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- Infrared Nosed | Bird Brain | Minecraft CPU - The Convo Kit #28
Infrared Nosed | Bird Brain | Minecraft CPU - The Convo Kit #28
The Matrix Resurrections looks like a Matrix reboot, but feels like a Breakfast of Champions movie. Free will, creators messing with people, mirrors doing weird things, and so on.
What do you think?
-Steve
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Infrared Nosed Reindeer
In the most significant flight on December 25th, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope begins its journey to our galaxy’s past. Its 30 day commute is scheduled to begin approximately 80 minutes after this email hits your inbox.
Destination: 1 million miles from earth
100 times more powerful than Hubble telescope
Cost: $10 billion over 30 years
Webb will use infrared light to potentially see how galaxies first started. The massive honeycomb structure will unfold itself in space as it hopes to survive over 300 potential failure points.
Bird Brain
Researchers observed crows assigning value to tools they deemed rare or important. As if using tools wasn’t impressive enough, some crows can even build them.
Crow value: Efficiency > self-made tools
High value tools are stored more securely than others
Hooked twigs are a hot commodity for their utility and rarity
Unfairly judged for their small size, bird brains have densely packed neurons working hard to prove their smarts. Their high value placed on efficiency demonstrates behavior previously thought to be exclusive to humans. Still, I don’t suggest calling someone “bird-brained” as a compliment.
Minecraft CPU
A player built a working computer processor inside Minecraft’s environment. CHUNGUS 2 took seven months to build and can play games such as Tetris and Snake.
CHUNGUS: Computation Humongous Unconventional Number & Graphics Unit
8-bit processor with 256 bytes of RAM
As large as a cruise ship if built in the real world
CHUNGUS 2 visualizes what is really going on inside the microchips we take for granted. Each input triggers a chain reaction of levers, pistons, and other small devices leading to the desired output. Imagine as you scroll down this page, a little Minecraft player feverishly hopping on buttons to make it happen.
Whaley Big Dino
A massive ichthyosaur skull found in Nevada alters how we understand time and evolution. We now know these marine reptiles reached their giant status in just 2.5 million years.
Whales joined the giants club after 55 million years of evolution
Ichthy size: Over 55’ in length with a 6.5’ long skull
Estimated weight: 45 tons, or ~7 African elephants
This new species, Cymbospondylus youngorum, roamed the depths of a superocean in western North America. Scientists believe their intense growth is tied to a surplus of ammonites during the early Triassic period.
Manta Drone
Manta Ray underwater drones aim to provide marine operations with the same autonomous utility as those above sea level. The program launched by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 2020 will reduce risk for naval soldiers.
Operable at extreme depths
Recharges by harvesting ocean current energy
Operates without human support
Manta-Ray is now in phase two, meaning a full-size prototype will be built and tested by contractors Northrop Grumman and Martin Defense Group. Potentially endless run times would significantly improve naval surveillance and make finding Nemo a whole lot easier.
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