Quantum Sagas

French Opinion of America and the United States

Here is an interesting paper from Georgetown University, which I found while doing research, regarding the European (focusing on the French) opinion of America (which is associated with the society), and the United States (which is associated with Washington, DC).

French Opinion and the Deteriorating Image of the United States, Richard Kuisel

It is information like that (you know, with facts), that has me feeling that stuff like this isn't quite the truth (scroll down to "Rude treatment for a tourist in France").

A Story of Simple Engineering and Smart Teenagers

Wired Magazine has a great article in the April '05 issue about four young Mexican-Americans from a high-school in Phoenix winning the 2004 Marine Advanced Technology Education Center ROV Competition, beating mostly colleges (including MIT) with their underwater ROV, dubbed "stinky." The article:

Wired Magazine, April '05: La Vida Robot

It just demonstrates that engineering isn't necessarily about using the newest technologies to make devices on the bleeding edge of plausibility; it's about designing intelligently and creatively, with what you have available, working in concert as a team, to accomplish the goals set before you.

The above is a great story, and should provide hope for the future of society and technology.

Carl Hayden Community High School

...also here.

Ionic Breeze unhealthy

Among the many overpriced and/or tacky gifts (you know, the ones that relatives give as mandatory gifts for semi-distant cousins, etc.) that litter the Sharper Image catalog, it turns out the Ionic Breeze is joining the ranks. Consumer Reports (you have to have a subscription to view the review) has done a review of five such devices. One of the devices is the Ionic Breeze itself, and presumably four other units that are exactly the same but made by other companies for half the cost. The review apparently states that the devices not only do NOT clean the air as the advertisements would have you believe, but as a side-effect of ionizing the air, they release potentially toxic levels of ozone. Ozone is good -- in the upper atmosphere where it protects us from the sun. But ozone is also present in city smog, and breathing it in can cause damage to the lungs.

Anyways, Sharper Image has tried to bring suit against Consumers Union for libel in the past, which didn't get very far. This time they aren't sure how to respond yet, but I find this remark by the Sharper Image company lawyer (taken from the MSNBC article) humorous:

It is astonishing that Consumers Union would continue its misguided efforts to attack the judgment and experience of millions of Americans who are satisfied with the performance of the Ionic Breeze products.

No matter that the device is potentially unhealthy... It's okay because some 2 million people misled into buying them are satisfied with their function. It is just as astonishing that, say, the NIH attack the judgment and experience of millions of Americans who are satisfied with the performance of Philip Morris products? It's a bit of a stretch because air purifiers aren't addictive, but what is the likelihood that a company who has thoroughly tested their product before releasing it (we're assuming this is the case) not know that it releases potentially harmful ozone into the air? Someone had to know, and with a little ingenuity there might be a way of controlling it -- It's a byproduct of the process by which the device operates. But instead of shelling out a few extra bucks, we'll risk the safety of our customers. That seems to be a good business model as of late, extending from commercial corporations to the government; not that they are entirely distinguishable from one another.

Whether or not the customers are satisfied with the product doesn't matter. What matters is that they are aware of the potential side effects of the device. Because this information was not commonly known, the final determination can't be placed on the consumer for whether or not the device is suitable. The lawyer here is biting his own tail. By saying that the consumer is the ultimate determination of the effectiveness and safety of the product, he effectively saying that if they were stupid enough to waste their money on the Ionic Breeze, then they should be prepared to deal with the repercussions. If now the people continue to buy the product, then they can be held accountable, after knowing of its side effects.

I have to admit, however, that if someone was willing to blow $350 on a Sharper Image gimmick, then they really should be partially responsible.

Boston.com article similar to MSNBC's

Also, Sharper Image has crafted a shill-ish response to Consumer Reports regarding levels of ozone. Unfortunately, whether or not the levels of ozone exceed federal safety standards doesn't matter -- you're still contributing unnecessary amounts into the air. The proper amount of contribution is 0ppm. If you absolutely HAVE to generate ozone, then you must stick to the regulations. But this is a consumer product, and by all accounts not necessary, and therefore generation of ozone is preventable. It is not a cost of doing business, but instead a spillover cost to society.

John Myung Signature 6-string

Recently, I've been getting back into music, playing bass guitar and taking it all the way through music theory this time. I personally own a Yamaha BB405 5-string (like the one at the link, only with a black body) and it plays nicely. For the longest time, the nut was broken at the B string, but last year I repaired it and began playing again.

The intended purpose of this post, however, is to point out the new Yamaha John Myung (of Dream Theater) Signature series 6-string RBXJM2 recently introduced. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it being sold anywhere yet. My guess is that it will be around $1K, as most signature models run. I have played the non-signature 5 and 4-string RBX models, and they are very similar in action and sound to the BB404/5.

Snippet about this series.