The Grand Design is the newest offering by Stephen Hawking and cowritten by Leonard Mlodinow.
This book has gotten a lot of press for its premise: We don't need a god for the universe to work.
The book spends a lot of time going back in time. It refers to how civilization after civilization has invented some sort of god to explain why things happen. Every time, science has proven that nature, not god, made this or that occur. Things like eclipses or tornadoes are easily explained by science.
He then carries this to today where science refutes the idea of Adam and Eve.
He covers, briefly, things like string theory and relativity. There is nothing new here and it feels like the science is just added to say, "See, this book couldn't have been written without me." In the end, it comes right down to a lot of guessing along with a fairly convincing argument that the laws of physics, not God, created the universe.
The book dragged in many places and since there was nothing new, basically wasted my time.
The argument against god is weak. So science can explain the origins of the universe. This is something I've know forever.
What it fails to take on is the soul. I know the basics of how my brain works. It's like a machine and cause/effect prevail. However, it does not explain free will or unassociated thought. How can people talk with the dead? How do miracles occur? What is love or fear?
I give this book a big thumbs down.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Android
The good:
The android phones come out about every four months as opposed to every eighteen months for the i-phone. This means they are more likely to be cutting edge while the i-phone will become antiquated more than a year before its next version comes out.
The android phones are Google phones so they will be well integrated with the rest of the Google world. The i-phones, on the other hand, tend to be very Apple-Only type devices with a lot of proprietary things built into them.
The android phones have lots of Apps. Not at many as the i-phone but looser constraints and better user-friendly tools means there will be a lot more apps out there for the androids in no time.
The i-phone has a loyal following. That is both good, and bad. It tends to polarize the buying public into the "I love Apple" group and everyone else that is Anti-Apple.
Your thoughts?
j
The android phones come out about every four months as opposed to every eighteen months for the i-phone. This means they are more likely to be cutting edge while the i-phone will become antiquated more than a year before its next version comes out.
The android phones are Google phones so they will be well integrated with the rest of the Google world. The i-phones, on the other hand, tend to be very Apple-Only type devices with a lot of proprietary things built into them.
The android phones have lots of Apps. Not at many as the i-phone but looser constraints and better user-friendly tools means there will be a lot more apps out there for the androids in no time.
The i-phone has a loyal following. That is both good, and bad. It tends to polarize the buying public into the "I love Apple" group and everyone else that is Anti-Apple.
Your thoughts?
j
Top Ten XBox Games
I think there will come a time when television/computers/telephones and game consoles are all the same thing. I can see us talking about our latest APP "Gears of War 12". We will download it onto our phones, slide down our 3-D headset, put on our sensing gloves and go to work.
As far as what is the best out there right now, here is what I think. You may not agree but that is the fun of it.
#10 Viva Pinata
#9 Crackdown
#8 Mass Effect
#7 Fight Night Round 3
#6 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
#5 Fallout 3
#4 Halo 3
#3 Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV
#2 Bioshock
#1 Gears of War 2
Now, I have not played all of these games through to completion so a lot of my ratings have to do with sales and comments left by people on the Web. I also have a friend that is a Game Tester; the best job on the planet. I get some input from him as well.
Jim
As far as what is the best out there right now, here is what I think. You may not agree but that is the fun of it.
#10 Viva Pinata
#9 Crackdown
#8 Mass Effect
#7 Fight Night Round 3
#6 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
#5 Fallout 3
#4 Halo 3
#3 Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls IV
#2 Bioshock
#1 Gears of War 2
Now, I have not played all of these games through to completion so a lot of my ratings have to do with sales and comments left by people on the Web. I also have a friend that is a Game Tester; the best job on the planet. I get some input from him as well.
Jim
My First Post
This is a new blog I am starting. I hope to review products; mostly video games, books, movies and some of the more techie type toys.
An important part of my reviews will be your comments.
For example: What is the best game console and why? Is it the XBox 360? All you have to do is respond in the comment section of this blog. Since this is my first day, I am going to take a pass on what I think.
What video games are the best? Gears of War?
What about cell phones? What is your favorite cell phone? How does the Android stack up against the IPhone? What is your favorite APP?
What about the ipad verses a laptop? or a netbook?
Is Google Docs going to replace Microsoft's Office suite? (I hope so)
Books?
Movies? I watch a lot of movies so I will be reporting on these first hand.
That's it for now.
An important part of my reviews will be your comments.
For example: What is the best game console and why? Is it the XBox 360? All you have to do is respond in the comment section of this blog. Since this is my first day, I am going to take a pass on what I think.
What video games are the best? Gears of War?
What about cell phones? What is your favorite cell phone? How does the Android stack up against the IPhone? What is your favorite APP?
What about the ipad verses a laptop? or a netbook?
Is Google Docs going to replace Microsoft's Office suite? (I hope so)
Books?
Movies? I watch a lot of movies so I will be reporting on these first hand.
That's it for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)