I ran across a couple of interesting items on the science page of our local paper. One article claimed there would be a minimum of 10,000 PlayStation 3s whose spare processing power will be used next year for biological research. Further, it was reported that the interconnected game systems will be five times faster than the world's most powerful supercomputer. The first question that came to mind was, "Are there biologist standing in line at Target Stores all over the world to collect 10,000 PlayStation 3s?" The next question: "What do they mean by 'spare processing power'?" Is that whatever is left over after the so-called researchers are done playing Zelda? Surely Sony won't make the biologists stand in line when their game system is getting such good press as a research tool. Heck, they probably donated 10,000 and wrote them off! Next question: "Why didn't I think of this before Christmas?"
The other article explains that Charles Darwin was an authority on earthworms. Apparently, he even went so far as to calculate the number of worms in his garden ("53, 767 pre acre, on average". What? 53,767 is an average? Does this mean some days there were 53, 766 and other days there were 53,768?). Mr. Darwin also subjected his earthworms to many experiments, including several to test their hearing. He placed them near a piano and then in the mouth of a bassoon. Given their lack of response, he concluded they were deaf. Or at least unappreciative of the music. Kind of calls all his other scientific theories into question, doesn't it?
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3 comments:
I love the mental image of a pile of worms sitting next to a piano. I mean, really, who does that?
Maybe Mr. Darwin counted the number of worms in various acres and then averaged, rather than counting the same acre every day for a week.
These days many people have their game systems hooked up to the internet. I would guess that the researchers will use that connection to enable them to tap into the processing power of other people's systems when they're idle. I did this once with my computer in order to aid the search for bigger prime numbers.
Clark: I have to admit I was being a bit facetious about the earthworms. Somehow I enjoyed the thought of Charlie out there on his hands and knees digging up worms: "Fifty-three thousand, seven hundred, ninety EIGHT! Fifty-three thousand, seven hundred, ninety NINE! Wait - that was only half a worm. Fifty-three thousand, seven hundred ninety-eight and ONE HALF!" You get the idea.
As for the Play Stations, I am obviously in over my head on that one. But I love the idea that while Sherman is asleep someone else is using his game system. grin.
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