Friday, September 25, 2009
Die Zukunft ist Jetzt!
Right now I am typing these words on a piece of rectangular plastic with a liquid crystal screen with a nine inch diagonal. My pressure on the keys is transformed into electrical impulses and transmitted via a wireless server here in Potsdamer Platz, where I am waiting to see an Imax edition of Harry Potter 6 with a German dub. The signal reaches Google and Blogger's respective servers and within minutes, a message that I type sitting near a fountain in Berlin reaches you halfway around the world.
There are no wires.
The connection is as quick as any I've dealt with here in Europe.
And the marvelous thing is, this public information network can only grow in size, speed, and, I hope accessibility.
The digital divide is real. There are people, many people, who do not have access to the Web and the educational and social benefits that it provides.
But I have a feeling that they would be among the first to tell me, if they were to join me under the glass canopy of the Sony Center, here in the heart of Berlin, just how impressive, how magical our technologies make our lives. We remain dependent upon them, more so than ever, to the point where we become jaded or take them for granted. Nonetheless, I consider myself fortunate to be alive at a time where such seemingly trivial things as this blog post can be written and distributed globally in mere minutes.
The not-too-distant future that we all dreamed about fifty years ago? Well, it may not have any flying cars, but it looks like we're getting there a lot sooner than expected.
(0) comments
Right now I am typing these words on a piece of rectangular plastic with a liquid crystal screen with a nine inch diagonal. My pressure on the keys is transformed into electrical impulses and transmitted via a wireless server here in Potsdamer Platz, where I am waiting to see an Imax edition of Harry Potter 6 with a German dub. The signal reaches Google and Blogger's respective servers and within minutes, a message that I type sitting near a fountain in Berlin reaches you halfway around the world.
There are no wires.
The connection is as quick as any I've dealt with here in Europe.
And the marvelous thing is, this public information network can only grow in size, speed, and, I hope accessibility.
The digital divide is real. There are people, many people, who do not have access to the Web and the educational and social benefits that it provides.
But I have a feeling that they would be among the first to tell me, if they were to join me under the glass canopy of the Sony Center, here in the heart of Berlin, just how impressive, how magical our technologies make our lives. We remain dependent upon them, more so than ever, to the point where we become jaded or take them for granted. Nonetheless, I consider myself fortunate to be alive at a time where such seemingly trivial things as this blog post can be written and distributed globally in mere minutes.
The not-too-distant future that we all dreamed about fifty years ago? Well, it may not have any flying cars, but it looks like we're getting there a lot sooner than expected.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ben's European Adventure: Week 2 Update
Guten tag von Berlin, meine Freunde! Yes, I am here in Germany's capital having survived my second conference on the history of science museums. I am now in something of a holding pattern until the researcher I am traveled here to interview returns from his Sommerurlaub. (That's summer vacation for those of you who are less Teutonically inclined.) My accommodations during this leg of the trip are relatively comfortable. I'm staying in the Dahlem neighborhood which is a half hour or so outside the center of town via S-Bahn. Fortunately the train station is a mere 5 minute walk away and this being Berlin, you'd better believe things run on time. The hotel also provides both free breakfast and free wireless access, two things that the dorm room I wound up staying during the second half of my stay in London could not claim.
Also, unlike London, I do not have to travel through a complicated labyrinth up 5 flights of stairs and through no less than, I kid you not, 8 fire doors. Seriously, London? 8 fire doors? I realize that big blaze back in the 17th century was a bit of a downer, but do you really need that much fire protection in a college dormitory? Especially since my room's walls were filled with asbestos. Again, I kid you not. There was a label saying so on the door. I'm glad I got out of there when I did. Any more time in that room and I would have probably received a kindly note that the sheets were covered in Agent Orange and that the towels would release toxic fumes upon getting wet. For my safety of course.
In any event, enough ranting about my crappy conference-provided accommodations. The conference itself was fine and London was great, especially seeing the Sleeper and his wife. (Mrs. Sleeper...?) I really wish that I knew some more people in Berlin. Not because I would want a place to crash per se (though as a grad student, that wouldn't hurt...) but also because there's only so much one can do by oneself in a new city. Yesterday I tried to alleviate this boredom with a walking tour run by a veteran of the British diplomatic service. He advertised it as an all day affair, and he wasn't kidding. We left from near Friedrichstrasse (in the middle of town) around 10:30 and only finished touring after dark around 19:30. In between, we basically saw all of the major sights in Berlin...at least from the outside.
