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The sum of Wolfram’s new book seems to read like the last paragraph in a
Bradbury novel:

And indeed in the end the [Principle of Computational Equivalence]
encapsulates both the ultimate power and the ultimate weakness of science. For
it implies that all the wonders of the universe can in effect be captured by
simple rules, yet it shows that there can be no way to know all the
consequences of these rules, except in effect just to watch and see how they
unfold.

I heard a shocking story on NPR this morning: Japan, along with Norway,
Iceland, and other countries, is trying to lift the moratorium on whaling.
Whaling! It’s simply inconceivable to me, an 80’s kid, that there are
still countries out there that hunt whales. (Evidence: [1] [2]. Whoa, that was Ben Affleck?)

Cough, Cough. Ahem. Dave is back.

This just in… [article]

A senior Microsoft Corp. executive told a federal court last week that
sharing information with competitors could damage national security and even
threaten the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. He later acknowledged that some
Microsoft code was so flawed it could not be safely disclosed.

As Erin and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary two week-ends ago, we
happened to have a perfect overhead view of a local fireworks show from our room on the thirtieth
floor of the Westin St. Francis. It turns out that Amar was actually at
the pier, watching the fireworks from below.

Kurzweil
on Wolfram’s new book.

i:
look around most people at work and i refuse to let my life be about
ordering a triple espresso at starbucks, trading stocks on e*trade, fretting
over the performance of my portfolio, picking mutual funds, buying bigger
entertainment systems, watching jerry bruckheimer movies, pining for a new
bmw, getting the newest cell phone, becoming a premiere customer at united
airlines, and scheduling my life on the latest palm.