2 links

Two web sites I don’t want to lose track of. Both relate to game design… both are interested in good game design.
http://www.raphkoster.com/
http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/

Cuil

A Celtic take on the search engine. If you find that other searches are clogged with junk, try this one and see what you think:
http://www.cuil.com/

testing equality

You know, they say Ruby is a great language for testers, and I am finding this to be true. Earlier today I was able to test the state of reality itself using Ruby, and now I have devised a test for equality.
First, let’s examine equality:

def equality(x=0, y=0)
tellxy = ” ( x = ” +x.to_s [...]

Reality check

Here is a bit of Ruby that everyone needs in their library.

def check_reality( x=0, y=0 )
if x == y && x != y
puts “The world has ended. You no longer exist.”
else
puts “Everything appears to be in order.”
end
end

If you ever feel mystified or sense that things [...]

Artificial Intelligence

I thought about artificial intelligence today while the pathfinding algorithm in my brain directed the car. This was on my drive home from the office, naturally.
Here is a short list of interesting AI and AI-like applications I have worked on, or just come across:
1. A Behavioral application:
Take a look at these behaviors first modeled [...]

Magic numbers… new principles for budding mathemeticians

We purchased a new mattress recently, and it has been an interesting experience. The mattress is 17″ deep, and 72″ wide x 84″ long (summary it’s cal king size, and it’s thick and cushiony…). So we went shopping for sheets, which means we got to draw a 72×84 mile square around Tampa and [...]

Financial sophistication survey

The results of our annual SYHOF Financial Sophistication Survey 2008 are now available. We surveyed 1,000,000 US young adults age 18 - 35, asking basic questions about finance and financial vocabulary. Here are some sample questions and answers:
Q: In reference to financial products, what does the term “CD” signify?
Most common answer: “Thats how [...]