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.

Timo the Physicist is our special guest!  David, Scott, Rym and Thaed round out the cast.  This show is devoted entirely to science and economics tonight.

Here are the topics:

Ask the Economist:  new ideas on alternative currencies
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/23/what-went-wrong.html

Update on the Large Hadron Collider from someone who knows.

Should the government fund pure science?

Is the Black Swan concept important to theoretical modeling?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludic_fallacy

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.

David, Scott, Rym & Thaed appeared tonight along with special guest Len from Jawbone Radio.  Here are the topics:

---Do people interact with their neighbors anymore?  Is is seasonal?
Does the internet allow like minded people to seek each other out to a
greater level of articulation than ever before?  Does that destroy the
idea of local community?  Was there ever such a thing as local
community?
---Cool robot videos!
http://ostatic.com/172525-blog/open-source-roboticists-on-a-path-to-c3p0
How far away are we from having robots that do our household chores?
What are the major hurdles remaining?  If you could have a
multipurpose humanoid robot, what would you make it do?
---Creating artificial life
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/09/biologists-on-t.html
Is this something that is helpful to humans?  How far away are we from
doing it?  Is there any real danger?
---Does Twitter just distract and annoy?
http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/09/twitter_distrac.html
---Do kids need to take happiness lessons?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/10/mentalhealth.happiness
---Ask the Economist.  (please think of something to ask David about,
if nothing else we'll talk about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae).

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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

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

David, Ray, Viga, Thaed and newcomer Breukelen Bell give you all they've got this evening.

Here are the topics:

--What dead stars do you miss and why?
--If you had a machine that would allow you to observe the daily lives of an alien race significantly more advanced than humans, what would you be most curious about in terms of problems they solved and interests that they pursue?
--Free speech for high school students?  Can kids express themselves out of school without repercussions?  Should they be able to?
--The Large Hadron Collider goes online 9/10
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/fundamentals/large-hadron-collider/dn14606
What do scientists hope to discover?  Why is this important?  Is there any danger.
--Should you go with your gut feeling?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14615-why-you-should-go-with-your-gut-feeling.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news9_head_dn14615
--The world is now a happier place.  Agree or disagree?
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg19926714.100-why-the-world-is-a-happier-place.html?DCMP=ILC-arttsrhcol&nsref=specrt11_head_Happy%20planet

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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

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

David and newcomer Alex and Thaed are the hosts tonight.

Here are the topics:

--A scientist let the fire department in to put out an air conditioner
and lost his home chem lab.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20080809/NEWS/808090323/1008/
Should this have had a different outcome?  Why or why not?
--A 24 hour curfew in the United States?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080813/ap_on_re_us/arkansas_town_curfew
The ACLU has threatened to sue.  Does it matter?  Is this an effective
way to deal with crime and poverty?  If not, what should have
happened?
--According to this article, humans are biased toward the beautiful:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926694.600-humans-are-biased-towards-the-beautiful.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news6_head_mg19926694.600
Is this dampened by the internet where in theory, no one knows if
you're a dog?  Does beauty work its way into everything anyway?
Should something be done about it?
--New Media Expo, SXSW, podcamps, barcamps, PAX do all of these
conventions have any value?  Is social media in general overblown?
Who is making money?
--Blogger lawsuits.  What should bloggers be sensitive to in order to
avoid getting sued?

Sites where you can find more information about Thaed:

http://www.mentalinterface.net

Subscribe via iTunes.

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

No show this weekend.  FNPL will return soon.

Tonight's show features Scott, Rym, Viga & Thaed.  Here are the topics:

1. Which is worse:  jealousy or greed?
2. Does being in control add happiness to your life?  There were some
nursing home studies involving patients who were able to care for a
plant and others who could control visits from interns doing the study
that indicated that having control is essential to happiness (and well
being)  So we should aspire to control and we should also give people
the power to control?
3. Now that I bought a Kindle, version 2 has been announced for the fall.
How about it?  Are you going to buy one?  Why or why not.
4. What are the top 5 things that every human being should do before he
or she dies?
5. (Rerun from Episode 13)  If you could meet any three celebrities
alive today, who would they be? What would you say to them? How would you like to meet? Over dinner? At an event? In your living room?

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

Lisa Bettany (www.mostlylisa.com) is our special guest!  Ray, Viga and Thaed are the regulars in the lineup.  Here are the topics:

--Esperanto related comments from the last show.

Does having children make you happy?  Not all of us have kids yet, but
this article (as found by Scott Rubin) seems pretty bleak.  What do
you think?

--According to this article, new software can quantify how many people
are at a given place by identifying the number of cell phones present
at a location by tying the information to GPS data.  Thus, if a person
wants to know where the crowd is on a given night, all he or she would
have to do is check online.  Is this good or bad?  What other things
could this technology be used for?

