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trimski | 16 years ago | on: It is unquestionably the future

During a discussion with a friend on future technology, someone remarked that for a few days' wages ($200 for an iPod touch) you can now hold a condensed summary of all human knowledge (Wikipedia) in the palm of your hand, with near-instant access to astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, engineering, mathematics, history, sociology, economics, psychology, medicine, technology, literature, art, drama, religion, and boundless other subjects.

Yet far more often we use it for trivia and the mundane. The future is wasted on the future.

trimski | 16 years ago | on: Is College Really Worth It?

The financial aid available at top-tier schools is very generous, because so few low-income students make up the undergraduate body. If I recall correctly, at the top 120 colleges in the United States, only 3% of the student body come from families in the bottom quintile of household income.

As a result, schools such as Harvard[1] and Stanford[2] pay for all tuition for students with a household income of less than $60,000.

[1]: http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/financial_aid/inde...

[2]: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/undergrad/

trimski | 16 years ago | on: Squareup

You're right, that was a rather asinine thing I said.

trimski | 16 years ago | on: Squareup

It's really no more criminal than sharing the physical card by passing it around, though the law may disagree.

trimski | 16 years ago | on: An actual attempt at a list of "What You Can't Say."

> Biology is destiny, no matter what your dreams are. Short people will never play in the NBA no matter how hard they practice. Dumb people will never get smarter by studying. Ugly ducklings grow up into freaky-looking ducks, not swans.

You'd have to make quite a stretch to say "never" for all of these. Short people do play in the NBA: Nate Robinson, Muggsy Bogues, and Ty Lawson come to mind. Try proving that "dumbness" is determined at birth by biology. And ugly ducklings growing up into freaky-looking ducks is a generalization, not a rule. Sure, there are some features people inherit that make them beautiful, but as one grows up there is a lot one can do to even the playing field (e.g., exercise, dress better, even plastic surgery)

trimski | 16 years ago | on: Will books survive? A scorecard.

Keep in mind that this is about the future of ebooks, that is, those without the limitations of today's ebook readers.

Nevertheless I won't give up my physical books soon. I borrow friends' books, mark my own with all sorts of scribbles not easily reproducible on a computer, focus clearly and read much longer on paper, marvel at the wonderful construction of books, and singularly enjoy the sensation of turning page after page when reading. Yes, I'm ascribing a healthy dose of romanticism to reading physical books, but maybe it is for that reason I will be still reading dead tree editions of books when ebooks are ubiquitous, like those who view "Henry V" in the theater even though Kenneth Branaugh is available in the cinema.

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