Supercomputers transform science

See original at NYTimes.com

I often talk in class about how computing is transforming almost every discipline it touches. The article linked discusses how the process of scientific discovery is shifting into a computing-centric approach.

"The physical technology of scientific research is still here — the new electron microscopes, the telescopes, the particle colliders — but they are now inseparable from computing power, and it is the computers that let scientists find order and patterns in the raw information that the physical tools gather.

Computer power not only aids research, it defines the nature of that research: what can be studied, what new questions can be asked, and answered."

Augmented Reality App For Librarians - I love technology!

Source: http://www.popsci.com/

Augmented Reality App For Librarians Instantly Shows Which Books Are Misfiled:

"E-books, iPads and Kindles may be the way of the future, but most of the world's knowledge is still stored in millions of good old paper books on library shelves. So researchers at Miami University have created an augmented reality app that makes all those books easier to organize. ShelvAR instantly analyzes an entire shelf, spots any misplaced books, and shows librarians the quickest way to put the books back in order."

How about an app that helps you pick out the books you haven't read yet? Or books you're likely to enjoy? All kinds of possibilities!

Flying robots playing tennis

One thing I love about robotics -- it combines fun with seriously challenging computing.

Navy Wants Doc-Bots, Robo-Ambulances

See original at Navy Wants Doc-Bots, Robo-Ambulances

"Not all of the military’s robot research goes into creating unfeeling killing machines. Some of them are here to heal, like the Navy’s plan to create a medical robot to treat troops carried by drones."

The Office of Naval Research recently announced that it’s looking to build a prototype medical robot it calls the Autonomous Critical Care System. ACCS’ first job would be monitoring critical patients’ vital signs. Eventually, though, the Navy wants its bot to provide fluid, drugs, anaesthesia, suction, oxygen and help regulate a patient’s temperature.

The Navy envisions its medic-bot actually diagnosing and managing a number of “medically complex, life-threatening clinical events” for more than six hours — to be done either autonomously or with the assistance of a human caregiver. To do some of that critical management, ACCS would come equipped with its own drug kit, including “epinephrine, phenylephrine, dopamine, vasopressin, paralytics” among others.

Carnivorous Robots Trap, Eat Bugs for Fuel

See original at VIDEO: Carnivorous Robots Trap, Eat Bugs for Fuel - CPUs, Boards & Components by ExtremeTech

"To summarize: science has produced a self-sustaining robot that is designed to trap, kill, and consume living creatures for energy. As far as flies are concerned, the robot apocalypse has already begun."

Robot comedian. Watch out Seinfeld.

Heather Knight: Silicon-based comedy | Video on TED.com: "In this first-of-its-kind demo, Heather Knight introduces Data, a robotic stand-up comedian that does much more than rattle off one-liners -- it gathers audience feedback (using software co-developed with Scott Satkin and Varun Ramakrishna at CMU) and tunes its act as the crowd responds. Is this thing on?"

Navy Building Humanoid Robot to Fight Fires

Navy Building Humanoid Robot to Fight Fires: "The Navy next week will kick off a new project to build a humanoid robot that could be used for firefighting aboard ships.

The three-year effort, which will be funded by the Office of Naval Research, will be aimed at building a prototype of the robotic firefighter. The eventual goal is a walking, talking robot equipped with sensors and fire suppressant that could move around a ship independently, putting out blazes."