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“I only regret that I have but one face to palm for my country.”
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Misanthrope's Delight
It
has occurred to me that with a sophisticated enough version of Google
Glass and a set of noise-canceling earphones, you could have a selective
"Ignore" feature in real life.
Should some enterprising university offer degree programs in Misanthropology (the study of why people tend to be so stupid, especially in groups), you could expect immediate offers of tenured positions as Professor Emerita in the subject*.
When compared to various "[FITB] studies" programs, a degree in Misanthroplogy would be infinitely more valuable in the marketplace....
*Alas, as someone who has earned (at most) an MS degree in Misanthropology through life experience, I could expect no more than an adjunct professor's position.
With facial recognition software, you can give people e-bay type ratings, and set thresholds for dishonesty, sanity, and idiocy for people you want to be able to talk to you.
I said "selective ignore list". If you wanted to put people on your ignore list that you think are liable to cause you physical harm, I suppose you could knock yourself out, as it were. ;)
I'm talking about...
Say you're at the family reunion, and you can't goddam stand Uncle Fred and his made-up frickin' war stories. You put him on your ignore list.
Now there's an Uncle Fred-shaped gray blob moving around in your field of vision like bad special effects, and weird clipping effects whenever he talks, but you can still see and hear the rest of the room and everybody else in it just fine.
This is a major plot device of John C. Wright's first novel from ~15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteSkip the chump change, and replace the glass with an Oculus Rift - shut the whole world out all in one go!
ReplyDeleteThat would be perfect for long plane flights.
ReplyDeleteWow. That might almost get me to consider buying one.
ReplyDeleteSo much better than using it to be a creeper by looking up all the details you can find on some random Joe on the street.
Yeah, one of these days I'm gonna start an IV drip, pull down the goggles and just spend the rest of my life in the Metaverse.
ReplyDeleteNot today, though. Gotta wait till the idiots evolve. I'm sure it won't take long.
Add a droud...
ReplyDeleteShould some enterprising university offer degree programs in Misanthropology (the study of why people tend to be so stupid, especially in groups), you could expect immediate offers of tenured positions as Professor Emerita in the subject*.
ReplyDeleteWhen compared to various "[FITB] studies" programs, a degree in Misanthroplogy would be infinitely more valuable in the marketplace....
*Alas, as someone who has earned (at most) an MS degree in Misanthropology through life experience, I could expect no more than an adjunct professor's position.
With facial recognition software, you can give people e-bay type ratings, and set thresholds for dishonesty, sanity, and idiocy for people you want to be able to talk to you.
ReplyDeleteErrrrmmm ... why am I an everyone's /ignore list?
I'd be perpetually bumping into people I couldn't see, is the problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd be so happy that I wouldn't care about the bruises.
Might be a bad trade-off. Or it might not. :)
"This will feel...a little weird.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/xOLvhdTUBXs
Or just turn it upside down- http://www.forbes.com/pictures/egel45emjf/upside-down-goggles/
ReplyDeleteI'll stick with my Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses, at least until your idea is less expensive.
ReplyDeleteBarkeep! Another Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!
If it only could make you invisible too...
ReplyDeleteCondition white, much?
ReplyDeleteGoober,
ReplyDelete"Condition white, much?"
I said "selective ignore list". If you wanted to put people on your ignore list that you think are liable to cause you physical harm, I suppose you could knock yourself out, as it were. ;)
I'm talking about...
Say you're at the family reunion, and you can't goddam stand Uncle Fred and his made-up frickin' war stories. You put him on your ignore list.
Now there's an Uncle Fred-shaped gray blob moving around in your field of vision like bad special effects, and weird clipping effects whenever he talks, but you can still see and hear the rest of the room and everybody else in it just fine.
Does that make more sense?
That depends on whether Uncle Fred is likely to attempt to cause physical harm when you ignore him. Especially after he hogs half the beer.
ReplyDelete