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Computational Demonology - MIT to Give Course on Magic and Technology

posted by martyb on Friday February 06 2015, @01:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the MIT-on-MAT dept.

Randolph Carter writes:

Reported on http://novysan.com/magic and confirmed here: http://www.media.mit.edu/about/academics/class-schedule

'When Aleister Crowley defined magic as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will,” he might as easily have been describing technology. In fact, “magic” is still the word we use to encompass the wonders of a new technology before it becomes ubiquitous. '

Course Description

"With a focus on the creation of functional prototypes and practicing real magical crafts, this class combines theatrical illusion, game design, sleight of hand, machine learning, camouflage, and neuroscience to explore how ideas from ancient magic and modern stage illusion can inform cutting edge technology. Students will learn techniques to improve the presentation, display, and interface of their projects as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural traditions that shape user expectations of technology. Topics will include: Stage Illusion as Information Display, The Neuroscience of Misdirection, Magical Warfare: Camouflage and Deception, Magic Items and the Internet of Things, Computational Demonology, Ritual Magick as User Experience Design. Guest lecturers and representatives of Member companies will contribute to select project critiques. Requires regular reading, discussion, practicing magic tricks, design exercises, a midterm project and final project."

Uncle Al would have been so proud.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday February 06 2015, @07:10PM

    by urza9814 (3954) on Friday February 06 2015, @07:10PM (#141949) Journal

    Interesting...I hadn't heard this and it doesn't match my own experience so I looked around a bit more...

    The Mayo Clinic says you're right that it's not dehydrating -- but they say you're wrong about it not being a diuretic. I presume that would mean it does increases the immediate urge to urinate, but not the overall volume produced:

    While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect — meaning that they may cause the need to urinate — they don't appear to increase the risk of dehydration.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965 [mayoclinic.org]

    It also seems that most people will very quickly develop a tolerance, and that the effect only occurs at doses slightly higher than one (small) cup of coffee. I'm a bit confused where they get 250-300mg as 2-3 cups of coffee here though -- I've always heard 8oz black coffee was 200mg, so that would be 1-1.5 cups...or a medium from your favorite coffeehouse. Either way though, at most it takes one "large coffee" to reach these effects:

    The available literature suggests that acute ingestion of caffeine in large doses (at least 250-300 mg, equivalent to the amount found in 2-3 cups of coffee or 5-8 cups of tea) results in a short-term stimulation of urine output in individuals who have been deprived of caffeine for a period of days or weeks. A profound tolerance to the diuretic and other effects of caffeine develops, however, and the actions are much diminished in individuals who regularly consume tea or coffee. Doses of caffeine equivalent to the amount normally found in standard servings of tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks appear to have no diuretic action.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19774754 [nih.gov]

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