Why shouldn't a PC work like a refrigerator or a toaster?

Why shouldn't a PC work like a refrigerator or a toaster?

For a smart material to be able to send out a more complex signal it needs to be nonlinear. If read more

For a smart material to be able to send out a more complex signal it needs to be nonlinear. If you hit a tuning fork twice as hard it will ring twice as loud but still at the same frequency. That's a linear response. If you hit a person twice as hard they're unlikely just to shout twice as loud. That property lets you learn more about the person than the tuning fork. - When Things Start to Think, 1999.

The Internet's been so great, and it's so nice to have fans do nice, elaborate websites, but I think the read more

The Internet's been so great, and it's so nice to have fans do nice, elaborate websites, but I think the downside is some of the things... for real fans to go on and see that 90 percent of the information isn't true or to see pictures that aren't really me, or for them to be able to sell these things, that's one of the downsides, I think.

Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context -- a chair in a room, a room read more

Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context -- a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan. - "Time", July 2, 1956.

The only thing you will ever be able to say in the so-called 'social' sciences is: "some do, some don't.".

The only thing you will ever be able to say in the so-called 'social' sciences is: "some do, some don't.".

The idea is in my head to put it down is nothing.

The idea is in my head to put it down is nothing.

Technology... is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back read more

Technology... is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other.

The great tragedy of science -- the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

The great tragedy of science -- the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

When computers (people) are networked, their power multiplies geometrically. Not only can people share all that information inside their machines, read more

When computers (people) are networked, their power multiplies geometrically. Not only can people share all that information inside their machines, but they can reach out and instantly tap the power of other machines (people), essentially making the entire network their computer. Peter Drucker -Scott McNeely.