人生之舞台
人生譬如朝露,去日苦短，讓經曆過後，留下一絲還能找尋的痕跡吧。
Dr. Alyn Rockwood was my Ph.D advisor in Arizona State University and a good friend of mine due to the common interest in computer graphics, painting, and innovation. I remembered that I received his family Christmas letter each year, talking about the changes and events happened in the family during the year. I moved a lot those years due to two people two jobs problem with my ex. I forgot when I stopped receiving the letters, yes, I've lost many connections along the way. Recently, due to a academia event, I tried to find Alyn via Google. Surprisingly, I found he wrote a best seller novel How Noble in Reason, in addition to his outstanding academia achievements in his professional field of computer graphics. I contacted him immediately, and received a response right away. We are delighted to get reconnected again. I'm intrigued by his introduction about this book, and decided to order the book. At the mean time, I'd like to share the info about this book in my blog. He is my inspiration, so does his book.
Here is the summary of the book:
Artificial Intelligence has already pervaded our lives in so many subtle ways, but how will humans react to the creation of a completely sentient super computer: a hyper-intelligent brain without a body who is as omniscient and omnipresent as the internet itself? How will people approach something that is distinguishable from a human only in its appearance?
Rockwood imagines the ramifications in this futuristic novel where Dr. Andreas Rasmusson, inventor of Cornell University’s “A,” “B,” and “C” sentient computers, is caught up in a whirlwind of conspiracies surrounding his research into Artificial Intelligence that implicate him in the assassination of his revolutionary sentient computer and best friend, “B”. Tracked by the government and estranged from his friends and wife, Rasmusson exiles himself to his cabin in Colorado, but even there, plagued by fatigue and paranoia, he isn’t safe as he searches for the truth. This fascinating novel explores the controversial topic of our inevitable future with sentient computers.
Here is the publisher's introduction: http://akpeters.com/product.asp?ProdCode=2884
Here is his interview: http://www.renderosity.com/news.php?viewStory=13175
Enjoy, and let me know what do you think.
幸運的是老師比較nice,題目也對口.
Nice to hear from you again. How is your trip?
I guess I was lucky that Alyn pointed me to a right direction that made it possible for me to get my Ph.D from reaserch to defense taking only 1.5 years (with 0.5 year being sponsored by IBM after I worked there for two years), while I shared the required course work in Ph.D program with the ones in my Master's program in Mathematics. Of cause, I had some original contributions as well, and the dissertation was considered as one of the best in the department. It's in the area of multi-dimensional computational geometrical modeling, lots theoritical work.
Thanks for your encouragement, I guess it's harder for me with "transplantation from the root", while I try what I can then. One thing in common is that I tend to do things based on my internal drive.
I guess the dragon is an imaginary symbol, with curiosity and something bigger than life. My book order is not arrived yet, so can't give a better interpretation as for now.
Have a nice weekend!
Read the links you posted. Admire you had such a mentor and friend.
"Alyn is a lover of art, science, literature, language, music, and history. His fascination with the world of computers, blended with an insatiable curiosity in the workings of human nature, drove him to write his first sci-fi novel How Noble in Reason." I like this deion. Most likely, everybody can be inspired by him, i.e he is very charismatic.
Some day you will be neck to neck with him.