2013-02-27

Define Touch, Define Contact

Via Google and other dictionaries and sources...

Touch (n): An act of bringing a part of one's body, typically one's hand, into contact with someone or something. (v) Come so close to (an object) as to be or come into contact with it.

Contact (n): The state or condition of physical touching.

Seem circular enough?

--

Now, I will try to present another definition of touch and contact.
 - The state where objects have overlapping electron probability clouds.
     -  This definition can be refined over time, to include at "90%" probability maybe (definitely not at 100%).

~ Simply Advanced ~

Another Idea: Words are only defined for the 99% and will never include the truly technically correct definitions. ...Assuming present paradigm.



2013-02-26

Procrastination Hack: Think With Your Future Self

The present you and the future you are two different people. The future self has more experiences than your present self.

It is easy to think with your present self, and that's what most people do.

But, consider this, your future self:

  • Understands more than your present self
  • Knows more about what is better for yourself
  • Can see in retrospect

So which self would you rather think with?
--
Now, to tie this with a practical example -- the procrastination hack part.
--
What would your future self say at the present moment?

What does your present self want to do right now? Social media? YouTube?
What would your future wish you did right now? Learning? Went out with friends?

Remember, your future self will always be smarter than your present self. So, go ahead and raise your IQ, live a better life by thinking with your future self.

Comments welcomed.

~ Simply Advanced ~

ps - Another way of thinking about this is, what would you say to your younger self? How would you do things differently? Is there something that you wish you could change from the past?



Mind Blown: Of(t)en

The T in "often" is not pronounced!

I first learned this in a public speaking book. Then, I checked Google. Then, I checked The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (paperback style, 2004) which also says the word "often" is pronounced "o-fen".

And just now, I used TheFreeDictionary.com to hear the word pronounced in an American and British accent.

Mind Blown!

~ Simply Advanced ~



Assuming Present Paradigm

To technically be correct about anything "assuming present paradigm" must be appended to everything.



...assuming present paradigm.

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-25

Inertia Dampeners

Re: Designing inetia dampeners.

First version would just be changing forward velocity to rotational energy. Or somehow, by moving forward, we could store a negative rotational energy. When stopping, apply a positive rotational energy and overall, not feel the effects of slowing down.

Most people who have heard of inertia dampeners may think of space ships in tv shows and movies. But, I want to apply inertia dampeners to vehicles here on Earth. For example, a car crash would be significantly less fatal if the effects of gravity and Newton's Laws of Motion weren't in play.

(I like to believe that technology and knowledge will eventually allow for great [current-]physics-law breaking.)

~ Simply Advanced ~



Talking to Myself

We all talk to ourselves whether it is aloud or not.

Another word for "talking to yourself" is "thinking". When you are thinking, there is typically a conversation of whether or not something should be done or what should be said.

The only time you aren't talking to yourself is when you are strictly doing, which is a tough thing to do. Certain substances limit inhibitors. Which, in turn, arguably allows for more creativity. Free writing is also great practice in "strictly doing" aka creativity.

~ Simply Advanced ~

ps - My initial seed of an idea for this post was just "Talking to myself = Thinking from different perspectives." And, originally, that's all this post was going to say. I didn't want to talk about creativity in this post because I have a lot to say about it, but not enough time. Hence, the abrupt stop.



2013-02-22

Procrastination Hack - Limit the Time Between Thinking and Doing

"Limit the time between thinking and doing." - Procrastination hack.

I'm sure I've read about this somewhere else, but I didn't find it with a quick "exact-phrase" search.

The goal is to stop putting so many items on a todo list and just do them as you think of them. One of the benefits is that you actually get stuff done rather than just thinking about it.

If you are actively participating in an activity or task, then you clear your mind of another task by writing it down. Current evolution of humans allows us to truly excel at just one task at a time. When we try to do more than one thing at a time, results are typically less than doing each of them individually.

Since I feel this needs an example.. Off the top of my head: I can juggle whilst riding a bike (multitask). But, if I were to do either of them individually, then it would be done much better.

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-21

Quick Notes - 20130221

  • "The Presentation of Self" by Erving Goffman (1959)
    • We define situations.
  • Microsociology, Erving Goffman
  • Wallflower, Perks of Being a
  • Movie: "Tootsie"
  • I now have a proper name for what I've been calling group think (peer influences), which is Solomon Asch and the Asch conformity experiments, aka Asch Paradigm.
  • It seems to be hard to overcome first interactions/experiences. Perhaps, that's because it is when our brain connections are first formed around the new topic. It's harder to break those connections than create new ones. Those new connections group/form around the initial connection. So, that initial feeling will be there for a long time.

