Digital Neurons (1)

What would you do if you could change your body and become any person you would like? Set your own destiny and experience the world the way you want to? Scientists are now talking about understanding how human brain works then reverse engineer it to create a tremendously indistinguishable Virtual Reality. This VR will be a shared environment where disembodied brains are interconnected in a three dimensional computer. In fact, computing in three dimensions is the next technological leap as we continue our exploration in nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence.

The human brain is wired with neurons, integrated brain cells that communicate each other as pulses of electricity move across tiny gaps between cells. The human brain has about 100 billion neurons, with about 1000 connections from one neuron to another. Communications between neurons are enabled by chemicals known as neurotransmitter. Considerably, apart from being large in size these neurons are extremely slow to interconnect. Only about 200 calculations per second can take place in the brain, but it produces very powerful parallel computing as a result of being organised in three dimensions. If we do a quick math, 100 billion neurons multiplied by 1000 connections and times 200 calculations per seconds yields 20 million billion calculation per seconds. In a simple scenario, imagine when your brain sets you under control when you are driving while turning the music on and talking in the cell phone. Without you realise it, there are millions external stimulus coming to your brain through the five senses so it can produce appropriate responses.

The brain is not a single organ. It has several hundreds specialised regions, each organised uniquely. Attempts to reverse-engineer the brain encompass understanding the brain algorithms, that are illogical, chaotic, highly parallel, and self-organising. Brain reverse engineering field creates biologically inspired models that mimic the brain behaviour using technology such as genetic algorithm and neural nets. As we get more understanding, we will be able to simulate processes take place in the brain, create and recreate digital neurons whose the same properties as biological neurons; massively powerful parallel, controlled analog, chaotic, and self-organising. What would be the materials of these digital neurons? They would be in nanotubes – molecular-sized material, much smaller than biological neurons but possess far more powerful capacity and strength.

Posted by arsen at 7:48 pm ~ There are 2 notes [ View ~ Add ]

Nude fashion

Exhibitionists who like to feel more than the wind in their hair rejoice - nude cruises are coming to Australia (Sydney Morning Herald , Oct 17). The article says:

"When people are nude they are a lot more friendly. You meet a lot of people, and when you are together on a boat and everyone is nude then you are friendly with people almost straight away."

"You are what you are, and you can't hide anything. And what you are talking about, well, that becomes more important than what you are wearing or what you look like."

I would see clothing the same way as we value architecture of a bulding. The building architecture and construction reflect its purpose. The rooms, the houses, the spaces we inhabit represent the extention of our ideas and thoughts . Architecture of an office building is certainly different with the design of an opera house.

Similarly, we wear clothes as we want to construct our ideas, thoughts, and dreams about who we are. Clothing is a physical thing - it is certainly true - but the building block of it are composed of intangible values: our preferences, purposes, and desires. Of course, clothing should serve its functions to give us comfortable feeling as we move around - it keeps us warm and protects us from the weather.

What seems likely the nudists want to challenge is the view that we are all dressed up with someting to show. What if we escape from the realm of fashion and expose what the nature gives as it is designed for. I'm not a nudist for some ethical reason, but I would appreciate their perspective to see beyond fashion and detach clothing attributes. One should not judge others by what they wear or what they look like. Apperance can be deceiving after all. Well, human mind is somehow localised when confronted with complex colours and shapes. Perhaps seeing objects in black and white can help us reduce subjective judgements? I need an adaptor...

Posted by arsen at 7:14 pm ~ There are 3 notes [ View ~ Add ]

Protein Powder

If there is something I cannot live without that would be gym workout. Even though I'm not really addicted to it but I'd be missing something in my life if I'm away from it. Not until recently I tried to change the perspective of my workout. I'm now more concerned about my diet too. You are what you eat. I'd be interested to see how my body would respond to the change of eating habit. I'm eating less carbs and fat, but taking more proteins, which I consume in a form of powder.

