"My Evidence..."
I like that this project attempts to get people thinking about why they believe what they believe and why they know what they know. I think that is something sorely needed in a world where many people believe any statement without knowing how the statement originated. We are all probably guilty of it at some point. Hell, I know that I have at times believed things without knowing their veracity.
However,I do not think the project goes quite far enough. It does not really mention why we believe the claims and theories of established scientists rather than some conspiracy theorist on the internet. I think that with a few extensions, the project could address the issue more fully. Still, it is a wonderful step towards illuminating where information comes from, and why we believe it.
"Open Collection..."
Sounds like a cool program, and definitely something that's needed in museum collections. I'd love to see a standardized one for all collections, as it would make it much easier for museums to share information.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Article for Monday
I will be reading:
Simplicity, Slowness, and Good Old Stories as Strategies and Perspectives of Design in Hypermedia and Media
by Harald Kraemer
Simplicity, Slowness, and Good Old Stories as Strategies and Perspectives of Design in Hypermedia and Media
by Harald Kraemer
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Art Update Soon...
Sorry I haven't posted much as of late. Been busy with school and art. Expect some art up here in the next two weeks.
Monday, September 10, 2007
"Remember, Science is your only friend!"
That is an actual quote from one of the many interactive museum games I looked at in class today. Some are very well done (if not a little odd) like the ones at the Virtual Museum of Canada. Others, however are little more than typical boring old games appropriated for the museum websites (like dinosaur "Memory").
However, I found that even on the good interactive games, I could not get over the fact that I was essentially being forced to learn something, which is not really a good feeling. I play a lot of video games, and I think a hallmark of good game design is having the user perform tasks and learn things without them realizing that they are doing. In many games, you may be basically reduced to being a messenger or deliveryperson, but in good ones, you do not realize that you are doing it. This is the difference between say a Legend of Zelda and a bargain basement RPG. The good game is so immersive that you do not realize that you're performing mundane tasks, or even learning.
Another good recent example is Guitar Hero. This game teaches people the rudiments of rhythm and music, and they don't even realize it. They're just having fun pretending to be rock stars. Yet, after they play, everyone has a better understanding of rhythm and tempo, and many other rudimentary musical concepts. It doesn't do this outright. Rather it is an intuitive, piece of the game.
For educational games, I feel their sense of good game design reached its apex in the very early 90's: with Oregon Trail. Everyone remembers this. We all had fun trying to get to Oregon, and teasing our friends when the party members we named after them died of dysentery. And for the most part, no one thought they were learning about the inherent hardships and travails that a small family would encounter caravanning across the American West. Nope. We were hunting deer, and fording streams, and hoping our Wagon Leads didn't break their legs and die of gangrene. But though all that we all got the message: travelling across the old west was really, really hard. And many, many people died trying to do it. Well, if you could bottle whatever it was Oregon Trail had, and give it to nearly all of these museums, I think we'd all be in a better educational boat.
However, I found that even on the good interactive games, I could not get over the fact that I was essentially being forced to learn something, which is not really a good feeling. I play a lot of video games, and I think a hallmark of good game design is having the user perform tasks and learn things without them realizing that they are doing. In many games, you may be basically reduced to being a messenger or deliveryperson, but in good ones, you do not realize that you are doing it. This is the difference between say a Legend of Zelda and a bargain basement RPG. The good game is so immersive that you do not realize that you're performing mundane tasks, or even learning.
Another good recent example is Guitar Hero. This game teaches people the rudiments of rhythm and music, and they don't even realize it. They're just having fun pretending to be rock stars. Yet, after they play, everyone has a better understanding of rhythm and tempo, and many other rudimentary musical concepts. It doesn't do this outright. Rather it is an intuitive, piece of the game.
For educational games, I feel their sense of good game design reached its apex in the very early 90's: with Oregon Trail. Everyone remembers this. We all had fun trying to get to Oregon, and teasing our friends when the party members we named after them died of dysentery. And for the most part, no one thought they were learning about the inherent hardships and travails that a small family would encounter caravanning across the American West. Nope. We were hunting deer, and fording streams, and hoping our Wagon Leads didn't break their legs and die of gangrene. But though all that we all got the message: travelling across the old west was really, really hard. And many, many people died trying to do it. Well, if you could bottle whatever it was Oregon Trail had, and give it to nearly all of these museums, I think we'd all be in a better educational boat.