Brandenburg Gate? Check.
Checkpoint Charlie? Check.
Reichstag building? Check.
The only downside was that as the only American on the tour (along with another Brit, two Australians, a pair of Colombians, and a trio of Portuguese girls), I was the subject of constant razzing about our illogical use of language (billion vs. milliard, for example), driving patterns (though I still think that the right-side/left-side split is not as lopsided as he'd have you believe), and shoddy efforts making sure that all the Nazis got their comeuppance after WWII (...paging Dr. Braun, Dr. Werner von Braun...) Still, once I figured out that I could snipe back, things became a little more tolerable, though my feet were incredibly sore and I was surprisingly exhausted by the end. I even slept in today...all the way until 8 AM, which actually may have made my life a little easier considering that the S-Bahn is INCREDIBLY CROWDED during rush hour.
When I finally woke up, I wandered over to a small cemetery a little north of the city center where apparently every famous German who ever lived is buried. Bertolt Brecht is there. So is Hegel. And Emil Du Bois Reymond. What do you mean you don't know about that last guy? He's a famous physiologist. If this grad school thing falls through I may start a company that gives history of science themed tours in major cities around the world. Seriously, there has to be a market!
After visiting the graves of famous Germans and pondering whether or not people would leave rocks on my tombstone two centuries after I died (Answer: Almost certainly not. Tombstones will be replaced with some sort of holographic imaging system in the year 2136. Also, I don't plan to die.) I walked to the natural history museum and saw the world's tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton. My inner six year old was squealing with glee throughout the visit, even as I had to dodge some actual six year olds who were there on a field trip. Sadly, not one seemed to know how to pronounce Archeopteryx...despite the fact that the first specimen of that bird-like dinosaur resides in the museum. I would expect such things back in the States, but not on the Continent.
Then it was off to Museuminsel for lunch (vegetarian Thai green curry...yup, I'm in Germany! I ate a buttered pretzel and a doner kabob yesterday. Hope to have more soon.) and some high culture. Stopped by the Bode Museum to see the fine Byzantine art collection, then strolled over to the Pergamon to gawk at the Ishtar gate and channel my inner 8 year old's love of Greek mythology. (They had a whole exhibit dedicated to the Olympian pantheon with separate rooms for each deity!) Then it was over to the Altes Museum for...more classical sculpture before moving on to the Altes Nationalgallerie for some 19th century works.
By that point, I was so tired I didn't really want to scrounge for food. I would have to pick up something quick (which didn't sound appetizing) or go to a restaurant (which, as mentioned earlier, is no fun to do alone), and since neither option was particularly appealing, I went home. Which is where I am now. The Internet does not work in my room due to distance from the router, but I can just walk down a flight of stairs, which is a big improvement on some of my other Internet options this trip. (Looking at you, Bretagne!) On the other hand, the TV in my room works, so I get to practice my German with dubbed versions of South Park, Law and Order, and Crossing Jordan I doubt that a week in Berlin will severely alter my mastery of German, which I have reconfirmed is embarassingly limited but passable, but it is still fun to practice.
So with that in mind, I think it's time for a quick snack before "Alle lieben Raymond."
Wiedersehen!
(1) comments
Guten tag von Berlin, meine Freunde! Yes, I am here in Germany's capital having survived my second conference on the history of science museums. I am now in something of a holding pattern until the researcher I am traveled here to interview returns from his Sommerurlaub. (That's summer vacation for those of you who are less Teutonically inclined.) My accommodations during this leg of the trip are relatively comfortable. I'm staying in the Dahlem neighborhood which is a half hour or so outside the center of town via S-Bahn. Fortunately the train station is a mere 5 minute walk away and this being Berlin, you'd better believe things run on time. The hotel also provides both free breakfast and free wireless access, two things that the dorm room I wound up staying during the second half of my stay in London could not claim.
