Remember books?
April 20th 2011 07:54
Bah. And bah again.
Are books dead? No, they are not. But we continue to see a brain-dead segment of society which refuses to recognise their existence.
"What's the name of Frodo's uncle in The Lord of the Rings?" someone asks. "I wouldn't know," comes the reply, "I haven't seen the films.”
Films? Where did the books go? Where did awareness of books go? Before Peter Jackson there was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. He wrote books.
It happened again today, in a news report about efforts to teach computers to feel "regret". The report stated that boffins at Tel Aviv University were instructing computers to do something and then thwarting the process. The point, apparently, is to teach the machine the difference between a desired outcome and reality, this then making the computer less likely to repeat mistakes.
The public relations people who disseminated the story rather predictably got creative and likened the process to teaching computers to feel regret. Emotional machines!
The Tel Aviv engineers, perhaps embarrassed at the literary licence, were quoted as saying that these emotions, naturally, were not quite like those regularly ascribed to computers in science fiction films.
Films? Bah. And bah again. Science fiction writers had invented thinking, feeling machines well before anyone invented the motion picture.
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Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
And don't get me started on coffee. Movies are like instant. It is always on hand and the work has all been done but there's just so many mechanical hands that it goes through in the process that it always leaves a hollow taste in the stomach. Shall I compare pop music to soft drinks?
Cheers.
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
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Comment by Wyan 1
Wordophilia
I think parents need to encourage reading more in their homes and that they should read more themselves to set an example for their children. I try to encourage reading by participating in book discussion clubs at my local library with other readers, volunteering as a literacy tutor, and telling people I know whenever I've read a book I particularly enjoyed and think they might enjoy, too. If a book I've read is made into a movie, I will discuss the book with others and encourage them to read it. Reading is fun. Let's spread the word!
Comment by Chris Champion
Vyoos
Zoomies
Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Newly Old
Money Whither
That's all so true.
I got interested in reading because my single mother used to take over the TV at 8pm and grab some me time by banishing the kids to bed. But we didn't have to go to sleep - we were allowed to read as long as we liked, a clever and productive ploy.
To give us material to read, we made a weekly trek to the local library. I can still remember the delicious agony of choosing, and I particularly remember the sea change, like your voice breaking, of outgrowing the kids' section and moving out amongst the adult books.
It was the first time, aged 12 or so, that I had had to confront adulthood.
Thank you for your comment and best wishes,
Chris