Now that Dollhouse has ended, it deserves a standing ovation. In the true spirit of Sci-Fi, it made us question what it is to be human. It took a plausible technology, and presented a compelling vision of the future. But what really made it a success was Joss Whedon's remarkable ability to make characters come alive. The relationships and interactions were as complex and nuanced as the technology. While it suffered from some slow going early on, it finished strong. I only wish it had been given another season or two to cover the same ground.
The question of what makes us who we are will be answered in our lifetime. As our ability to map the brain in real time becomes increasingly sophisticated, researchers are beginning to reverse-engineer how the brain works. With sufficiently advanced sensors and processors, we will one day be able to map each neuron in real time. Truly mapping and understanding the brain will be as monumental a task as mapping the human genome, but it will happen in our lifetime.
As increasing research into genetics has raised the moral issue of cloning, mapping the brain will force us to deal with vital issues of what it means to be human. When we are able to model every neuron in the brain, it will be a relatively small step to keep the model running after the scanner is turned off. Connected to virtual inputs and outputs, the modeled brain would react exactly the same as the person it was modeled after. Would that make the computer a person? What if the original person died in an accident, and only the model remained; would it be inhumane to stop the model from running? What if we could keep great artists and scientists alive indefinitely? What if it becomes cheaper to keep a loved one alive in a computer than to pay for end-of-life care?
It may never be possible to "wipe" a person or "imprint" them with a new personality, but similar issues will be raised as we explore the forefront of neuroscience. There will be hard questions without easy answers, but we will be forced to face them as a society. Dollhouse got one prediction very right: we can't stop technological progress, only hope to preserve what makes us who we are.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Copyright
As a programmer, I find intellectual property fascinating. There seems to be an underlying assumption of entitlement in our society: if you create something, you should be entitled to benefit from it indefinitely. If you write a novel or play a song, no one should be able to copy it without your permission during your lifetime (and for years after). People talk about protecting the artists, and their rights to enforce strict control over their works.
I create intellectual property every day without expectation of long-term benefits, control, or even recognition. I write code because I'm paid to, but more importantly because I love doing it. I often create programs in my spare time with no expectation of monetary income, just for the fun of it. It's erroneous to assume that artists need some financial incentive to create their masterpieces. In fact, it has been my experience that those who are just "in it for the money" in any industry can never keep up with their passion-driven colleagues.
None of that is to say that artists should be destitute. It's also erroneous to assume that copyright is the only source of income available to artists, or even the best. Skilled artists and original work will always be in demand. While I make no income for copyright on my code, I am easily able to find work based on my skill as a programmer. The same is true for popular artists: there will always be someone willing to pay for a commission or a live show. The Internet allows more sophisticated variations on that theme, which I'll discuss in a later post. If Beethoven or Shakespeare were alive today, would they have any trouble making money? Would they need to make a few cents off every song played or play performed? The real value is in the artist, not the canvas.
Copyright has many unintended side effects that stifle creativity. Using the same example above, how many brilliant artistic expressions could Beethoven and Shakespeare prohibited using copyright? Imagine every Shakespearean play needing approval from the Shakespeare estate, and companies being denied the right to perform those plays because their performance would not be Shakespeare's vision. There would be no modern rock remixes of Beethoven or movies like Shakespeare in Love. Modern copyright prevents artists from creating derivative works, and stifles artistic evolution. Even if that is not the intention of the law, the precedent set by clouded court rulings and the threat of a lawsuit have a chilling effect.
Copyright law was designed to promote art and literature. It was not established for some sense of justice or fairness, nor was it established as a welfare system for artists. Many assume that artists are entitled to copyright privileges by virtue of the creative effort they put into their work. I have the utmost respect for the effort artists put into their work, but it doesn't seem more valuable than the work everyone else does. Carpenters are paid a lump sum or an hourly rate for their work. That model certainly works for programmers who create code for a company. Whether or not artists' work is different, the principle that effort should imply ownership is far from universal in our society. Artists deserve to be paid for their work, but modern copyright law seems to establish a different standard from the rest of society.
