Operating Systems and You

Spring Term has come to and end and Summer Term is now starting. I'm done with CS 330 (Concepts of Programming Languages) and starting CS 345 -- Operating Systems Principles. It is so significantly more difficult it is ridiculous. But I'm really looking forward to this.

So throughout the course we're writing an operating system. The projects will build upon each other to eventually form an OS. It's very interesting to learn about the way computers can handle so many things going on at the same time.

I was thinking today about the differences between the way computers multitask and humans multitask. I wonder how similar it really is. As far as I have learned the way a computer works was not built on the way a human works at all. But its interesting to think of it that way. We've learned in my class how computers will put one process on hold and focus their attention and computing power on another task or process for a time. When that other process is complete they can resume the former process without any problems. Or maybe they'll put the second process on hold and go back and forth until one of them is finished. The time between switching processes is generally not noticeable to us as humans. That's why you can have your internet and itunes and solitaire all running at the same time. Anyway the point is that computers have the ability to multitask.

I think that humans use multitasking in a similar way. We at times of heightened activity seem to have multiple thought processes developing at once. In reality we are just switching between the thought processes so fast that we don't even notice the time it takes to do so. It seems to make sense to compare computer processes with human thought processes, but I'm very confident that the human brain is far more complex than any computer. We can teach computers how to speak and act like humans, but we can never give them the gift of moral agency that sets us so uniquely apart.

I think of humans as having the potential to do almost anything. Over time and through their actions they limit those possibilities. Computers on the other hand start being able to do nothing. The better they are built and the better they are programmed the more they are able to do. Computers and humans sort of meet in the middle somewhere there.

Its hard to explain I guess. Maybe I'll write about it again another time.

Percy Jackson vs my homework

So I saw Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief last night at the dollar theater with a friend. It was actually pretty cool. I had read the reviews online where people said "It's basically like Harry Potter: instead of finding out he's a wizard, he finds out he's a demigod (the son of Poseidon), and instead of going to a school for wizards he goes to a camp for demigods."

I don't agree that it was like Harry Potter, mostly because the camp was pretty insignificant. It was all about this story of Percy and his friends going on an adventure to save his mom (rather than go to save the world from a war that only he and he alone can stop). Somehow even though he went on his own personal quest he also managed to stop the war of the Gods in literally the last second possible.

It was a good movie. There were some great effects with swirling water controlled by Percy, the son of Poseidon. There were also some rather nasty looking beasts they had to fight. There was also some great choreography of swordplay throughout the movie.

Now I get to finish my homework that is due in three hours! It shouldn't be a problem though. Computer Science homework can be fun to do. I'm giving a presentation on the programming language Ruby on Rails. Maybe I'll post a link of some webapps I make using it.

Start a Fire

I love stories of political uprising. Except that for the most part I only like them if they aren't based on true stories, or involving actual uprising events (such as the American Revolution or the French Revolution). I guess modern-day political uprising stories would be pretty cool too. The important thing is just pure fiction I think.

Although maybe I should try reading books about historical revolutions.

Right now I am reading 1984. I read about half of it when I was a teenager. I decided I wanted to finish what I started back then and read it all the way through. It's not exactly about starting a revolution, but it's along that same vein. I'm liking it pretty well so far.

Anthem

So I went to the library yesterday and looked for books I might want to read. I came out with a copy of Anthem by Ayn Rand. I started reading it as I embarked on the fifteen minute walk home. I finished reading it that same night (after watching Prince of Persia with some friends, which was awesome). I hadn't expected to read it all in one day. It was just too easy to get pulled into the book.

It is not that Anthem is the greatest book I've ever read by any means. It was just that the writing style was such that it was easy to continue reading until I finished it.

I don't want to go into a book review or report necessarily as I don't feel qualified to do that since I am not an English major. My opinion of it was that it was a short enough read (only 105 pages) and a good enough read that anyone who is interested in political or philosophical based books should pick it up.

I really love the writing style of Ayn Rand. Earlier this year I read Atlas Shrugged at the suggestion of my roommate. That was one of the best novels I've ever read. It's a bit longer at around 1170 pages but definitely worth reading. I don't agree with all of her views and philosophies, but I do enjoy reading them in the books she writes.

Reception

So today I went to my cousin's wedding reception. It was so great. I am so happy for her. The atmosphere there was so enjoyable. Who can go to a wedding reception and not enjoy themselves?

I invited my roommates to come with me. They all agreed to come, which was great. We had a lot of fun eating cake and being typical guys. That included making jokes about almost hitting on girls who turned out to be in High School, passing off a roommate as an extended relative, and other such things.

I just feel really great right now.