Posts - Nobody New - Random Daily(ish)

What is truly random?

April 15th, 2022

A definitive(ish) look into our (random) theme and what it means

In a google search, Merriam-Webster shows 71 possible synonyms for the word random. At the root, the word is defined as made, done, or chosen without method or conscious decision. This, I think, is where we get into the causation of action. Humans have needs, wants, and desires, all of which can’t be truly random. The way I perceive it, there isn’t any action that can be completely random. You may think of things and they seemingly come to you without cause, but on the subconscious level, there is some degree of inspiration.

We can get even deeper into Quantum Physics. Harrison Crecraft maintains a PhD in Geology suggests in an article he published on Medium.com, “Quantum measurements and observations are fundamentally random. However, randomness is in deep conflict with the deterministic laws of physics. Do hidden properties determine outcomes, so that they only appear random to us? Does our observation or consciousness act outside of physics to instantiate random change? Does the universe spit with each possible outcome manifested in a separate branch? These and other questions are still debated and unresolved. The answer boils down to the nature of time.”

“Random” Words

The way I perceive this is that yes, everything is random at the fundamental level, but when you apply these parameters to humans, time and determination alters the foundations of random. This becomes intentional. Which is to suggest nothing is random, everything is pre-determined, and you have no control over your fate or destiny. Which makes me call bullshit on the movie “Garden State.”

“Random” image
This has nothing to do with the post

Think about if you have ever played the lottery. When you get “quick picks.” There is nothing random about that. You have given your money for the chance to win the big one. Relying on a machine to spit out “random” numbers that will hopefully change your life forever. When that machine is prompted to spit out the numbers, it is running hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of processes (algorithms) to determine when was the last time it sequenced certain numbers at that specific terminal, what is the likelihood of those numbers winning, what value it wants to give the ticket for winning…etc. The list goes on an on. This of course is speculation because gaming lotteries will never express every part of the innerworkings of their machines.

I have seen the increase of people talking about numbers, values, and sequencing in Rubik’s cubes and playing cards, talking about the total possible permutations with shuffling cards and cubes, being in the quintillion range. This is true, and although the conversation is compelling, suggesting that shuffle maybe the only time in the known universe for that specific shuffle to happen, it is still not random. It took me some time to think about this and accept the shuffles can’t be truly random, yet they can be classified as unique. The correlation of the two words can commonly be confused. I know I have in the past.

It is not all doom and gloom. This is where I attempt to shift the conversation to a positive spin. You do have control over the choices you make and those choices will alter the determination of your path or trajectory in life. In essence, random is out of the question, but good intentions and good causation can adjust your outcome. Nothing is truly random, but the sequencing of events is always in your control. If you have passion, and you have motivation, go for it. Don’t let your mind or internal monologue stop you from pursuing your cause, regardless of how “random” you may think it to be.
Plant-based Chocolate (Hershey’s)

April 12th, 2022

I must be late to the party (as always), but the party does involve chocolate.

We went through my wife’s favorite guilty pleasure store (secretly mine as well), this weekend. Target. The funny thing is when people say there is always truth behind every joke, the same can be said for memes and social media lulz. Everyone claims you can go into Target to purchase only one item and spend at least $100 on other impulse items. “Oh yeah, I remember months ago I was saying I needed a battery operated battery installer, and would you look at this, Target has it on special!” I know that example is somewhat outlandish, but still the sentiment is poignant.

As we were perusing in between telling the kids we don’t need this or that, literally several hundred times (even though my wife and I are the exact same way, wanting this and that), I found a little end cap, completely unrelated to the aisle we were near. “Oat Made” by Hershey’s. It looked just like the classic chocolate bar we have had from growing up until now. This little brown packaging of nostalgia was calling my inner-child, grinning from ear to ear, I grabbed the bar and started investigating.

