box of Jack

WNYC’s Radiolab is a radio show and podcast that has introduced me to the ideas of godless heathens.

Ok, well, Radiolab is a show that covers a different topic every week that relates to science, philosophy or the human experience. It’s complicated to explain but at its core are Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, two guys who riff off one another to try and string everything together.

I want to talk about two of the shows that I listened to. They introduced ideas that would make some question, some take offence and others, like me, feel like the world is magic again. I apologise that the ideas are buried in 60 minute audio files but, like a good book, it’s worth it. Just shut off your obsessive multitasking for a while and listen. You don’t have to read what I write here but at least go listen.

(So Called) Life

In the episode, (So Called) Life, they explore the idea of humans tinkering with DNA. There’s this one seed of an idea in there that’s really powerful: a bunch of students have to do experiments with E. coli but it smells awful. They find a place that sells genes for producing nice odours, they buy a nice one and they breed new bacteria that smells better. Cool solution, right? But they just invented a new form of life! Previously, no E. coli known to man smelt this way.

The episode also briefly talks about places that create synthetic genes. You just pay them and tell them the DNA sequence and they build it. How different is it to paying a company to build you a piece of software? Or perhaps designing a piece of furniture to be built and added to your home?

Forget all the scary stories of designer babies, cloned sheep and genetically modified food for a second and just think about the opposite side of the spectrum. Students dicking about with some bacteria in a petri dish. A bunch of Gs, Ts, Cs and As in a sequence. It’s not that different from traditional computing. Life Itself, as a computing system.

Make me an algae that eats carbon dioxide and poops out bio-diesel. Make me a cow that grows human hearts on the outside like an apple tree grows apples. Make me a living sac that I can attach to me and it will just feed me with nutrients and deflate like a juice box. Make me a pet Godzilla. Is there really anywhere to draw the line?

The (Multi) Universe(s)

The second episode I want to mention is, The (Multi) Universe(s), which is just my favorite thing in the entire world. It’s an idea that is getting more popular in science fiction and basically there’s an infinite number of universes with infinite versions of you and even more infinite slightly different versions of you. Somewhere in this other universe, there’s a person with your looks, your hopes, your dreams reading this blog. They have the exact same thoughts contained in your head right now. They just started pondering if having an exact double is possible.

You could say that’s impossible. But, in the example they use, it’s hard to imagine flipping a coin and getting heads 4000 times in a row. But if you keep flipping, you’ll get it eventually, right? Just keep flipping, the probability is there. 50% to the power of 4000 or something. So in a big-ass infinite universe, why not the probability there’s another Jack? Or a Jack with one more eyelash. Or a Jack who has blond hair. Or a Jack who likes watching Oprah.

One assumption we are making is that creating an exact copy of Jack is just getting the right combination of particles in the right place at the right time. We’re assuming there’s not unique “kiss of God” here. I’m just a collection of atoms arranged in a certain way. Arranged another way, I might be a very large fruit smoothie.

Let’s keep this assumption because the really interesting part is coming up. They introduce this amazing concept that anyone who enjoyed The Matrix would love. Think of how ridiculously improbable it is that you could roll the dice and create our universe as it is now. This cute little solar system supporting this tiny blue speck that’s covered in water and intelligent life forms. Consider how much boring shit there is out in space; what are the odds of creating a hospitable ecosystem by chance? Isn’t it more likely that our world is the work of an Intelligent Designer?

Well, if you want to play the ponies, yes. It is more likely. But it’s more like this: since we’re talking about infinity there, then yes, we’ll get intelligent life being created by blind chance. But this is intelligent life! If they’re half as curious as human beings are, they’re bound to think about the universe and run simulations. Even if there were an infinite number of universes with intelligent life, there is an even greater infinite number of simulated universes with simulated intelligent life.

What makes us so special? We’re just particles. Sluggish bio-computers that obey our input and our programming as dutifully as the spellchecker in Microsoft Word. We might observe that we have free will but we also “observe” that the washing machine has a mind of its own when it’s malfunctioning.

In short, I love the theories of infinite universes. Listen to the podcasts I linked to, they do these topics a magnitude more justice than my ramblings ever could.

