To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

I was listening to a song yesterday morning. It was called ‘happiness is just a chemical’ or something like that. It got me thinking though. If happiness is caused by a chemical reaction within the brain, then it is a purely chemical reaction that causes us to feel good… So can we therefore assume that our happiness is an illusion that is reinforced by a physical need for the chemical that makes us feel good?

Well if you think about it, there is no real conclusive evidence either for or against this theory (as far as I can tell). So is life really closer to the reality of the Matrix type existence that sees us caught up in an unreal façade where we are prompted to believe that our happiness is directly affected by those around us?

Hmm. I think that it’s fair to assume that if everyone around us is miserable, we are unlikely to ever feel entirely happy. It is one thing to say that happiness is a chemical, but it should then be conversely said, that sadness is also a chemical (or a lack of the one that makes us feel happy). We cannot however assume that depression is just feeling sad… Depression is far more serious than that of course. It is a chemical imbalance also. But would the onset of depression be suppressed in cases where the abundance of the ‘happy chemicals’ are present in individuals that have the propensity to suffer from depression?

Human psychology is a complex study that in my opinion, begs more questions that it proposes answers. Why exactly do we get depressed? And what exactly are the differences between clinical depression and the depression commonly referred to by the layperson (such as myself). My ignorance is obvious on this subject. I must do some further research on the issue.

On a brighter note, I say one of those palletizers in action the other day. It’s one of those things that you see that has obvious potential, you know and is such a brilliant idea that even an idiot could use it. Unfortunately under the right circumstances, only an idiot would ever use it. Example a) Shrink wrapping loosely stacked CRT monitors on a pallet 2 tiers high without first securing them to the stack… The palletizer spins around fast enough to send two of the monitors flying off the stack and crashing hard on the unforgiving concrete. Very dumb, but a total pisser. Funny stuff., especially from the IT gurus at SAGE.

Anyway, enough from me for today. I’ve wasted enough of your time for now. See ya later.

CSIRAC in Melbourne

Well, its been a long time since I blogged. But its been very busy and admittedly, I have been preoccupied with other stuff. I cant stop bragging about the trip to the Melbourne Museum. It was fantastic. The last time I went to the museum, I was only about 12 years old. It has since moved location and is in a fantastic new building as well.

By far, the most fascinating exhibit for me was CSIRAC. CSIRAC is a computer, in fact it is Australia’s very first computer. It is iconic in the modern digital age. I reckon it’s awesome. There are about 2000 valves in this behemoth. Its about 5 metres wide and 2 metres tall, jam packed full of circuit boards, and houses an enormous barrel type hard drive.

From what I remember, she holds around 200bytes of data and was capable of processing around 500 instructions per second with her processing speed of 300khz.
Sure, compared to modern multi-core desktop processors, she is little more than an enormous calculator, but she is a genuine electronic and scientific wonder of the 20th Century. CSIRAC was used for all sorts of stuff from weather pattern prediction, to loan repayment calculations. Ironically, it was Australia’s financial decision in the 1940’s to pour money into the CSIRO’s research into rain making (yes it is true) rather than computer research that bore the need for a computer that would make complex and detailed cloud and water droplet formations and other weather pattern predictions possible.

If you get the chance, it's well worth a look. Here's a picture of part of a nearby building
in Melbourne. Makes an interesting photo. Kool stuff I reckon. Anyway, if you find this interesting, check out the Melbourne museum’s website at http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/csirac/