Day: October 21, 2004

DARPA Funds Research Into Rat Rescuers

Back in 2002, researchers at the State University of New York made a splash of publicity — and lots of criticism from animal rights activists (Gary Francione complained at the time that “there’s got to be a level of discomfort in implanting these electrodes”) — after they created a remote-controlled rat. The researchers implanted electrodes in the brains of rats and then used a remote control computer setup to reward the animals for fulfilling tasks. In this way, they were able to train the rats to respond to a series of remote commands, essentially creating remote-controlled rats.

Neat trick, but aside from the basic science involved in helping to further map which brain regions are involved in specific behavioral changes, does this have any real world application?

DARPA, the Pentagon’s research unit, us currently funding a project to see if such rats could be used to locate people in buildings that have collapsed from earthquakes or other disasters.

Researchers Linda and Ray Hermer-Vazquez at the University of Florida in Gainesville have been training rats to identify the scent of human beings as well as for the explosives TNT and RDX. The trick then is to be able to interpret remotely when the rats have in fact discovered such scents. According to Linda Hermer-Vazquez,

There are two neural events that we believe are hallmarks of the ‘aha’ moment for the rat.

If they can reliably pick up on those neural events and have a system that allows the rat to be pinpointed when it discovers human or explosive scents, then rats could make ideal rescuers. Unlike other solutions for finding trapped people, such as remote controlled robots, the rats would be able to navigate within complex, unpredictable environments much better as well as detecting human and explosive scents in an environment that is full of competing smells, which artificial systems still have a great deal of difficulty with.

The Hermer-Vazquez’s told New Scientist that they hope to have a viable rat rescue system developed sometime in 2005.

Typically one of the fears after large earthquakes and other natural disasters is that rats will multiply and spread disease as a result of the breakdown of sanitation and other systems. How appropriate, the, that rats might also be put in service to find victims and save the lives of people trapped after such disasters.

Source:

Rats’ brain waves could find trapped people. Emily Singer, New Scientist, September 22, 2004.

“Robo-rat” controlled by brain electrodes. New Scientist, May 1, 2002.

Apple Needs Its Own Kickass Games

Jim Roepcke makes the case for Apple developing its own infomercials to highlight how much better the Mac OS X is compare to Windows XP. It’s not a bad idea, but I think the problem is that most of the things that make Mac OS X truly superior to XP are geeky things that the average user doesn’t care about.

Roepcke’s post is a reaction to another article by a different writer about spyware and viruses. But here’s my take on that — this is a user problem, not an OS problem. I know users who actually read most of the spam they receive. I know users who will click on pop-up ads that promise them 100 cute cursors and gleefully proceed with the install. I know users who regularly forward the most obvious fake urban legends spam. Switch all these people to Mac and all that’s going to happen is that the spyware and virus writers will switch platforms. Maybe you could get these folks to switch, but they also tend to be from my experience the most cost conscious computer users. Apple has done better at its pricing, but its just not going to lure the woman running a 3 year old E-Machines piece of crap whose idea of an expensive computer is anything over $700.

If I were Apple I’d go at it from the high end. Who are the people spending ridiculous amounts of money in the PC environment? They’re hardcore gamers. Ran into one today who had a gorgeous Voodoo Envy laptop that probably cost around $3500. What do you get if you buy a pimped out Mac laptop? Answer: you get to wait 9-12 months for the latest PC games to be ported to Mac.

So what Apple should do, if it’s so inclined, is do what the console sellers do and pay for the development of a kickass must-have game that is available *only* on the Mac. PC gamers regularly spend outrageous sums to be able to play the latest, greatest game like Doom 3. If there were say, something like a multiplayer Fable-like game that was Mac only, I’d bet these same folks would rush out to buy a Mac to play it.

The problem of course is that the game has to be kick-ass. And preferably you’d want to release 4 or 5 such games over a 24 month period. Which is difficult because most games suck and it costs a lot of money to develop even the ones that suck.

Jon Stewart Really Knows How to Make a Point

So Jon Stewart despises Crossfire (who doesn’t?) and decides to confront Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala once and for all and explain that their show is damaging the very foundations of democracy in the United States itself.

Of course the best way to make the point about CNN’s horribly low standards is to get on Crossfire and call Tucker Carlson a dick.

Yeah, Stewart really showed Carlson and Begala a thing or two about high standards and eschewing shrillness in favor of reasoned debate.

Boston Herald Outlines Feld's Donations to Anti-Circus Ban Legislators

The Boston Herald reported in October that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ Kenneth Feld paid Massachusetts lobbyist Robert Rodophele almost $150,000 since 2001 to lobby against bills that might impact or ban circus performances in that state.

The Herald notes that State Sen. Robert Hedlund introduced a bill this year that would have banned circus animals in the state, but that the bill was killed by the state House’s Criminal Justice Committee. Rodophele made contributions of at least $100 to seven Democrats who sit on the committee, including the maximum $200 donation to committee chair Sen. Thomas McGee and committee member Sen. Michael Morrissey. Feld himself donated an additional $250 to McGee.

The Herald reports that Feld’s wealth is estimated at upwards of $775 million.

Source:

Circus chief gave $$ to lawmakers for letting show go on. Dave Wedge, Boston Herald, October 8, 2004.

UK Activist Receives One Month Jail Sentence for Harassing Guinea Pig Farm Family

Andrew Davies, 22, was sentenced in October to serve a month in jail after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a protest earlier this year at Darley Oaks Farm which breeds guinea pigs for animal research.

Davies was charged with intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress. Following a national day of protest against the Darley Oaks Farm, Davies went to the home of Darley Oaks Farm employee Simon Turner and shouted at Turner. Videotape played in court showed Turner yelling,

How does it feel, Simon, to be a prisoner in your own home? To have all your neighbors know you abuse animals for a living? You are a disgrace to the human race. People like you should be locked up, strapped down and experimented on.

Davies’ attorney, John Skinner, provided some interesting details about the commitment level of animal rights activists in the UK. Skinner told the court,

My client became involved in animal rights after having worked at a turkey farm at an early age, and being disgusted at the treatment of the animals involved. Effectively, since that age, animal rights has been his entire life and he has committed himself to that. Having committed himself to animal rights, he has attended at least one protest every two weeks and he has protested at Darley Oaks between 50 and 100 times alone.

Skinner told the court that Davies has never held a job for more than six months and apparently hops from job to job at bars to support himself while crusading against animal research..

Davies received a one-month sentence, with half of that served in jail and the other half on the UK equivalent of probation. He also was given an indefinite anti–social behavior order which prohibits him from having contact with any employed by the partners of the Darley Oaks Farm.

Turner told the Burton Mail that he was pleased with the outcome,

IÂ’m pleased with the outcome. ItÂ’s about time they started dishing the jail sentences out.

Source:

Urgent ELP! Bulletin. Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network, October 5, 2004.

New Prisoner Andrew Davies – solidarity now. IndyMedia UK, October 3, 2004.

Jail for animal rights protestor. Kim Briscoe, Burton Mail, October 2, 2004.