Assuming that copyright was designed to give artists an incentive to create new works, how does modern copyright law make sense? Copyright has been internationally standardized, lasting between fifty and one hundred years from the author's death (Wikipedia). If everyone could do their job for five years, then live off the residuals for the rest of their life, would people work more or less? Would artists create fewer works if they only held the copyright for 25 years? Would they be forced to create more if they lost their residuals after 10 years?
We live in a generation without a public domain. Everything that has been created in our lifetime will be copyrighted long after we're gone. I don't think that serves the artists or the public. The real tragedy will be the creative works we lose forever because no one is allowed to copy them.
I create intellectual property every day without expectation of long-term benefits, control, or even recognition. I write code because I'm paid to, but more importantly because I love doing it. I often create programs in my spare time with no expectation of monetary income, just for the fun of it. It's erroneous to assume that artists need some financial incentive to create their masterpieces. In fact, it has been my experience that those who are just "in it for the money" in any industry can never keep up with their passion-driven colleagues.
None of that is to say that artists should be destitute. It's also erroneous to assume that copyright is the only source of income available to artists, or even the best. Skilled artists and original work will always be in demand. While I make no income for copyright on my code, I am easily able to find work based on my skill as a programmer. The same is true for popular artists: there will always be someone willing to pay for a commission or a live show. The Internet allows more sophisticated variations on that theme, which I'll discuss in a later post. If Beethoven or Shakespeare were alive today, would they have any trouble making money? Would they need to make a few cents off every song played or play performed? The real value is in the artist, not the canvas.
Copyright has many unintended side effects that stifle creativity. Using the same example above, how many brilliant artistic expressions could Beethoven and Shakespeare prohibited using copyright? Imagine every Shakespearean play needing approval from the Shakespeare estate, and companies being denied the right to perform those plays because their performance would not be Shakespeare's vision. There would be no modern rock remixes of Beethoven or movies like Shakespeare in Love. Modern copyright prevents artists from creating derivative works, and stifles artistic evolution. Even if that is not the intention of the law, the precedent set by clouded court rulings and the threat of a lawsuit have a chilling effect.
Copyright law was designed to promote art and literature. It was not established for some sense of justice or fairness, nor was it established as a welfare system for artists. Many assume that artists are entitled to copyright privileges by virtue of the creative effort they put into their work. I have the utmost respect for the effort artists put into their work, but it doesn't seem more valuable than the work everyone else does. Carpenters are paid a lump sum or an hourly rate for their work. That model certainly works for programmers who create code for a company. Whether or not artists' work is different, the principle that effort should imply ownership is far from universal in our society. Artists deserve to be paid for their work, but modern copyright law seems to establish a different standard from the rest of society.
Assuming that copyright was designed to give artists an incentive to create new works, how does modern copyright law make sense? Copyright has been internationally standardized, lasting between fifty and one hundred years from the author's death (Wikipedia). If everyone could do their job for five years, then live off the residuals for the rest of their life, would people work more or less? Would artists create fewer works if they only held the copyright for 25 years? Would they be forced to create more if they lost their residuals after 10 years?
We live in a generation without a public domain. Everything that has been created in our lifetime will be copyrighted long after we're gone. I don't think that serves the artists or the public. The real tragedy will be the creative works we lose forever because no one is allowed to copy them.
Divided We Fall
We live in a divided culture. Under the influence of increasingly sophisticated public relations, a variety of interest groups push us to extremes using misinformation and faulty logic. It is important to consider the real conflicts beneath the surface so that we can find solutions to the real problems of our day.
