You Find It

You Find It - 688

Walking Through Virtual Environments: One Virtual Step For Man, One Real Leap For Mankind

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

Imagine being able to take a step back in time and walk through the streets of ancient Pompeii hours before the eruption of Vesuvius. In April 2008, European researchers will demonstrate that walking through virtual environments is set to be a reality. In the virtual environment you have flight simulators, car simulators, but the most natural way of locomotion for humans is walking and this was practically impossible, according to the researchers.

Tourist Information Wherever You Are, On Your Phone

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

Would you like instant access to information on the buildings and scenery you see on your travels? A novel mobile phone program is able to provide information on what you see when you see it.

Getting Wired For Terahertz Computing

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

Engineers took an early step toward building superfast computers that run on far-infrared light instead of electricity: They made waveguides -- the equivalent of wires -- that carried and bent this form of light, also known as terahertz radiation, which is the last unexploited portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Feeling Machines: Engineers Develop Systems For Recognizing Emotion

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

Emotions are an intrinsic part of communications. But machines don't have, perceive or react to them, which makes us -- their handlers -- hot under the collar. But thanks to building blocks developed by European researchers, machines that 'feel' may no longer be confined to science fiction. Nearly everybody has to communicate with machines at some level, be it mobile phones, personal computers or annoying, automated customer support 'solutions'. But the communication is on the machine's terms, not the person's.

I'm Listening -- Conversations With Computers

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

A computer system that can carry on a discussion with a human being by reacting to signals such as tone of voice and facial expression, is being developed by an international team of computer scientists.

What Are The Odds Of Finding Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life?

16:49 18-04-2008; source: www.sciencedaily.com

A mathematical model suggests that the odds of finding new life on other Earth-like planets are low, given the time it has taken for beings such as humans to evolve and the remaining life span of the Earth. Structurally complex and intelligent life evolved late on Earth and it has already been suggested that this process might be governed by a small number of very difficult evolutionary steps.