Did you know that Britain’s ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher trained to lower the pitch of her voice and improve her elocution so that she would sound more authoritative? The results were successful. A researcher in Tokyo is developing a voice processing system with genetic algorithms that “evolve” a person’s recorded voice into one that is clearer and
authoritative. It doesn’t work in real-time yet, so there won’t be any Milli-Vanilli public speakers immediately, but who knows what will happen in the future. So much is faked or made-over in the media already that altering a speaking voice could be as accepted as the plasticine processing of pop music vocals.
The mystery may never be solved, but private and government researchers are still looking into who exposed Anne Frank’s hideout. The called-in tip was acted on immediately, which leads them to believe that the informant was known by the Germans and trusted. The reward for turning in a Jew was 40 Dutch gilders, which is the equivalent of about $250 today. Keep in mind there were eight residents in hiding, a sizeable reward indeed, sadly.
If you’re an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, you may appreciate the Building Locator which allows you to plug in a zip code and discover what he designed nearby. It is part of the website for a documentary on his life. The site also includes transcripts and RealVideo of interviews of Wright by Mike Wallace, and excerpts from his letters, viewpoints from his family and biographers.
I wanted to make note of this commentary about TV shows being released on DVD merely to respond to the statement “Heck, I bet there’d be a market for a Square Pegs DVD. That thing would sell like hotcakes.” Yes, I’d buy one. That’s a caricature of my high school life you’re talking about.
Another study for moms to try not to panic over: “Researchers measured the cognitive and verbal development of children at various ages and found lower scores for 3-year-olds whose mothers took jobs working 30 hours per week or more before the child was 9 months old.” An author of the study says: “There are effects, but they are not huge effects. Your child’s life will not be ruined.” She is also “very surprised that children of married couples were more affected than those of single mothers”, to which I offer the theory that single moms may try harder to make time to interact with their kids, compensating for the fact that they only have one parent. The article never mentions the world “father”, though the research paper might, nor does it mention the effect of older siblings. (via brig)
Alternative Transportation
Yesterday’s SFGate: Day in Pictures inspired a few delvings into alternative transportation methods that are not the Segway.
A gyroplane was named one of Time Magazine’s Inventions of the Year in 2001. It looks like a helicopter, but on closer inspection you notice the extra propeller which, on the Groen Brothers Aviation model is gas turbinepowered. Fixed-wing craft training is recommended before flying one as it navigates similarly in the air. Other models, mostly for sport, are available as evidenced by this Popular Mechanics write-up. The unfortunate gyroplane referenced in the SFGate photo was an experimental model which lost a part, killing pilot and passenger.
The Airboard, inspired by Back to the Future II and developed in a Australia, is an honest to goodness hovercraft. It runs off a gas-powered lawn mower engine with a 1.3 gallon tank, maximum speed is 15 MPH. It is available in the U.S. through ZAP Electronics and, wouldn’t you know it, Hammacher Schlemmer. Price is $14,999.95 with disclaimers “Not for use on public streets, sidewalks, and thoroughfares.” But you do get a choice of Red, Blue, Green, or Yellow.
TechTV reviewed it with a summary of “extremely pricey and cumbersome.” Hammacher Schlemmer also has a 2 person all-terrain hovercraft.
Yellowstone Park’s “let it burn” policy did not result in devastation. Since the 1988 fire, researchers believe that the park has achieved a natural balance. Trees that have evolved to mechanisms to survive fire were able to flourish. Animals who had greater competition prior to the blaze have made a comeback. With more sun on the forest floor, seedlings sprang up from the soil. It’s a cycle that is expected by nature.
With its genesis in a slide talk from the National Park Service’s former historical architect, The Walk Through educates and informs readers about identifying characteristics of historical buildings. The intent is to teach you how to examine and assess the features of a building, not just in historical context but for its current “character.” The photos of historical houses are an artistic accompaniment. (via Yahoo Daily)
This time around in The NY Times’ ongoing Writers on Writing series, David Mamet connects lessons learned from music with his own craft. If you are familiar with his sparse, minimalist style, often with twists, you will feel no surprise that he found inspiration from the musical philosophy “leave out the third — we hear it anyway.” How much can you leave out while keeping it intelligible, he asks? This minimal formula is an elegance, he claims, that separates those who can write from those who can really write. But the truly inspired will discover the creative way to get from point A to point B, or, the note A to note B, in a way that can surprise, delight, and refresh.
LibraryBookSales.org is fun to browse and another good place to search for something you’ve been seeking at the used bookstore. It’s a super way to network library booksale offerings. My only regret is that I may no longer be able to find the coveted bargains I’m accustomed to at library sales since they now have a convenient way to seek market value for their rarities. (via rebecca and BrainLog)