State of the Art

Dismantling Descartes

Dismantling Descartes

Dismantling Descartes 789 444 IEEE Pulse
In the 1999 movie The Matrix, Neo emerges from a vat of jelly shortly after taking the Red Pill. It suggested that there is a separation between the mind and the body and that the brain as the master driver of experiences could be hijacked to keep the body subjugated until its useful life—under the control of an outside force—had terminated. read more

Consciousness for Artificial Intelligence?

Consciousness for Artificial Intelligence? 150 150 IEEE Pulse
Can artificial intelligence (AI) systems ever achieve anything close to consciousness? There is presently an intense speculation about whether they can or cannot. read more

Good Ideas and Working Together

Good Ideas and Working Together 150 150 IEEE Pulse
The late physicist and Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling once said. “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” And, that also implies that, of the many ideas generated in one’s head, a lot of them would not be classified as “good”; not all of our ideas are worth the calories they take to develop them. read more

Engineering Superiority

Engineering Superiority 150 150 IEEE Pulse
The Famous engineer Henry Petroski once wrote about one of his students who asked, “Why do engineering students feel superior to those of us studying in nontechnical fields?” read more

Karen’s Defense

Karen’s Defense 150 150 IEEE Pulse
The final hurdle for all Ph.D. candidates in our department at the university was an oral defense of their thesis work. The thesis was a formal report of the research project that had usually taken candidates years to finish. read more

When is N +1 Too Much?

When is N +1 Too Much? 150 150 IEEE Pulse
The story is told that a juggler who can suspend five objects will invariably be asked if he or she can juggle six objects. Jugglers who can handle six objects at a time will almost always be asked if he or she can handle seven. read more

The Yin and the Yang of New Technologies

The Yin and the Yang of New Technologies 150 150 IEEE Pulse
Imagine technology as a living being. Perched on its left shoulder is a miniature angel, representing the good uses and beneficial consequences of the technology. read more

I Am Not in Position to Be Your Physician

I Am Not in Position to Be Your Physician 150 150 IEEE Pulse
But, readers of this publication are more or less conversant with medical matters: diseases, treatments, physiologies, genetics, monitoring, interventions, and many more. We are aware of means to protect and foster health, including nutrition, life styles, exercises, medicines, rest, and therapies. read more

Veterans’ Unlikely Stories

Veterans’ Unlikely Stories 150 150 IEEE Pulse
Tom Keating spent a tour in the U.S. Army in Vietnam in 1969–1970, returned home, and said very little to others about his experiences over there. read more
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