The Future of Space -Manned vs Robotic Missions? (A Weekend Feature)

At issue is the time when missions reach far enough to impose enough of a communication delay to make constant real time control impractical. At that point, we’d need autonomous machines.

The human vs.machine debate is a false construct: robotic unmanned spacecraft are directed by human beings on Earth. Unless disabled by fierce sandstorms, our rovers are in constant realtime communication with their masters at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as will the New Horizons spacecraft now heading for Pluto with human monitors watching over it. Stephen Hawking: The Future of Space -Manned vs Robotic Missions? (A Weekend Feature)

South Korean couple starved child while raising 'virtual baby' - CNN.com

One of the  results of too much online time?

A South Korean couple arrested for allowing their baby to starve to death had been raising an online child. Report: South Korean couple starved child while raising 'virtual baby' - CNN.com

Or is it not that big a deal in the aggregate?

Spam Rules the World - Intelligence

A downside to being connected by the Internet. Click the link at the end of the quotation to view the slide show. Won’t take up much of your time.

The German email security firm eleven releases a bimonthly report on spam and malware, based on its analysis of a billion emails each day from 30,000 global installations. These numbers are from the the December 2009/January 2010 report. Spam Rules the World - Intelligence

Robotics gaining popularity in schools

The sure path to a fruitful career:

“Our job is to find students in school systems who may be interested in engineering type careers or fields and try to pull them in,” Frederick said. “I have spoken to Mr. Brownell and some of the principals in the area about bringing in a engineering academy to the area to help students who are interested in the field. Hopefully the academy will be created on down the road.” Franklin County Times > News > Robotics gaining popularity in schools

The Future of UAVs in the U.S. Air Force - Popular Mechanics

Few silk scarves to go around.

When the Air Force recently mapped out a game plan to 2047, its report contained a big surprise: Fewer pilots and more robotic planes acting on their own. The Future of UAVs in the U.S. Air Force - Popular Mechanics

Is there anything you can't do with LEGO? MultiCuber Can Solve Multiple Sizes of Rubik's Cube

Looking for a job?

Tech is helping create a flood of data that will have to be mined.

Hal Varian, Google’s chief economist, predicts that the job of statistician will become the “sexiest” around. Data, he explains, are widely available; what is scarce is the ability to extract wisdom from them. A special report on managing information: Data, data everywhere | The Economist

What issues can technological innovation bring?

Gustafsson sees two sides to innovation: impacts of the technology itself and how people use and improve it. He then cites some risks:

There is a strong risk of techniques and practices leading to infringement of the personal integrity of almost anybody coming into contact with the modern corporation. This concerns not only employees, but customers, the general public, competitors, etc. On the other hand, the fast pace of action made possible may lead to ethical concerns just because there is no time left for reflection, and because of new possibilities for a quick unethical rip-off.

Do you see than happening as you observe technological innovation around you?

Gustafsson, C. (2003). New values, morality, and strategic ethics. In H. Mintzberg, J. Lampel, J.B. Quinn, & S. Ghoshal (Eds.). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). (pp. 295-299). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

U2 will retire someday, so someone has to replace them

Why not you? (Via Instapundit)

With the right software and a few plug-in instruments, anyone (really, anyone) can be a rock star in his own home. Here's how to use a MIDI keyboard and software like M-Powered Essential and GarageBand to become the next Beck. Guide to Desktop Music Recording Software & Hardware - Popular Mechanics

Charles Krauthammer : Toyota and the Price of Modernity - Townhall.com

A general comment about the risks of modern technology in terms of the Toyota recalls. It shouldn't be a surprise that a complex system like a modern car can have flaws. The surprise should be that we're surprised. We live in a fallen world, so what we produce is fallible.

Charles Krauthammer : Toyota and the Price of Modernity - Townhall.com: "even the highest technology produced by the world's finest companies can be fallible and fatal, and that the intelligent response is not rage and retribution but sober remediation and recognition of the very high price we pay -- willingly pay -- for modernity with all its wondrous, dangerous bounty."