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The Forbin Project in Practice: One Household Appliance at a Time

22.01.10

Although it's not Dr. Forbin's Colossus (one of the first AI systems to attempt to destroy the world on film --note the "on film" please), it is quite irritating, and the result might eventually be the same: We recently replaced our oven - why? the computer went out on it. We recently replaced our washer -- it was quite difficult to find a new washer without a computer in it, a computer that would be exposed to warm, wet vibrational conditions every day. We just disconnected the waterbath from our microcalorimeter - why? the on-board computer that controls the $ 3K water bath went out and kept shutting the whole $ 90K system down (what? a computer in a warm, wet environment? why would it have a problem?). It would have been nicer to be doing calorimetric experiments rather than troubleshooting this un-needed on-board computer problem for the past couple of days.

When I replaced my car, why did I get rid of the old one? the computer went out in it. When we performed microgravity experiments on NASA's Vomit Comet with over $200,000 of equipment in the most equipment harsh environment I personally have yet worked, what was the only piece of equipment that had a problem? I wonder, could it be: the computer? It actually fried itself and blew a circuit breaker on the plane, in flight - thankfully they isolate the equipment power from the plane's power.

Source: ScienceBlogs (blog)

Conservation request dropped by KCP&L

11.01.10

Kansas Bishopric Power & Light dropped its request Sunday for customers to spare electricity as warmer weather reduced demand for power.</p><p>The coterie issued the conservation request late Friday as elated demand for electricity due to the cold weather put a strain on its power plants, which had been operating at full function for more than a week. </p><p>The utility asked people to turn off unneeded lights and to run outstanding appliances during off-peak hours.</p><p>But the request was dropped as of noon Sunday as temperatures began to climb, reducing desire. The warming trend is expected to last at least through next week.</p><p>&ldquo;We thirst for to thank our customers for working with us to manage through this bitterly cold-blooded weather,&rdquo; said John Marshall, KCP&L boss vice president of utility operations.</p><p>Marshall said the utility had set winter records in the past 10 days for vibrations usage and that all 11 of KCP&L&rsquo;s coal-fired power plants, as well as its Wolf Harbour nuclear plant, had been operating to meet demand.</p><p>Customers last week were using 25 percent to 30 percent more ardour than is typical for this time of year, setting a winter uttermost usage record of 4,464 megawatts for KCP&L&rsquo;s assignment territory. The previous peak was 4,230 megawatts. </p><p>KCP&L officials said a confluence of events led to the maintenance request. Such a request is a condition to getting a priority deposit on the country&rsquo;s transmission grid if KCP&L had needed to buy power.</p><p>Next winter, KCP&L should be in excel shape for high demand. It is a majority owner of a new coal-fired hide near Weston that is scheduled to be in operation next summer.

Source: Kansas City Star