Is Pacific Rim close to becoming reality?
Now, let's be clear, I don't mean giant, inter-dimensional monsters coming up from the depths of the ocean to attack our cities (although, who's to say what lurks down there?). I'm talking about those giant, fighting mechs called Jaegers that give those Kaiju the beating of their lives. As a matter of fact, we're actually starting to venture into tech that could be used in Pacific-Rim-esque applications. Take, for example, MIT's recent adventure into brain-controlled robots via their Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Using an EEG monitor, people are able to guide a robot's choices using only their brain waves. The robot's algorithm can detect if the person believes the robot has made an error and react based on those results. Take a look:
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 My heart is heavy as I write this blog post.
I'll start by saying that I love Everyday Snippets, and I have truly enjoyed writing them. I have enjoyed even more seeing everyone's positive reactions to them and to see how they have inspired you. This series has encouraged me personally to look for beauty in every day--to appreciate those little things that surround us with the coming of each morning. However, as much as I have loved doing this series, I am sad to announce that I am bringing it to an end. At the beginning of the year, I had planned to go to 45 snippets before ending, but now, the Everyday Snippets blog series will end at #40. You will still be able to read them whenever you'd like, as they will remain on my blog, but new ones will not be released after the 40th. So, when will this one be released? You can expect it on Friday, April 6th--the one-year anniversary of the first Everyday Snippets post. While this will mean a gap in the usual posting schedule, I feel it's fitting to end the series on the anniversary of its beginning. As for what's to come after Everyday Snippets, I have another series, called "What Makes Us (In)human," in the works. Stay tuned for more details on that, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy your weekend! Thanks for reading and much love to you all! Jordan  It goes something like a riddle.
Some of us are round, some of us are thin. Some of us have black hair, orange hair, white hair, blond hair, purple hair, or none at all; it may spiral down past our shoulders or sit just above our ears. Our eyes are blue, green, hazel, and brown, or sometimes a unique mixture of them, as if they have been swirled together by an artist. Our skin may be white, black, brown, or red--it may be freckled or splotched, smooth or wrinkled. Some of us have expensive clothes, some of us do not. Some of us have tattoos, and some of us have rings. We may be silent, scarcely venturing to speak a word, or we may be loud and expressive. We may prefer company, or to sit alone and read. We all have unique songs, unique talents and skills. What are we? We are people--every single one of us different but the same. Though our eyes are like paintings, each special, unreproducible, and beautiful, we fail to see the beauty in each other. Our wrinkles are not objects of shame but testaments of our travels; our color is not the definition of our character but a display of our Creator's imagination; and our hair is not an embarrassment but a proclamation of our personalities. Our shapes are not things to be compared with others, our voices are not to be left unheard, and our wealth is not to be our identity. Take a moment, friend, and admire the beauty of people. We should be very glad that everyone is not just like us--that we are all made to be ourselves. Otherwise, I should think the world would be a much drearier place to live. 
Startup company ICON says it has an inexpensive solution to the world's housing crisis--and it's 3D printed.
In partnership with non-profit New Story, ICON has designed a 650-sq. ft. house made entirely with a 3D cement printer that, when finished, will be a significantly cheaper housing alternative for third-world countries. The design includes all the housing essentials, including a living room, bathroom, and bedroom, along with a unique curved porch encircling the front of the house. As a matter of fact, the Vulcan printer the company uses can even churn out houses up to 800 sq. ft. in size. You may have heard of 3D printed houses before, and one of ICON's co-founders, Jason Ballard, acknowledges that they aren't first to market. However, he asserts that the design of their homes is superior in quality. "There are a few other companies that have printed homes and structures. But they are printed in a warehouse, or they look like Yoda huts. For this venture to succeed, they have to be the best houses."  I turn my gaze upward to the glittering night sky in utter awe. To me, the stars seem to be mere flecks of shimmering dust, perhaps scattered across the black sky by a fairy. But I am profoundly struck with the thought that they are, in reality, mysterious planets or faraway suns bigger than our own.
Moreover, what are they but a fraction of all the stars and planets across the vast expanse of space? And what are those but pieces of billions of trillions of galaxies, the sight of which dazzle us even across immeasurable miles? What of the nebulas, delicate yet vibrant, or the asteroids silently spinning in the darkness? What small, insignificant things we are—we vainly think we are the center of everything. In spite, we have abandoned our fellow man because we think ourselves too important to stop and help each other. We have become consumed with ourselves instead of wonder at our meager place in this wide universe. When we are so little in light of the entirety of creation, how could we think ourselves so important to not be kind to one another? Friends, we have a Creator that has considered us worthy of love and attention amongst all the countless miles of space. Should we not, too, consider what small things we are and love one another?  Wearable technology has exploded in recent years, with everything from the Apple Watch, to smart headphones, to even smart rings vying for your precious dollars and inventing ways to be useful.
But guys, I've found one that surpasses them all. It is perhaps the most useful and splurge-worthy product I have ever laid eyes upon. It's the Pie Tops II from Pizza Hut. Now hold onto your seat, because it's about to get good. These sneakers feature a button affixed to the tongue of the right shoe that let you order pizza without having to touch your phone. I repeat, these shoes let you order pizza without even having to get up. |
