Peter Molyneux demos Milo, the virtual boy | Video on TED.com
When Peter Molyneux describes a game developed by Microsoft that can think for itself,regonize you, and learn I was like "No Way Man!" I didnt think such a thing was possible, and for such a simple thing like the kinect game system. With this new incorparation into the world, the idea would spark a new rush for more highly advanced artificial thinking.
Peter Molyneux decribes how he wanted to create a solution to the one problem of storytelling. He wanted to make a character which felt alive and could build a relationship. With the technology of Microsoft and attempts of AI at Lionhead, they created the virtual boy, named Milo.
When I first saw the demonstration of this, I was a little creeped out. A thing that wasnt even alive, yet acted alive? It didnt help either that he looked right at you in a creeping manner, and that he only talked to you. A cool part about Milo though is that you can help mold his personality and how he turns out to be. You can edge him on with your voice like you would another person. One example Peter shows is when Milo is about to crush a snail, and you can either tell him to do it or tell him not to. The crushing of a snail is developmental to how Milo turns out because you can mold him to be sensitive or to be a bully. Peter says that no two Milo's will be alike, and I find that intriguing yet weird at the same time. I think the idea of artificial intelligence is creepy, yet cool how technolgy can make things happen.
My take on this is that it is really cool, but I dont like the aspect of Milo looking or "being" human. I think that is because of all the movies I watched of how the robot who thinks he is human freaks everyone out.
Peter Molyneux has a very good idea, but I dont think his presentation was all that fine as he had a more advertising approach then a belief approach. That took away from the feeling of the TED and left it unappealing to me.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A Statement without Words
Miwa Matreyek's glorious visions | Video on TED.com
When we watch an animated movie, what do we see? Of course we see the animations, the special effects, and virtual programs. If we look closely enough, we can see the deeper meaning of the piece. Miwa Materyek's glorious vision combining animations and her own acting was a visual journey that leads us on a journey of ourselves and the world. This I believe is the best kind of expression. Words can be informative and factual but emotion and deeper meanings are best portrayed through visual artistic works.
The saying, "A picture is worth 1000 words" is true. It is proven in Miwa's vision with the perfect use of visual imagery. Her presentation was unbelieveable. With the visual animations and her own acting, her story told more than a 1000 words. In the presentation, the screen would have animations like cities, water, and just many appealing pieces. Incorparated with her own shadow, yes I said shadow because she moved and interacted with the animations using the outline of herself, it made the piece even more amazing.
The first part of her TED was her hand guided an apple to cut in half, then she procceded to twirl a goldfish bowl with many fish swimming inside of it. There were many intricate designs, and the animations and happenings were mostly daily events, like turning a book and cutting an apple up to eat. I think those images were to symbolise daily events and our automation. We always go on in our days, but we dont know the history behind it, and I think that is the next part of Miwa's vision.
After that she waved her hand, and the plate turned into a moon in the sky. Now instead of using the outlines of her hand, she walked into the middle of the screen, using her body as the basis of her story. Her story I thought revolved around creation, and it was the story of a woman who hunted, made fire, and lived on the island that was Miwa's back. The story of the island means that we live and grow simply, also we are able to understand nature and embrace it without hindrances. After that though, the ocean that Miwa was the island in ebbed away, and the little human walked away on the bare ground. Seconds after leaving, cities sprouted in the place the ocean was. Miwa walks through the city looking at everything, seeing even a nuclear power plant. At the end of her path there are battleships that are green with plants growing on them. I feel that the certain part of the city and the abandoned battleships meant that humans are moving way too fast, and fight till there is nothing left. Her message is we must be equal with each other and not cause strife.
The part of human connections in her TED came towards the very end. A forest appeared and out of nowhere a bowl and ingredients for a cake appeared. She mixed all the ingredients together in the bowl and in a second a cake was in the bowl's place. I believe this was the whole message of her vision. The cake symbolises every single ethinicity. When we are apart we arent tasty, but together we make something sweet.
Miwa Materyek's TED was really riveting and inspiring. I highly recommend people to watch this video as it is just fascinating and beautiful. Miya Materyek was able to weave a story that contained millions of words, without the use, of words.
When we watch an animated movie, what do we see? Of course we see the animations, the special effects, and virtual programs. If we look closely enough, we can see the deeper meaning of the piece. Miwa Materyek's glorious vision combining animations and her own acting was a visual journey that leads us on a journey of ourselves and the world. This I believe is the best kind of expression. Words can be informative and factual but emotion and deeper meanings are best portrayed through visual artistic works.
The saying, "A picture is worth 1000 words" is true. It is proven in Miwa's vision with the perfect use of visual imagery. Her presentation was unbelieveable. With the visual animations and her own acting, her story told more than a 1000 words. In the presentation, the screen would have animations like cities, water, and just many appealing pieces. Incorparated with her own shadow, yes I said shadow because she moved and interacted with the animations using the outline of herself, it made the piece even more amazing.
