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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