Writing inspiration

Today, I went to see William Gibson do a reading at the Columbia University Bookstore. He looked just like the photos from the back of his books, except that suddenly he was real and 3D and answering questions. I guess it was sort of a religious experience for me, because William Gibson has affected the way I think about the world and the future. Even though there was a small audience, I didn't have him sign any of my books. For some reason, I care more about the experience of being in the same room with him, and getting the chance (through the Q&A) to peek inside his brain. Like, I learned that he considers eBay a "vast museum of humankind" and "an astonishing research tool." (But he almost never uses it to buy stuff.)



Here's a quote from the bio on his website:

"I suspect I have spent just about exactly as much time actually writing as the average person my age has spent watching television, and that, as much as anything, may be the real secret here."

Gibson's latest novel is out in paperback now. It's not futuristic, but the story involves technology, online communities, commercialism, and branding, which all interest me.

Weekend

Stuff to watch

This music video makes me want to get crafty. The band doesn't seem that special (so I'm sure they'll be huge on MTV!), but I bet somebody had a lot of fun knitting all that random stuff.



I just read on Boing Boing about the video clips on this NASA website. They show what it looks like when water balloons get popped in a low-gravity environment. It's even better than you're imagining. The water just kind of stays there... like water... in space!

Historical robots

I just found this site about robots from the Victorian era. I want to read about all of them and pretend they really existed. I think I'm going to buy something little from the store just because this site is really fun. I like the image of the old-timey robot poking at the ice.

Robot me

That's a little robot self portrait I painted tonight. I am waving at you. I am not really a robot (ssh... don't tell anyone!) but here is a list along those lines:



Ways that I am like a robot:

I get along well with computers.

I am helpful.

I follow directions well.

I sometimes have trouble communicating with people.

I look spazzy when I move.

When my energy level is low, I process things very slowly.



Ways I am not like a robot:

I am made of bones and blood and stuff, not metal or synthetic materials.

I can't recharge by plugging into a wall or changing a battery.

I don't have any buttons (oh, except my belly button).

I have more common sense than a robot.

I have more freedom than a robot.



(I would think up more, but I want to go to sleep soon.)

Robot pets and such

The Christian Science Monitor has a great article called "If you kick a robotic dog, is it wrong?" It's about how people interact with their electronic pets, and how the relationships get more complicated as the pets become more and more advanced. And linked from that story, I found another good one about robots that act like people. A quote:

Professor Pausch says we should think of virtual humans as akin to Jethro Bodine on the old "Beverly Hillbillies" TV show. With Jethro, "you realize you're not dealing with something that is very smart," in common-sense ways, he says. Though Jethro is kindhearted, "and he will help me in any way he can," he must be asked for his help in careful, simple ways that he can understand.

Mousetronauts

A week or so ago, I read an article about mouse astronauts being sent into orbit to test the effects of low gravity. Now, I know I should be upset about this, you know, because of animal testing and all. But for some reason, every time I thought about it, I kept picturing these little mice floating around in astronaut suits, and it was just the cutest thing. So tonight I tried to paint my idea of mousetronauts. They kind of came out looking more like kitten-stronauts, but check it out anyway. (You can read more about the real "Mars Mice" on this NASA page.)



ALSO: This weekend I hung out with Kelly Computer in person and we made a rockin' painting!! I will scan it soon. Kelly was in Brooklyn for an art exhibit, and even though it was freezing cold here, we had fun and talked a lot about robots and friendly machines. It was really fun to hang out with my electric friends in person (we had dinner with My Robot Friend on Saturday).

My new favorite band

The First Vienna Vegetable Orchestra. If I had a cucumber and some peppers, I might make a salad, but these nine musicians use vegetables to make their instruments. The strangest thing? The experimental music is surprisingly good. I want their latest CD (on which they cover Kraftwerk!), but so far I've only seen places in Europe that carry it, and with shipping it's almost $30. I'm sure it's worth it, but still.



Lush green plastic

When I read this L.A. Times article about how Orange County, California is encouraging residents to install synthetic lawns, I cringed, picturing the cheapy kind of Astroturf you can buy on a big roll from Home Depot. But the promotional photos at SYNLawn and AstroLawn are entrancing. Is this what our future will look like? I wonder if they could make the grass out of recycled plastic. Here's a question I'd never have thought to ask, from Astrolawn's FAQ:

How do you keep AstroLawn clean?

Simply treat AstroLawn like regular grass. Use a rake or blower to remove leaves. When animals think it's real grass, simply scoop up the mess and wash the area with a garden hose.

I guess even a plastic lawn has to get watered once in a while!

Oh, he's such a rebel

On futurismic, I found a mention of a graffiti-painting robot named Hektor. The site claims to be under construction, but there's a video of him in action (although I like the graffiti shown in the photos better). The PDF has a bunch of photos and some background on how Hektor works.

Fun with my Google news alert



Wouldn't this article be a lot more exciting if it were really about a robot?

'Robot' gets jail, whipping for mischief



I mean, not that I want to see a robot in pain. I just like the idea of one acting mischievous. And if a real robot threw a brick at an ATM machine, it seems like the action would be all deep and meaningful. It feels very sci-fi. Maybe because I just finished reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which has a lot to do with robotic people and animals and electronics and empathy. I think I want to read it again, which is not an impulse I usually have immediately on finishing a book.

I want to watch TV in my window

Andersen Windows built a prototype house in Utah with some fancy-shmancy futuristic windows. (I linked to the Google cache because it was trying to force registration.) If you press a button, your window can turn opaque, or turn into a TV or computer monitor.

The exotic windows resemble those you'd see in a normal house -- until they change colors or start showing you the latest "Friends" episode.

And another thing

Here are some oil paintings of sock puppets.



And lastly

I think Kelly Computer should consider this approach to baby naming.