Doom and Age of Empires creator Sandy Petersen blasts Amazon over their handling of Stargate:
"1) get handed a massively popular IP that spans 17 years of successful shows."
"2) realize it has millions of loyal fans, desperate for more. They are now in their 40s and 50s, flush with money. Eager to teach their kids & grandkids about Stargate."
"3) you could start with this. You are already three steps up the ladder to huge success. The fans will evangelize it, if you don't wreck the IP. Don't believe it? Look how the fans evangelized Battlestar Galactica after its 30 year hiatus. And the initial Dr Who reboot after 15 years."
"4) cancel the project because you want a "new take" that will eliminate all the loyal fans and turn them into bitter enemies."
"It's like an ancient Greek play about hubris."
Why are corporate execs like this?
I’m actually relieved that they canceled the new #Stargate reboot. No matter who was involved in the production of the show, I think we all know that this is what we would’ve gotten… they can’t help themselves.
Diagram showing amplitude distributions in the exit pupil and their Fourier transforms that determine the diffracted field and point spread function.
These relationships are essential for understanding diffraction and optimizing imaging systems in astronomy and microscopy.
The most underrated math theorem but Google secretly used it to change the world.
Perron-Frobenius Theorem (positive matrix version):
Let A be an n×n matrix with every entry a_{ij} > 0. Then there exists a unique positive real number λ > 0 (the Perron root) and a unique (up to scaling) positive vector x > 0 such that:
A x = λ x
Moreover:
λ = ρ(A) (spectral radius of A)
λ > |μ| for every other eigenvalue μ
λ is simple (algebraic multiplicity = 1)
Your search results aren't just a list; they are the coordinates of a high-dimensional vector pointing toward the most authoritative nodes on the web.
One fascinating lesser-known fact in mathematics is Kaprekar's constant: 6174. Indian mathematician D.R. Kaprekar discovered it in 1949 through patient experimentation.
Take any four-digit number where not all digits are the same (e.g., 3141, but not 1111). Rearrange its digits to form the largest and smallest possible numbers, then subtract the smaller from the larger.
Repeat the process with the result. Within at most 7 steps, you'll always reach 6174; and once there, it stays at 6174 forever (it's a fixed point).
Quick example with 3141:
4311 − 1134 = 3177
7731 − 1377 = 6354
6543 − 3456 = 3087
8730 − 0378 = 8352
8532 − 2358 = 6174
7641 − 1467 = 6174 (and it loops here)
This works for every qualifying four-digit number due to the finite set of possibilities and the structure of the operation in base 10.
Would you let a computer hijack your muscle movements if it increased your performance 35%?
I totally would.
Came across a really interesting ACM paper today (SplitBody), where subjects were given difficult multitasking challenges.
Their mental load was “reduced” by having a computer electrically stimulate their arm instead. Bodily autonomy wise, it might feel a bit freaky, because you have the proprioception of your arm moving, but without the mental load of you moving it.
I think it’s actually less creepy than it sounds, and I wish more research was poured in this area.
Let me give an example. As a dancer myself, early on, aerials have a difficult initial mental barrier. The common way to learn is to essentially let your teacher control your muscle movements, repeating the overall motions, over and over again.
By sort of “proving” the movement is possible (giving up autonomy!) the concept suddenly clicks, and you’ll “just get it”.
I feel like there’s probably a lot of interesting biological barriers that could be overcome if you trained yourself to go past traditional limits by electrical stimulation first. Take a look at the Bannister effect!
Chuck Norris didn't join the Marine Corps...the Marine Corps applied to him.
Heaven’s streets have always been guarded by Marines. Today, Chuck Norris reported for duty.
We mourn the passing of Chuck Norris, a @usairforce veteran, who also became an honorary Marine in 2007 when awarded the title by then Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James T. Conway.
Chuck Norris is one of just over 100 individuals to be awarded the title of Honorary Marine in the entire 250-year history of the Corps.
Some missions may require a battalion, but this one just requires an Honorary Marine.
#USMCHistory #USMC #SemperFidelis
Chuck was an icon.
I am grateful that I was able to work with him in multiple ways over the years, from promoting fitness to sharing the screen together. He was a badass, in real life and in Hollywood.
His legend will be with us forever. My thoughts are with his family.
Back in 2011, I went into computer hardware repairs. I started with laptop chargers. I remember peeling back the rubber, soldering wires, and always staring at that weird plastic bulge on the cable. It didn't look like it did anything, but it was on every single high-end charger I fixed. I used to wonder if it was a hidden battery or just a weight to keep the cord from tangling.
It turns out, that little lump is the unsung hero of your workspace.
It's called a Ferrite Bead, and its only job is to act as a silencer for your electricity.
See, every electronic device is naturally noisy. They send out invisible electromagnetic signals. Without that cylinder, your charger cable would turn into a giant antenna, broadcasting interference that would make your Wi-Fi slow, your TV flicker, or your speakers buzz.
Inside that plastic shell is just a chunk of magnetic iron. It catches all that electrical noise and kills it before it can escape the wire.
It’s basically a muzzle for your cable so your gadgets can live in peace.
INALEGWU.