There is an increasingly polarized gap between social conservatives and social progressives. While there are legitimate differences of opinion, the polarization can be attributed to the evolution of an entitlement culture in our country. People from all socioeconomic backgrounds feel that they are entitled to get something for nothing. This manifests in bubbles in the stock market, where wealthy investors want to make the highest return no matter the cost to society. It manifests in many productive workers applying for social programs rather than jobs. Intellectual property owners want perpetual returns on work done a century ago, and unhealthy gambling is more of a problem than ever. This culture comes from raising our children without instilling a strong work ethic. It comes from the perception that work is about making money, not about being good at what you do or contributing to society. It comes from the fantasy perpetuated by contests and lotteries that you too can become rich overnight. Entitlement culture is a complex issue with no quick and easy solution.
Another segment of the population reacts strongly against this growing entitlement culture. Focusing on social programs they see as handouts, they demonize the recipients and advocate cutting these services. It's easy to forget that social programs exist for a reason. Even if they are widely abused, there are those who are genuinely trying and desperately need help to get by. It is easy for a good PR person to turn a nuanced issue into a crusade against those less fortunate.
The media and our politicians need to focus on finding a way to address the underlying cultural conflict rather than further polarizing the public. I don't know what the solution is, but I think it's important to re-focus the discussion. In general, I think we have an increasing tendency to vilify those who do not share our own viewpoints. Instead of seeking to understand why people disagree with us, our default response is to yell louder. The real tragedy is the intellectual discourse lost in this country.
There is an increasingly polarized gap between social conservatives and social progressives. While there are legitimate differences of opinion, the polarization can be attributed to the evolution of an entitlement culture in our country. People from all socioeconomic backgrounds feel that they are entitled to get something for nothing. This manifests in bubbles in the stock market, where wealthy investors want to make the highest return no matter the cost to society. It manifests in many productive workers applying for social programs rather than jobs. Intellectual property owners want perpetual returns on work done a century ago, and unhealthy gambling is more of a problem than ever. This culture comes from raising our children without instilling a strong work ethic. It comes from the perception that work is about making money, not about being good at what you do or contributing to society. It comes from the fantasy perpetuated by contests and lotteries that you too can become rich overnight. Entitlement culture is a complex issue with no quick and easy solution.
Another segment of the population reacts strongly against this growing entitlement culture. Focusing on social programs they see as handouts, they demonize the recipients and advocate cutting these services. It's easy to forget that social programs exist for a reason. Even if they are widely abused, there are those who are genuinely trying and desperately need help to get by. It is easy for a good PR person to turn a nuanced issue into a crusade against those less fortunate.
The media and our politicians need to focus on finding a way to address the underlying cultural conflict rather than further polarizing the public. I don't know what the solution is, but I think it's important to re-focus the discussion. In general, I think we have an increasing tendency to vilify those who do not share our own viewpoints. Instead of seeking to understand why people disagree with us, our default response is to yell louder. The real tragedy is the intellectual discourse lost in this country.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
My Lucky Day
Life is made up of a series of moments. And some days none of those moments go your way. At some point all you can do is sit back and laugh at it all.
My bad luck started when I left work Tuesday. The maintenance guys left a note in my apartment that they couldn't figure out how to fix my countertop dishwasher connection, and were giving up. I drove to Lowes looking for what I thought was a simple part: a sink adapter for the dishwasher or a couple ball bearings to replace the ones I lost. After half an hour of looking around the store, a helpful employee suggested I would have better luck at a real hardware store (his words, not mine). Silly me, looking for hardware in Lowes' "hardware" section.
Somewhat annoyed, I looked at my calendar. It's wasn't Sunday! I decided to pickup Chick-fil-a for dinner. That's when the real fun began. Halfway home, the car in front of me stopped suddenly on a hill, causing my delicious waffle fries to be thrown from the bag. Goodbye, tasty potato goodness. When I got home, I leaned over my drink to pickup the fries. I must have hit the straw just right, because when I picked up the drink there was a hole in the bottom. Goodbye, tasty Coke Zero. So I set down my chicken sandwich in the warm apartment, and grabbed some paper towels to soak up the pools of Coke in my cup holders (which are, oddly enough, waterproof). By the time I got back inside, it was too late. Garfield had stolen my delicious Chick-fil-a sandwich. My delicious Chick-fil-a sandwich, gone to the dogs. Er, cats.
