Well, the Human Genome Project is almost completed. So what should we do next? Enter the All Species Inventory. These people have set the goal of inventoring all species on earth. Within 25 years. In their words:

If we discovered life on another planet, the first thing we would do is conduct a systematic inventory of that planet's life. This is something we have never done on our home planet. The aim of the All Species Inventory is simple: within the span of our own generation, record and genetically sample every living species of life on Earth. This audacious goal will be accomplished by using one billion or more dollars of philanthropic wealth to fund and train a network of local collectors and naturalists throughout the world, and to employ the latest in information technology to manage this surge of bio-information.

Truly a Grand Scheme, superceded only perhaps by the 10,000 year clock.

Hi Y'all, just wanted to let everybody know there is a really good discussion on The Edge right now. It's called "One Half of a Manifesto" (~100k) and written by Jason Lanier.

My favourite byte to chew on:

... Turing's mistake was that he assumed that the only explanation for a successful computer entrant would be that the computer had become elevated in some way; by becoming smarter, more human. There is another, equally valid explanation of a winning computer, however, which is that the human had become less intelligent, less human-like.

An official Turing Test is held every year, and while the substantial cash prize has not been claimed by a program as yet, it will certainly be won sometime in the coming years. My view is that this event is distracting everyone from the real Turing Tests that are already being won. Real, though miniature, Turing Tests are happening all the time, every day, whenever a person puts up with stupid computer software.

(emphasis mine)

Oh, and don't head over there until you have a good block of time so you can think about the ideas, and also read the extensive Reality Club response (274k) which is arguable more interesting than the article itself.

Enjoy, I know I am.

mojotoad: What if there was a (wonderful) VCR that automatically filtered the commercials?

I'm told the Panasonic VS-9670 is such a beast. I think there are others as well. And then there's TiVo.

...answering here because I didn't feel it was appropriate to fragment the discussion on the front page.

cheers.

Viruses are yucky. We just got hit with VBS/LOVE this morning. Aren't we just sooo lucky that ISB decided NT and Exchange were the corporate standard? And McAffee as the AV Guardian-At-The-Gate?

McAffee is moving to a completely online version of security. The way it's supposed to work is: an ActiveX/Java-enabled web browser connects to their site, grabs the latest virus definition files & (java) scanning engine, disinfects local computer. A wonderful idea for ensuring you *always* have the latest version.

But what happens when X Million users all get hit at once? You're dead in the water, that's what. I been trying for over an hour to get through on McAffee's site to find a love-fix that will integrate nicely with our setup. I've now managed to navigate through 3 whole pages. What progress eh?

Anyway, F-Prot came through as usual though their site is pretty bogged too, so here is a mirror for those of you who happen to be stuck in the same situation I am.

the problem with names I can sure empathize with this one. Professionally, I'm Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tech. So I called my first attempt at my own business "Perigee". Perigee is the word used to describe the point in the moon's orbit where it is closest to earth. I thought a GIS company named "closest to earth" was pretty cool synthesis of my work and the word's meaning. Unfortunately, nobody I encountered knew what the hell it was, or if they did they thought I was trying to capitlize on Apogee Ltd. or Inc. or ...)'s popularity. yuk. So I chose an even worse name: "patawi", shamelessly pilfered from Sanskrit and spelt like it sounds. It means earth. After explaining that away a few thousand times I gave (but not wised) it up as a business name. Then I got the bright idea of mixing my and my SO names up to produce Tammik, which appears to be a popular last name in estonian.

I'm still explaining the name with every new encounter, but I've stopped trying to generate the "right name". One of these days I'll spring wake up at 3am and it'll be there. Or so I've been telling myself for the last 3 years anyway. :)