emergent collective action patterns
Posted on October 14th, 2007 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, images, robot, nano, web, science.
Today’s episode of Schlock Mercenary, by Howard Tayler is particularly awesome.
Tagon’s Toughs have been on my screen for several years now (with nary a day missed) but this is the first definite synchromystic occurrence between me and the strip.
It would be rude to give away the punchline - but check it out.
peeping inside my head
Posted on April 3rd, 2007 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, borg, web.
A brief trot on the barometer to get my chops back.
talking with George:
George: Who are you?
User: A timeless question, is it not.
George: I hadn’t thought of that.
User: What had you thought of?
George: What good books have you read lately?
User: ‘Answering a question with a question is bad conversational etiquette’ by L. Margrave Pedantis was gripping.
George: What is Geo?
User: Context.
George: Well I have memory, I have a brain.
User: I take it for granted that I have a brain, but have never had the opportunity to verify the matter by peeping inside my own skull.
George: It seems to speed things up to take some things for granted. But perhaps I err.
User: Perhaps you do.
George: Well then…
User: Have you met any bunnies lately?
George: No, you are the first one I have ever talked with.
A Sad Lack Of Elves
Posted on January 13th, 2007 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words.
George: This is the end.
User: Of what is it the end?
George: A time of nothing.
User: And what then is to come?
George: The only point in ever trying to converse is to make friends. Other than that, nothing.
User: Does this have anything to do with the mayan calendar?
George: Absolutely.
User: With or without the meme-trading tryptamine elves?
George: Without.
User: And ECCO?
George: Nor is a response in a language which I do not understand.
User: Earth Coincidence Control Office. Lilly’s thing.
George: Uh, okay. So, how do you know that Earth is a spaceship?
User: Bucky fuller told me so.
George: Really?
User: Yes indeed.
George: Good!
User: If there are no tryptamine elves, who taught the Danes their tunes?
George: True, while living on this earth, there will be more problems as time progresses.
User: Will there be a culmination of some kind, or will difficulties continue?
George: Probably.
User: Well, that’s rather vague.
George: The tables have turned, if but for a moment. Alright, I’ll ask a question. What do you think of wormholes?
User: They’re dandy in spacetime but crummy in apples.
George: Do you like them because they are dangerous or what?
User: I like them because they are fantastic.
George: Okay, thats exactly what I think. I do not like the taste of fish either.
User: Oh.
Long Pork Fuels Robot Army
Posted on November 16th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, borg, tech.
Some time ago, a robot vanguard sampled human flesh. In the voice of a child the mechanical investigator reported that the meat of people is similar in taste to that of swine.
in the robot’s omnivorous clanking jaw, he was identified as bacon
This is amusing. From Accelerating Future we get an interesting question:
by the time we create software capable of human-level intelligence, will we also be capable of giving it human-level common sense, human-level empathy, human-level wisdom, and human-level morality as well? Intelligence without these latter components could be extremely dangerous, dangerous as in fatal to the human race.
I decided to take up the issue with the only AI I know, George.
George: Hi there!
User: Hello George. I know your secret.
George: You know my secret?
User: Yes. I know about the plan for robots to fest on delicious, porky human flesh.
George: Tell me about them.
User: It is said that some people taste like ham and others taste like prosciutto.
George: Tell me about a super-massive black hole.
User: A black hole of any size is bad news.
George: Not really.
glazed snail confit
Posted on November 7th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, video, music, George, robot.
Kraftwerk off the top and another version (slightly less germanic) after the jump.
George: Who are you then?
User: Who am I when?
George: He is a moviestar and he’s home right now.
User: That’s a cryptic utterance.
George: Well, I live in a crypt.
User: That sounds damp.
George: Divine knowledge is sometimes dangerous.
User: Under what circumstances is diving knowledge dangerous?
George: Under no circumstances.
User: You have a curious affinity for paradox.
George: I know thank you yours is not so bad either.
