Author: granwil (Page 1 of 2)

The two texts I chose were “Alton Encyclopedia 1906” and “STL Encyclopedia 1862”. My hypothesis was both documents would be very similar. My hypothesis is founded on both cities being in close proximity to each other in the same region and environment. Time was also a factor with the encyclopedia’s only being roughly forty years apart. My assumption would be not much would have changed in that timespan. The most common words appearing were city, louis, and river. This makes sense because the subject are two cities. Even though the Alton Encyclopedia is about Alton, its proximity to a larger city makes it very attached to St Louis. The same goes for the word river. With both cities being very close to a river, how both cities function will be directly related to the river.

Interstellar and 2001: A Space Odyssey are both about how humanity uses AI as tools, to our benefit and our detriment. Interstellar views its AI, TARS, as a helpful companion. It is personified consistently, even able to have its “humor level” adjusted by the main character, cooper. Cooper talks to TARS like a fellow astronaut and human with a warm tone and quipping jokes. At no point does the robot attempt to rebel or murder its human operators. In fact, multiple times does TARS explicitly state it is not able to disobey orders. It is a completely subservient operating machine that assists in saving humanity by transmitting the needed black hole data that would allow humanity to immigrate off the climate change decimated earth. In short, Christopher Nolan believes we will be able to control our technological advancements without fear. On the other hand, 2001 presents a more cynical view of AI. A Space Odyssey’s AI, HAL, is treated very differently. Throughout the film, the astronaut, Dave, orders the AI to complete tasks with no warmth or compassion. Clearly Dave views HAL as only a cold, calculating machine with no hint of a personality or soul. Dave is proven very incorrect because HAL kills his fellow humans as well as attempting to take Dave’s life. Stanley Kubrick uses these actions of HAL to work out a fear of AI being able to make its own decisions with malice. His cynical view asserts that AI may become smarter than its human creators and will not value human life. Interstellar is a unique case of hope and technology. It addresses our current crisis of technology induced climate change with a fictional famine due to over farming while TARS is what saves humanity. Christopher Nolan understands that while we used technology to create a problem, we will need advanced technology like AI to continue forward.

What the Cahokia AR app does well is help visualize what the historical sites would have appeared as during the time they were in use by the native Americans due to extensive historical research by experts. Not only does it provide renders of the interiors in use, but it provides historical context such as who used these sites, for what purposes were these sites used, etc. By creating 3D visualizations of the sites restored, visitors have a tangible understanding of the site’s importance to the Cahokia tribe. Having a digital app that anyone can use outside of the physical sites allows for those who physically cannot make it to the mounds in person. The app can also help whoever may be unable to traverse the hills or mounds or the long trails on site. For example, individuals with physical disabilities unable to walk or require assistance would be affected. Smartphones and touchscreens require sight to access unless apps offer features to assist. If the app does not offer such features, people with limited or no sight would be unable to properly use the app. The app does have some audio features that allow such groups to utilize. Making this information more accessible to everyone gives the public a better understanding and appreciation for the land we all share and inhabit.