Star Trek at 50 - Telepresence

In a pioneering paper, the US cognitive scientist Marvin Minsky attributed the development of the idea of telepresence to science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein. In his science fiction short story "Waldo" (1942), Heinlein first proposed a primitive telepresence master-slave manipulator system.

The term telepresence was coined in a 1980 article by Minsky, who outlined his vision for an adapted version of the older concept of teleoperation that focused on giving a remote participant a feeling of actually being present at a different location.

This week, a look at telepresence.

TTFN, Fred. 

Quote of the week: "I am superior, sir, in many ways. But I would gladly give it up, to be human." - Commander Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Encounter at Farpoint” 

   ST50 - Telepresence

Star Trek at 50 - View Screens

At the turn of the 20th century, the TV as we know it today was only a dream in the eyes of inventors. Many believed they could take the basic concepts applied to the transmission of sound and apply them to the transmission of pictures. It would be unfair to say the invention of the television is attributed to one person. Philo T. Farnsworth, Vladimir Zworykin, Charles Jenkins and John Baird all attributed greatly to the invention of the modern television each supplying their own piece of the puzzle.

We've moved through cathode ray tubes, digital light processing, plasma display panel, liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes. Who knows what is next, but we'll watch it, I am sure.

 This week, a look at view screens.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I've found that when you don't think about a problem, sometimes the solution comes to you." - Commander Chakotay, Star Trek: Voyager, “Flashback” 

   ST50 - View Screens

Star Trek at 50 - Cloaking Device

Among the many tropes found in science fiction and fantasy, few are more popular than the cloaking device. In the real world, scientists have long engaged in research that would at least improve camouflaging technology, conceal aircraft from radar or further our knowledge of how light and electromagnetic waves work. 

Are cloaking devices not just for Harry Potter or Romulan warships anymore? Maybe yes, maybe no.

This week, a look at hiding in plain sight.

TTFN, Fred.
 
Quote of the week: "There is an old Vulcan proverb, 'Only Nixon could go to China.' " - Captain Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

ST50 - Cloaking Device

Star Trek at 50 - In-Ear Communicators

People began getting sound pumped into their ear canal long before Steve Jobs produced white earbuds and Dr. Dre jumped in the game.

The May 1926 issue of Science and Invention magazine included a brief article about a new pair of earbud headphones. The magazine touts many benefits of these headphones that echo the preferences of today: they are lighter, they take up less space, and more comfortable than bulky headphones in hot weather.

The first early ancestors of headphones were used by telephone operators in the 1880's. Less than portable, it was a single earpiece that rested on the user's shoulder and weighed over 10 pounds. In 1910, an eccentric Utah tinkerer named Nathaniel Baldwin began manufacturing the first modern headphones. He crafted them in his kitchen and sold them to the U.S. Navy. Miniaturization allowed microphones to be added to the headset for the complete talk and listen combination. And now the entire thing fits in our ear.

This week, a look at in-ear communication.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Humor. It is a difficult concept." - Lieutenant JG Saavik, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

   ST50 - In-Ear Communicators

Star Trek at 50 - Focused Ultrasound Surgery

In the late 1980s holograms seemed like the next big thing in imaging, after computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), because they added depth. Imaging systems were becoming increasingly important as minimally invasive surgical procedures – such as endoscopy (surgery using a tube camera) and laparoscopy (belly surgery, usually through the navel) – took off. By taking the data from the MRI and CT to create a hologram of a tumor and then projecting that into the body during surgery, a surgeon could cut out a tumor while avoiding healthy tissue. Lasers might be able to accomplish this, but so would high-frequency waves of sound. And why not use the ultrasound for the surgery itself?

This week, a look at the greatest leap in medicine since the scalpel, focused ultrasound surgery,

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "After a time, you may find that 'having' is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as 'wanting.' This is not logical, but it is often true." - Commander Spock, Star Trek: The Original Series, “Amok Time”

ST50 - Focused Ultrasound Surgery

Star Trek at 50: Biometrics

Biometrics refers to metrics related to human characteristics. Biometrics authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance.

It has been suggested that biometrics originated in the identificatory systems of criminal activity developed by Alphonse Bertillon and developed by Francis Galton's theory of fingerprints and physiognomy.

Regardless of where it started, it is around us every day. iPhones use fingerprint identification. Walt Disney World takes an image of your finger, converts the image into a unique numerical; the numerical value/ticket combination facilitates ease of re-entry into the park and helps prevent fraud. Washington State has an option for an Enhanced Driver's License that utilizes facial recognition to allow for border crossings into Canada without a passport, a necessity if you're after some Timbits®.
 
This week, a look at Biometrics.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind.” - Lieutenant Commander Data to the Borg Queen, Star Trek VIII: First Contact 

   ST50 - Biometrics

Star Trek at 50: Force Fields

The concept of a force field goes back at least as far as the 1920s, in the works of E.E. 'Doc' Smith and others; in William Hope Hodgson's The Night Land (1912), the remnants of humanity shelter in the Last Redoubt, generated by something very like a force field. The concept of force fields as a defensive measure from enemy attack or as a form of attack can be regularly found in modern video games as well as in movies, such as in The War of the Worlds and Independence Day.

This week, a look at Force Fields.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Logic, logic, logic. Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end."- Captain Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

   ST50 - Force Fields