PixelOptics‘ emPower Electronic eyeglasses are for those people who currently use multiple pairs of glasses or bifocals. In fact it seems like the emPower glasses function similarly to bifcocals, but mitigate some of the downsides.
The lenses feature liquid crystals that are able to reconfigure to essentially change the focus of the lenses. This happens in two different ways: manually, using a swiping motion against the frame and automatically, triggered when the integrated accelerometer detects head movement. This provides for a much larger viewing area, than is the case with bifocals.
Based on the manufacturer’s FAQ, it sounds like the glasses do not support changing of the prescription on the fly:
If you have a new prescription, a pair of eyewear will be manufactured to fit the new Rx. Depending on the condition of the frame, a new frame may not be required. There is one exception to the standard process: the frame will need to be returned to the lab so lenses can be inserted. In the future, we will be training Eye Care Professionals to insert lenses.
I don’t currently require eyeglasses. This seems fairly cool though.
What does it mean, to be an amateur? Merriam Webster defines the word like this:
1: devotee, admirer
2: one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession
3: one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science
The term seems to have taken on an often negative connotation these days. “Is it amateur night around here?!” This is an unfortunate development. There are professionals out there, who deliver sub-par performances. However, referring to them as amateurs seems more an insult to amateurs than to professionals.
When we look at the wider society outside the domain of science, we see amateurs playing essential roles in almost every field of human activity. [...] In the most important of all human responsibilities, the raising of children and grandchildren, amateurs do the lion’s share of the work. In almost all the varied walks of life, amateurs have more freedom to experiment and innovate. [...] We may hope that amateurs in the coming century, using the new tools that modern technology is placing in their hands, will invade and rejuvenate all of science.
Clearly, we are all amateurs in some areas of our life. At least on the Internet, it is a great time to be an amateur, too. As increasingly sophisticated technology is becoming available at increasingly lower prices, it seems that amateurs (as well as professionals) can easier make interesting contributions on a wider scale.
I recently started reading David McRaney’s You Are Not So Smart. The book is expanding on the author’s blog of the same title. Here is one of the book’s trailers that effectively introduces it.
It is a very entertaining read and it will likely appeal to lots of people interested in behavioral psychology or popular science. Apparently, it is doing well on Amazon, too. As of today, the hardcover version is ranking on four different lists:
Surprisingly, here is how the Kindle version is ranking.
“Me, I wait for inspiration,” he said, but he did it methodically every morning. He believed that a professional writer needed to set aside at least four hours a day for his job: “He doesn’t have to write, and if he doesn’t feel like it, he shouldn’t try. He can look out of the window or stand on his head or writhe on the floor, but he is not to do any other positive thing, not read, write letters, glance at magazines, or write checks.”
[...]
“Write or nothing. It’s the same principle as keeping order in a school. If you make the pupils behave, they will learn something just to keep from being bored. I find it works. Two very simple rules, a. you don’t have to write. b. you can’t do anything else. The rest comes of itself.”
This is an interesting approach and it apparently worked for him to some extent, given his productivity as an author. The aforementioned book also explains why this would have worked:
The Nothing Alternative is a bright-line rule: a clear, unmistakable boundary [...]. Chandler’s particular rule – If I can’t write, I will do nothing – is also an example of an implementation plan, that specific if-x-then-y strategy that has been shown to reduce the demands on willpower.
He made it a personal policy, essentially resolving to not allow himself any other real options, during the time that he dedicated to writing.
