Tonight's hosts:  Rym, Scott, David, Jason, Alex, Luke and Thaed.  Thanks to Sonic for coming aboard as our new editor.  Here are the topics:

--Neutrinos, radioactive decay and the Earth's core.
--Steampunk band Abney Park and the nature of this movement today.
Bolt some smelly brass on an ipod and call it steampunk?
--Ask the economist

We had technical problems tonight.  The outtakes are almost as long as the show.

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Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net
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--Economic down-turn and Open Source.  Will it help or hurt?

--(From David)  "The big things don't love you back.  They take and
take, and never give in return.  They'll drain your blood, your soul,
and never let you go."  The Postman by David Brin.

--If your lifestyle uses a lot of gas and electricity, but you can
afford it, should you change your lifestyle to conserve energy? Say
you like driving Hummers, your house costs a fortune to heat and you
run a hot tub year round. But you have the money, so it has no impact
on you financially?  Is this wrong?

--In his book "Brain Rules" John Medina advocates putting treadmills
in the classroom because exercise improves mental acuity.  He believes
ancient humans walked 12 miles a day and we should too.  Is this
workable?

--Contests held to improve technology dates back to contests in
England to see who could design the best locomotive.  Now, we have
DARPA prizes, the X-Prize and a host of others.  Should there be a
prize for every single societal problem?  Should we have a cure
malaria prize?  A stop homelessness prize?

--(From Jason) Big corporations are using viral media like "leaked
videos" (which are actually produced) like the Kobe Bryant kiddie pool
dunk video from Nike and the "fake" music videos which pretend to be
indie but are actually backed by a major record label.  Are major
commercial and advertising studios intimidated by the amateur video &
audio movement?

--Ask the economist.

Kelly rejoins the cast including Scott, Rym, Luke and Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--"I let it run overnight" is a fun google search.  What things do you like to let run overnight and with what results?  What would you like to be able to let run overnight?

--What about a computer game for misers and jerks?  It would allow you to amass huge amounts of wealth, palaces and AI bots to order around. You start out by being born into royalty and deal with the intrigue of Louis the XIV.  Or something.  Or just a sandbox where you can horde, order and abuse at will.  AI slaves!  Millions of them.  That's it. If we can't have robot slaves, we can have AI slaves. Would it sell?

--In a cage match between Naomi Klein and Ann Coulter, who would win?

--How the economic crisis is affecting podcasting.

Sites where you can find more information about Scott, Rym and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

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Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net
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And we're back with a record number of co-hosts!  Tonight features David, Ray, Scott, Rym, Viga, Timo, Jason, Luke and Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--What kind of pen do you use?  Do you write mostly in script or print?  Check out:  http://www.penaddict.com/

-- Discuss one interesting side project you plan on working on in 2009.

--There's a famous computer science lecture running around on the
internet that says that you have to almost create a split personality
in your head, devoid of any preconceptions, to properly learn
programming.  The teacher calls this concept "radical novelty."  Have
you encountered it?  What are your thoughts.
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD10xx/EWD1036.html

--Ask the Economist

Sites where you can find more information about Scott, Rym, Viga and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://vigatheotagal.blogspot.com/
http://www.mentalinterface.net

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Follow Thaed on Twitter
Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

So once again, no show.  We'll see if we can get one in prior to year end.  If not, Happy New Year!

Ray bought a new iMac so I'm hoping he'll become a regular again.

Tonight's hosts are David, Rym, Scott and Thaed along with newcomers Luke and Jason.  Here are the topics:

--Craigslist is destroying newspapers.  But is it really more of a
question of the interface?  You don't need the paper, you can get what
you want online.  But what happens when we can receive information
wirelessly directly into our heads.  What happens when the interface
melts away?  You don't need television, radio, phones or even
computers assuming brain communication is two-way.  Moreover, if you
can get sensory information this way with greater resolution than your
five senses provide, what happens next?

--Carl Jacobi is known for using inversion to achieve insight and to
solve problems.  The idea is that you look at a problem backwards or
from another person's perspective to work it out.  Have you tried
this?  Does it work for you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Gustav_Jakob_Jacobi

--In developing AI, where do self-teaching algorithm or genetic
algorithm come into play?  Where is AI development going today?  What
are the latest advancements?  How long before we all have robot
butlers.

--What is the future of theater, concerts, circuses, sports and other
types of live performance entertainment?  Do people need to gather in
meatspace and be entertained?  Is the economy (or the Internet) going
to shut this down?  Is live entertainment doomed?

--Ask the economist.

Sites where you can find more information about Scott, Rym and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net
Follow Thaed on Twitter.

Real life has me traveling around this great country of ours.  My travels will be ending on 11/13 and I will be celebrating.  Until then, it is consuming 100% of my energies.  So we'll be back soon and Ray has promised to join us.

Thaed

We have a full house with David, Viga, Scott, Rym, Timo and Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--Is it best to live as close to reality as possible?  Should you lie
to yourself or believe things because you like to believe them just to
get yourself through the rough spots?  If you don't like your personal
history, should you rewrite it in your mind?
--Is monastic life desirable?  Does it allow for greater focus on
intellectual pursuits?
--How much of randomness in life can be controlled, influenced or avoided?
--Is fantastic wealth a form of death?  If you eliminate the pursuit
of wealth from a person's life, does it kill motivation and purpose in
that person?
--Is it ever possible to step outside one's self to see ourselves as
others see us?  If you could, would you?
--If you were a pig farmer, how would you run your business?
--Ask the economist and physicist.

Sites where you can find more information about Scott, Rym, Viga and Thaed:

http://www.frontrowcrew.com
http://vigatheotagal.blogspot.com/
http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

Follow Thaed on Twitter
Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

No show for the 10th.  We are tentatively set to return on 10/24/2008.  This should not be an epic hiatus.