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  • Dialogue with Hoerner: The Futuristic Classroom

    David Rosson 23:32 on 28 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: automation, classroom, , education, , future,

    Hoerner relentlessly stress the importance of having an well-organised set of notes with no gaps.

    One day I jokingly said: “In the future, we’ll have several cameras in the classroom; and simultaneous casting of the board, correlating with our tablet devices. And software that instantly transcript everything you said and intelligently re-organise the text and collapse it into a meaningful structure; and it’s all searchable, linked to the time-tracking marks embedded in the video recordings so we may go back anytime and re-learn on a specific item. And we’ll have multiple large screens on the walls showing relevant notes and references, based on automatically detecting the topic and keywords in our speech; tables and formulae, explanations and further expounding; brushing up in real time and side noting the lecture with a colourful syntax.”

    Hoerner joked back: “In the future, you say to a computer: ‘Design a 15-storey office building for me, I’ll be back from lunch in 2 hours.’” (This can further go the image of rubbing coconut butter on your tummy on a beach somewhere)

    So I said: “Why not?”

     
  • Engineering Humour: As Tabulated

    David Rosson 00:23 on 28 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: AS Code, ,

    The AS1170.1 Code provides guidelines for loads on structures for various use cases. Even the imposed actions from ‘lamb carcasses’ are tabulated, yes, there is such a sub-category: “Here’s a number for you, in kilo-pascals, just in case you need to design a floor for storing dead sheep.”

     
  • [DRAFT] DRY Programming: A Primer

    David Rosson 19:32 on 27 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply

    Model, View, Controller

     
  • What are Universities for?

    David Rosson 15:05 on 21 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: knowledge, , Newton, reference

    Handbook of Mathematics

    This Handbook is a concise reference for the tools and concepts in Mathematics, it’s rather comprehensive. You can buy it for a few dollars, and we can’t even be bothered to browse through it.

    It’s shocking that you can buy so much access to knowledge with so little money.

    But imagine that Newton had got one of these in his hands. He’d go nuts.

     
  • Dialogue with Hoerner: The Imperical Method

    David Rosson 14:43 on 21 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , structural design

    Rosson: “So the imperical method does not produce copiously concervative figures?”

    Hoerner: “No. Because the client does not like to see copious dollar figures, which tends to be associated with copious conservativeness.”

     
  • Karl Popper: Falsifiability and the Scientific Assertion

    David Rosson 14:08 on 21 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: falsifiability, scientific assertion, scientific position

    An ihren Früchten sollt ihr sie erkennen.

    To say that “there are no aliens” is a scientific assertion, because this conclusion is drawn from the most imperical of observations. And if the aliens do come and manifest themselves, you are immediately proved wrong; you look like a fool, so what, now we know for a fact there are aliens.

    To say that “there may be aliens” is not a scientific assertion, it’s a logical and philosophical speculation, you are never wrong since you take no stands. It is dishonest to take such a position.

    To say that “there are indeed aliens” without consensus of observation, is hallucinating and lying.

    Thus, one does not require years of training in Science to make the scientific assertion, or to take the scientific position: it’s the plain and straightforward one.

     
  • [DRAFT] René Descartes: The Seat of Consciousness

    David Rosson 03:18 on 21 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply

    Summary:
    We learn. We master the skills to make improvements of the condition of our lives. We make things abundant and affordable, and then expendable.

    Now this process continues for ourselves, inwards; with the parts that constitute our flesh and blood, and even our mind, becoming replaceable and hence, external.

    Is it then, still an essential element of our existence? We will become more efficient, and more effective in solving the problems within our existence; but why the existence?

     
  • [DRAFT] Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen

    David Rosson 03:02 on 21 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply

     
  • [DRAFT] So I was reading the German newspaper..

    David Rosson 15:12 on 20 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply

    “The German National Pastime: Whining, Bitching and Moaning”
    “Brutally Honest: “Have You Gained Weight Lately?”
    “When the Germans say ‘we’d love to have you, please do come’, they mean ‘we’d love to have you, please do come’; the English-speaking people are less straightforward, if they say ‘we’d love to have you, please do come’, it may mean ‘we would feel bad not inviting you, but please have the grace not to show up’. ”
    “Love Thy Neighbor: German Law Tells You How”
    “Misunderstandings: ‘Gross’ Is a German Word, Too”
    “By the Numbers: An Obsession with Statistics”
    “Take it from a German: How Not to Die on German Roads”
    “Now you’ve got her interested — time to switch to an in-depth political discussion”

     
  • Vielleicht ist es wirklich nur ein Jahr

    David Rosson 14:41 on 20 June 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: calendars, diary, Dutch, existential crisis, life, planner, Prose, the shortness of life

    Look at the calendars in the planner book.
    There is one for the entire year on every page.
    The columns of days and the rows of weeks,
    they don’t seem numerous in a single view.

    Next 10 weeks, Wednesday nights for Dutch lessons.
    It feels like you can easily cross out a whole section,
    almost 3 months, with a few pencil stokes.
    Perhaps, a year is that short.

     
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