Also, unlike London, I do not have to travel through a complicated labyrinth up 5 flights of stairs and through no less than, I kid you not, 8 fire doors. Seriously, London? 8 fire doors? I realize that big blaze back in the 17th century was a bit of a downer, but do you really need that much fire protection in a college dormitory? Especially since my room's walls were filled with asbestos. Again, I kid you not. There was a label saying so on the door. I'm glad I got out of there when I did. Any more time in that room and I would have probably received a kindly note that the sheets were covered in Agent Orange and that the towels would release toxic fumes upon getting wet. For my safety of course.
In any event, enough ranting about my crappy conference-provided accommodations. The conference itself was fine and London was great, especially seeing the Sleeper and his wife. (Mrs. Sleeper...?) I really wish that I knew some more people in Berlin. Not because I would want a place to crash per se (though as a grad student, that wouldn't hurt...) but also because there's only so much one can do by oneself in a new city. Yesterday I tried to alleviate this boredom with a walking tour run by a veteran of the British diplomatic service. He advertised it as an all day affair, and he wasn't kidding. We left from near Friedrichstrasse (in the middle of town) around 10:30 and only finished touring after dark around 19:30. In between, we basically saw all of the major sights in Berlin...at least from the outside.
Brandenburg Gate? Check.
Checkpoint Charlie? Check.
Reichstag building? Check.
The only downside was that as the only American on the tour (along with another Brit, two Australians, a pair of Colombians, and a trio of Portuguese girls), I was the subject of constant razzing about our illogical use of language (billion vs. milliard, for example), driving patterns (though I still think that the right-side/left-side split is not as lopsided as he'd have you believe), and shoddy efforts making sure that all the Nazis got their comeuppance after WWII (...paging Dr. Braun, Dr. Werner von Braun...) Still, once I figured out that I could snipe back, things became a little more tolerable, though my feet were incredibly sore and I was surprisingly exhausted by the end. I even slept in today...all the way until 8 AM, which actually may have made my life a little easier considering that the S-Bahn is INCREDIBLY CROWDED during rush hour.
When I finally woke up, I wandered over to a small cemetery a little north of the city center where apparently every famous German who ever lived is buried. Bertolt Brecht is there. So is Hegel. And Emil Du Bois Reymond. What do you mean you don't know about that last guy? He's a famous physiologist. If this grad school thing falls through I may start a company that gives history of science themed tours in major cities around the world. Seriously, there has to be a market!
After visiting the graves of famous Germans and pondering whether or not people would leave rocks on my tombstone two centuries after I died (Answer: Almost certainly not. Tombstones will be replaced with some sort of holographic imaging system in the year 2136. Also, I don't plan to die.) I walked to the natural history museum and saw the world's tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton. My inner six year old was squealing with glee throughout the visit, even as I had to dodge some actual six year olds who were there on a field trip. Sadly, not one seemed to know how to pronounce Archeopteryx...despite the fact that the first specimen of that bird-like dinosaur resides in the museum. I would expect such things back in the States, but not on the Continent.
Then it was off to Museuminsel for lunch (vegetarian Thai green curry...yup, I'm in Germany! I ate a buttered pretzel and a doner kabob yesterday. Hope to have more soon.) and some high culture. Stopped by the Bode Museum to see the fine Byzantine art collection, then strolled over to the Pergamon to gawk at the Ishtar gate and channel my inner 8 year old's love of Greek mythology. (They had a whole exhibit dedicated to the Olympian pantheon with separate rooms for each deity!) Then it was over to the Altes Museum for...more classical sculpture before moving on to the Altes Nationalgallerie for some 19th century works.
By that point, I was so tired I didn't really want to scrounge for food. I would have to pick up something quick (which didn't sound appetizing) or go to a restaurant (which, as mentioned earlier, is no fun to do alone), and since neither option was particularly appealing, I went home. Which is where I am now. The Internet does not work in my room due to distance from the router, but I can just walk down a flight of stairs, which is a big improvement on some of my other Internet options this trip. (Looking at you, Bretagne!) On the other hand, the TV in my room works, so I get to practice my German with dubbed versions of South Park, Law and Order, and Crossing Jordan I doubt that a week in Berlin will severely alter my mastery of German, which I have reconfirmed is embarassingly limited but passable, but it is still fun to practice.
So with that in mind, I think it's time for a quick snack before "Alle lieben Raymond."