Hershey’s Oat Made
Image Provided by : Target

Both my wife and I have been looking to cleaner diets as of recent. Taking into consideration all the things we ingest and is packaged and marketed as “food.” We have never been of the classification of health nuts, but after having kids we have let the consciousness of food thoughts slip a little and we are now taking a more proactive approach to what we are eating/drinking. Also, I have mentioned in previous posts, I should be diabetic based on my sweet teeth. To which I have begun cutting out, not entirely, but like most things in life, everything in moderation. It was recently described to me by a dietician, just a little bit is enough to curb cravings. No need to binge consume to satiate or pacify your cravings. This is where rubber band dieting comes into play.

Without going too deep into the abyss of dieting and healthy eating, let’s get back to the chocolate. The “Oat Made” bar prominently suggests it is a plant-based confection. The bar I found was the extra creamy almond and sea salt. There is a Classic Dark bar available as well.

Getting it home and tearing into it, I felt like Charlie looking for the golden ticket. Of course there was no ticket, but a pleasant surprise. The mouthfeel and flavors were practically identical to the original Hershey’s chocolate bar. The differences weren’t strong enough to dissuade me from eating again. I would think in a blind taste test I could tell the difference, but it would be a narrow margin. If you are thinking of going plant-based diet, know someone who is looking for an alternative to meet the needs of their vegan diet and has a sweet tooth, or you just want to choose a new option to classic chocolate bars, this is a pretty solid option.

Given this is a mass produced big brand bar. There are most likely numerous local and startup companies that could use additional business. My choice will always be slave and cruelty-free Tony’s Chocolonely, hands down the best. I’m not suggesting don’t give the Hershey’s bar a try, but know there are other options out there and potentially available to you, contingent on your geographical location, and/or the company’s ability to ship.

I’m not going to be making a shift into plant-based diet, but I am rethinking my sweet cravings to healthier choices. Even the word “healthier” may be misleading, because it is still a chocolate bar. Lastly, it seems like Hershey’s is keeping this test launch under wraps, because they still haven’t highlighted this new(ish) venture on their website.
Spotlight – Chef Michael Silverstein

April 7th, 2022
Introducing his 20-Minute Pesto Chicken & Broccoli
Keto, Low-carb, Sugar-free, Gluten-Free

My wife first found this recipe via Chef Michael’s TikTok. The algorithm must have known we have been looking for new delicious meals for dinner. In the video the dish looked absolutely amazing, so we had to try it. The color contrast, the differences in textures, almost like you could taste it in your mind without getting too visceral. Our iteration was truly fantastic! If you are like us and aren’t super strict about carbohydrates or following keto and gluten restrictions, you can add the dish to rice or pasta. Make sure and look at “The Pro Tips” in the recipe. There are additional suggestions from Chef Michael.

We elected to use bowtie noodles (primarily because it is a household favorite and the kids will eat it), our son (4), due to the green nature of the pesto only wanted butter noodles. Our daughter (6), who is an avid fan of broccoli, was excited to try something new, especially because it has her favorite vegetable. This recipe has easily made its way into our hearts and onto our regular meal rotation.

We’ve talked about the meal, now let’s talk about the man behind the creation. Chef Michael is primarily a chef (with keen intellect in the kitchen), TV Personality, Podcaster, Blogger, and Author based in Austin, Texas. He is known for his successes in losing over 80 pounds in one year due to his specialization in the Ketogenic diet. The key to his success was never severe restrictions where most people fail by subscribing to the theories of starvation, torture, or suffering. “Whether dieting or not, food should be vibrant and exciting.”

Chef Michael has been developing low-carb recipes that make people feel totally nourished and satisfied. This being a far cry from what most people think about when dieting. I know I have an understated lust for sugar, something I have always had. Like most things in life, everything in moderation. Chef Michael is working to educate the masses about bringing fun back to food, without sacrificing flavor. As food should be. Check out his newest cookbook for additional inspiration and delicious recipes!

Chef Michael’s social channels:
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
YouTube
Pesto Chicken and Broccoli
Image provided by Chef Michael

Here is the recipe generously provided from Chef Michael’s Website:

A one-pot meal done right! This recipe is designed to be quick and easy. In 20 minutes, you’ll have a yummy, simple meal that’s not only delicious, but healthy and filling as well. A dish the whole family will love…

Wanna switch it up? This pesto chicken goes GREAT served over pasta or low-carb noodles! It’s also a fantastic way to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Instead of broccoli and tomatoes, this goes really well with sliced asparagus, mushrooms, or any other veggies you may have.