  • The only "real" theories we have are based upon a human defined topic (i.e., Euclidean geometry where a line can't intersect itself and parallel lines don't cross)
  • I have tons of excuses, but none is sufficient enough excuse
  • Being deaf-ish in one ear, but still able to detect where sound comes from [audibly]. Perhaps the timing of sounds is used rather than the intensity of sound.
  • People who don't change their desktop background screen may be considered as "not tech-savy", but I haven't changed my screen from the default because I've gotten past procrastination. Changing the background does not significantly effect my ability positively enough to warrant time to look through the great choices of wallpapers that I have used in the past and the many more I have saved.


~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-20

New Perspective - Up

Get a new perspective of your surrounding by looking up.

Today, while I was leaving my class to go home, I decided to look up as I walked down the stairs and saw parts of the building that I never saw before. Same thing when walking outside also.

I may have ran into a few people, but it is worth it for the new experiences.

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-19

An Easier Way to Cook Rice

You may be thinking, rice is already easy enough to cook... just put in some rice and water and press the big button.

Don't be limited by your present notions of ease.

Don't be deceived by your preconceived notions of simplicity.

What if we didn't have to put in the water? What if we didn't have to put in the rice?

That sounds like a good future for me. And I'm sure a significantly advanced rice cooker could put whatever additional ingredients you wanted in there AND stir it!

Here's one way that this idea would work:
 - A separate silo for both the rice and water (either bag or hose to the main line).
 - An input for rice to water ratio, number of servings to make, and at what time to make it.
 - And, of course, have the ability for a smartphone app to control the device.

This reminds me.. automated pizza makers already exist.. and here's how this pizza vending machine is made.

More ideas that I didn't think too much about:
 - Ability to easily tilt rice container to make scraping out all of the grains to a plate easier.
 - Building it into a counter or wall.

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-18

Interesting Origami - Mooser's Train

You may have seen intricate origami including cranes, insects, and other animals and figures. These are the most popular ones.

Today, I just learned about the OrigamiUSA convention held annually and about the great origami achievement known as Mooser's Train. Emmanuel Mooser created a three-car model locomotive from a single sheet of paper. It was folded with a method known as the box pleat, which has been used in many other real-world applications, such as air bags and transforming robots.

Mooser's Train just looks awesome. And after seeing it, possibilities are opened for even more intricate designs made with a single sheet of paper.



~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-02-17

Stereotypical Social Computer Programmer

It is typically portrayed that computer programmers are always at their computer writing code and are less social than average.

But, I'm going to present another perspective. Perhaps computer programmers are the most social in regards that they write many programs for others and society. In order to be a great programmer, one must know how the market thinks.

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-01-29

Dan Gilbert - The Surprising Science of Happiness

In this TED Talk, Dan Gilbert's video "The Surprising Science of Happiness" has been on my todo list for a while now and I'm really glad that I got around to watch it.

The first few minutes was so-so, but after that you mind will be blown by the information that you learn from Dan Gilbert. The main take-away is that we have the capacity to synthesize our own happiness. And our ability to simulate future happiness has a bug in it.

This TED Talk was well worth the twenty minutes of my time.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html

~ Simply Advanced ~



2013-01-28

Obol - The Never-Soggy Cereal Bowl and Its Future

I saw the Obol in Brookstone over a month ago and really liked the idea of having the cereal and milk separate in order for the cereal to stay crispy the entire time you are eating.

Recently, I saw a post about it a food blog and started thinking about the idea of Obol again.

Imagine yourself eating out of a regular bowl of cereal with milk. The best bites are the first few because the cereal is the most crispy at that point. But, there is at least two more reasons why the first few bites are typically the best of the bunch. Point number three below I believe affects people on a more psychological level.

At the beginning of eating:

  1. Cereal is still crispy
  2. Milk is the coldest
  3. It is easiest to get a huge scoop of cereal on the spoon!

After determining that these are the reasons why I truly like cereal (besides the overall great taste), it is easy to determine that the Obol is does not significantly help me eat and enjoy my daily cereal. Obol performs task one very well. Task two is iffy. It may take longer for me to eat the bowlful of cereal, thus the milk will be warmer by the end (I am a cereal milk drinker). Obol fails at number three. By only putting a little bit of cereal in the milk compartment, the cereal spreads throughout the entire surface area of the milk, causing me trouble when I try to get a large scoop of cereal on my spoon. If I put any more than a little bit of cereal in the milk compartment, then I might as well be using a regular cereal bowl instead.

An idea for a bowl is to throw it in the refrigerator or freezer overnight and in the morning you can enjoy colder milk for a longer period of time! I haven't actually tried this out yet, but I will! Number two improved.

Another idea for a bowl to add a little vertical strainer on the coming out from the side. Milk will be able to go through the strainer, but the cereal will not. This could be a clip-on that would fit most bowls. Maybe it just have a little lip on it that allow it to sit on an edge. The idea is that you can gather up all the cereal to one side of the strainer, then a big scoop of cereal will be easy again. You could potentially just swirl your milk with the spoon and like magic, the cereal will all be gathered in one place. Number three vastly improved!!

http://www.obol.co/images/


~ Simply Advanced ~