Friday, January 3, 2014

3 January 2014

Birthdays
Jennifer Lynn Warren b. 1979 (Creature, American Horror Story, The School in the Woods)
Alisen Down b. 1976 (Supernatural, Lost Girl, Stargate, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville)
Danica McKellar b. 1975 (The Big Bang Theory, Tasmanian Devils, Heatstroke, Path of Destruction, Babylon 5)
Nicholas Gonzalez b. 1974 (Sleepy Hollow, Witches of East End, Grimm, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid)
Matt Ross b. 1970 (Revolution, American Horror Story, Invasion , 12 Monkeys)
Mel Gibson b. 1956 (Signs, Mad Max)
Glen A. Larson b. 1937 (writer, Battlestar Galactica)
Dabney Coleman b. 1932 (WarGames, The Invaders, The Outer Limits)
Robert Loggia b. 1930 (Independence Day, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman)
Mara Corday b. 1930 (Tarantula, The Giant Claw, The Black Scorpion)
Ray Milland b. 1905 died 10 March 1986 (Battlestar Galactica, Frogs, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Panic in Year Zero!, Premature Burial)
J.R.R. Tolkien b. 1892 died 2 September 1973 (author, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit)

Nice mix on today's list. Mel Gibson as Mad Max was definitely a possibility for The Picture Slot as were the several fabulous babes, but instead we are looking at Tolkien. Until special effects got as good as they are now, Tolkien looked to be stuck with cheesy cartoon adaptations and that awful song Leonard Nimoy sang.  But thanks to improved special effects and the vision of Peter Jackson, we now get these big bloated movies that make my butt twitch something fierce.

Many happy returns of the day to the living, and to Ray Milland and J.R.R. Tolkein, thanks for the memories.
  

Predictor: Ray Kurzweil at TED Talks in 2005.

Prediction: By 2010, computers will disappear from view and be embedded in our clothing. The images will be written directly to our retinas for fully immersive virtual reality.

By 2020, high end computers will sell for about $10.

Reality: 2010 was too early, but Google Glass and computer wrist watch technology are both hoping to get some market share in 2014. They aren't actually "embedded in our clothing" and "fully immersive virtual reality" is like fusion reactors, always just a few years away. (I worked on some VR goggles in the 1990s. The technology wasn't ready and they were just large clumsy headache and nausea inducers.) It remains to be seen if these products will be iPhone sized hits or Segway sized flops.

As for ten dollar high end computers in 2020, the chips might get cheap, but input and output devices are still going to cost some money. I've been wrong before, but I would be surprised if this comes to pass.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We return to 1893, and a prediction about the wonderful progress that will be seen in the lands to the west of the Mississippi.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

6 comments:

  1. Tolkien would have to take the slot this year and yes his tales were originally cheesy cartoons but Richard Boone voiced Smaug in the 70s. His gravelly smoker's voice was perfect. I've always liked Danica McKellar since The Wonder Years. She's one smart lady and I used her books to help middle school students get the basics of pre-algebra. I've also started using my real name since I'm now totally retired and can't embarrass an employer. (The former Mr. Prosser.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr. Driscoll! Congratulations. I don't see any chance that I will retire, I'll probably die over a stack of ungraded papers.

      Danica McKellar has done remarkable work in math and is still acting and is still cute as a button. Good on her on all three counts.

      Delete
  2. Kurzweil? The singularity loon?

    He BELONGS in TED talks.

    You could probably fill this blog with his erroneous predictions, but he's probably not as fun as Heinlein.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Zombie, I'll look up more of his stuff. Always happy to have someone fill a weekly slot for a few months.

      Delete
  3. Three parts for the Hobbit is a bit much. Looks kind of like Jackson was really hurt by the comments ripping him for leaving out Tom Bombadil.

    ReplyDelete

Traveler! Have you news... FROM THE FUTURE?