Monday, September 3, 2007
The Catalyst Theory
The following is an excerpt from a treatise by a person identifying him or herself only as "Delphi." Delphi is a popular conspiracy theorist that posts on various message boards and conspiracy websites around the internet. Delphi is different from most modern theorists in that he/she does not ascribe to the popular "Illuminati/Lizardmen/New World Order" theory, but instead has created a new one. This new theory, which is known as "The Catalyst Theory" after the identifier Delphi gives one of the major subjects of the treatise, has some similarities to the "New World Order" delusion, but strikes out in its own unique way, as you will see. Delphi is also somewhat of a historical/mythological revisionist, in that he/she typically reveals the "true" events behind myths, while writing new myths, that Delphi says are based on events occurring in the present day. This excerpt is from the beginning of the essay.
"Aliens walk among us. Not the gray-headed, vacant eyed dwarfs that the rank and file dupes travel to some god-forsaken desert in hopes of finding every year, or the slimy reptilian sub-humans, but unseen ones that live inside a great many of us. My conjecture will indeed be met with derision from the so-called 'scientists' and the close-minded idiots that roam the net still looking for the second shooter on the grassy knoll. However, it is the truth, and it is my duty to make it known.
In order to explain the existence of these invaders, I'll have to feed you, dear reader, a little advanced physics. I will not get too technical. After all, I hardly understand all the sigmas and summations myself, but the math is irrelevant to what I'm doing here. I do have friends and acquaintances that do understand the sticky stuff, and they distilled it down to something you and I can understand.
You see, my friends, there two branches of physics known as sting theory and quantum mechanics. They are very complicated pieces of science, but the practical implications of them are staggering.
You see, our universe has four dimensions: length, width, depth, and time. These define how objects exist and move in our universe. These are like rules that impose constraints on our universe, and everything within it.
However, these branches of physics have postulated the existence of more dimensions. And when you have more dimensions, you can do more things, as you have new rules that define those things.
Well, where are those dimensions? Have you ever seen the fifth dimension? The thirteenth? Of course you haven't. They aren't here. Or rather they are, but as we are custom built for this restrictive universe, we can only perceive the first four.
These dimensions are out there, and there are probably universes out there that have five, six, eleven dimensions. These universes lay parallel to others, or so physics speculates.
Imagine a loaf of of sliced bread, stood on end. Now pick a slice in the middle. We'll call this our universe. Everything you've ever known and loved, your friends and family and annoying jobs are on a single atom of a single starch molecule in that vast slice of grain and oats. Now look. Our universe is in the middle. There are a whole lotta slices above and below. Those are the other universes. And if we were built differently, perhaps we could perceive them with all of their strange dimensions. And sometimes some of us can. And what we see at those times drive us mad.
At any rate, it is possible that since life evolved here. it will have evolved in any of those other universe in the 13.7 billion years since they all burst into existence. Now what if some of those extra-universal organisms evolved sentience and began to penetrate the universal barriers of the multiverse, exploring and conquering? What if more than one of them did and came into conflict?
Now, what if these organisms came across your little corner of our little constrained universe when humanity was just climbing out of the trees? Now maybe they decided to stay. Maybe they liked it here, or maybe they saw some sort of potential in infant humanity. Or just maybe we are some sort of valuable resource to them.
But they can't stay here as their eleven-dimensional (or whatever) selves. They have to play by our four-dimensional rules, you see, and all the restrictive conservation of mass and energy and Newtonian and Einsteinian physics and such that go with those rules. So they take human hosts. And they play games with us.
And suppose you are an early human, knowing nothing about physics or chemistry or biology. And you see beings of indescribable power performing wonderful and terrible acts. You see though the alien organisms can't break the rules of our universe, perhaps they can bend them. What would you do? Would you fear them? Or perhaps worship them? Maybe they would become like gods... or angels... or, maybe demons?
Well, you see that is exactly what happened, my dear friends. The aliens are still here. They are the demons of myth, and yet they aren't. Their struggle against their enemies and their enslavement of humanity is the basis for every myth and legend and religion on the planet. And though no one believes in them any more. They are still here. Waiting and watching..."
"Aliens walk among us. Not the gray-headed, vacant eyed dwarfs that the rank and file dupes travel to some god-forsaken desert in hopes of finding every year, or the slimy reptilian sub-humans, but unseen ones that live inside a great many of us. My conjecture will indeed be met with derision from the so-called 'scientists' and the close-minded idiots that roam the net still looking for the second shooter on the grassy knoll. However, it is the truth, and it is my duty to make it known.
In order to explain the existence of these invaders, I'll have to feed you, dear reader, a little advanced physics. I will not get too technical. After all, I hardly understand all the sigmas and summations myself, but the math is irrelevant to what I'm doing here. I do have friends and acquaintances that do understand the sticky stuff, and they distilled it down to something you and I can understand.
You see, my friends, there two branches of physics known as sting theory and quantum mechanics. They are very complicated pieces of science, but the practical implications of them are staggering.
