CW 9.36 (Full Moon Edition) -- comp.ai distribution
Kenneth I. Laws
AI Vol. 9, No. 36
IS November 16, 1999
CS COMPUTISTS' WEEKLY
"For careers beyond programming."
1> Funding news.
2> Philanthropy.
3> Electronic commerce.
4> Technology news.
5> Robotics.
6> Cognitive science.
7> Personal advice.
8> Religion.
9> Midlife crisis.
10> Crass commercialism.
_________________________________________________________________
"If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain.
If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees.
If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people."
-- Chinese proverb.
Greetings, Computists!
AltaVista has changed its search engine (to the AskJeeves
service), leaving me without a good Boolean full-text batch filter
for Usenet. There are ways to search for specific interests
-- on AltaVista, Hotbot, Excite, Infoseek, or DejaNews
-- but no good way for me to search a broad range of topics.
I can find mainstream AI news and job ads, but will catch
fewer oddball items from obscure newsgroups. Let me know
if you run across anything interesting in out-of-the-way places.
1> Funding news:
NSF has updated its "CISE Research Infrastructure Program"
announcement. <http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf005>.
[CNS, 03Nov99.]
NSF's new proposal review criteria include the questions
"What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?"
and "What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?"
Be sure your proposal answers them. [Grantseeker Tips, 08Nov99.]
New disclosure rules are in effect for US-funded researchers.
The regulations are a compromise between those who want access
to federally funded data and those who fear companies will
not participate in federal research if required to disclose
their data. <http://www.usalert.com/public/newsletter.asp>.
[FOA Newsletter, 04Nov99.]
The US Dept. of Education will no longer publish announcements
of new grant opportunities in the Federal Register. Monthly
updates will be posted to <http://www.ed.gov/funding.html>.
[Grantseeker Tips, 08Nov99.]
BidRadar is a free daily filtering service for government
business opportunities. <http://www.bidradar.com/index.cbd/10>.
[FOA Newsletter, 04Nov99.]
ScienceWise Alert -- formerly U.S. Opportunity Alert (USOA) --
is starting a free email announcement service for small-businesses
research funding opportunities, including small-business
set-asides and all Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
To participate in the beta version, send an email message to
<wi...@sciencewise.com> with lines for First Name; Last Name;
Organization / Institution; Email Address; and Research Areas.
See also <http://www.sciencewise.com> for their new web portal
for science and engineering professionals. [Ibid.]
-----
"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths
rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success."
-- John D. Rockefeller.
-----
2> Philanthropy:
You might win long-term research support if you apply
your work to population control. The Buffett Foundation
gave out $18M in FY'99, but will have to distribute
more like $2B/year if it gets its expected funding when
Warren and Susan Buffett die. The Buffetts are worth about
$30B, and plan to leave it all to the foundation.
If education is more your thing, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation already has a $17B endowment. It also funds
health care and medical research, plus a few miscellaneous
projects -- whatever Melinda wants, basically.
[Michael Moeller and Anthony Bianco, BW, 25Oct99, pp. 80-84.]
E*Trade founder William A. Porter is giving $25M to
MIT's Sloan School of Management, to foster innovative uses
of technology in entrepreneurship. That's the largest gift
to the school since its founding in 1952. [SJM, 28Oct99, 2C.]
Netscape co-founder Jim Clark is giving Stanford $150M for
biomedical engineering and related cross-disciplinary sciences.
This may create new business opportunities in 10 or 20 years,
with the infrastructure possibly centered in Silicon Valley.
"The attitude at Stanford is one that fosters not only innovations
but entrepreneurs," according to Prof. Irv Weissman. One idea
floated by Channing Robertson is a virtual-reality training
simulator for surgeons. [James J. Mitchell, SJM, 31Oct99, 2E.]
(Did you ever try the Life & Death surgery simulation game?
Crude, but a lot of fun. Also humbling.)
For those interested in donating computers, suggestions
are offered at <http://www.ci.fort-collins.co.us
/environmental/recycling/centers/computer.htm>.
[Marilyn Barnes <mb...@mail.blackburn.edu>, net-hap, 23Sep98.]
Old 3.5" floppy disks -- even AOL promotional disks --
may be contributed to the Floppies for Kiddies Recycled
Diskette Project. <http://www.usacitylink.com/disks>. [Carol
Blake <bl...@neosoft.com>, Classroom Connect, 04Nov98. net-hap.]
