablet computers. The main attraction of our prototypes?They were a new category on the power-mobility...
