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September 28, 2007

Sony's All-Seeing Eye

This is awesome. According to Wikipedia, a "gigapixel image" contains one billion (10⁹) pixels, which is equivalent to a 32,000 by 32,000 image. A few years back, Clifford Ross's homemade R-1 camera made the news for achieving similar resolution in the analog domain.

One interesting aspect of this technology would be near-real-time satellite photography of entire cities. Another would be near-real-time imaging of biological samples.

To get an idea of just how detailed a gigapixel image is, check out the insanely detailed Harlem 13 Gigapixels, using technology provided by Zoomify.

Posted by Devon at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2007

Test-Tube Experts

From the New York Times article about the 900-page Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance:

"Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task -- playing a C-minor scale 100 times, for instance, or hitting tennis serves until your shoulder pops out of its socket. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome."

Posted by Devon at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)