Emergence Emerges How to self-organize without requiring a blowhard. Emergence is a phenomenon, or more properly one of several phenomena, that is still debated. It is something that results from a collection of smaller units, that cannot be predicted from observation of the smaller units. Like the conical shape of a pile of sand, for example. from observing grains of sand, one wouldn’t be able to predict the regular conical form that it assumes when piled, and when that pile increases. Regardless of the size of the pile of sand, the angle of its sides remain constant. (although whether any given phenonmenon is considered emergent or not is yet debated between and among philosophers, scientists and dilettants). This behaviour extends to atoms and molecules, molecules and matter, and of course, cities, life and the mind. Multicellular computing: emergent phenomena in nature Emegence of the Slime One of the most interesting cases is the slime-mould. the Emergence of Life the Emergence of Steven Johnson
How To Build A Fireball You Can Hold Video Keyport Keyport products are proudly designed, manufactured, and assembled in the USA. Keys have been around for centuries and they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Keychains however, are a thing of the past. Each Slide has a unique serial number. We offer a Lost & Found program to reunite you with your beloved Slide. Learn More Infusing utility with style, Keyport replaces the out-of-date keychain by streamlining your most important personal everyday carry items (keys, USB flash drive, mini-light, bottle opener, loyalty tags, pen, plus many more in development) into one indispensable gadget. Small enough to fit comfortably in the fifth pocket of a pair of jeans, the Keyport provides access to any of the items with just the slide of a thumb. In short, the Keyport Slide is a cool keychain alternative, a very useful tech gadget, a must-have fashion accessory, and the perfect gift.
Cool Jazz Chord Progressions for Guitar | LoveToKnow Are you looking for some cool jazz chord progressions for the guitar? Sometimes guitar players who are coming from a blues, folk or rock background think that jazz music is a cacophonous assortment of random notes. While such an argument could be made about some forms of free jazz, many jazz songs are based around standard progressions that aren't much different than the progressions found in other forms of music. Read on to learn more about some really cool jazz chord progressions for guitar. Get a Chord Chart Before you read on, you need to take a quick detour and download LoveToKnow's free chord chart if you haven't already. The chords employed in jazz music typically are more extended than they are in rock, folk and blues. Some Cool Jazz Chord Progressions for Guitar Now that you have your chord chart handy, you're ready to tackle some cool jazz progressions. This progression, known as the "one/six/two/five" is one of the most common progressions in jazz music. Find a Friend
Emergent Phenomena in Nature Nature offers many familiar examples of emergence, and the Internet is creating more. The following examples of emergent systems in nature illustrate the kinds of feedback between individual elements of natural systems that give rise to surprising ordered behavior. They also illustrate a clear trade off between the number of elements involved in the emergent system and the complexity of their individual interactions. What is the lesson for multicellular computing? It behooves us to better understand emergence in complex dynamic systems. Hurricanes Hurricanes emerge from mutual positive feedback between wind, humidity, evaporation of sufficiently warm ocean surface waters and Coriolis effects. Two phenomena, linked in a feedback loop, provide the sustained energy that allows wind speeds to grow and the hurricane to organize. By themselves, the evaporation/condensation processes do not necessarily cause hurricanes. The lesson is that you can't have a tempest (hurricane) in a teacup.
Tempest Freerunning Academy Looks Like Real-Life Video Game Think of the Tempest Freerunning Academy as parkour meets video games. Unlike similar academies, this one comes with its very own Super Mario Bros. inspired area. Video after the break. [via Likecool - Gizmodo] Interesting Posts Around the Web Eaux Eaux – Bathroom Sink by Joel Roberts What A Wave The Eaux Eaux sink is quite a take on the oceanic wave! Its simple form, in one fluid motion, integrates the spout into the basin. It’s like the flow and ebbing of the waves in a synchronized dance. The base is secured into a recessed counter top while the stainless steel body is glam-ed up with a blush of paint. Designer: Joel Roberts Self help: try positive action, not positive thinking | Science | The Observer For years self-help gurus have preached the same simple mantra: if you want to improve your life then you need to change how you think. Force yourself to have positive thoughts and you will become happier. Visualise your dream self and you will enjoy increased success. Think like a millionaire and you will magically grow rich. In principle, this idea sounds perfectly reasonable. Take visualisation. In one study led by Lien Pham at the University of California, students were asked to spend a few moments each day visualising themselves getting a high grade in an upcoming exam. Why should this be so? However, when it comes to change, the message is not all gloom and doom. Towards the end of the 1880s, James turned his attention to the relationship between emotion and behaviour. James hypothesised that the relationship between emotion and behaviour was a two-way street, and that behaviour can cause emotion. Take, for example, willpower. The same applies to confidence. HAPPINESS: Smile
tensegrity - home The phone's gone dead | Linda Grant This week I have received two dinner invitations via Twitter direct message; they bounced into my iPhone as email alerts. I was asked if I would like to write this piece via an email, which announced itself with a ping while I was walking along the Cornish coastal path, and to which I replied with a terse "OK". I can't remember the last time I actually spoke to the person who'd commissioned it, for talking to people for work-related purposes has become the communication of last resort, only necessary when you have complex problems that require direct speech to iron out. In an era when literacy and the written word are supposed to be in decline, much of what we say to each other relies on typing on various kinds of screen, in the home and outside it. Ofcom has just announced that there has been a 5% fall in calls made on landlines and mobiles. In 2011, 58% of people sent texts, while only 47% used their mobiles to speak to someone. Now both my phones have fallen silent.
Room Dividers: 15 Free-Standing Walls & Folding Screens Room Dividers: 15 Free-Standing Walls & Folding Screens Article by Steph, filed under Furniture & Decor in the Design category. Want a really cool wall but don’t want to build one? Conventional curtains and traditional shoji screens aren’t the only ways to visually break up interior spaces. These 15 innovative and artistic room dividers – including colorful plastic panels, strange plant-like modular screens, real green and growing separators and flexible walls made of wood – also function as works of art, lighting and even furniture. Build-a-Partition (images via: Yanko Design) This modular partition system called ‘Cell’ by the Edelweiss Industrial Design studio allows you to custom-create a room divider in the shape, size and density that you need for that particular space. Plant-Like Plastic Room Divider (image via: Unica Home) Natural Tree Branch Divider (image via: Crib Candy) Fiberglass Bars (image via: PEGE) Room divider or modern art sculpture? Illuminated Room Divider (image via: Generate)
Voussoir Cloud By IwamotoScott Architecture The Voussoir Cloud by San Francisco-based architects, IwamotoScott, is a site-specific architectural installation using an age-old masonry vault paradigm with an intent to “confuse the structural and material strategies”. A series of intricate geometric studies and structural simulations result in a system of compressed vaults created by grouping together a light-weight, wedge-shaped modular element called the Voussoir. At closer look, the Voussoir, or petal, is formed by folding paper-thin wood laminate along curved seams, and are key structural components in forming the arches. Simply a solid piece, and breathtaking, especially with the experience of light and shadow, as if you’re walking through clouds. Don’t go yet. More images after the break! exterior surface showing the folded voussoir ‘masonry’ bird’s eye view of the vaults examples of the computational diagrams close-up of the compressed petals