*And don’t forget to read through the PRO TIPS for this recipe below!*

Macros per Serving

Calories: 615

Protein: 58 g

Fat: 34.4 g

Net Carbs: 12.7 g

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4 people
- 2lb – Chicken breast tenders – see PRO TIPS below
- 1 tsp – Sea salt
- ½ tsp – Cracked black pepper
- 1 Tbsp – Garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp – Avocado oil
- 1 head (about 1 lb) – Broccoli, cut into small florets
- 10 oz – Grape tomatoes
- ½ cup – Chicken broth (or water + ¼ tsp salt)
- Two 6.5 oz jars – Basil pesto (store-bought or homemade) – see PRO TIPS below
- ¼ cup – Shredded parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
1. Start by slicing the chicken tenders into roughly 1-inch pieces. Add the sliced chicken into a mixing bowl and add in the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken well until it’s coated in the spices.
2. Warm up a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add in the avocado oil and the seasoned chicken. Press the chicken into one even layer in the pan. Sear the chicken for 3 minutes, without stirring it, or until it gets a golden-brown crust. Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side.
3. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside on a plate to rest. Meanwhile, place the same pan back over high heat and add in the chicken broth. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the fond. Then, add in the broccoli florets and tomatoes (or any other vegetable you like). Place the lid on the pot and let the vegetables steam for 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender.
4. Turn the heat off and stir in the chicken and the pesto, until everything is evenly coated. Top with the shredded parmesan, and serve family-style, right out of the pan.
PRO TIPS:
- For convenience, I used store-bought pesto, but if you’re feeling “chefy”, make your own pesto! In fact, find my homemade pesto recipe on page 32 of my cookbook New Comfort Cooking!
- When shopping for pesto, keep in mind that every single brand of pesto will taste completely different. So, I generally recommend buying good quality pesto from a brand you trust. For instance, Costco has a really nice pesto that I love! I also suggest looking for any pesto imported from Italy. However, I do not recommend you use the Aldi brand pesto, as I have personally tried it and it’s not very tasty.
- Don’t like pesto? Try it with alfredo sauce instead! (Or you could even mix the two together into “pesto alfredo!)
- For an even lower carb version, simply remove the tomatoes, and swap in any over your favorite low carb veggies
- For a tasty upgrade, add fresh mozzarella and/or drizzle the top with balsamic reduction! YUM!
- You can absolutely use boneless/skinless chicken thighs instead of the tenders (I just prefer the white meat in this recipe, but that is totally up to you!) But this recipe is also FANTASTIC with shrimp, or even salmon cut into cubes as well.
- You can honestly use any vegetable you like in this dish, just keep in mind how long different vegetables will need to cook through. But if you don’t like broccoli or tomatoes, this recipe works great with asparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces), sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, or sliced French green beans.
Are you busy 150 years from now?

April 5th, 2022

Save the date!

In an effort to preserve the park and all it has to offer, Yellowstone National Park is offering the “Inheritance Pass.”

In the form of a donation it will be used to maintain the park for the next 150 years. In the year 2172 is when the Inheritance Pass will be active for those generations to enjoy the park. People who purchase the pass will still receive an annual pass to be used while they are still alive.

Clever idea, and I believe the concept may draw people into the program. Unbeknownst to me, approximately 4 million people visit the park every year.
Elon Musk – Social Injection (Twitter)

April 5th, 2022
Putting aside your opinions of Elon Musk, and some of his wild behaviors on social media, he seemingly has a plan for good. Not chaotic evil as some would suspect.

This comes from news brought to the world yesterday, Elon had placed an order to purchase roughly 9.2% total stake in Twitter (approximately $3.5B after market close Monday). Personally, that kind of money is alarmingly gross for one person to have. Understandably not all of this is liquid, assuming a large portion of it is tied into investments.

