Well, after much deliberation I've decided to open up the story and some details about the video game I'm creating. I had to get past that urge inside me going, "IT'S MINE, MINE!" Part of it is my own desire to get this out there, part of it was a phenomenal talk by Brewster Kahle (chairman of The Internet Archive), and part was a conversation I had earlier today in which I came to the realization that in order for me to actually finish this, I need the help of those around me.
And those people, well, they are YOU.
The name of the game is Omnivore. The year is 2049. The human race has advanced far from its current level - the Internet is available on 99.9% of the Earth's surface via wireless connections. Medical technology has increased a person's average lifespan to 120 years. We have a base on the moon, and astronauts have been to Mars and back. Oil and gasoline are a thing of the past, all cars are electric, and we power everything with clean energy. Robots do all jobs involving mass-production, and they (nearly) have taken over all custodial work.
Arthur Burns is a security guard in the most advanced lab in the world, located under two miles of ice at the South Pole. The Ayanami Lab was built to study the waters of Lake Cassia, a treasure trove of plants and animals that have evolved separately from the rest of the planet for millions of years. There are little white crustaceans with no eyes, bio-luminescent fish, and plants that grow only using chemicals in the water. The possibilities for study are endless.
It turns out that the study of the lake is only the beginning for the lab, known as the Icebox. Gary Rima heads the research known as the Omnivore Project, the experiments of which promise to change the course of human history forever.
More to come!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Human Computer / Computer Human
Last week I read two interesting articles that had to do with our brains. One involved using the mind to control a computer, and the other one had research showing that scientists could watch the brain to predict someone's intentions.
The one about a brain-computer interface was actually on a gaming website, and it spoke about using the mind to control your character in the game. Here's a link to the device's website, so you can see what it actually looks like. This is, an a word, awesome. Imagine the amount of control you could have in your games with something like this. How fast your thumb muscles move, or what combinations of buttons you push on a controller would no longer be an issue - it would be as fast as thought. You combine this with virtual reality and you're well on your way to Simulated Reality (thanks to Don for that link).
Is this a good or a bad thing? I suppose you could see it as the end of the world as we know it, but I like to look at the bright side of all things technological. Hey, there are people who think the the apocalypse would be brought on by legalizing marijuana, but I digress. Being able to control a machine solely with the mind would bring on amazing new advances in just about everything. Someone with an amputated leg would be able to control a prosthetic one with only their mind. A paralyzed person could be able to move again. Both of these have already been done, believe it or not, and it really boggles the mind. Eventually there will be no physical or mental disability holding someone back from doing anything that they want to do.
The other article is about something I spoke of in my first post - being able to predict what someone will do by watching their brain work. Where's the free will in that my friends? How many years before the technology is such that people will be able to predict what others can do in a major kind of way? Maybe it will never happen, but I'll tell you right now that science fact is quickly catching up with science fiction. What an exciting time we live in!
The one about a brain-computer interface was actually on a gaming website, and it spoke about using the mind to control your character in the game. Here's a link to the device's website, so you can see what it actually looks like. This is, an a word, awesome. Imagine the amount of control you could have in your games with something like this. How fast your thumb muscles move, or what combinations of buttons you push on a controller would no longer be an issue - it would be as fast as thought. You combine this with virtual reality and you're well on your way to Simulated Reality (thanks to Don for that link).
Is this a good or a bad thing? I suppose you could see it as the end of the world as we know it, but I like to look at the bright side of all things technological. Hey, there are people who think the the apocalypse would be brought on by legalizing marijuana, but I digress. Being able to control a machine solely with the mind would bring on amazing new advances in just about everything. Someone with an amputated leg would be able to control a prosthetic one with only their mind. A paralyzed person could be able to move again. Both of these have already been done, believe it or not, and it really boggles the mind. Eventually there will be no physical or mental disability holding someone back from doing anything that they want to do.
The other article is about something I spoke of in my first post - being able to predict what someone will do by watching their brain work. Where's the free will in that my friends? How many years before the technology is such that people will be able to predict what others can do in a major kind of way? Maybe it will never happen, but I'll tell you right now that science fact is quickly catching up with science fiction. What an exciting time we live in!
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Talpa
This post might be confusing to people out of the psychedelic trance / goa music loop, but I realized I have yet to post about my favorite genre of tunes. I'll say right now that there will be some weird words in this one! I'll try to link where I can so that things will make more sense to people.
A DJ I've been conversing with for quite a while, who goes by the name Underfoot (you can find him at Audiognomes, and you should - download his mixes!), mentioned the artist Talpa to me last week. I thought I'd try it out, and it turns out that his album, The Art of Being Non, is really the best psytrance I've heard in a very long time. This is as close to a Perfect Album as it gets, my friends. Every single song is well thought-out, intelligent, and has sounds I could have never imagined before.
It evokes memories of the good old Hallucinogen (this album stands strongly up there with The Lone Deranger), and what Infected Mushroom used to sound like before they were Converting Vegetarians. One song, "No Place to Hide," really sounds so much like the guys from Israel (Infected) collaborated on it that I was surprised to hear Talpa is from Serbia. This marks the first time I've heard music like this (that is this good) from outside of Britain, Russia, Israel, or Sweden. Sadly, electronic music of this quality is lacking here in the USA - I can't even think of any artists to mention. There has to be someone out there...
I'd recommend this album to anyone who already loves psytrance or goa, and even those who have never listened to it before. It is a rare case of a recent release in this genre of music that really stands out as truly original and melodic. I will listen to it for a long time to come.
A DJ I've been conversing with for quite a while, who goes by the name Underfoot (you can find him at Audiognomes, and you should - download his mixes!), mentioned the artist Talpa to me last week. I thought I'd try it out, and it turns out that his album, The Art of Being Non, is really the best psytrance I've heard in a very long time. This is as close to a Perfect Album as it gets, my friends. Every single song is well thought-out, intelligent, and has sounds I could have never imagined before.
It evokes memories of the good old Hallucinogen (this album stands strongly up there with The Lone Deranger), and what Infected Mushroom used to sound like before they were Converting Vegetarians. One song, "No Place to Hide," really sounds so much like the guys from Israel (Infected) collaborated on it that I was surprised to hear Talpa is from Serbia. This marks the first time I've heard music like this (that is this good) from outside of Britain, Russia, Israel, or Sweden. Sadly, electronic music of this quality is lacking here in the USA - I can't even think of any artists to mention. There has to be someone out there...
I'd recommend this album to anyone who already loves psytrance or goa, and even those who have never listened to it before. It is a rare case of a recent release in this genre of music that really stands out as truly original and melodic. I will listen to it for a long time to come.
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