Posts
14 years ago
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Watson vs. the Humanoids, Day 2
I won't tell you what happens, but I will tell you that Watson got the final Jeopardy question wrong, with an incorrect tip of his (its?) hat to Toronto.
The clue was: "Its largest airport was named for a World War II hero; its second for a World War II battle." Jennings and Rutter answered correctly, but the machine said "Toronto?????" rather than "Chicago."
Flying Aces:
O'Hare International Aitport:
Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare (March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943) was a naval aviator of the United States Navy who on February 20, 1942 became the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. Butch O'Hare's final action took place on the night of November 26, 1943, while he was leading the U.S. Navy's first-ever nighttime fighter attack launched from an aircraft carrier. During this encounter with a group of Japanese torpedo bombers, O'Hare's F6F Hellcat was shot down; his aircraft was never found. In 1945, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS O'Hare (DD-889) was named in his honor.
O'Hare was honored when Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, suggested a name change of Chicago's Orchard Depot Airport as tribute to Butch O'Hare. On September 19, 1949, the Chicago, Illinois airport was renamed O'Hare International Airport.
Chicago Midway Airport:
The airport was officially renamed on July 8, 1949[3] by a unanimous vote in the City Council to "Chicago Midway Airport" in honor of the World War II Battle of Midway[3]
Toronto Pearson International Airport:
The airport was renamed to Lester B. Pearson International Airport in 1984, in honour of Lester B. Pearson, the 14th Prime Minister of Canada and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Toronto Island Airport:
The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, commonly known as the Toronto Island Airport. At its annual meeting on September 3, 2009, the TPA announced that it would rename the airport after William Avery "Billy" Bishop, a Canadian First World War flying ace. The name would become the "Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport". The proposal drew criticism from TPA critics such as Adam Vaughan, charging "the port authority is putting together a "feel-good story" to prevent people from asking tough questions about how the island airport is governed."[62]
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
If you're within shooting distance of Waterloo...
I highly recommend this lecture:
MARCUS CHOWN, author
Did you know you could fit the entire human race in the volume of a sugar cube? Or that, if the Sun were made of bananas, it wouldn't make much difference? Or that 98 per cent of the universe is invisible? Award-winning science writer Marcus Chown invites you to come along and discover how the universe we live in is far stranger than anything we could possibly have invented.
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/Outreach/Public_Lectures/Public_Lectures/
Tickets are available for free tomorrow morning at 9am.
Of course, if you miss this, all past lecutres are available online here, but more on that later...
MARCUS CHOWN, author
My Top 10 Bonkers Things About the Universe
March 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Did you know you could fit the entire human race in the volume of a sugar cube? Or that, if the Sun were made of bananas, it wouldn't make much difference? Or that 98 per cent of the universe is invisible? Award-winning science writer Marcus Chown invites you to come along and discover how the universe we live in is far stranger than anything we could possibly have invented.http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/en/Outreach/Public_Lectures/Public_Lectures/
Tickets are available for free tomorrow morning at 9am.
Of course, if you miss this, all past lecutres are available online here, but more on that later...
MAN VS. MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week on Jeopardy, Watson the Supercomputer takes on Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter!
Ken Jennings, who became a household name when he won 74 games in a row, and the all-time biggest Jeopardy money winner, undefeated Brad Rutter, who has won more than US$3.2 million over several tournaments, will take on IBM's Watson on Feb 14th-16th. Jeopardy executive producer Harry Friedman says most of Watson won't even fit on a stage. Its size is "the equivalent of ten refrigerators," he says. It has, for one, 15 TB of RAM!
So, what do I think is going to happen? I'd have to agree with the BoingBoing analysis.
The difference between winning and losing isn't mental agility, but the ability to time the milliseconds between the moment Alex finishes the clue and one of the producers activates the buzzers, slamming your thumb down with either (a) near-perfect reflexes at the off-camera lights telling you the buzzers are go, or (b) a near-perfect guess at the off-stage producer's timing.
Since a computer can obviously react to the "go" lights more rapidly and consistently than any human, it will probably win.
This seemed to be pretty much confirmed if you watched the practice round, which Watson won.
More: A former software engineer, Jennings remembers thinking, when he was first told of the idea behind Watson a couple of years ago, that a computer capable of playing Jeopardy! was decades away. "I was very skeptical," he says.
But then he watched Watson play its pre-game sparring matches, and he felt a growing nervousness in his stomach. "It's really amazing," Jennings says. "Watson gives you only the tiniest window. It never forgets. And its buzzer reflexes will make me look like... What's an example of someone with really bad reflexes?"
More info on the "parallel probabilistic events based architecture" machine:
--
Big picture Jeopardy analysis.
