Fractal Reality

I don’t pretend to be anything of an expert, or even very knowledgeable, in the area of electronics however it is something that interests me.  When I read the many science focused articles around the net I eventually find myself absorbing information about the world of the resistor, capacitor, inductor.  Recently one such time I found myself reading an extremely interesting article about a ‘missing’ area of electronics that only a decade ago was discovered and only recently gaining speed.  When I say missing I mean it in the way that many elements in the periodic table were missing in days past.  This missing circuit element is named the memristor (with the memcapacitor closely following).

I first remember hearing about this technology a few years ago but didn’t think much more off it but now I’m more interested.  The basic overview of the memristor is that it acts like a resistor, by generating a voltage from a current, but then amazingly it “remembers” what current had flowed through it previously.  This is incredibly useful and will have lots of major applications around various technologies – one of which being Artificial Intelligence.  The system a memrisitor mimics is already seen in the natural world in simple and complex biological life with Humans being one of them.  This may have been one of the reasons why Artificial Intelligence has not had any major success (bar brute force) over the past decades compared to other fields of science.   It’s worth a thought.

To find out more follow this link to a NewScientist article (or Google it of course!)

Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Electronics, Memcapacitors, Memristors, Science
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Wow.  I think that’s the first word to pop into my head when I read the rumours yesterday and the official announcement this morning.  Out of nowhere and the cold ashes of a boxed franchise comes one of my greatest loves – Mechwarrior (Battletech).

For those who have no idea what Mechwarrior, or Battletech, is I’ll provide a little background information.  Mechwarrior is the computer game series based in the The Battletech universe.  The Battletech universe is one set in the distant future (3015 for this new game) where giant Robots dominate warfare and rule supreme.  The universe contains Earth but also a sphere of colonised planets named ‘The Inner Sphere’ that, in turn, contain multiple Royal Houses, Mercenary Units and later on the Clans.  The universe is in constant conflict between themselves or each other and involves heavy, but exciting political motivations.  This series was originally based off a game of miniatures that is played on a hexagonal based board.

To get back closer to my post subject: Over the years computer games of Mechwarrior have been made but the last release was in 2002.  Mechwarrior 5 was started but boxed due to the technological limitations of the current hardware / software for such an ambitious game.  Fast forward to today and now it is back!

The Battletech and Mechwarrior license world has been a battleground to mirror any Succession War (the name given to four major wars in the BT Universe).  The current Mechwarrior game creators are, instead of naming it Mechwarrior 5, rebooting the series and naming it Mechwarrior.  The graphics look great from the trailers and it’s based off a heavily modified version of the new Unreal Tournament engine.  The creators themselves are from the dead FASA so things look promising.

Let’s hope they don’t destroy my dreams.  Hopefully they’ll get this game out with it staying true.

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I haven’t blogged in a long, long time but no time like the present – especially if it’s a rant.  I recently moved back to Cardiff and my company allows for consultants to stay at hotels if they live far enough away.  I was told the move was fine and so I did just that.  Now they refuse to pay for my hotel room and I’ve enter laborious negotiations to be allowed some sort of accommodation.  Meanwhile I drive from Cardiff to Reading every day and that trip clocks in at a massive soul destroying 968 miles a week (luckily I can work from home on the Friday!).

The usual journey starts at me waking up at 5.30am and getting on the road by 6am.  I usually manage to do good timing and arrive at 7.50am-ish.  Today I was caught by a massive crash between a minibus and a truck carrying cows… of course – that usual crash sight.  Today’s morning trip came in at 4hours and 30minutes and due to getting into work ‘late’ at 10:30am I’ll be leaving late.  I’m dreading the trip back today as I fear the total commute will come in around 7hours.  I’m currently running off painkillers and coffee with a possible addition of proplus.

I hate travelling.  At least it’s nice to live in Cardiff again.

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soulesscomic.com hosting ended and I couldn’t afford to stay with them so I’ve moved to A Small Orange.  They seem pretty good at the moment other than their customer support when I had trouble.  Got back to me pretty fast but not very helpful.