You can click on <http://www.hungersite.com>
to donate a food serving to the UN World Food Program,
one visit per day. Ad sponsors have paid for 4M helpings
since last summer. [Newsweek, 08Nov99, p. 18.]
(Also known as <http://www.thehungersite.com>.)
-----
"It's hard to run with the weight of gold."
-- Grateful Dead, "New Speedway Boogie."
-----
3> Electronic commerce:
E-commerce companies created 400K new jobs in the past year.
Small business has been driving growth, just as in the traditional
storefront economy. The top 10 Internet companies controlled only
27% of the online market. [E-Commerce Times, 27Oct99. Edupage.]
College students spend $93B/year for non-tuition expenses.
Only $97M of that is via e-commerce, but students do spend
about 22 hours/week online. Services such as CollegeClub.com's
Campus24 hope to tap into that market by selling or auctioning
used books, small refrigerators, clothes, electronics,
and special offers from nearby retailers. [Forbes, 06Sep99.
Edupage.]
Levi Strauss & Co. will be shutting down its online stores
after Christmas, leaving sales to the likes of jcpenney.com and
macy.com. "A world-class e-commerce business is unaffordable
for us right now." [CNN Financial Network, 29Oct99. NewsScan.]
Christie's International has decided it can't afford $15M+
for a Web-based auction service. It cedes the online business
to the $25M "Sothebys.Amazon.com" site, supported by more than
100 employees. [WSJ, 12Nov99. NewsScan.]
Now that companies can rent Web-based office software
instead of hosting their own address books, calendars,
and the like, a new market is opening up for cross-company
support. Bidcom is one such start-up offering document sharing,
discussion support, and other services for the architects,
builders, and financiers on a building construction project.
IBM is positioning itself as a supplier of reliable computing
power to such application service providers. [Financial Times,
01Aug99. Edupage.]
-----
"The absolute fundamental aim is to make money
out of satisfying customers." -- Sir John Egan.
-----
4> Technology news:
Molecular electronic devices may be exponentially
more powerful than chips of comparable size today, according to
NY Times technology expert John Markoff. The future may be
in chemistry rather than $15B silicon fab lines. Computing
systems could be dirt cheap, printed as easily as photographic
film. Research is being carried out at HP, UCLA, Yale, Rice,
and elsewhere. [NY Times <http://www.nytimes.com/library
/tech/99/11/biztech/articles/01nano.html>, 01Nov99. NewsScan.]
"Zipper-VDSL" silicon chips from ST Microelectronics
and Telia (Sweden) are inexpensive and able to deliver video
over ordinary phone lines at 10 times the speed of ADSL.
[Financial Times <http://www.ft.com/hippocampus/q2c8cc6.htm>,
02Nov99. NewsScan.]
Voice-activated cameras and instruments from Medsurg
are helping surgeons perform keyhole surgeries in the US and UK.
The surgeon maintains complete control, can work faster, and
doesn't need as large a support team to adjust equipment
or pass instruments. [Reuters, 03Nov99. Lily Laws.]
TechNews is a biweekly editorial-style technology newsletter.
<http://www.topica.com/lists/TechNews>. [<muddm...@yahoo.com>,
NEW-LIST, 07Sep99.]
"Technology News in Russian Daily" is a mailing list for
Russian-speaking readers. <ru-technew...@onelist.com>.
<http://www.technews.ru/>. [Alexey Tselykh <edi...@technews.ru>,
newjour, 23Jun99.]
-----
"We see the world, not as it is, but as we are."
-- Stephen Covey.
-----
5> Robotics:
The Robot Auto Racing Simulation (RARS) emulates
the physics of cars on a track, with a graphic display
of the race and a separate "robot driver" program for each car.
It runs on DOS, Windows, OS/2, UNIX, Linux, and several
other platforms. All competition is free.
<http://home.planetinternet.be/~pascutto/index.html>, with
software downloads from <http://www.ebc.ee/~mremm/rars/rars.htm>
or <http://www.cgr.ki.se/cgr/persons/mremm/rars/rars.htm>.
Send a "subscribe" subject line to <rars-r...@lysator.liu.se>
to get on the mailing list. [G.C. Pascutto, comp.ai, 01Nov99.]
