Excellent TEDTalk | Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers

Transcript for those that prefer speed of reading (like me), or have bandwidth issues:  

• HTML/webpage http://computerbasedmath.org/resources/reforming-math-curriculum-with-computers.html
• PDF  http://computerbasedmath.org/resources/Education_talk_transcript.pdf
• Additional information http://computerbasedmath.org/resources.html 

Really good presentation.

He clearly articulates several thoughts I have had about this issue myself, as well as providing some additional insights.

Security & Hacking: OWASP "Open Web Security Project"

https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Main_Page

If your not already familiar with this resource, and you work in Security and/or Pen Testing, you will want to become familiar with OWASP.

Consider the following, just to start, from https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Category:Principle:

Some proven application security principles

• Apply defense in depth (complete mediation)
• Use a positive security model (fail-safe defaults, minimize attack surface)
• Fail securely
• Run with least privilege
• Avoid security by obscurity (open design)
• Keep security simple (verifiable, economy of mechanism)
• Detect intrusions (compromise recording)
• Don’t trust infrastructure
• Don’t trust services
• Establish secure defaults (psychological acceptability)

Nerd Gear: The Difference i5 vs i7

This is the best article I have found for clearly explaning the difference between an i5 cpu and an i7 CPU http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404674,00.asp

I don't know if it will help if your comparing a something like a laptop with  http://ark.intel.com/products/50072/Intel-Core-i5-2540M-Processor-3M-Cache-up-to-3_30-GHz  to one with http://ark.intel.com/products/52231/Intel-Core-i7-2620M-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_40-GHz?

Or similar gap for a desktop.

I think for most people the i5 is going to be a better choice, if you want or need an i7 then by all means get one.

This is something I agonized over for at least 3-4 weeks before getting my newest computer.

I am not a bleeding edge gamer, I don't do video editing, and while I will probably do some video editing sooner or later, it will only be occasionally, not every day.

Based on that, I couldn't think of a situation were I personally would be limited by a fast i5 and not with an i7 CPU.

So I decided to go with i5 quad core that runs at 3.1 GHz, a good but not great GPU, and only 4 GB of RAM.

Except for the RAM, which I am planning on upgrading to 16 GB on my birthday, this has worked out very well

I am using more than 90% of my RAM on a daily basis, so going to upgrade it to 16 GB so I don't have to worry about it.

Additional Links:

• http://www.anandtech.com/show/5872/intel-dual-core-ivy-bridge-launch-and-ultrabook-review
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-l3-cache.htm

Random Wikipedia of the Day (RWotD): Learning Styles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

I spent more than an hour already, reading this Wikipedia entry, and following the citations.

Also want to mention in this context, one of my favorite quotes from Miyamoto Musashi “from one thing, know ten thousand things."

To see more of my posts about Learning or Learning SC2, just click on those Labels, more Labels can be found in Label cloud at left side of Blog or at bottom left of every post.

Random Wikipedia of the Day "Wikipedia:Database download" for offline access

Random Wikipedia of the Day RWotD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download

Putting this on my to do list, be nice for laptop or smartphone access when off the net.

Wikipedia actually provide all their content for download, pretty cool.

Starcraft 2 Skills: Cross Training

I thought about titling this post "Learning to Learn", so you can certainly consider that an alternate or subtitle.

If you have ever studied Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of the Five Rings" (A book about real sword fighting, the strategy & philosophy of life or death sword fight) you will have read my favorite phrase in that book several times, since it is repeated often:  "From one thing, know ten thousand things."

I have usually thought of that as meaning to find as many ways as possible to use a skill or bit of knowledge.

Not only singly but also by combining skills and knowledge.

I have written several posts about Training, Practice, and Skill development for Starcraft 2 though I try to write each post in a stand alone fashion, many are best read as a collection.

This post ties in closely with these previous posts:

• Planned Structured Practice
• Mindset
• Learning and Intervals between Practice Sessions
• Dealing with Fear/Stress

In those Posts linked above, I cover the importance of recovery or rest time that is needed to improve, in a way practice programs our body and mind, while the rest & recovery stage stores it in long term memory with backups, so we can use that program again.

You certainly need some time that is pure rest, like sleep, and some time that is pure relaxation, like watching TV or reading, but you can use much of your recovery time to improve other skills & abilities that are not often used in your main practice.


One skill I strongly urge people to develop and improve is reading.

WTF Cliff!

Yes reading, it develops many of the same parts of your brain that you need to remember little details for Starcraft 2 ever notice how Idra or Artosis are almost like a human wikipedia?