DILO Sep 07 - Lipstick by Auntie P

My head is swimming. But I’m going to try to talk about today’s political attacks. And I’ll most likely be wrong because I’m stupid enough to get my news from the internet. I don’t know how journalists write about this crap for a living. No wonder they go crazy. My aim in writing this is not to foster discussion or to draw more attention to a manufactured outrage. I just need to get this crap out of my head. So don’t read this post. Go hug your children instead.

So, Obama criticized the McCain campaign’s policies and politics. He thinks they’re just taking the old ways and calling it something different. “Lipstick on a pig”, he calls it. Now, I know what he meant. But it was a poor choice considering Sarah Palin describing herself as a hockey mom and a pit bull with lipstick. I’d describe this as a “dick move”. You had plenty of chances to use that expression before her speech.

In other news, McCain is happy to paint Obama as some sicko that promotes kindergartners “learning about sex before learning to read”. I haven’t checked my facts but the linked blog post said it was a program to help children identify what kind of touching is and isn’t ok. This would probably rank higher than a dick move.

There’s also the Salon article, titled “What’s the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick.”. Which is, of course, ridiculous. First of all, Palin is a Christian with fundamentalist views. Second, maybe Muslim fundamentalists wear lipstick? We’ll never know. It’s a sensationalist headline, I get it. The article itself seeks to highlight how Palin’s fundamentalist views have influenced her and her actions as governor of Alaska. It just spices it up a little because WOW SHE’S JUST LIKE A CRAZY MUSLIM BUT A CHRISTIAN. And as we all know, America might elect a female president or a black president but they’ll never ever elect a Muslim one.

The two of us napped on the sand at Chrissy Field. We were surrounded by all the magical goodness you could want from life: deliciously fine sand, the sun beating down, a cool ocean breeze and an abundance of happy dogs out with their owners. The Golden Gate Bridge watched over us, quietly counting the many hearts that people have left in this city over the years.

We were hella tired. Second day of our vacation and we had stupidly believed we could make it into Mama’s for brunch if we woke up early enough. We woke up late, we ate elsewhere and now we were full of breakfast eggs and in a walking food coma.

On our way from Chrissy Field to Haight-Ashbury, we drove down Divisidero and I immediately noticed the iconic San Francisco homes. In particular, I couldn’t help but remember Ingrid Michaelson searching for the Full House house and Wikipedia soon told me that we were only about a mile away from the house they feature on the intro credits.

The photo on the right is Full House by creanium.

Mind you, I checked on YouTube after I got back and they show the front of the house for less than a second.

From what little I saw of San Francisco, it was a great city. There was something very grounding about walking around Chinatown on a Saturday morning and seeing all the old people shuffle about the markets, clutching their pink shopping bags. It wouldn’t be a bad way to live out my golden years.

We also saw quite a bit of Berkeley but there’s not too much to say about it except that it’s obviously a very youthful place and I was pleasantly surprised by the good food. Not a tourist destination, but really just a stroll down memory lane for her.

I have this crazy fetish for covers of songs. Please tell me I’m not weird. None of my friends seem to share this love but I totally dig it when either I hear an artist reinterpret songs in their own crazy way.

Off the top of my head, here are some that I love:

• Nouvelle Vague - Blue Monday (originally New Order)¹
• Amy Millan (of Stars) - I Will Follow You Into The Dark (originally Death Cab For Cutie)
• The Vines - Ms. Jackson (originally Outkast)
• Obadiah Parker - Hey Ya (originally Outkast)
• Ben Folds - Tiny Dancer (originally Elton John)
• Damien Rice - Creep (originally Radiohead)
• Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights (originally The Postal Service)
• Julia Nunes - Alive With The Glory of Love (originally Say Anything)²
• Ted Leo - Since U Been Gone (originally Kelly Clarkson)

I’m sure there are more out there. Don’t be afraid to throw some of your favorites in the comments section.

Bay Area

I am going to be down in San Francisco and Berkeley for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Since I’ve never been there, I’m relying on you guys to give me last minute places to visit. Sightseeing is the big one but restaurants and bars would also be very much appreciated.