James Hall has started a GNU Robots programming contest
at <http://www.gnu.org/software/robots/contest.html>. How many
items can your robot pick up before he runs out of energy
or is destroyed? You program your robot in Scheme, to be run
under GNU Guile. [<jha...@isd.net>, comp.lang.scheme, 03Nov99.]
Trinity College (Hartford, CT) will hold its 7th annual
"Fire Fighting Home Robot Contest" on 15-16Apr00. Anyone
may enter, and more than 90 robots are expected. Each robot
must move through a house model and extinguish a lit candle.
<http://www.trincoll.edu/~robot>, (860) 297-2000 x2.
An 80-minute video of the 1999 contest is available for $25.
[Jake Mendelssohn <jmend...@aol.com>, comp.robotics.research,
29Sep99.]
Dennis Evans has a new Walking Robot Resource Page
at <http://home.att.net/~robotwalker>. [<sagew...@usa.net>,
comp.robotics.misc, 26Aug99.]
robovision is a new list for robotic vision discussions,
esp. for hobbyists and educational roboticists. Send a
"subscribe" message to <robovisio...@swampgas.com>,
or a "subscribe robovision-digest" message to
<majo...@swampgas.com>. [Michael Owings <mi...@swampgas.com>,
comp.robotics.research, 14Oct99.]
An international club for robotics, electronics, and
AI enthusiasts has formed, from the previous Wires and Circuits
of Yahoo, The Robotics Club of Yahoo (TRCY), and a related
AI Group. <http://members.tripod.com/RoBoJRR>.
[Justin R. <wey...@aol.com>, comp.ai.philosophy, 08Oct99.]
-----
"What achievement could be grander than the creation
of an object that surpasses the creator? How could we
consummate the victory of intelligence over nature
more gloriously than by passing on our heritage,
in triumph, to a greater intelligence -- of our own making?"
-- Isaac Asimov, "Asimov's Guide to Science."
-----
6> Cognitive science: [With Mike Hanafin.]
Nick Cassimatis has started a BrainMakers website
for people interested in AI and the mind sciences.
Current and planned services include AI news
(via <http://www.brainmakers.org/news.asp>), research results,
discussion forums, resource links, and collaborative CogSci
projects such as the "Concise Archive of Cognitive Development"
at <http://www.brainmakers.org/devo.asp>. [<n...@media.mit.edu>,
comp.ai, 09Oct99.]
Interacting with Computers is a journal of
human-computer interaction research, including dialogue
design, hypermedia, and computer-supported cooperative work.
<http://www.elsevier.com/locate/intcom>.
[G. Cockton <gilbert...@sund.ac.uk>, newjour, 15Apr99.]
Brain/mind list is for news postings and discussion
of brain/mind issues. Digest version available.
<http://www.onelist.com>. [Steven E. Romer
<logo...@mindspring.com>, sci.cognitive, 25Aug99.]
Multiple Intelligences Newsletter is emailed bimonthly.
Obtain a sample copy from <mi-news...@xc.org> or subscribe
via <subscrib...@xc.org>. [Larry Wilson <lwi...@xc.org>,
newjour, 10Jun99.]
Links to psychology resources are listed at
<http://www.ThePsych.com/>.
[Amnon Till <amn...@hotmail.com>, net-hap, 27Sep99.]
The journal "NETWORK: Computation in Neural Systems"
has narrowed its scope to neural studies and computational
neuroscience for neurobiologists, psychologists, and cognitive
scientists. This excludes other neuron-inspired algorithms,
except as they model psychological, cognitive, and linguistic
phenomena. The journal's editorial office is also moving to
Edinburgh from Bristol. David Willshaw <ne...@anc.ed.ac.uk>,
+44 (0)131 650 4404/5, +44 (0)131 650 4406 fax.
[<d.wil...@cns.ed.ac.uk>, connectionists, 07Oct99.]
Cognitive Science Book Review is an e-journal
covering psychology, CS, philosophy, linguistics,
and neuroscience. Contributions are solicited.
<http://cognitivescience.webjump.com>. [Paul A. Watters
<p.a.w...@computer.org>, newjour, 20Sep99.]
-----
If kids rebel by putting metal studs in their tongues,
will robots rebel by gluing worms to their faces?
-- KIL, 16Nov99.
