I remember years ago when I first came across the term self-destructive being used to describe a personality. I thought yeah, that fits me about perfect. A million things I want to do. Have to do. Only time to get a dozen done. And by God, what I really need to do is skip down to item #999 999: sleep. The last 3 hours, I have been working at tasks non-stop. In theory, this means I am achieving an awful lot. It just doesn’t feel like it, especially when one of those tasks is the enormously productive “clean stupid uni spam out of inbox.” I hope there is some sort of karma coming round for them.

Today I have spent 3 hours in robotics seminars by Prof. George Bekey. They have been excellent, as IntBus304 (International Business and Government, way more interesting than it sounds) always is, and CompSci372 (Computer Graphics, way more boring than it sounds) always isn’t. In between I tried to learn how to use VBScript to change Windows XP from classic to XP themes. (Apparently, you can’t.)

The thing about robotics that I find so amazing is how much it highlights the breathtaking sophistication of nature. What we can make with advanced robotics is humbled by the common cockroach. The incredible complexity yet simplicity of the human body to remain balanced on only two or even one leg (admittedly, I don’t last too long on the one.) The supremacy of the stomach over the battery. The valiant little robots moving from one lonely rock to the next 100 million kilometres away on Mars. The scholars who seek to unlock all these secrets. Its enough to make you Believe. Not in Him, though, if that’s what you’re thinking. I marvelled today, not for the first time, at how awesome it is to refute evolution, a central part of not only biology but just about every field of study I have ever encountered. I mean, you’ve got to respect them for that.

Spoiling today’s broth was the really dismal performance by the audience. When it was time for questions, many people didn’t just ask their question but came back to it again and again until it became obvious that they were simply trying to make their point and weren’t even slightly interested in what he had to say (unless it was the desired boost for their ego.) Some others were even more obvious in their intent to explain to our very distinguished Professor Emeritus something about the field of study he helped create. It’s enough to make you lose your Faith.

Restoration was available in Sony’s Aibo. It was amazing how quickly it turned from being a hunk of dog-shaped chrome and plastic to a lovable pet. Very memorable was when he looked around, located his ‘bone’, walked over to it and picked it up in his jaw. By then, it was just too hard to think of it as a machine. And look at this guy. Look at him go! (Those things are called whegs.)

Also in todays good news file is Garbage’s excellent new album Bleed Like Me. The title track is particularly good. The ultimate litmus test was passed: I drove through Auckland traffic while this was playing and did not emerge at the other end wanting to kill someone. Divine.

Last night I saw The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It was good (which was certainly more than could be said for the previews that played before it. Fuck you, Herbie.) The Infinite Improbability Drive was an absolute highlight for me, but to be honest I enjoyed the whole thing, for some reason or another.