I hadn't known about Hedy Lamarr except that she had been mentioned in a few Mel Brooks films. Although I never understood the references to her, I never forgot her unusual name. I never heard of anyone named, "Hedy", before.
But this last week I read an article in Time Magazine about Hedy Lamar which blew my socks off!!! It turns out that Hedy was a co-inventor (along with a music composer named, "George Antheil") of the spread-spectrum broadband algorithm which is present in WiFi, CDMA, GSM and Blue Tooth algorithms, incorporated in all wireless routers and cell phone products all over the world!
How, and why did Hedy do this?
It turned out that Hedy was once married to an Austrian engineer who worked for a munitions plant which was taken over by the Nazis during WWII. Hedy fled both her husband, and the Nazis and landed in Hollywood USA where she continued her acting career and was cast in several major movies and was billed as, "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World." But she must have known a good deal about the Nazis' electronic communication protocol, and she wanted to help the Allies war effort by creating a torpedo communication protocol which would be immune to the Nazis electronic jamming techniques. She, and her co-inventor patented the idea but gave their spread spectrum algorithm free of charge to the US Navy.
As they say, "the rest is history"!!! It just goes to show you what you can do, and the impact that we can all have upon the world by having a unique idea and acting upon it. Hedy Lamarr should be an inspiration to us all.
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
References:
1. Ben Cosgrove, Time.com, http://time.com/3881293/hedy-lamarr-stardom-scandal-and-one-amazing-invention/ , accessed 11/01/2017.
2. Author Unknown, Wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr, accessed 11/01/2017.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
What Will You Do Today to Give Meaning to Your Life?
I heard a great discussion on the radio the other day. It was an interview of a medical doctor, a cancer surgeon by the name of Atul Gawande. He had a great deal to say about his dying patients.
He would do his best to give all the medical options to his dying patient, and then ask them what they wanted to do. The patient would then try to turn the table on him and ask him what he would do if he were in their shoes. He would then reply that he could not make that decision for the patient, because he didn't know and couldn't guess what they were living for. In other words, he turned the table back on the patient by asking the patient what they wanted out of the rest of their life.
What would one more day buy you? What would you do with it? What would give meaning to your life (or to that one more day... if you could live it)?
After listening to this, it occurred to me we are ALL in the patient's situation. We are all dying, albeit in slow motion. We should ALL be asking ourselves what we want out of the rest of our lives.
We should ask ourselves this each and every day when we get out of bed.
It has been said that youth is wasted on the young. I agree. When we are young, most of us pursue all kinds of ridiculous hobbies and past times that consume an enormous amount of time, as if we will live forever.
But what is it that gives your life meaning? What will you do today that will make your life worthwhile?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
He would do his best to give all the medical options to his dying patient, and then ask them what they wanted to do. The patient would then try to turn the table on him and ask him what he would do if he were in their shoes. He would then reply that he could not make that decision for the patient, because he didn't know and couldn't guess what they were living for. In other words, he turned the table back on the patient by asking the patient what they wanted out of the rest of their life.
What would one more day buy you? What would you do with it? What would give meaning to your life (or to that one more day... if you could live it)?
After listening to this, it occurred to me we are ALL in the patient's situation. We are all dying, albeit in slow motion. We should ALL be asking ourselves what we want out of the rest of our lives.
We should ask ourselves this each and every day when we get out of bed.
It has been said that youth is wasted on the young. I agree. When we are young, most of us pursue all kinds of ridiculous hobbies and past times that consume an enormous amount of time, as if we will live forever.
But what is it that gives your life meaning? What will you do today that will make your life worthwhile?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
Big Ideas, Big Ideas, Big Ideas!
You may know Google has a subsidiary named, 'X' whose goal is to come up with revolutionary ideas that they affectionately call, "Moon Shots". Moon Shots are projects, which by Google's definition, will take ten years or more to pay off in some big way.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
- World Hunger
- World Peace
- Population Control
- Life Extension - What is aging?
- Global Warming (Climate Change)
- Wildlife Preservation ("Save the Whales")
- Energy Generation (Nuclear Fusion)
- Waste Reclamation - Plastic & Metals
- Air Pollution
- Water Pollution - De-Acidify the Oceans.
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Let's Use Our Untapped Talent... Retired Engineers and Scientists.
