BookBlogAdina Levin's weblog. For conversation about books I've been reading, social software, and other stuff too.On intelligence, stupidity, and music- May 27, 2008 This weekend I read three very different books on the human mind and brain. Jeff Hawkins On Intelligence poses a speculative theory about how the neocortex works. Hawkins asserts that the distinctive aspect of human intelligence is that it allows us to make predictions. Based on a few strands of previous research, some insight, and aggressive reverse engineering, Hawkins proposes a neural architecture that enables humans to generalize patterns from raw sensation, allowing us to predict the..http://alevin.com/weblog/archives/002036.html Data Portability Summit: Data Sharing, Privacy and Context- May 16, 2008 At the Data Portability Summit, there was some excellent discussion about Data Sharing, Privacy and Context. In conventional wisdom, data sharing and privacy are seen as black and white opposites. Everything is locked down, private, non portable. Or everything is open, public, and free-flowing. But data sharing and privacy are not black and white. In real life, people share and present information based on social context. There are gradations of privacy and information sharing. Here are...http://alevin.com/weblog/archives/002034.html Data Portability Summit: Everyone is famous- May 16, 2008 The session on data sharing and privacy was combined with Kevin Marks session on digital publics. We talked about people's experiences handling the increased visibility of internet life. Managing reputation People share about their experiences in order to get their side of the story out and create a public image. Among digital natives, "it's not a real breakup until you've listed it on facebook. Handling fame Before the internet, there were only a small number of people who had more...http://alevin.com/weblog/archives/002035.html Recent Changes Camp: Media and Science progress toward open content- May 12, 2008 At Recent Changes Camp, I heard signs from two very different directions -- fan fiction and biomedical research -- that open content business models are finally reaching the mainstream. Laura Hale of the Fan History Wiki talked about how, since 2005, big media companies have stopped harrassing independent fan groups with takedown notices and other threats. Instead, they have set up their own commercial fan hosting sites, and use those as a way to promote their brand's content. Independent..http://alevin.com/weblog/archives/002033.html Favorite things at Maker Faire- May 5, 2008 My favorite discovery at Maker Faire was the work of Daniel McCormick, a sculptor whose art helps restore rivers. His installations woven of willow branches are set into the banks of rivers, where they trap sediment and help recreate the meanders and eddies in eroded streams. On a somewhat related note, I was glad to see that DIY food had started to colonize maker faire. As I munched on jessie cool's asparagus, I listened to a talk on beekeeping and the environmental risks to bees, and...http://alevin.com/weblog/archives/002032.html |