There are speculations of Elon’s “Master Plan,” and this has been ongoing since early 2006. More recent iterations and speculations deriving from Max Chafkin at Bloomberg. His speculation plays with the concept of Elon making this bullish buy “just for the lulz,” but goes on to refute this jest. Historically Elon’s approach to gags are never just playful in nature, but have an objective behind them. Most often than not, it is like “vaguebooking,” where the audience is no further wiser about the objective. I’m not sure if there is a similar term for the Twitterverse. Vaguetweets? Vaguetweeting? Obfuscweet?

After recent events surrounding Elon’s approach to Twitter, Max speaks about Elon’s requirement to hire a lawyer or “Twitter-sitter” to ensure Elon is not overstepping in regards to his businesses to the masses. This would have been ideal for others in the past. Elon has been in hot water in the past, but nothing to the extent of other users whom have had their entire profiles suspended or deleted. As the largest shareholder, I wonder if he is going to need to restrain his thoughts anymore.

As Elon has been very public about his feelings with regard to Twitter and their content regulations, handlings, and restriction of free speech, it can be speculated this purchase of nearly 10% of the total company ensures his foothold in the company’s future. He has made statements in the past (previous master plans) about helping the world with renewable energy, reversing climate change, and working to do good for all. This sounds like a pretty lofty goal for any one human. I would like to assume he is true to his word, and he is doing what he can to make things better. How does this relate to Twitter? I think if he is the largest shareholder, he would be granted certain advantages about steering the company in the right direction. It could also be a way for him to look under the hood of Twitter and build his own social media empire?

Another speculation Max made in his Bloomberg article is this is Elon’s way to secure his Twitter profile for life. Being the largest shareholder, it would seem his account has ranked the status of “untouchable.” It seems his Dogecoin banter has taken a backseat with this new endeavor, but (again, further speculation), similar to Reddit’s in app currency, what if Twitter started using Dogecoin as it’s primary in app currency? Bridging the gap between social and crypto. This could be the layman’s platform to learn and understand what crypto is, how the blockchain works, and why a decentralized currency is important for the world.

I refuse to believe Elon is a terrible person based on his public appearances and statements about who he is and what he wants to do to better the world. Then again, I have yet to see anything to sway the opinion one way or the other. It seems he does have a good heart with good intentions. Starlink providing internet to those in need in other countries in time of crisis was huge. Let’s stay the course, and make the world better. I like the sound of that.

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Meta allegedly hired lobbying firm to raise “awareness” of TikTok harms

March 31st, 2022
UPDATED: The rabbit hole goes deeper. Meta and Apple handed over sensitive user data to Hackers disguised as law enforcement last year.

Currently everyone is talking about the emails recovered by The Washington Post from Meta directly. I’m not saying I believe one side or the other, but it raises several questions that have not been answered, or at least I haven’t seen anything as of yet.

How were the emails recovered? Is there a whistleblower that provided the emails? Could this been even more convoluted where TikTok spoofed emails to appear coming from Meta to bolster their own brand (sometimes bad press brings good business…i.e. Chris Rock Ticket sales).

All tin foil conspiracy theories aside, this all begs the question that Facebook has been under severe scrutiny for quite some time. Why would they use a third party to smear a competitor, unless they were truly hurting. There are plenty of angles in which the situation can be perceived, plenty of closed door conference room huddles where none of us will ever know what truly goes on. As a user of the plethora of social platforms, this is alarming. Business can be cut throat, but to do something like this, and sloppily at that, is amateur. If this does turn out to be absolutely without a doubt true, for shame. But, I’m just one guy with an opinion.

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Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license (Music Video)

March 30th, 2022
Video provided by: YouTube

Modern day music has drastically shifted to the pretty polished product. Music videos comprised of consumerism and product placement. Maybe this is an older version of myself speaking out (“Get the hell off my lawn!”), but it still rings true with artistry in musical format. Enter turn of the decade autotune and a panel of writers for the lyrics. Producers galore. Almost as if entertainment is being run by a corporate entity. I’m not in that crowd, but all I know is Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license” (stylized in lowercase), is refreshing. To me the true essence of artistry at its core is to invoke emotion. This song has done just this, and I have only just watched the video for the first time today.