Wiedersehen!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Ben's European Adventure: Week One Update
Hello all and greetings from London. Sincere apologies for the paucity of updates over the past few days, but until now my Internet access has been surprisingly restricted. One would think that a conference being held at a major site in the history of French telecommunications would have considered the importance of reliable wireless networks, but such was not to be. Thankfully, my colleague at The Sleeper Cell has been kind enough to put me up in his flat where the couches are comfortable, the cats are appropriately afraid of humans, and the wifi connection is reliable.
This is not to claim that I disliked my time in France. Overall, in fact, the "summer school" I attended on the history of the electronic image was among the most enriching experiences I have ever had in my short career as an academic. Imagine fifteen graduate students and a half dozen professors gathering in Brittany to present a diverse range of papers on everything from media studies to the history of television technology. Unlike at a typical conference, where interactions are largely limited to a single session, at this school we spent five days getting to know one another, both in formal workshops and discussions and less structured field trips and delicious (i.e. French) meals. Rather than just a venue to present research findings, this was meant as an opportunity to build lasting connections between an international community of similarly motivated scholars. Hopefully, all of us who attended will keep this in mind as we return to our geographically distant home institutions.
OK, enough of this boring methodological reflection. What sort of exciting and fun-filled adventures have I had so far during this trip?
Since my arrival in Europe on Monday, I have:
-struggled to remember any of the French I learned a few years ago for my departmental reading exam and eventually mustered enough courage to go to a local patisserie and order breakfast (Next time, maybe I'll be able to hold a five minute conversation.)
-received a medal from a French mayor
-walked barefoot in the English channel
-confirmed that obtaining tenure provides time for professors to dramatically improve their bowling scores
-discovered the proper European way of eating mussels (Tip #1: Use the shell of one mussel to both pry open and eat the next)
-wandered around a centuries-old chateau
-tried my hand (or feet) at traditional Breton dancing
-watched soccer on a prototype 3-D television display (It's coming to markets sooner than I expected!)
-more likely than not doubled my previous lifetime consumption of wine...and learned the perils of switching midway through a meal from from red to white
-traveled to the conference on the TGV (a four-plus hour trip from Paris) and then to Britain via the Chunnel (first impressions: it was dark.)
-braved the perils of traveling both the Paris Metro and London Underground with a large piece of luggage
-avoided getting killed due to my lack of familiarity with British traffic patterns
-successfully met up with the Sleeper despite my near total lack of Internet access during the past few days
And that only begins to scratch the surface. Eventually I plan to post some pictures, but for now you'll just have to use your imaginations.
(0) comments
Hello all and greetings from London. Sincere apologies for the paucity of updates over the past few days, but until now my Internet access has been surprisingly restricted. One would think that a conference being held at a major site in the history of French telecommunications would have considered the importance of reliable wireless networks, but such was not to be. Thankfully, my colleague at The Sleeper Cell has been kind enough to put me up in his flat where the couches are comfortable, the cats are appropriately afraid of humans, and the wifi connection is reliable.
This is not to claim that I disliked my time in France. Overall, in fact, the "summer school" I attended on the history of the electronic image was among the most enriching experiences I have ever had in my short career as an academic. Imagine fifteen graduate students and a half dozen professors gathering in Brittany to present a diverse range of papers on everything from media studies to the history of television technology. Unlike at a typical conference, where interactions are largely limited to a single session, at this school we spent five days getting to know one another, both in formal workshops and discussions and less structured field trips and delicious (i.e. French) meals. Rather than just a venue to present research findings, this was meant as an opportunity to build lasting connections between an international community of similarly motivated scholars. Hopefully, all of us who attended will keep this in mind as we return to our geographically distant home institutions.
OK, enough of this boring methodological reflection. What sort of exciting and fun-filled adventures have I had so far during this trip?
Since my arrival in Europe on Monday, I have:
-struggled to remember any of the French I learned a few years ago for my departmental reading exam and eventually mustered enough courage to go to a local patisserie and order breakfast (Next time, maybe I'll be able to hold a five minute conversation.)
