Links for 03 July 2008 through 04 July 2008

Stilgherrian’s links for 03 July 2008 through 04 July 2008, gathered with joy and mutton:

  • Draft Report | Garnaut Climate Change Review: The Draft Report describes the methodology for evaluating the costs and benefits of climate change mitigation; to the application of the science of climate change to Australia; to the international context, and to Australian mitigation policy.
  • Turing Test | xkcd: On the other hand, maybe the test is to make the examiner think that HE'S the computer!
  • Turing test | Wikipedia: "The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's capability to demonstrate intelligence." What I love about the REAL Turing test is the subtlety of it… It's not faking a human, it's faking a human faking.
  • Manned Cloud by Jean-Marie Massaud | Dezeen: This just has to be the most beautiful design for an airship I've ever seen. Guys, build it soon!
  • The BBC and the future of broadcasting | Stephen Fry: Stephen Fry's speech on the future of public service broadcasting, and the BBC in particular.

I rarely remember my dreams…

Photo of chinese Lucky Cat with waving arm

… but last night I did. I had to present a TV news program and it was going very, very badly. Interpretations, please!

It was my first day as presenter of an established program called News Tower. The presenters’ desk was stupid. Me and my overly-blonde female co-host had to peer out between mock embattlements as if our News Tower was a medieval castle.

When I got my copy of the script just minutes before show time it was hand-written on scraps of paper, and I could barely read the appalling writing. The pages were all out of order, and the text was over-written with corrections and arrows showing how the sequence had been changed. When I asked whether the Autocue copy was typed OK, I got a blank look as if “Autocue” and “typing” were unknown words. And indeed, the camera lens watching me was naked: no cueing system could be seen.

Continue reading “I rarely remember my dreams…”

Impromptu Stilgherrian Live Alpha

I did an impromptu Stilgherrian Live Alpha from Kelly’s On King, our local “Irish” theme pub, yesterday afternoon. There was a network drop-out, so after a few minutes of episode 5.1A you’ll need to grab the bulk of the program at episode 5.1B. The video starts late: there’s just a black screen at the beginning. But the quality improves noticeably as the program continues. Enjoy!