In Oxford One Day….. It was rather difficult to find but at last, turning a corner within the winding alleys of Oxford – there it was – a cafe where Elvish was spoken – to be more specific the Elvish language Sindarin. The idea for such an innovation was down to John and Mary (not… Continue reading Chez Elrond – Elvish Spoken
Author: northernlight1
I have interests is a wide range of topics and have written on these and more formal subjects for quite some time. The written word still retains the power to inform and motivate - hopefully constructively and certainly has to be used responsibly in an age of false information trails.
What It’s Like to be a Dog
Preface This entry is an extract from a book I have recently written with title ‘How to talk to your robot dog’. See link at end of post for more details of this publication. Understanding the ‘canine persona’ has moved from in depth observations of behaviour to measurements made using state of the art brain… Continue reading What It’s Like to be a Dog
The Charon Declaration: A New Phrase in Climate Change
The concept of a ‘Charon Declaration’ arose in a recent book I have written called ‘How to talk to your robot dog‘. In this there was a sub theme of sustainability and climate change. The actual text is indicated in italics below and relates to a chapter dealing with such issues. To put the term… Continue reading The Charon Declaration: A New Phrase in Climate Change
Lost Dog – Clues About Oxytocin
Preface This post is written in a ‘question and answer’ mode which was the style used in my recent book ‘How to talk to your robot dog’ and which investigated the possibility of developing Artificial Intelligence based on the canine intelligence. A key element of this particular story is the bond between dogs and humans.… Continue reading Lost Dog – Clues About Oxytocin
AA Michelson – Master of Light
Introduction AA Michelson was not only the first American to win a Nobel prize for science, the nature of the man behind the science was an object of some mystery – even to members of his own family. Many facets of his character were in fact brought to light by Elizabeth, a daughter of his… Continue reading AA Michelson – Master of Light
A Point of Light
Getting to the Point It is a curious revelation to consider that in every point of space that we perceive in our surroundings, light is passing through that point from all directions. These are particles of light – photons – that emerge from light sources or are scattered/reflected from a surface on which light is… Continue reading A Point of Light
The Return of the King: Richard III
A Memorable Day For some time I had been considering the best place to park the car to attend the ceremony at Dadlington to mark the passage of the remains of Richard III from the site of battle near Fenn Lane Farm to Leicester Cathedral. The sensible decision eventually taken was to walk the short… Continue reading The Return of the King: Richard III
How to Talk to Your Robot Dog
An Intriguing Title The instinct to write a book based on the theme ‘How to talk to your robot dog‘ was in retrospect well placed. The central themes included Artificial Intelligence and canine cognitive potential. After all, why base the persona of an Artificial Intelligence creation on an inconstant human persona that’s never that transparent?… Continue reading How to Talk to Your Robot Dog
Art in Science
An Observation Exhibitions based on new technologies are always of interest. Those based on emerging optical technologies even more so in terms of the possibilities they unlock. At a Photonex exhibition in Coventry in October 2019 there was an enthralling exhibit that could be described as a ‘cube of light’ which at a guess comprised… Continue reading Art in Science
Shakespeare on Silver Street
A Stroke of Luck Perhaps it is better said that it is worthwhile to read books and especially rewarding to discover treasures among them. An example of this is the book entitled ‘The Lodger’ by Charles Nicoll whose starting point was the serendipitous discovery of a part of a court record involving William Shakespeare. The… Continue reading Shakespeare on Silver Street