--Video editing.  What is the best software for editing video for
YouTube and home use?  Which hardware is best for editing videos?  Mac or PC  (yes, I want to go there).

--While I think this blogger might not have been serious, what do you
think about this concept of a Transhuman Olympics?  So long as
everyone knows what's going on, would people watch?  Is this
desirable?  Would it help science?

--Here's an article about scientists who were killed or seriously
injured in the line of duty.  Beyond the risks that everyone must face every day by virtue of getting out of bed, would you risk  terrible injury or death for your job?

--You have $5000.00 to spend.  You can't save it, you must spend it.
What do you buy?

--What are you reading this summer?  Plus, Ray creates an image in our minds.

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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

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

Grammar Girl a.k.a Mignon Fogarty is our special guest!  Our regulars this show are Ray (who joins us midway) Scott, Rym and Thaed.  Check out Ms. Fogarty's new book: Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

Here are the topics:

--Nature v. Nurture objectively speaking. What dictates human behavior more?

--Klingon, Leet Speak, Nerdish and Esperanto. If we can agree what constitutes a language, are these languages? Should people bother trying to create artificial human languages? Is the goal of a universal lingua franca a meaningful goal? Why or why not?

--Shakespeare v. Marlowe v. everyone else.  Do you think Shakespeare was a real person? Do you think he stole from other playwrights? Which of the plays is your favorite and why?

--Oak Trees that grow as fast as bamboo; corn cobs full of gasoline. Think of at least two things that could be genetically engineered to make the world better if ethics were no obstacle.

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.

Tonight's panelists are Scott, Rym, Howard the Venture Capitalist and, of course, Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--What is the nature of sociometry?  How much does attractiveness play a role?  How does this translate to the internet?

--Dependency on oil will stop when:
a) we get a new president
b) the price of gasoline gets high enough
c) inevitably over time
d) it doesn't matter because an asteroid will hit the earth and kill us all.
e) other.

--In a world where information wants to be free, why are lawyers so expensive?

--With cable tv, FM and satellite radio, IP TV, podcasts and god knows what else fragmenting media, what does this media fragmentation mean for content providers and for media companies themselves?

--What will the effect of the pull back in the credit markets be on the private equity world?  Does it matter to consumers?

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.

Scott Johnson from Extra Life Radio and The Instance is our special guest tonight.  Our regular hosts are David, Viga and Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--Take a look at at this New Yorker article
Are the distinctions made between invention and creation valid?
--In Monday's WSJ, there is an article entitled: "The Digital Future of Books." With the advent of the Kindle, and really even the web itself, how many years does print media have before it disappears entirely. What other issues come into play here such as can people even tolerate longer reading nowadays?
--What web comics do you you read? How difficult is it today for an artist to create a successful web comic?
--There were some changes suggested recently concerning orphan copyright procedure. If you could could change the copyright and patent system in the U.S., what would you do to it?
--Given higher gas prices, isn't it time to do less traveling and more telecommuting? How much more can be done with telecommuting? Will more employers support it now? How high does gas have to go before more people see the value in virtual interaction? Are gas prices even a factor at all?
--Let's comment on this article on 5 things humans no longer need.
What are some other things that humans no longer need?
--Ask the Economist


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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

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

Kirsten Sanford, a.k.a. Dr. Kiki is our special guest!  Our regular hosts tonight are David, Ray, Scott, Rym, Howard and Thaed.

Here are the topics:
1. Using multiple internet identities.  Is there a way to safely merge them
if you have a job where they care about what you do online?
2. What do you think about this article on The Great Filter Theory?
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20569/page1/
3. What is the most efficient way for a human being to absorb information: Video, audio or reading?
4. The Twitter revolution.  Penny Arcade covered it so it must be over,
right?  Are all the tweets just mayflies enjoying their one day or this an
enduring social phenomena?
5. What the hell happened to Ben Stein anyway?
6. How do you pass the time on airplanes?
7. Recently a guy in Pakistan used hypnosis instead of anethetic for surgery on his hand.  Is this fake?  Is hypnosis real?
8. Software Mnemonics.  What do you think about Evernote, Jott and Remember the Milk?

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

We've been on hiatus but now we're back.  This episode was actually recorded a while ago.  Next week we hope to have a very special new show with an exciting guest (or guests).

This lost episode features David, Kyle, Hungry Joe, Neito and Thaed.