But that's okay, because I have The Internet. You can find anything on The Internet! I fired up Google, and decided to see if I could find a replacement part for my countertop dishwasher. No such luck. Apparently there is not a single store that sells appliance parts online (at least that's listed in Google). Come to think of it, that would be a brilliant startup company. But I'm getting off track. The Internet had failed me.
Deciding to play it safe given my streak of luck, I decided to watch some TV and go to bed at a reasonable hour. I woke up 10 hours later, late for work. While it's hard not to admire that kind of sleeping expertise, being late to work is never good. So I rushed in without breakfast only to find... our morning meeting canceled, and myself hungry for no reason.
On my way to lunch, my GPS decides to take me to the middle of nowhere instead of a tasty food-place. Doh! Fast forward to after lunch. I'm trying to make plans to go to a movie on Friday, but Rave decides not to put their showtimes online. So we're going.... sometime Friday?
Back to more ongoing fun, I'm still trying to figure out where one of my Christmas presents went. Relatives sent it to my old address, where someone in the apartment office signed for it and then released it to the current resident (despite having my name on the box). I've been trying for a month to get it back with no success. So today I accidentally called my current apartment complex to see what was going on with it. I'm sure they think I'm crazy by now (which may not be far from the truth). When I got a hold of my old apartments, the property manager was conveniently out of the office. Considering that she never returns my calls, this does not bode well for getting back my gift.
I wonder if I can buy a shamrock somewhere locally. Who am I kidding? With my luck the cat would eat the clover. (o_O)
My bad luck started when I left work Tuesday. The maintenance guys left a note in my apartment that they couldn't figure out how to fix my countertop dishwasher connection, and were giving up. I drove to Lowes looking for what I thought was a simple part: a sink adapter for the dishwasher or a couple ball bearings to replace the ones I lost. After half an hour of looking around the store, a helpful employee suggested I would have better luck at a real hardware store (his words, not mine). Silly me, looking for hardware in Lowes' "hardware" section.
Somewhat annoyed, I looked at my calendar. It's wasn't Sunday! I decided to pickup Chick-fil-a for dinner. That's when the real fun began. Halfway home, the car in front of me stopped suddenly on a hill, causing my delicious waffle fries to be thrown from the bag. Goodbye, tasty potato goodness. When I got home, I leaned over my drink to pickup the fries. I must have hit the straw just right, because when I picked up the drink there was a hole in the bottom. Goodbye, tasty Coke Zero. So I set down my chicken sandwich in the warm apartment, and grabbed some paper towels to soak up the pools of Coke in my cup holders (which are, oddly enough, waterproof). By the time I got back inside, it was too late. Garfield had stolen my delicious Chick-fil-a sandwich. My delicious Chick-fil-a sandwich, gone to the dogs. Er, cats.
But that's okay, because I have The Internet. You can find anything on The Internet! I fired up Google, and decided to see if I could find a replacement part for my countertop dishwasher. No such luck. Apparently there is not a single store that sells appliance parts online (at least that's listed in Google). Come to think of it, that would be a brilliant startup company. But I'm getting off track. The Internet had failed me.
Deciding to play it safe given my streak of luck, I decided to watch some TV and go to bed at a reasonable hour. I woke up 10 hours later, late for work. While it's hard not to admire that kind of sleeping expertise, being late to work is never good. So I rushed in without breakfast only to find... our morning meeting canceled, and myself hungry for no reason.
On my way to lunch, my GPS decides to take me to the middle of nowhere instead of a tasty food-place. Doh! Fast forward to after lunch. I'm trying to make plans to go to a movie on Friday, but Rave decides not to put their showtimes online. So we're going.... sometime Friday?