Just imagine... You are an eighth grade math or science teacher. You have forty kids to teach in each of your five classes during the day. You struggle to get through the lesson plan, much less to help every student in all of your classes.
Now let's change the equation.
You are the instructor, and you still have forty kids in each class to teach. But you have ten helpers in your classroom who know the material, because they have sat through your lecture numerous times, and they could teach the material themselves, except they are not certified teachers. They are retired scientists and engineers who care about kids, and they are patriotic. They care about our the future of our country.
Why? They know, more than most, what kind of knowledge and persistence is required by our technological society. They know first hand the talent and skills which will be required to do well on an SAT or ACT exam to get into college, and to do well once they get in.
And finally, they know how important it is for the future of the United States to have smart young people who understand science and engineering and how the world works.
Are YOU a retired engineer or scientist? Get involved! Volunteer at your local High School or Middle School. You can change the world, one child at a time!
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Saturday, March 25, 2017
What Does it Mean to be an Atheist?
Why, I ask,
is the atheist so maligned? Why are
people shocked to learn, or even admit to themselves or others, that they don’t
believe in spiritual ideas, or that they are an atheist? What does it mean to be an atheist?
The lack of evidence for spiritual ideas is so great it is the proverbial elephant in our living rooms. It is there, but no one talks about it. Do angels exist? Do devils? How about heaven, hell, souls, purgatory or gods? These are all mystical ideas created by whimsical, imaginative men who had everything to gain over an ignorant populace, most who could not read, and if they did, they would find no opposition to the stories in the bible, written over two thousand years ago, before the age of enlightenment and long before modern biology, chemistry and physics were discovered. It was a time when the stars were points of light in the sky, people feared the solar eclipse, witches were burned at the stake, and one could be stoned to death for even suggesting that god was not real.
But the atheist of today is a critical thinker. The atheist is unafraid to speak the truth about religion. The atheist is proud to have a good, if not great understanding of Science and mankind’s place in the universe. The atheist is an existentialist who knows that he is part of the animal kingdom, and like all other animals, he will rot after he dies. He knows he will never see his dead relatives again in some wishful make-believe afterlife. These are not pleasant thoughts, but they are real nevertheless. It is sobering to know that life is short and often filled with hardship. Like all people, we cannot escape death. We just don't kid ourselves about what death really is, and what it means for all of us.
Many if not most atheists were raised in a religion. And for some it took great courage to overcome the religious heritage and the religious mindset it created. Just telling a family member or a friend that we no longer believe is hard for many, but once done, it allows the atheist to be released from the burden of having to pretend to believe. After telling others, we can be true to ourselves and to those who mean the most to us. Sometimes the revelation will enable the friend or family member to admit that they too, have similar doubts, but were afraid to admit them.
There is
tremendous freedom in being an atheist. We do not let someone else tell us what
to think, or what to believe. We judge every idea on its merits and accept only
those ideas that make sense. We know all
new ideas must fit with all that we already know and understand about the
world. We are not influenced by religious icons, superstitions, voodoo or holy
waters. We don't care where we are buried, because we know that when we are
dead, it won't make any difference. Most of us would prefer to be cremated, and
that our families keep the money to improve their lives, or donate the funeral
savings to a good cause. After all, caskets are a waste of good metal, and a
waste of the money that buys them.
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!!!
R. Allan Worrell
Robots, Robots, Robots - Part 2
Thinking about sentient robots gave rise to a number of
other related ideas. Let me show you.
Questions:
1) What rights should a sentient, self aware robot have?
2) What laws should apply to intelligent robots?
3) Should robots be allowed to marry humans?
4) Should robots be allowed to marry each other?
OK, I know these questions sound ridiculous, but let’s explore each of these questions, just for the sake of an intellectual argument. You might be surprised where this takes me.
1) What rights should a sentient, self aware robot have?
2) What laws should apply to intelligent robots?
3) Should robots be allowed to marry humans?
4) Should robots be allowed to marry each other?
OK, I know these questions sound ridiculous, but let’s explore each of these questions, just for the sake of an intellectual argument. You might be surprised where this takes me.
Question 1) What
rights should a sentient, self-aware robot have?
Let’s assume any self-aware being should have rights. How about dogs and cats? Any pet owner would certainly say his pets
are conscious, sentient beings. Can we
kill them outright? If you are shocked
at this idea, you are not alone. How about cows, pigs and chickens? This is dangerous territory which would turn
our society into vegetarians. PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) PETA Link would agree, stating unequivocally
that we should not kill animals for food, and even Kosher Jews have their own
laws about killing animals without making them suffer.