-----
7> Personal advice:
A veteran Nashville police officer will assess your risk
of being murdered by rating your lifestyle actions, habits,
and associations. <http://www.nashville.net/~police/risk
/murder.html>. [net-hap, 29Jul98.]
Time Management Success is an email newsletter of short,
useful tips. <http://www.topresults.com/timemgmt.htm>.
[Bill Roche <bi...@topresults.com>, NEW-LIST, 04Apr98.]
The HomespunWisdom list lets you pass along insights
that have helped you cope and evolve into the person you are now.
Make new friends. Contact <HomespunWisd...@onelist.com>
or visit <http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/HomespunWisdom>.
[<lspul...@iname.com>, NEW-LIST, 20Apr99.]
Tips for coping with a heavy email load are given
in <http://www.pcworld.com/heres_how/article
/0,1400,3907,00.html?SRC=watch>. [net-hap, 09Jun98.]
If you like political cartoons, check out the daily
and thematic collections at <http://www.cagle.com>.
In particular, see <http://www.cagle.com/microsoft/>
for cartoons about the Microsoft monopoly trial.
[Tony Kusalik <kus...@cs.usask.ca>, 22Sep99.]
Kim's Quote A Day is a daily mailing of inspirational
or funny quotations. Send a "subscribe kqad" message
to <kb...@ttacs.ttu.edu>. [Kimberly L. Buck <ttub...@aol.com>,
NEW-LIST, 25May99.]
-----
"Give the world the best that you have, and the best
will come back to you." -- Madeline Bridges.
-----
8> Religion:
Donald Knuth has been writing a book about the Bible,
called "3:16", examining the 3rd chapter and 16th verse
of each book therein. Knuth says he was hesitant to admit
working on such a problem, but has received a warm reaction.
"A lot of computer scientists have a God-shaped hole
in their hearts." This fall he will present a lecture series
called "Things a Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About,"
as part of Anne Foerst's annual "God and Computers" forum
at MIT. See <http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/annef/> and
<http://web.mit.edu/bpadams/www/gac/>. [Margie Wylie, SJM,
16Oct99, 1E.]
A series about Prof. Knuth can be heard from
<http://www.technetcast.com/tnc_program.html?program_id=50>.
More about his Bible book can be found at
<http://www.techreview.com/articles/oct99/ditlea.htm>. [Arun
Tripathi. Amnon Till <amn...@hotmail.com>, net-hap, 21-30Sep99.]
-----
"Religion is like junior high school: it's there
to lead you to your own spirituality. Then you're
supposed to graduate." -- RuPaul Andre Charles.
-----
9> Midlife crisis:
When I started Computists International, I was
pulling myself out of midlife crisis. Through newsletters
I offered career help for researchers because I had always
needed and missed such guidance. I had read books about
careers and relationships and everything else, but
it never occurred to me to look for one specifically
about midlife crisis. Well, after all these years
I have finally read one.
The book is "Men in Midlife Crisis" (ChariotVictor,
1997, <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564766985
/computistsintern>) by Jim Conway, revised from a 1978 edition.
Conway is a Christian minister who learned the hard way
that faith and good works don't protect against the pain
and depression of life's crises. Everyone expects
the adolescent crisis of entering adulthood and choosing a career.
There is often a re-evaluation at age 28-32, possibly tied
to marriage and child-bearing choices. Most men hit another
crisis -- the midlife crisis -- at 35-45, or sometimes as late
as 55. Women may have similar difficulties as their children
enter school or leave home and again during menopause.
There is another re-evaluation at retirement, and possibly one
at the death of a parent, friend, or spouse. Some people
barely notice these transitions, others don't survive them.
Why does this happen? The average life expectancy was
only 18 years in the Bronze Age (including infant mortality),
20 in ancient Greece, and 31 in the Middle Ages. It was still
only 37 in 18th Century Europe. It climbed to 50 in the US
by 1900, but with only 4% of the population then over 65.
What we know as midlife used to be considered old age.
Two-thirds of all who have ever lived beyond 65 are alive today.
Their role in society is now commonplace rather than revered,
and that's the problem.
Midlife crisis appears to be psychological rather than
hormonal. After decades of increasing competence, a man
(or woman) realizes that this growth can't continue.
