Extra Credit - World's Fastest Processing Speed

While discussing data throughput and the progression of modem speeds, Andrew asked us to search for the fastest processing speed.  I found that just recently, in February 2016, according to an article in gizmag.com, University College London has developed a new optical communication system that processes at 1.125 terabits per second.  To put that into perspective, according to the researchers, “the entire HD series of the TV show Game of Thrones could be downloaded in less than one second.” (Jeffery. 12 Feb. 2016)

Gizmag.com reported in May of 2016 that German researchers have set a new world record for wireless data transfer at 6 Gigabits per second. That is “the equivalent of the entire contents of a conventional DVD in under 10 seconds.” (Mack. 24 May 2016)  The team is trying to create an alternate to fiber optic cable for broadband providing fast reliable internet connections. 

As someone who remembers having a 28.8K and 56.6K modem and then my first T1 line, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this new development.  And yet, I get frustrated when I have to wait 2 minutes to heat my tea in the microwave or wait for an email to get to me from my coworker next door due to a fire wall.  It has me questioning, will be ever be satisfied?  Will computational speed ever be fast enough? 

Now, more than ever, it is important to unplug and remember that not all things must happen instantaneously.  AND, we must teach our children these lessons.  They are growing up in a world where everything is granted to them as soon as they ask the question.  There is something to be said for patience and realizing something after a long wait.   

What Makes a Community

What does make a great community?  I love our UWT community and Tacoma.  I started thinking about WHY I love it here.  I think it is absolutely imperative that community members feel respected and that they have a voice. Other words that come to mind:

·         Acceptance. 

·         Creativity.   

·         Values education and life-long learning. 

·         Communication. 

·         Ability to get things done without a lot of hassle. 

·         Laughter. 

I wanted to know what others thought on this topic.  So, my friend Google shared with me the following list found in an article on economic development.  This is spot on, in my opinion, and easily could have been a description of our great city.   

Top 10 Indicators of a Great City, the essential ingredients according to Conway, Inc. 

1. Lack of/minimal political divisiveness at the local level.

2. The ability of the public to be able to name the local “movers and shakers” with ease.

3. Strong public/private partnerships.

4. Citizens know the “civic story” – the city’s strengths, weaknesses, and plans moving forward.

5. The condition and potential for the city’s downtown will indicate the city’s future.

6. Nearby research institution.

7. Strong community college at the city center.

8. Creative and experimental public schools.

9. Inclusive and open to all groups.

10. A collective “big dream” – a sense of where things are going.

11. BONUS – A great craft brew industry.

With all of our greatness, we do have our flaws.  We still see ourselves as lesser than our big sister to the north, Seattle.  And yet, for all of our huffing and puffing about Seattle, we do not play well with the smaller cities surrounding us.  We need to think more regionally and band together with our neighbors rather than acting like the bullying middle-child who wants more attention but doesn’t know how to ask for it properly.  

Archie, Veronica, and Jughead - not the cartoon characters

I missed this question on our first exam.  In truth, I first wrote SEARCH ENGINES, but then crossed it out vigorously to write in "The names of servers, easy for the IT Team to remember, but difficult to hack."  I should stop second guessing myself!!  

Archie, Veronica, and Jughead are archival systems.  Archie is considered the first internet search engine.  It was written in 1990 by Alan Emtage at McGill University in Montreal.  Veronica was developed in 1992 as a search engine by Steven Foster and Fred Barrie at the University of Nevada, Reno.  Jughead was developed in 1993 at University of Utah as another search engine system using the Gopher protocol. The name stands for "Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computer Archives".  It was chosen to match that of the FTP search service known as Archie.  And thus the naming system according to popular cartoon band characters.  Jughead is officially an acronym for “Jonzy's Universal Gopher Hierarchy Excavation and Display.”  

Dot.Com to Dot.Bomb

Having lived through the boom and bust of 1992-2001, it has been fun to look back on those years and hear Andrew's tales of what life was like on the inside. I have my own nearly-insider point of view. In 1995 I moved across country with my boyfriend who had just accepted a job as the VP of marketing and sales with Media Station in Ann Arbor, MI. Media Station was a startup company launched in 1994.  It grew to over 100 employees quickly.  1994-1998 were crazy years with tons of overtime and excitement while multimedia stories and games were selling like crazy.  But, the hype could not be sustained.  I remember the first major industry hiccup. Christmas sales in 1995 were projected to be huge. BUT, there was a glut in the market with so many companies releasing new titles.  The major characters backed by Disney and other well know players won out, though many of the products with lesser known characters were far better. Media Station "downsized" in mid-1996, as was happening in other multimedia companies.  Those of us who were the significant others and spouses of the Media Station employees looked on at times with excitement and a sense of pride in what our loved ones were accomplishing.  At other times, we grew weary of the lack of time spent with us and the never-ending-need to push the market.  It was a tough game. The employees, especially those who came in early on, had a strong commitment to the company and each other.  When things started going south, those who stayed after the layoffs felt guilty.  And, there was always the question, "when will it be out turn to leave?"  We left Ann Arbor in 1998, while the dot.com insanity was ramping up and well before the bust.  The multimedia fire burned hot and extinguished itself quickly.