Based solely on the lyrics and the way the music flows in such an eerie coalesced composition is remarkable. It invokes such a degree of sadness, yet has a glimmer of hope with every new verse. Coming from her perspective, the lyricism feels like any one of us could experience or have had this experience in the past, or currently experiencing. This song reminds me of how modern lyrics are not earning their honors. Meaning Rodrigo (co-writer Dan Nigro), has attempted to say everything she can to the extreme where she needs to curse to send the message home. To me, cursing is life. But in most instances it is used primarily for proper emphasis. It shouldn’t be the common denominator to the piece.

The video opens up to Rodrigo driving down a long darkened road, feels very Alanis Morrissette “Ironic,” but in a much more dark context. Flashes of her walking down the street, mountains in the background, and on the floor of a house with a keyboard, finding the perfect note. Each passing flashback (and potential forward) contrasting from light to dark, warm to cold, modelling a foundation of timeline.

Rodrigo is then framed in a red lit room, 60/70’s sunburst art on the wall, painted with the songs lyrics “you said forever.”

The next verse kicks up into a hopeful melody with the contrasting “…and all my friends are tired of hearing how much I miss you.” This connects back to the previous flashes cold and warm scenes with a longer hold of Rodrigo singing in the dark street under a single streetlamp. The music and lyrics continue to build to an emotional crescendo, “‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street.” Everything drops to near silence, the video shows Rodrigo falling and then immediately picked up by the bridge. Just like relationships, the rollercoaster of this song and video continues, earning each moment and inciting the listener/viewer with every step. Toward the end of the bridge is where the earned expletive is inserted, but at this moment, it is truly deserved.

The last chorus/outro is remarkable. Everything drops out of the song except Rodrigo and piano. The video plays in suit with the brooding atmosphere painted, and the walls of the emotional playback come crumbling down. Exposing the delicate nature in which all humans have under their built up exoskeleton. When we shed everything, we can present our vulnerable selves.

Since the first time I heard the song, it attached to my soul. Everything about it reminds me of the youthful thoughts I think we all had with our first loves and losses. Rodrigo is young (19), but this song has such maturity, as well as a playful nature. We as people could see ourselves in this position. Or at least think about what this may feel like. Taking a look in the mirror and knowing we have been here before, or at least relate.

Olivia Rodrigo was in potentially hot water with her inspirations in the last year. Some of her songs drew from other artists, but have been compensated since. I don’t think she took these influences without knowing what was right and wrong. Other mainstream artists came to her defense to publicly demonstrate these things are in a known “gray area” unlike sampling. If an artist is sampling, they are taking cuts from songs to create their song. Rodrigo used similar stylings in her songs, pulled from her inspirations. At least, this is my understanding without listening to the tracks in question as of yet.

I have yet to listen to the remaining tracks of “SOUR” (stylized in all caps), but I will give it a whirl. I know there are a few other of her songs I have heard on the radio and most likely didn’t know it was her. I have high expectations of the rest of the album based on this track and music video.

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The VR Wars (Meta Oculus, Apple VR, Project Iris [Google])

March 29th, 2022
Consider this speculation until more sources are readily available

The VR Wars (as I am calling them), is very reminiscent of the console wars between Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo. Virtual Reality is the new king-of-the-hill battle royale.

First to market is Meta’s Oculus. It helps the tech was available to Facebook/Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg at $2 billion back in 2014. So they definitely have a leg up. Since purchase, they have released several iterations, most recent, the Oculus Quest 2, with rumors of the Quest 3 (“Project Cambria”) to be released within the next year. Apple is working diligently on their iteration of a VR headset and eagerly projecting a release date of late 2022 to early 2023. Google’s hat to be tossed into the ring Project Iris, is rumored to be in the works and is hoping to hit consumer markets in 2024. “Metaverse” is now looking to be more of a universal term for virtual reality versus Meta having the strong hold on the term as a branding ploy. Frankly, I would like to think the other two competitors would look for a more global term for virtual worlds rather than leaning into Meta’s infant foothold. This would allow for the average consumer to break free from the indoctrination of the term associating all virtual worlds back to Meta. This could very well be a far-fetched dreamscape as most consumers already relate anything VR to Meta/Facebook, but here’s to hoping.