Most popular Jeopardy categories>:
An ENORMOUS Jeopardy archive with past questions: http://j-archive.com
Oh, and this:
Soooo...... hey there. Does anyone have cable tv (or an antenna) they would like to share for an evening or two? I won't be able to make the 14th, but can bring dinner and drinks (plus whatever else--boardgames? It's the week before reading week!) to your place on the 15th and 16th around 7-7:30! This is going to be GREAT.
Ken Jennings, who became a household name when he won 74 games in a row, and the all-time biggest Jeopardy money winner, undefeated Brad Rutter, who has won more than US$3.2 million over several tournaments, will take on IBM's Watson on Feb 14th-16th. Jeopardy executive producer Harry Friedman says most of Watson won't even fit on a stage. Its size is "the equivalent of ten refrigerators," he says. It has, for one, 15 TB of RAM!
So, what do I think is going to happen? I'd have to agree with the BoingBoing analysis.
The difference between winning and losing isn't mental agility, but the ability to time the milliseconds between the moment Alex finishes the clue and one of the producers activates the buzzers, slamming your thumb down with either (a) near-perfect reflexes at the off-camera lights telling you the buzzers are go, or (b) a near-perfect guess at the off-stage producer's timing.
Since a computer can obviously react to the "go" lights more rapidly and consistently than any human, it will probably win.
This seemed to be pretty much confirmed if you watched the practice round, which Watson won.
More: A former software engineer, Jennings remembers thinking, when he was first told of the idea behind Watson a couple of years ago, that a computer capable of playing Jeopardy! was decades away. "I was very skeptical," he says.
But then he watched Watson play its pre-game sparring matches, and he felt a growing nervousness in his stomach. "It's really amazing," Jennings says. "Watson gives you only the tiniest window. It never forgets. And its buzzer reflexes will make me look like... What's an example of someone with really bad reflexes?"
More info on the "parallel probabilistic events based architecture" machine:
--
Big picture Jeopardy analysis.
Most popular Jeopardy categories>:
An ENORMOUS Jeopardy archive with past questions: http://j-archive.com
Oh, and this:
Soooo...... hey there. Does anyone have cable tv (or an antenna) they would like to share for an evening or two? I won't be able to make the 14th, but can bring dinner and drinks (plus whatever else--boardgames? It's the week before reading week!) to your place on the 15th and 16th around 7-7:30! This is going to be GREAT.
More ice bike race info
National Post article on the race.
For its first five years, Icycle took place on a figure-eight course, on a lagoon in Lake Ontario, off Toronto Island. "We would go out there with chainsaws and cut 800-lb pieces of ice out of the lake to build a track," recalls Derek Chadbourne, owner of Harbord's The Bike Joint, and Icycle organizer. "But the weather became too unpredictable." This year marks Icycle's 10th at Dufferin Grove rink.
Here is Mr. Chadbourne's advice about cycling in winter: "The thinner the tires, the better. Keep your ass on the saddle--it's like putting sandbags in the trunk of your car. If you do hit ice, stop pedalling and pray."
I brought my dslr last night, but forgot the sd card in the laptop. The iphone filled in admirably, but wasn't capable of the zooms, obviously. However, got to try out the Pro HDR functions.
More pics here.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Icycle 2010 - Still racing on ice
If you're in Toronto this weekend, check out the fun, annual event organized by Derek (The Bike Joint).
Watching people fall on ice has never been so much fun.
Dufferin Grove Ice Rink. Saturday, February 12 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Conductin' Thangs
From here.
Saturday, March 12, Tom Allen hosts his Classical Good Time Variety Show with the Kingston Symphony.
When it comes to the world of a symphony orchestra, we sometimes fall into the category of "predictable" and "uptight." That's not a bad thing, because being classic is what we do best – and we need to be tight to present masterpieces as their finest. But Tom's ability to connect with the audience will, I hope, give everyone (orchestra members included) a more rewarding – and very entertaining – understanding of the music in a really fun and relaxed way.
As Tom says himself: "There are great stories behind the music – sex, riots, prison, syphilis and man-eating goats." You'll have to attend the concert to hear these stories in their entirety…
Tom, currently host of CBC Radio 2’s Shift program, will bring his knowledge of classical music to this light-hearted evening that mixes up story-telling, history, humour, music appreciation and audience participation.
He'll talk about music's connection to society, the sordid lives of composers, why some instruments are funnier than others, and how great music is always relevant.
The evening will feature Cage Match, In the Shadow, This Day in History, and other aspects that have been part of his radio career at CBC over the last 20 years. Tom will put two pieces against each other in a competitive comparison and ask the audience to vote for their favourite. Other pieces will include Bizet's Carmen Suite, Holst's Jupiter, and Debussy's L'Après-Midi d'un Faune, to name just a few. Then he'll prove to you what it takes to create a masterpiece. And he'll give you some random trivia facts along the way that, if nothing else, will be a great conversation starter the next time you're in an awkward social situation.