-received a medal from a French mayor
-walked barefoot in the English channel
-confirmed that obtaining tenure provides time for professors to dramatically improve their bowling scores
-discovered the proper European way of eating mussels (Tip #1: Use the shell of one mussel to both pry open and eat the next)
-wandered around a centuries-old chateau
-tried my hand (or feet) at traditional Breton dancing
-watched soccer on a prototype 3-D television display (It's coming to markets sooner than I expected!)
-more likely than not doubled my previous lifetime consumption of wine...and learned the perils of switching midway through a meal from from red to white
-traveled to the conference on the TGV (a four-plus hour trip from Paris) and then to Britain via the Chunnel (first impressions: it was dark.)
-braved the perils of traveling both the Paris Metro and London Underground with a large piece of luggage
-avoided getting killed due to my lack of familiarity with British traffic patterns
-successfully met up with the Sleeper despite my near total lack of Internet access during the past few days
And that only begins to scratch the surface. Eventually I plan to post some pictures, but for now you'll just have to use your imaginations.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Bon Voyage!
In a few short hours, I'll be catching a train to the airport to set off on an 18 day European expedition. I will be attending two conferences, spending time in three countries (France, UK, Germany), meeting scholars from dozens of different universities and museums, and interviewing one of the inventors of the modern liquid crystal display.
All in all, it should be a very exciting time, but I am uncertain how easily I will be able to access the Internet. I will try my best to post semi-regular updates on this blog, although if my trip to Germany proved anything, it's that consistent blogging while traveling is not necessarily an easy task. Consequently, my posts this time around may be deliberately brief--a photograph and some quick comments, at least until I can get back and devote time to more detailed reflections.
Until then, bon voyage!
(0) comments
In a few short hours, I'll be catching a train to the airport to set off on an 18 day European expedition. I will be attending two conferences, spending time in three countries (France, UK, Germany), meeting scholars from dozens of different universities and museums, and interviewing one of the inventors of the modern liquid crystal display.
All in all, it should be a very exciting time, but I am uncertain how easily I will be able to access the Internet. I will try my best to post semi-regular updates on this blog, although if my trip to Germany proved anything, it's that consistent blogging while traveling is not necessarily an easy task. Consequently, my posts this time around may be deliberately brief--a photograph and some quick comments, at least until I can get back and devote time to more detailed reflections.
Until then, bon voyage!
Monday, September 07, 2009
Labored Days
Last Friday was my first day at my new academic fellowship. I got to visit my new office, meet my new colleagues, and get confused about my new tax situation. (I love how the guy in charge of handling my tax paperwork skirted between evasion and flat-out refusal to provide any specific information concerning my employment status.) All in all, the set up seems very nice and I hope it will prove conducive to working hard on my dissertation.
Unfortunately, there will be little time for that in the coming weeks. In just six short days I will be flying off to Europe for two conferences (one on the history of the electronic image and one on the history of science museums) and an interview with an important liquid crystal researcher. The trip will span 18 days and 3 countries (France, UK, and Germany). My hope is that I'll return feeling refreshed and eager to face the daunting tasks associated with writing my first new chapter since leaving my archive.
Whether or not reality meets these expectations is unclear. In the short term, my goal is to make sure that everything is prepared for the trip. If it weren't for the growing number of meetings and additional obligations that seem to keep popping up around my schedule, I'd feel a lot better about that. But the work has to get done, no matter how I feel.
(0) comments
Last Friday was my first day at my new academic fellowship. I got to visit my new office, meet my new colleagues, and get confused about my new tax situation. (I love how the guy in charge of handling my tax paperwork skirted between evasion and flat-out refusal to provide any specific information concerning my employment status.) All in all, the set up seems very nice and I hope it will prove conducive to working hard on my dissertation.
Unfortunately, there will be little time for that in the coming weeks. In just six short days I will be flying off to Europe for two conferences (one on the history of the electronic image and one on the history of science museums) and an interview with an important liquid crystal researcher. The trip will span 18 days and 3 countries (France, UK, and Germany). My hope is that I'll return feeling refreshed and eager to face the daunting tasks associated with writing my first new chapter since leaving my archive.
Whether or not reality meets these expectations is unclear. In the short term, my goal is to make sure that everything is prepared for the trip. If it weren't for the growing number of meetings and additional obligations that seem to keep popping up around my schedule, I'd feel a lot better about that. But the work has to get done, no matter how I feel.