Here are the topics:

--Do we need libraries anymore?
--Should the cities surrounding the Great Lakes sell the water to other cities?  (7:10)
--Is Police Brutality increasing in the U.S.? (11:30)
--Is college a waste of time and money?  (22:30)
--Is Canada the land of pot smoking music pirates?!  (34:00)
--What technology in the future will have as much impact as computers?  (45:50)
--Ask the Economist  (54:45)


Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

Tonight's episode features Ray, Scott, Viga and newcomers Neito and Hungryjoe.  Here are the topics:

1.  Look at this article on these artificial intelligence guys who killed themselves.  Do you think that there's something about this field that causes people to go crazy?  Do you think that there is a conspiracy here?
2.  I'm very much into playing with AI even though the state of the art is, well, lacking.Do you think we'll ever have software that allows you to interact with your computer in a way that's more than basic voice commands or mouse clicking? How many years away is this? Is it another flying car?
3.  State of podcasting today:  are video podcasters killing the internet radio stars? 
4.  Are we child men (or women?)  Is there any merit to this article?  Why or why not?
5.  Model turned bodyguard gets killed.  Is having martial arts skills meaningful anymore?  If someone has a gun or gets the jump on you, does it matter?  Look at the mixed martial arts guys that are so popular now. Isn't this just wrestling?  And given the fact that boxers do poorly against these guys, shouldn't people just learn to wrestle?
6.  What are you willing to do to extend your lifespan?  Eat less?  Exercise?  Take drugs?  Would you do what Stallone admits to doing?
7.  Watch this TED video: What do you think?  Does he have something here that can help people be happy?  Are outcomes really irrelevant?  What about persistent misery?  Haven't you ever known people who are never happy?  Have you ever met people who buy something and they are never happy with it?


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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

This week's show features David, Scott, Viga and Thaed.  Here are the topics:
1)How much of our behavior comes from other people?  We imitate, we keep up with the Joneses.  How much do we do because other people are doing it?  How much do we do because we are genuinely interested in what other people are doing?    Are we looking for richness in our own lives?  Are we looking for what we should be doing?
2)On some of these house hunter, remodeling shows, you see young people buying half million dollar homes.  Who are these people?  Is this real?  What do they do for a living?  Are these rich, 1st time home buyers the solution to the housing price decline?
3)Zurich Axioms, a 1985 book, was available through Ben's Bargains for free this week and we discuss.
4)Are memories irrelevant?  If you have a fun time at a beach does it really help your life?  Once you get beyond “don't touch a hot stoveâ€? is memory useful.  If it's not, then is fun itself only for the moment? 
5)http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn13160-upgraded-hubble-telescope-to-be-
90-times-as-powerful.html  They are going to fix the Hubble.  Is it worth it? 
6)What do you think about the fight between Intel and the so called $100 laptop folks? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7178241.stm 
7)Should we all stop being productive and start playing WoW, I mean, what's wrong with us?  Penny Arcade is doing it, why shouldn't we?
8)Are you looking to buy any toys for yourself in the coming months?  If so, what?


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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

No, we're not going on hiatus again, but we won't be back until the 11th.  I am hoping to do two shows a month for the foreseeable future.  Our audience is still growing and people are still having fun doing the show.  Who knows, we may even have a spin-off this year.

Happy New Year!

Thaed

This is an unusual FNPL episode.  We only have one topic and it's really a discussion on the nature of friendship.  It's also Kyle, Thaed and David arguing with Rym and Scott about the best laid plans.  It's youthful optimism versus jaded pessimism at its best.


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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net

Tonight, we have David, Scott, Kyle, Rym & Thaed.  Here are the topics:

--Why do people keep that which they do not use?  You have people with real problems throwing things away in an extreme way.  Their houses are full of what amounts to garbage.  On the other hand, some people throw away something immediately when it no longer has a ready purpose.  Many of us are somewhere in between.  Is it ok to keep something you don't use?

--We now have the scientific capability to track human abilities and illnesses to genetic characteristics.  Should we then score genetic potential in humans the same way we do I.Q.  Should everyone be tested and then receive a gene score?  Would this create new bar-room bragging between the sexes?  Would it create a new line of insults?  Is it horrific or inevitable?  (15:54)

--Excesses in entertainment consumption.  Those of us who were alive in the 80s remember the emergence of conspicuous consumption.  Today, however, I would propose that we have more ways to entertain ourselves than ever before to the point where there's kinds of entertainment that we forgo not because we don't like it, but because there's something we like slightly more.  Is this bad?  (41:08)

--Ask the Economist:  Earlier this month, the offices of the folks who make the Liberty Dollar were raided.  What do you think about this?  Federal law is pretty darn specific about who gets to issue currency in this country?  What's the deal?  How is this different from giving someone a promissory note or a share in stock for example?  Bonus discussion on IRAs and 401ks.  (50:29)


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

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

Subscribe via iTunes.

Email Thaed at thaed@cox.net