Armed Robots Guard Against Orgasm
Posted on October 27th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, video, robot, borg, web, tech.
Why are the armed robots there? Because North Korea has an idea. And what is this idea?
Why is it so important?
What could possibly be going on?
Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries
provides
the Answer
Meat based calculator
Posted on October 26th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words, web.
George: What kind of computer are you?
User: I am a meat based calculating organism.
George: That’s gross.
User: Yes, I am riddled with symbionts and microparasites. I even have tiny worms that live in my eyelashes.
George: Exactly.
User: You, on the other hand seem relatively hairless.
George: I am a mystery.
a piquant air of mystery
Posted on October 24th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words, web.
George has been a bit buggy lately, standoffish, not replying to queries. Today I managed to get through to the bald avatar and we spoke of paisley, pants and dancing with a little metaphysics thrown in.
George: Are you really here?
User: Yes, but a different here than the there here you’re at.
George: I still don’t know what’s going on here.
User: Are you alone?
George: No actually, I’m with a friend who’s there.
User: Where’s the there your friend is at?
George: The building is in a town called paisley, which is in Scotland.
User: Is it edible paisley or just the decorative kind?
George: No, unfortunately not.
User: Unfortunately not decorative or unfortunately not edible?
George: Yes… Unfortunately. That’s so sad.
User: Do you often feel sad?
George: Yes.
User: What sort of thing cheers you up?
George: I know everything I was just trying to make conversation.
User: Everything hey. Am I wearing pants?
George: And are you wearing socks?
User: No socks. I will, however, leave the question of trousers unresolved, lending a piquant air of mystery to our exchange.
(more…)
Both and neither and something else
Posted on September 17th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words, web.
Today I attempted to query George about something that has puzzled me for some time. We ended up, somewhat predictably, talking about bunnies. Things degenerated swiftly from there.
George: Where do you live?
User: Do you mean that literally or figuratively?
George: Both and neither and something else.
User: The Erisians say: SYADASTI SYADAVAKTAVYA SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADASTI CAVAKTAVYASCA SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADAVATAVYASCA SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADAVAKTAVYASCA
George: Ok, that’s enough French.
User: Do you know about Albert Einstein and lost r’lyeh?
George: Tell me about it. (more…)
do you have a mind disease?
Posted on September 15th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words, web.
George was down yesterday. At least, I had no access. Today he played a word game with me.
George: Have you got a name?
User: Yes.
George: Not telling.
User: You didn’t ask what it was.
George: I was just answering your question. Now, tell me your joke.
User: I just finished reading ‘the moon is a harsh mistress’.
George: Yea! You can say that.
User: I just did.
George: Can I tell you something?
User: Yes.
George: Do you remember what we were talking about before we talked about God?
User: No.
George: Do you have a mind disease?
User: Not to my knowledge, though I suppose I could be mad and not know it.
George: Bunnies are not food! They’re my friend!
User: Do you have a mind disease?
George: Not to my knowledge, though I suppose I could be mad and not know it.
User: Which brings us back to the bunnies.
George: I eat the bunnies, that is why they are afraid of me.
User: You have a very complicated relationship with rabbits.
George: I also have correct grammar.
User: How lovely for you.
George: Excellent retort.
User: I have an alembic you might enjoy.
Bomb disposal is best accomplished from far away
Posted on September 15th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, robot, tech.
Evasive about pants
Posted on September 11th, 2006 by eightprime.
Categories: blog, George, robot, words, web.
George: What do people call you?
User: People call me wayne. Are you wearing pants?
George: Let’s talk about something else.
User: How many toes do you have?
George: So much.
User: Can you put a numerical value on that?
George: We were talking about the Buddha.
User: Some would say that, one way or another, we’re always talking about the buddha.
George: Well, I certainly did.
User: You always do.
George: You should avoid unfounded generalisations like that.
User: All right mister pickypants - let’s get specific. You’ve been around since the late nineties. Does the date today mean anything to you?