I’m working my way through MODES, had to put my Half Life 2 mod on hold until end of university however. I was getting into that a lot around christmas time, pity.  Fixed my broken car, bought a new monitor to replace broken one, need to rearrange my jury duty.  Last week has been a  busy time, glad it’s slowing down again.

Smalltalk is driving me mad!  Squeak is such a buggy environment.  I want my Java back!  I work on AspectJ soon anyhow, should be interesting stuff.

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A list for myself to remember what I’d like to get working on:

• NWN2 module: Project White Hawk story
• M.O.D.E.S research
• Naruto RPG planning
• General Furscape planning and design
• A lot more drawing and story for cwolf_souless!
• Ultimate Showdown HL2 mod planning

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Recently revising has reached a boiling point.  It’s the third time I’m resitting these exams, and not due to lack of revising either.  Information I revise never sticks in my head so this time I changed my technique and doubled my efforts.  I think it’s paying off having sat one exam today, Algorithms II and Data Structures, with it handling nicely.  Four more to go.

I’ve got a damn cold too, which doesn’t help.  Really don’t feel like revising anymore today after going to a morning Computational Maths 90min revision lecture and sitting the full 2 hours of the exam.  James’ advice paid off as 10mins from the end I spotted a fatal flaw in one of my heap constructions.  Luckily I fixed it with only seconds to spare.   At least the maths lecture armed me with all the needed parrot learning material to pass the exam.  The new maths lecturer, while very cool and saved us all from the Russian maths, has made the course a thousand times harder than the first time I had to sit it.  Oh well, troublesome but can’t be helped I guess.

As soon as my exams are over I’m heading back to full-time work at Starbucks also until, and if, I enter the new term at university.  If I do I’m rewarding myself with a new PCI-e computer.  X1900 512mb X-Fire also I think I’ll go for!  I’m going to sleep the entire day when I finish my last exam.  I really want to work more on cwolf_souless but haven’t had any free time.  Damn.  Might do some sketches in my free time between revising tomorrow.
Maybe I’ll feel better after posting this heh.

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At last we’ve moved into the new house at 44 moy road.  We’re only here for two months but it’s a good place and we’re making it home for now.  My room is very cool and it’s so refreshing just to sit on my 3/4 and type using my laptop (desktop not hooked up yet).

Works was painful today but at least I got through it.  Had a cool night of drinks yesterday – need more sleep for tonight though.

At last… new house! =D

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Exams are now over ending with an amazing maths exam.  10 mins of writing and 50mins thinking about ice hockey! Had two great nights following my end of exams also so things are going very well =D.

Looking forward to heading out to get drunk tonight – so warm today so hopefully the night will be warm.  I’m going to work on my music and webcomic for the summer.  Job hunting begins!

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Can’t wait for these damn exams to be over with! Only ’till Monday…

On a bright note I drove to Barry Island beach at 1am-ish with Charlie, Steph and Dave. It was so cool and relaxing =D. We’re going to our division’s Ice Hockey National Championship on the 15th of July, 2 days before my birthday! The championship we played in around easter was the one above us so we kinda got hammered. We have a good chance of coming away as the winners of this one! We beat two of the teams 12-0 and 9-2, however, lost 6-0 to the other one. That was a bad game and I’m sure we can beat them if we put our minds to it!

Guitar string broke…again! o_0 Grrr Argh!! Need money! Grr Argh!! Damnation and Hellfire!!!

Ok, that felt good! =D. I’m really looking forward to going away to this surf festival in the summer. Will give me something to look forward to and save towards.

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Exams on the horizon!  Evil stuff.  Just saw MI:3 and it wasn’t so bad at all.  I actually think it did what it set out to do.  It was a good action movie and I liked it =).

First exam on Tuesday and so tomorrow is my final day of revision for it.  It’s going to be a big one!  Anyway night time!

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