Initial speculations are showing Google’s hesitation jumping into the ring, as previous works in VR/AR has not panned out well, or even performed to the minimum projections they had been hoping for. Think back to Google Glass, the wearable tech (eyeglasses) that would overlay what we now have in Google Lens in mobile devices. In practical application, it made sense, and showed plenty of promise and benefit. Personally, I think it was slightly ahead of its time and the average consumer wasn’t ready for it.

Google Glass shown, not representative of new VR/AR project iris
Photo credit : Google

If it would have stayed in development, and released within the past couple of years to present, it would have done much better. Looking at everyone who has wearable tech now, primarily smartwatches. With that said Google does have historical repertoire in the space and have advanced a lot of their AR tech stack in mobile devices. They could easily play to their strengths building off their perceived failures and existing successes. Furthermore, Google already knows so much about all the consumers, it would make sense for them to leverage the harvested first party data. The ongoing joke that Google knows everything about everyone, might as well let them do as they wish and the end user reaps the benefits (along with the dystopian big brother fears).

The speculation around Apple’s development has been wildly varied. From cost, design, release, and specifications. The largest takeaway that is both alarming and undesirable is the rumored price point. Apple products for decades has been perceived to be luxury items. Always inflating their end user pricing, and within the past few years being an advocate of “user privacy.” Without inundating this post with my own personal opinions of the Apple model, there are two things concerning about the pricing of their offering. For one, it is presumed their VR/AR offerings could be in the ballpark of $3k (with a potential subscription service). The second point that is concerning (if this pricing model turns out to be legitimate) is people will pay this. Not for the tech, but because of the status appeal. Don’t get me wrong, they will have some top level tech in their devices, but I can only assume by the time they release their devices, there’s a good chance they have been surpassed by competitors. This has happened numerous times in the mobile phone arena.

Artist rendering
Photo credit : Apple Insider

Lastly, thinking to the point they are taking user privacy to heart is laughable. Again, attempting to restrain my personal opinions, but the only thing Apple has done is allowed their users to removed the ability for advertisers to personalize ads for their preferences. They have spun their agenda to make them appear to be the hero by removing ads from platforms altogether. They did not use that language explicitly, but Apple lied to their consumers. It seems like it worked, because from what I have seen only advertisers are upset about it. Which begs the question how attune are Apple users in general. But that’s a discussion for another time.

Meta has the upper hand with approximately 10 Million units sold by mid November 2021. In the next year or two when Apple and Google are geared to release their headsets, there’s a good chance Meta has doubled or tripled this number with the added new Quest 3 headset release. No matter which way you slice it, Google and Apple have an uphill battle. Both have their own illustrious brands with consumer perceptions. Apple as the “user friendly” and Google as the “know-it-all.”

Modernized Apple Vs. Google

If this war is to be won, will it boil down to price, tech, or status? There’s still a lot of time, questions, and development before we will see actual competitive answers/analysis. I could see Apple taking the short win using a subscription service, similar to their mobile pay-to-own plans and lumping VR into it. Which would give them ongoing revenue. Let’s not even think about insurance claims and protection plans. Contracts galore.

Google could cripple the market with their previous attempts at AR and including existing successful tech in their headsets. This working in conjunction with all of their owned/earned first party data. They could easily compile the experience to every end user, creating the best possible consumer curated experience. The internet is slowly abandoning the cookie, but Google has been making drastic strides focusing on the user cohort. This could make the bucketing of user data into the VR realm that much more customized and curated for every end user. All of this combined with the rumored price to be available to everyone. It is assumed this will be either at the same price of Oculus devices or less, to ensure market capitalization.