Click here for all the details on this concert.
--
Anyone up for a night of this?? Lots of tickets are available, and it's being held at the Grand Theatre in downtown Kingston.
Also, this:
Saturday, March 12, Tom Allen hosts his Classical Good Time Variety Show with the Kingston Symphony.
When it comes to the world of a symphony orchestra, we sometimes fall into the category of "predictable" and "uptight." That's not a bad thing, because being classic is what we do best – and we need to be tight to present masterpieces as their finest. But Tom's ability to connect with the audience will, I hope, give everyone (orchestra members included) a more rewarding – and very entertaining – understanding of the music in a really fun and relaxed way.
As Tom says himself: "There are great stories behind the music – sex, riots, prison, syphilis and man-eating goats." You'll have to attend the concert to hear these stories in their entirety…
Tom, currently host of CBC Radio 2’s Shift program, will bring his knowledge of classical music to this light-hearted evening that mixes up story-telling, history, humour, music appreciation and audience participation.
He'll talk about music's connection to society, the sordid lives of composers, why some instruments are funnier than others, and how great music is always relevant.
The evening will feature Cage Match, In the Shadow, This Day in History, and other aspects that have been part of his radio career at CBC over the last 20 years. Tom will put two pieces against each other in a competitive comparison and ask the audience to vote for their favourite. Other pieces will include Bizet's Carmen Suite, Holst's Jupiter, and Debussy's L'Après-Midi d'un Faune, to name just a few. Then he'll prove to you what it takes to create a masterpiece. And he'll give you some random trivia facts along the way that, if nothing else, will be a great conversation starter the next time you're in an awkward social situation.
Click here for all the details on this concert.
--
Anyone up for a night of this?? Lots of tickets are available, and it's being held at the Grand Theatre in downtown Kingston.
Also, this:
Snack
So, workin' late last night, and felt like a bit of a snack. And felt like procrastinating. What better time to make black bean hummus. Black beans, gram for gram, have more fibre and 25 per cent fewer calories than chickpeas. And they beat out other beans when it comes to antioxidants (link).
Fast and really easy.
Can of black beans, drained
1.5 teaspoons of tahini
2-3 cloves of garlic
some lime juice
some lemon juice
some cumin
some paprika
some dill weed
All ingredients to taste, and really all are optional other than the beans and tahini.
one cup. hand blender.
So, it came out a bit runny... too much tahini I think, and too long under the blender. But, really, really delicious, and a ton of leftovers.
Fast and really easy.
Can of black beans, drained
1.5 teaspoons of tahini
2-3 cloves of garlic
some lime juice
some lemon juice
some cumin
some paprika
some dill weed
All ingredients to taste, and really all are optional other than the beans and tahini.
one cup. hand blender.
So, it came out a bit runny... too much tahini I think, and too long under the blender. But, really, really delicious, and a ton of leftovers.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Your prayers have been answered, Kingston
An all-chick Weezer cover band, that plays only Pinkerton and the Blue Album, is coming to Kingston the last Sunday of Reading week.
$9, The Mansion.
... and one from Pinkerton.
Pre-drinks, dancing and singing at my house.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Female singer connections / music for today
Zoe Keating, Canadian Cellist, moved to San Francisco, like Andrew Bird, uses electronic sampling and layers during her live performances.
Zoe Keating - Escape Artist
Also, she's been on a RadioLab blog episode, where Jad and Zoe discuss the physics of looping sound, and how to use a 17th century instrument to make awesome electronic music.
http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2008/aug/25/quantum-cello/
More: http://music.zoekeating.com/track/escape-artist (I really like this song)
Zoe's old band, Rasputina, is playing Lee's Palace Feb 19th.
However, that's the same night Jenn Grant is playing at the Horseshoe, which sounds like the better deal.
She's getting good reviews for her new album, and sounding more and more like the new Julie Doiron, which, I think, is a good thing... a little more lively/poppy wishing for edgy. (Download here)
Julie Doiron: I can wonder what you did with your day - Click here to download great album.
Zoe Keating - Escape Artist
Also, she's been on a RadioLab blog episode, where Jad and Zoe discuss the physics of looping sound, and how to use a 17th century instrument to make awesome electronic music.
http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2008/aug/25/quantum-cello/
More: http://music.zoekeating.com/track/escape-artist (I really like this song)
Zoe's old band, Rasputina, is playing Lee's Palace Feb 19th.
However, that's the same night Jenn Grant is playing at the Horseshoe, which sounds like the better deal.
She's getting good reviews for her new album, and sounding more and more like the new Julie Doiron, which, I think, is a good thing... a little more lively/poppy wishing for edgy. (Download here)
Julie Doiron: I can wonder what you did with your day - Click here to download great album.
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