Basically what we call protein is a chain of amino acids in a complex molecular structure. Carbohydrates provide cells with energy, while amino acids supply cells with the building material they need to grow and maintain their structure. If we take an analog of a house, amino acids provide the bricks, cements, etc and construct the house with structure, while carbohydrates provide the house with electricity, water, gas, etc.

Protein can be found in a variety of foods, mainly meats, such as fish, beef, and chicken. Dairy products as well as eggs, cottage cheese, soy and vegetable protein also contain good amounts of protein. Out of the many protein sources out there, whey protein is the ultimate. It comes from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, whey protein is separated out.

There are two different types of amino acids: essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids are amino acids that your body can create out of other chemicals found in your body. Essential amino acids cannot be created, and therefore the only way to get them is through food.

As you work out often, protein levels become depleted. That is exactly when protein powder comes handy as it can be absorbed by the body quickly to help the muscles recover and grow their structures. Natural food can also provide proteins the body needs but it will take a longer time so the muscles wouldn't be able to optimally build new structures stimulated by the workout by time the food is digested.

Bodybuilders who train seriously to gain improvement generally consume 150 grams per day. On the other hand, extremely high doses of whey protein is not recommended, as this will cause the body's liver to be overloaded and you won't get the same benefits as with a consistent lower amount taken three to five times per day.

Posted by arsen at 7:03 pm ~ There are 6 notes [ View ~ Add ]

Sleep

There is a funny fact about sleep. Put it this way, if you sleeps for 8 hours a day and assuming that you live 75 years then you spend 25 years of sleeping or one third of your whole life. You can do a lot of things for 25 years, but rather your body chooses to sleep. So why do we need sleep? There's no exact answer for this, but some theories suggest that:

• Sleep is required for the body to repair muscles, tissues, and replace aging or dead cells.
• Sleep gives a chance to the brain to defrag and archive memories. In this process, dreams may occur as a result of memory projection.
• Sleep reduces energy consumption so we only need to eat two or three times a day as opposed to five.

Posted by arsen at 4:53 am ~ There is zero note [ Add ]

Fireworks

Last night I went down to the Harbour Bridge to see the New Year's Eve fireworks show. Sydney, assisted by favourable time zone and magnificient natural man made-features, always draws international attention every year. This time, instead of being distracted by conversation with people I chose to pay attention and concentrate watching closely the sensational 15 minute pyrotechnic show. It made the experience become special and magical - a good show is absolutely awesome!

Wondering about how fireworks work I did a quick research on the internet and found useful materials about it. Fireworks are made of two basic components: firecrackers and sparklers. Firecrackers consist of black powder, used to be known as gunpowder, packed tightly in a paper tube with a fuse to light the powder. Black powder doesn't explode, it only burns quite fast. Only when it is tightly packed it creates explosion. Sparklers have different work concept, they burn over a long period of time (up to a minute) and produce extreme bright and showery light. You can add a variety of chemicals to create more colours and shimmering bright using aluminium, iron, steel, zinc or magnesium dust.

In the case of aerial fireworks, sheels of firecrackers and sparklers are placed in the ground or built into racks. The shells are launched from a mortar - a short, steel pipe with a lifting charge of black powder. When ignited by the pyrotechnician, the lift charge on the bottom of the shell - no more than a bag or cup full of black powder - explodes, shooting the shell into the air like a bullet from a gun. See the picture of shells (howstuffworks, 2001):


To paint the sky more impressively, pyrotechnicians use multibreak shells that burst in two or three phases. They may contain stars of different colours and compositions to create softer or brighter light, more or less spark, etc. Some sheels contain explosive designed to crackle in the sky, or whistles that explode outward with the stars. Shells may have different look in the sky when explode. They can produce a symmetrical ring of star, burst into a circle of maroon shells that explode in sequence, etc.

Posted by arsen at 8:54 pm ~ There are 2 notes [ View ~ Add ]