Overall it is a very exciting time. Like the early console wars, VR/AR is the new battlefield, and we will have to wait and see who will claim victory. As a Meta Oculus Quest 2 owner, I am excited to see what these competitors bring to the arena, and what they will do to shape the landscape.

#WhereWereGoingWeDontNeedRoads

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NASA and the Aurora Borealis (INCAA)

March 25th, 2022
Ion-Neutral Coupling during Active Aurora (Borealis)

What does this mean, and why is it exciting? As some may know, we named our daughter Aurora. No, not because of Sleeping Beauty, but we don’t mind the correlation. When my wife and I were dating we had the cute couple conversation of if we had names picked out when we were ready to have kids. My name I had picked out for a girl was Aurora, after the Aurora Borealis, because it is the most beautiful phenomena in the known universe, until I have my daughter. Boom, case closed, name was selected.

Now, lurking through the interwebs, the James Webb Space Telescope has gotten all the hype. Rightfully so. The most powerful telescope in human history. Pretty amazing feat sending it (beyond reachable human repair, approximately 1M miles from Earth) and having it completely unfold with no known errors. Extremely impressive. Then there’s Artemis. Which has been receiving special praise. NASA built out a method in which people can submit their names and birthdates to be stored onto a flash drive and fly to the moon while the experiments are being performed. As a token of user data submission, you receive your very own “boarding pass.”

Artemis Boarding Pass

Among all these hyped missions, NASA has launched a few new experiments in our own backyard (dare I say, under the radar?). The INCAA, or Ion-Neutral Coupling during active Aurora mission. The defined parameters of the mission is sending two rockets, or “research payloads,” from Poker Flat, Alaska up and through the ongoing Aurora Borealis. The first payload will emit vapor tracers into the Borealis to watch how it moves. Similar to using iodine or dyes to determine how things flow. The second payload will be collecting temperature and density of plasma in and around the Borealis.

Why is this so important or interesting you ask? Let’s first break down some basics about our atmosphere. The lowest layer, the Troposphere (where we live) we have abundant breathable elements (oxygen/nitrogen). Within this area is referred to as the neutral gas atmosphere. Above our heads, into the Stratosphere is where these breathable elements become a much different story. The air is full of unfiltered Ultraviolet rays, electrons are pulled from atoms, and take on a positive charge. The previously neutral gas mutates into an electrically reactive state of matter, called “plasma.”

As a nerd, this is extremely interesting. But at the core, what does this study mean for all of us. Basically, what’s the point? Well, by studying this level of atmosphere and the Auroras, scientists will gain much more valuable information about how the plasma and neutral gas mix between atmosphere levels. In turn, this could help give a more clear understanding of one of the numerous variables in Earth’s climate and weather.

When finding this story and reading more about the experiment, I stumbled across Citizen Science. Think of Bill Nye the Science Guy, but it’s just your neighbor in the backyard with his kids inflatable pool flipped over his telescope to blot out light pollution. Well, that’s a bit of an extreme analogy, but it seems fitting. Given these citizen scientists can have pretty impressive setups. I was able to stumble upon, Aurorasaurus! This site is so cool! Its tagline reads, “reporting Auroras from the ground up.” They have a pretty significant following and have integrated social media to get everyone in on the conversation. Maybe I’m late to the party on this, but it is a fantastic resource!

NASA is working on some truly remarkable science, and I hope they are able to maintain this trajectory. Pun fully intended and non-apologetic. I am excited to see what The James Webb Telescope will be able to tell us about our universe and what they have deemed, “looking into the past.”

#SpaceTheFinalFrontier

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Meta Oculus Quest 2

March 23rd, 2022

When I close my eyes and think back to my earliest memories of “virtual reality,” I think of those full body containers from the 90’s in malls, the movie Hackers, and other wonky movies and tv shows (too many to list), the 90’s was a weird time. We could easily go on for quite sometime about the history of VR/AR, who did what and when, but for our purposes now, we are going to focus on Facebook’s (“Meta” – still not a fan of the new parent name) Oculus Quest 2. The other element we won’t be going into is the numerous variants and other devices. Only reason for this is I wouldn’t be able to speak intelligently on them and it would be pure speculation since I don’t have first hand experience with them. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at this mind bending tech.

