(Wall Street Journal, Jan. 19, 2015) Your avatar may be the window to your psyche. Psychologists are discovering that the digital identities we create for play online, known as avatars, reveal more aspects of our personalities than we may intend to disclose and can change how we behave in the real world. As digital experiments in identity, our personal avatars mingle real and virtual worlds in ways that scientists are only beginning to analyze. While data is scarce, emerging technology[…]
Humans and Robots May Have the Same EQ Sooner Than You Think
The ability to understand, process, and express true emotion is what has traditionally separated man from machine — but that line is continuously blurring with the rapid advancements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI). As machines become more human, and vice versa, we find ourselves facing a fascinating and perhaps terrifying future — one that might eventually make us question how we define humanity. Full article at io9 I’m aware this is propaganda masking as journalism, to raise awareness for[…]
Ixxis-DE pistol
In the Cortanis books, Vanda has a very high-level weapon, a pistol called the Ixxis-DE. Since Vanda is going to be featured in photographic glory on the cover of Soldiers, and elsewhere on Cortanis promotional materials (like this Web site), I thought the Ixxis should make an appearance as well. I gave this project to a very talented and capable colleague of mine, Joy Page. Today she delivered to me the finished prop, including a custom-made case for it to[…]