Regrets about lost opportunities and missed experience
mix with fears of exhaustion, boredom, obsolescence, or death.
If success has been attained, it isn't enough. The man
feels trapped by his job and by his family and community
responsibilities. In his depression, he will likely blame
his wife for many of his problems -- alienating his best source
of emotional support. (She may be going through her own crisis,
especially if he no longer seems a stable provider.)
He (or she) may have affairs, typically lasting no more than
six weeks, or may abandon everything and try for a new start
elsewhere. Whatever the choices, the healing often takes
five years or more. Life takes on a new depth afterward,
and surviving marriages are said to develop a new richness.
Life begins again at 40, or thereabouts.
Conway wasn't expecting a crisis, but it hit him anyway.
His faith in God was severely shaken, as he has seen in other
pastors at this age. It helped that his church supported him,
but he says that one good friend can be more helpful than general
prayers and good wishes. Intimate discussion with a spouse
is particularly healing, although difficult. He also found help
from nature walks and changes of scenery, physical exercise
and getting his body in shape, rest (and breaking his
workaholic routines), meditative music, and books suitable
for men's retreats. He also took on new challenges, including
doctoral work and then the researching and writing of his book.
Of all the advice in these 350 pages, the key is that
midlife is a time of changing purpose. After decades of
taking on more and more individual responsibility, it is time
to train others to take over. Let someone younger have your job,
as you work to guide and educate those coming up. Not every
company supports such roles -- a pity, which society may need
to address -- but you can no doubt do volunteer work,
teach classes, or write books. If you can't break free
immediately, changing your outlook may be sufficient.
Start reading books and articles that lead where you need to go.
Talk to a minister or counselor if you are depressed
or having marital problems. And pick up a book like Conway's,
for reassurance that your feelings of panic are normal
and temporary. That may give you the confidence for
a self-directed career change, as recommended in books
such as Richard Bolles' "What Color is Your Parachute"
(<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580081231
/computistsintern>).
Conway lists many other books that may be helpful.
He and his late wife Sally have also published books for women
about surviving their own or their husbands' midlife crises,
including "When a Mate Wants Out: Secrets for Saving a Marriage"
(<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031057370X
/computistsintern>). Poke around at Amazon.com and you'll find
many books on related subjects.
-----
"Twenty-five years ago a dumb 18-year-old college kid
made up his mind that I was going to be a dentist.
So now here I am, a dentist. I'm stuck. What I want
to know is, who told that kid that he could decide
what I was going to have to do for the rest of my life?"
-- From Barbara R. Fried, "The Middle-Age Crisis."
-----
10> Crass commercialism:
You have no doubt noticed the links above. I've signed up
for Amazon.com's associates program, which gives me
a 15% commission on most books you buy directly from these links
and 5% on other books you buy in the same visit. I'll try to
list only well-reviewed books. I've found Amazon.com convenient,
efficient, and fair. Its discounts are substantial (less the cost
of shipping), its customer reviews are exceedingly useful,
and now your purchases can help support Computists International.
Don't forget your local library, which may have books
from a much longer publishing span (such as Barbara Fried's book,
above, or Sally Conway's "Your Husband's Midlife Crisis").
Local bookstores are also a good bet, as you can thumb through
current books and even support your city's economy.
The seller who brings a book to your attention deserves
the commission. But if you're planning to buy through
Amazon.com anyway, I'd be happy to email you a CI link.
(Or you can make one yourself, plugging the 10-digit ISBN into
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ISBN/computistsintern>.
Then your purchases are known only to Amazon.) I'll check out
any selections for possible recommendation to other Computists,
in a new section of our website.
Above all, have fun. Life is too short to put money
in first place.
-- Ken
"There is a certain cowardice, a certain weakness, rather,
among respectable folk. Only brigands are convinced --
of what? That they must succeed. And so they do succeed."
-- Charles Baudelaire.
_________________________________________________________________
ISSN 1524-7163. Publisher/Editor: Dr. Kenneth I. Laws,
4064 Sutherland Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94303; (650) 493-4176.
Internet: <la...@computists.com> or <la...@ai.sri.com>.
Copyright (C) 1999 by Kenneth I. Laws. The Computists'
Weekly is a service to members of Computists International.
Members may make copies for backup or recruiting, and may
pass along occasional articles with attribution.
Details and archives are on <http://www.computists.com>.
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