Out of the box (fairly unique and minimalist packaging), you have your headset, and two controllers and an extremely brief setup guide. There are numerous after-market companies that have developed add-ons and upgrades for comfort, extending battery, or streaming, among other device enhancements. This device at first glance feels right out of the movie Ready Player One (the book is better). It has the futuristic appeal of Back to the Future Part II and has the sleek design to contour easily to your face and hands.

With this being the second iteration of the Oculus, the design and consumer adaptation to the device has advanced light years. A far stretch from my early memories of what VR was at the time. Some movies and tv shows from the 90’s weren’t too far off, but as technology has insurmountably advanced and at such an alarming rate, the Oculus Quest 2 is impressive. That being said, there are constant updates and upgrades happening fairly frequently. The Quest 2 can easily be pigeonholed as just another console gaming system (that you wear on your face), but this isn’t the case. As more companies are embracing the relevance of remote work, with it comes the inclusion of VR meetings, team building exercises, and workflow operations. This is where we start to think about this “Metaverse” you keep hearing about. For now, I think the “metaverse” isn’t the holistic approach or an all-inclusive term of the VR realm. This is just what Marky Mark and the funky bunch (Zuckerberg) are calling it. Think of metaverse as a branding tool to further expose consumers to Meta as a whole. Kind of a brilliant technique because now as Meta is essentially first-to-market with the VR realm and Meta being a part of the metaverse, the average consumer won’t associate VR with anything but Meta devices. At least, until other companies are able to break the spell of indoctrination.

I digress. Without going into too much detail about all that, we can go ahead and remove our tinfoil hats. Back to brass tax. The Quest 2 is a really impressive piece of tech. I mean Zucky did buy Oculus for $2B (yes, that’s a B, for billion). So you get what you pay for and it seems he has some of the best minds on development for Oculus. Not only as I mentioned before this is going to be a great tool for employers/employees but it also has some really great games. Most of which are pay-to-play, but there are demos to get a taste before you commit to purchasing. Outside of games, there are fully immersive apps for meditation, exercise, mental health, and exploring the world, oceans, and galaxies. Some are more breathtaking than others, but so far, I have not had a bad experience with anything I encountered.

It’s not all rainbows and bunnies. There are cons to the device. The stock headstrap that comes with the device is okay at best for the average user. I would recommend the pro strap or going with another brand advanced strap. Depending on how much you end up using, go with something that will increase comfort. Kiwi Design makes a whole line specific to the Oculus Quest 2. Comfort is a huge element, and now that rumors of the Quest 3 are circulating, I truly hope they take weight of the headset into consideration. It’s not very heavy, but after an extended period of time, it hurts the neck and face. The neck from the weight without having a counterweight in place, and the face because you have to tighten the headset a little tight to enjoy the full experience. If too loose, you lose focus, which can be troublesome if you are playing an active game like Beat Saber or FitXR boxing/HIIT especially.

Overall, I would say it is a great device for the average user, and may have tentative implications with how remote business is going. I would like to think if this is going to propel the business world into the future, I could see two way communication and translation services happening in real time. Here’s looking at you Duolingo! That would be a pretty cool element, if not already in the works or already in Beta, and I am behind the curve (wouldn’t be the first time). Dare I say in all reality (har har har), this is not only a gaming console, this could begin the revolution of our species. I know Zucky isn’t everyone’s favorite person, but the vision is promising (if it actually was his or he just slapped his name on it). I’d like to think with new tech and new iterations of this interesting realm, we as people would look first to how it can make things better. I think about what the Xbox Kinect wanted to do with the medical industry, now primarily being used for Ghost Adventures, Ha! The Oculus Quest 2 could easily be the bridge in the gap of virtual education and practical application in so many verticals. Only time will tell, but for right now, I gotta go kill me some zombies.