The first part of her TED was her hand guided an apple to cut in half, then she procceded to twirl a goldfish bowl with many fish swimming inside of it. There were many intricate designs, and the animations and happenings were mostly daily events, like turning a book and cutting an apple up to eat. I think those images were to symbolise daily events and our automation. We always go on in our days, but we dont know the history behind it, and I think that is the next part of Miwa's vision.
After that she waved her hand, and the plate turned into a moon in the sky. Now instead of using the outlines of her hand, she walked into the middle of the screen, using her body as the basis of her story. Her story I thought revolved around creation, and it was the story of a woman who hunted, made fire, and lived on the island that was Miwa's back. The story of the island means that we live and grow simply, also we are able to understand nature and embrace it without hindrances. After that though, the ocean that Miwa was the island in ebbed away, and the little human walked away on the bare ground. Seconds after leaving, cities sprouted in the place the ocean was. Miwa walks through the city looking at everything, seeing even a nuclear power plant. At the end of her path there are battleships that are green with plants growing on them. I feel that the certain part of the city and the abandoned battleships meant that humans are moving way too fast, and fight till there is nothing left. Her message is we must be equal with each other and not cause strife.
The part of human connections in her TED came towards the very end. A forest appeared and out of nowhere a bowl and ingredients for a cake appeared. She mixed all the ingredients together in the bowl and in a second a cake was in the bowl's place. I believe this was the whole message of her vision. The cake symbolises every single ethinicity. When we are apart we arent tasty, but together we make something sweet.
Miwa Materyek's TED was really riveting and inspiring. I highly recommend people to watch this video as it is just fascinating and beautiful. Miya Materyek was able to weave a story that contained millions of words, without the use, of words.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Story of Dave Eggers
Once upon a school, there was a man named Dave Eggers. Dave Eggers was a good man, and one bright day came up with a moving idea about one-on-one tutoring in the city of San Fransisco, California. Eggers began with the idea of how students learn, and grow as a person when they have the have the opportunity to work on schoolwork one-on-one with a person that actually cared about the developement of the child.
Now Dave Egger grew up in a family full of teachers and from his teacher relations knew the struggles they faced when trying to deal with students learning ability. This was a time when students werent given the attention needed for them to flourish, and less funding for public education made it worse. During this time, Dave was just running a little gag shop selling pirate goodies. Realizing the attention students dont get, Dave plucked from the air the idea of 826 Valencia Streetm, a non-profit tutoring center for students to come in and receive one-on-one help with English. The construction of 826 Valencia street with the added ingredients of patience change countless kids.
In this story, there was also a boy named James. After hearing of one on one tutoring, and in public places on the street and in the weirdest places, he approved of the way Dave's idea was going. It inspired him, one idea, a better world. A better education doesent come from massive funds or offers to Stanford. No, he said, it comes from connecting with the kids, dedication to help,and passion to educate. James also learned that the to change a world it can start with the small things, connections with the individual. He remembered that one way Dave connected with the whole tutored group was that they wrote a story together. The story of 826 Valencia.
AFTERWORD BY READER
Wow this story was great! I personally loved the way that Dave was like one of the audience. He was funny and incorparated a sense of humbility we were comfortable with. His style was like the nervous yet likable characters in movies. He crafted the story like the topic, free and light.
Dave really added much to the insight on public education. The story shows how kids dont learn as good when lectured, they dont learn as good when they are spoonfed information. Instead it shows that learning can be enhanced by human interaction by one on one understandment. The world should take the ideas from this story and make education a better learning experience.
Now Dave Egger grew up in a family full of teachers and from his teacher relations knew the struggles they faced when trying to deal with students learning ability. This was a time when students werent given the attention needed for them to flourish, and less funding for public education made it worse. During this time, Dave was just running a little gag shop selling pirate goodies. Realizing the attention students dont get, Dave plucked from the air the idea of 826 Valencia Streetm, a non-profit tutoring center for students to come in and receive one-on-one help with English. The construction of 826 Valencia street with the added ingredients of patience change countless kids.
In this story, there was also a boy named James. After hearing of one on one tutoring, and in public places on the street and in the weirdest places, he approved of the way Dave's idea was going. It inspired him, one idea, a better world. A better education doesent come from massive funds or offers to Stanford. No, he said, it comes from connecting with the kids, dedication to help,and passion to educate. James also learned that the to change a world it can start with the small things, connections with the individual. He remembered that one way Dave connected with the whole tutored group was that they wrote a story together. The story of 826 Valencia.
AFTERWORD BY READER
Wow this story was great! I personally loved the way that Dave was like one of the audience. He was funny and incorparated a sense of humbility we were comfortable with. His style was like the nervous yet likable characters in movies. He crafted the story like the topic, free and light.
Dave really added much to the insight on public education. The story shows how kids dont learn as good when lectured, they dont learn as good when they are spoonfed information. Instead it shows that learning can be enhanced by human interaction by one on one understandment. The world should take the ideas from this story and make education a better learning experience.
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