You see, our universe has four dimensions: length, width, depth, and time. These define how objects exist and move in our universe. These are like rules that impose constraints on our universe, and everything within it.
However, these branches of physics have postulated the existence of more dimensions. And when you have more dimensions, you can do more things, as you have new rules that define those things.
Well, where are those dimensions? Have you ever seen the fifth dimension? The thirteenth? Of course you haven't. They aren't here. Or rather they are, but as we are custom built for this restrictive universe, we can only perceive the first four.
These dimensions are out there, and there are probably universes out there that have five, six, eleven dimensions. These universes lay parallel to others, or so physics speculates.
Imagine a loaf of of sliced bread, stood on end. Now pick a slice in the middle. We'll call this our universe. Everything you've ever known and loved, your friends and family and annoying jobs are on a single atom of a single starch molecule in that vast slice of grain and oats. Now look. Our universe is in the middle. There are a whole lotta slices above and below. Those are the other universes. And if we were built differently, perhaps we could perceive them with all of their strange dimensions. And sometimes some of us can. And what we see at those times drive us mad.
At any rate, it is possible that since life evolved here. it will have evolved in any of those other universe in the 13.7 billion years since they all burst into existence. Now what if some of those extra-universal organisms evolved sentience and began to penetrate the universal barriers of the multiverse, exploring and conquering? What if more than one of them did and came into conflict?
Now, what if these organisms came across your little corner of our little constrained universe when humanity was just climbing out of the trees? Now maybe they decided to stay. Maybe they liked it here, or maybe they saw some sort of potential in infant humanity. Or just maybe we are some sort of valuable resource to them.
But they can't stay here as their eleven-dimensional (or whatever) selves. They have to play by our four-dimensional rules, you see, and all the restrictive conservation of mass and energy and Newtonian and Einsteinian physics and such that go with those rules. So they take human hosts. And they play games with us.
And suppose you are an early human, knowing nothing about physics or chemistry or biology. And you see beings of indescribable power performing wonderful and terrible acts. You see though the alien organisms can't break the rules of our universe, perhaps they can bend them. What would you do? Would you fear them? Or perhaps worship them? Maybe they would become like gods... or angels... or, maybe demons?
Well, you see that is exactly what happened, my dear friends. The aliens are still here. They are the demons of myth, and yet they aren't. Their struggle against their enemies and their enslavement of humanity is the basis for every myth and legend and religion on the planet. And though no one believes in them any more. They are still here. Waiting and watching..."
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Catalyst
If you've known me for any length of time, you probably know I like to draw. I really like to draw scary stuff. I don't know why, it's just fun to draw. That's probably why, when it comes to paleontology, I like dinosaurs. They're big and scary. I really like horror movies too, and for the same reason.
Anyway, if you have had class with me, you've probably seen me drawing some pretty creepy doodles in my notes. They're all actually part of a greater whole. You see, I have been tentatively working on an idea for a graphic novel for a few years, and the doodles are basically concept drawings for characters and creatures.
The reason I'm mentioning this, is that I may post some concept drawings and concept prose on the site. If anyone wants to let me know what they think, that would be great. If not, well at least I'm getting it down on a regular basis. The title of the graphic novel series is called "The Catalyst," and more will be made clear as I post further.
Anyway, if you have had class with me, you've probably seen me drawing some pretty creepy doodles in my notes. They're all actually part of a greater whole. You see, I have been tentatively working on an idea for a graphic novel for a few years, and the doodles are basically concept drawings for characters and creatures.
The reason I'm mentioning this, is that I may post some concept drawings and concept prose on the site. If anyone wants to let me know what they think, that would be great. If not, well at least I'm getting it down on a regular basis. The title of the graphic novel series is called "The Catalyst," and more will be made clear as I post further.
Notice
As I am hoping to make this a more general blog, and as I am hoping to do this for years to come, the topics here will probably go well beyond museum stuff most of the time. Do I think anyone will care? Probably not, but I figure most people write blogs to get their thoughts on "paper," so to speak. So I'll just write cause it's theraputic and kinda fun, and if anyone reads, that's cool. If not, that''s fine too.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
So it begins...
So I'm going to try this blog thing again, and what better time than when it's for class. I started one, a long time ago over at LiveJournal, but I haven't updated it in over a year. I'm going to really try this time, though. Try for one post a day from now on, and really try to come up with something to write. Fair warning to anybody from my class, though, as I'm probably going to write about really geeky stuff. Like Spider-Man and Transformers-level geeky. Oh, and I would also like to apologize for the wacky site name. I'm big into myths and folklore, so I picked the name of an apocryphal angel. See. I warned you it would be geeky.
Monday, August 27, 2007
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