 

Convergence

Convergence.  I've memorized my notes from Andrew's lecture, but let's look it up....

con·ver·gence

kənˈvərjəns/

noun

1. the process or state of converging.

   "the convergence of lines in the distance"

   • BIOLOGY

     the tendency of unrelated animals and plants to evolve superficially similar characteristics under similar environmental conditions.
   • a location where airflows or ocean currents meet, characteristically marked by upwelling (of air) or downwelling (of water).

     plural noun: convergences; noun: convergence zone; plural noun: convergence zones

   Well, that wasn't what I was expecting, but it is my understanding of the word prior to this class.   I guess we could apply the "tendency of unrelated" systems "to evolve superficially similar characteristics under similar environmental conditions" to the way that devices built by different makers often mimic what is successful with their competitors.  For example, we all now use a swipe screen motion, all of our computers are "windows" based, we file things in a similar way, cars now have USB charging capabilities rather than cigarette lighters.  Convergence.  

2. So Wiki, what say you?  

Computing and technology[edit]

• Convergence (evolutionary computing), a means of modeling the tendency for genetic characteristics of populations to stabilize over time
• Convergence (routing), the status of a set of routers having the same knowledge of the surrounding network topology
• Convergence (SSL), a distributed replacement for the CA system used by Secure Sockets Layer
• Convergence (telecommunications), the combination of multiple services through lines of telecommunication from a single provider
• Technological convergence, the tendency for different technological systems to evolve toward performing similar tasks

There we go!  Convergence as we discussed it in class refers to Technological convergence where systems evolve and in doing so, we have a better tool or function.  Were it not for the evolution of systems, especially circuits and memory, so that we have the computing power, data throughput, memory, and accessibility, we would not know Facebook or other social media. Likewise, we would not have so many of today's gadgets that make life easier, faster, more connected to friends and family; Skype, home security systems that notify us on our phones, smart phones themselves!  The list is truly endless.  I look forward to seeing how and where I might spot the next level of convergences.  

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HTML Web Page

Seriously!  I just created a web page using HTML.  Take a look...

file:///H:/Barbara's%20web%20page%20HTML_TINST207.html


For the CS majors in our group, you've probably been doing this for years, but I am not a techy.  I am not comfortable in the realm of technology--that is part of the reason I took this class, to boost my confidence and knowledge.  So, the fact that I was able to get my web page to work, I am pretty proud of myself at this moment.  Now, I don't think I have a future path in technology, but I did just learn that making a web page is as simple as following a recipe.

Artificial Intelligence

During Andrew's lecture and in my brief research, this is the definition I locked onto: 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence exhibited by machines. In computer science, an ideal "intelligent" machine is a flexible rational agent that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal.

In class we had some discussion about dog being intelligent or not.  Given I am the guardian of two dogs and have trained many, by this definition I can argue that dogs can be intelligent.  They perceive their environment and take actions that maximize the chance of success at some goal.  Examples - chasing and catching squirrels or other wildlife by out smarting them in their chosen path; figuring out the treat ball and emptying it in minutes rather than the extended feeding it is supposed to enable.  

Now, how do I feel about Artificial Intelligence?  At first blush, the concept is exciting and there could be many tasks accomplished by machines thus creating efficiencies in our work, increasing safety and throughput.  But, with deeper investigation and consideration, I agree with Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and others in their warning that, "artificial intelligence can potentially be more dangerous than nuclear weapons."  "Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history,” wrote Stephen Hawking in an op-ed, which appeared in The Independent in 2014. “Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we learn how to avoid the risks. In the near term, world militaries are considering autonomous-weapon systems that can choose and eliminate targets.” Professor Hawking added in a 2014 interview with BBC, “humans, limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded by A.I.” (Michael Sainato. Observer. 08/19/15) 

Yes, there are benefits to be brought to humanity by artificial intelligence, but given the state of our world; I do not believe we can risk AI getting into the wrong hands.  We cannot implement a fail-safe system.  The threats to our world as we know it are too many to be put at risk.  We must tread lightly.  We must call for greater investigation into the pitfalls, before we are too far down the rabbit hole.  Humans must remain in control of the machines.