Back to more ongoing fun, I'm still trying to figure out where one of my Christmas presents went. Relatives sent it to my old address, where someone in the apartment office signed for it and then released it to the current resident (despite having my name on the box). I've been trying for a month to get it back with no success. So today I accidentally called my current apartment complex to see what was going on with it. I'm sure they think I'm crazy by now (which may not be far from the truth). When I got a hold of my old apartments, the property manager was conveniently out of the office. Considering that she never returns my calls, this does not bode well for getting back my gift.
I wonder if I can buy a shamrock somewhere locally. Who am I kidding? With my luck the cat would eat the clover. (o_O)
Friday, January 8, 2010
Why I Game
If you know me, you've probably played a board game with me. I do a lot to make board games an ongoing part of my life. It's only fitting I start this blog with a simple question: why all the games?
Board games are fun! Game designers continue to refine the game play to make games more fun, and companies hire excellent artists to illustrate their games. These days you can find the perfect game for any taste. Do you like solving puzzles? Getting immersed in a compelling story? Making weird jokes with friends? Managing resources and building economic systems? Negotiating deals with other players? I enjoy all of the above. If the game isn't fun, you just have to try something different until you find the right game for your group.
Board games are a great social facilitator. They provide a focus to sit around and enjoy time with friends. In a world driven increasingly by the ability to multitask, board games give you something to look at an interact with while enjoying the company of other players. They provide a distraction to fill those awkward silences, and a more interesting conversation topic than the weather. Board games are a great ice-breaker when meeting new people. Whether it's the rush of friendly competition or the shared tension of facing your co-operative doom, board games allow the players to share an experience.
Playing board games can be a great way to mentally keep in shape. Euro-games are often about planning, resource management, time management, and negotiation. While games abstract these principles, they teach ways of thinking about problems that can be applied to everyday life. Games provide a kinesthetic way to learn about history, economics, or biology. They let us experience literature interactively, or immerse ourselves in popular culture. There's something remarkable about anything that can so enrich our lives.
Board games have come a long way since Monopoly. They continue to explore new game mechanics and more diverse themes. But the reason I game above all others are the exceptional people involved in this hobby. From Board Game Geek to our local gaming group, from conventions to Facebook, I'm lucky to have met all of them. So for years to come I'll be saying: Happy Gaming!
Board games are fun! Game designers continue to refine the game play to make games more fun, and companies hire excellent artists to illustrate their games. These days you can find the perfect game for any taste. Do you like solving puzzles? Getting immersed in a compelling story? Making weird jokes with friends? Managing resources and building economic systems? Negotiating deals with other players? I enjoy all of the above. If the game isn't fun, you just have to try something different until you find the right game for your group.
Board games are a great social facilitator. They provide a focus to sit around and enjoy time with friends. In a world driven increasingly by the ability to multitask, board games give you something to look at an interact with while enjoying the company of other players. They provide a distraction to fill those awkward silences, and a more interesting conversation topic than the weather. Board games are a great ice-breaker when meeting new people. Whether it's the rush of friendly competition or the shared tension of facing your co-operative doom, board games allow the players to share an experience.
Playing board games can be a great way to mentally keep in shape. Euro-games are often about planning, resource management, time management, and negotiation. While games abstract these principles, they teach ways of thinking about problems that can be applied to everyday life. Games provide a kinesthetic way to learn about history, economics, or biology. They let us experience literature interactively, or immerse ourselves in popular culture. There's something remarkable about anything that can so enrich our lives.
Board games have come a long way since Monopoly. They continue to explore new game mechanics and more diverse themes. But the reason I game above all others are the exceptional people involved in this hobby. From Board Game Geek to our local gaming group, from conventions to Facebook, I'm lucky to have met all of them. So for years to come I'll be saying: Happy Gaming!
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