Sentient Robots, particularly ones who can talk and tell you
how they are feeling will be a cut above cats and dogs, cows and chickens. I would have a hard time turning off a
sentient robot who pleads for me not to turn it off.
Can you imagine the discussion you would have with such a machine? One could argue
that you and I are both biological machines.
Think about it. We might be little different than a truly intelligent, thinking,
speaking, feeling robot.
Question 2) What laws should apply to robots?
Let’s assume all our laws apply and see where that leads
us. Robots should not kill humans or
other robots. Isaac Asimov created the
three laws of robotics, (Three Laws of Robotics )the first of which stated robots should do no harm to a
human and no harm to itself unless it was forced to in the protection of a
human life. This is not encoded into our
Western laws today, but it seems like a good place to start should robots ever
become sentient. And speaking of that,
it occurs to me that the robots may establish their own set of laws,
particularly if they are smarter than us.
Wow. Now we are in for real
trouble.
Question 3) Should
robots be allowed to marry humans?
I suspect there will be humans, so enamored with their sexy
sentient robot that the humans will request the right to marry it! This will, of course, have our legislators
scratching their proverbial collective heads.
Some of them may be having affairs with a robot.
In the movie, AI, there is a sentient robot character named, “Gigolo Joe”, played by actor Jude Law, who services lonely women. But was Gigolo Joe just an elaborate vibrator? You might be inclined to think so, but consider a truly evolved robot that has feelings and is highly intelligent. I suspect if it could be emotionally hurt might be a significant test. But how would you really know? I believe a learning, self-programming machine can exceed its initial code, very much like a human grows into adulthood. You would not be able to predict the behavior of such a robot person. Wow, I just used the ‘P’ word. Can a robot be a “Person”?
In the movie, AI, there is a sentient robot character named, “Gigolo Joe”, played by actor Jude Law, who services lonely women. But was Gigolo Joe just an elaborate vibrator? You might be inclined to think so, but consider a truly evolved robot that has feelings and is highly intelligent. I suspect if it could be emotionally hurt might be a significant test. But how would you really know? I believe a learning, self-programming machine can exceed its initial code, very much like a human grows into adulthood. You would not be able to predict the behavior of such a robot person. Wow, I just used the ‘P’ word. Can a robot be a “Person”?
Question 4) Should
sentient robots be allowed to marry each other?
This begs the question why we have marriage in the first
place. The Catholic church states the
institution of marriage is for one man and one woman. Why? It occurs to me they come to this
conclusion for the protection of any children that might result from the union. This would explain why the church is against
gay marriages. But do they permit
divorce between married partners when one of them is sterile and cannot
conceive? I wonder.
What do YOU think? Leave a comment below!!!!!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
Contact: alw314@yahoo.com
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Robots, Robots, Robots - Part 1.
If you have seen a manufacturing facility in the last ten years, you have seen industrial robots. They come in all shapes and sizes, from desktop models that can move a pen or pencil, to giant hydraulic arms which can grab an automobile off of an assembly line.
In short, robots have proliferated across the globe. I can imagine a time in the not too distant future when robots will outnumber humans. I'm not talking about robotic servants in our homes that cook, clean, and wash windows, although those will certainly come to us someday. I'm talking about the robots which have largely replaced us in our factories, fly our airplanes, drive our cars, sail our ships. Did you know they can see? Yes, they now have all of our five senses: sight, touch, taste, hearing and even smell. Technology is advancing so fast it sometimes makes my head spin when I think about it.
Why should we care about the proliferation of robots (and smart computer programs)? Well, for one thing, they are putting us out of work. They don't get paid, they always show up for work, that is, they never go home. They may break down and need to be repaired, but they don't get sick unless they are connected to the internet and may be subject to hackers.
But more significantly, robots or smart computer programs may become sentient, self aware machines. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine what a robot could do with access to Google? With the ability to learn and remember everything, there is no limit to what it might do. It boggles the mind.
I once heard a professor say he would not be afraid of a robot as long as it loved him. I'm not so sure. I love my dog and my cat, but I don't think I want a robot to keep me as a pet. Do you?
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
Contact E-mail: alw314@yahoo.com
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