Or Liquidpedia to be more precise ^_^

I saw these article today in my RSS feeds

• Some Books Are More Equal Than Others
• Teach the Books, Touch the Heart

Which led to this blog post.

The first article talks about how important it is, if you want to improve, to read challenging material.

It is like riding a bike, your never going to be able to do BMX racing or extreme/technical Mountain Biking if you never took the training wheels off your bike.

All of us are limited more by our drive, focus, and knowledge than any fixed limitation.

If you doubt that, you might read this post from one of my other Blogs about Rafe Esquith, http://bookreviews-cliff.blogspot.com/2011/09/there-are-no-shortcuts-by-rafe-esquith.html, Rafe is respected by Gandalf & Magneto (ie in real life:  Sir Ian Mckellen).

Might also think about why Samurai studied things like Calligraphy & Poetry.

GL HF,

Cliff

Neil deGrasse Tyson

https://twitter.com/#!/neiltyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a smart, sharp dressed, uber Nerd, what more reason do you need to follow him on Twitter? 

Not to mention he took out a planet without even having a Deathstar.

^_^

Nerd Lore: Secure Cloud Storage

When I looked into Cloud storage some months ago, SpiderOak seemed to be the most secure option that fit my needs.


Ars did a story on it today, SpiderOak: Dropbox for the security obsessive.

Good write up by Ars, and as always, there is a lot of useful information in the comments as well.

Since Ars has so many smart Nerds in their readership ^_^ not that I am biased or anything.

Learning Starcraft 2: Accepting Failure

As I have mentioned before, I am a Technical writer, I learned from Jerry Pournell years ago, that to succeed at writing, or anything, you had to be willing to accept failure.

Today I found another author, Matt de la Peña, who says the say thing, but with a personal story that I think most Nerd's can related to, I certainly can, though in my case it was flowers and not a poem.

Matt de la Peña's words:

He told them that if they were serious about writing, they had to be ready to accept lots of failure. He once wrote a poem for a girl he liked, but after reading it, she never spoke to him again. His goal as a writer, he said, “is to give grace and dignity to people from the other side of the tracks.” 

~from page two http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/education/racial-lens-used-to-cull-curriculum-in-arizona.html

I blogged this on Cliff's Book Review Corner,  you can find links to the book and the author there if your interested.

But I think the key point for gamers, the ones that really want to succeed, is that using the excuse of failure is just that, an excuse.

Failure is not a reason for a lack of success. 

It is simply one of the obstacles on the path to accomplishment.

No one accomplishes everything the first time they try, or the 100 time they try.

I will certainly talk more about this in the future, as well as how this ties in with Romantic pursuits.

For more posts on Learning Starcraft 2, just click Learning SC2, that Label can also be found in Label Cloud at left side of blog.

Streaming Tips &Tricks: In Depth Streaming Guide by Ipp

From RageQuitTV,

My targeted audience are people who want to not only setup Xsplit but also learn about how it all works so you can optimize everything to your setup and be able to quickly resolve any issues that come from scenario’s such as JTV Issues, XSplit Updates, etc.  If you are just looking for a video that has some arbituary numbers that work on some guys computer than this guide is not for you. 

I highly recommend this guide by Ipp, posted on RageQuitTV!  Full guide at http://ragequit.tv/news/In-Depth-Streaming-Guide

It is the most complete & authoritative Streaming Guide I have found to date.  Well worth reading and bookmarking, you might even consider printing out a hard copy.

If your interested in more streaming resources just click Streaming: Tips & Tricks, that will show you list of all my blog posts on that topic, you can also find that label in the Label Cloud at left side of my Blog.

PSA: Facebook, Your Data, the Government, & More

Forbes, just released an online story about Facebook's Chief Security Officer, I recommend everyone that uses social media to read the story, it reveals a lot of information about how Facebook handles Data Privacy and related topics like cyber crime.

[If this leaves you looking for more you can read Computerworld's "Facebook settles FTC privacy complaints" and PC World's "Facebook Commits to Changes Following Critical Irish Audit" details of the Irish audit: Report of Data Protection Audit of Facebook Ireland.  But this Blog post is about the Forbes article.]

You will probably find some things that surprise you, like how many people working at Facebook just deal with law enforcement requests for information.

Or the Security Bug Bounty, where you can make money as an  Ethical or White Hat Hacker.

One thing I learned that maybe I heard, but if so it didn't stay in my memory, was that Facebook partnered with Sophos to take down some Russian cyber criminals.

I follow the Sophos Naked Security Blog, one of the best IT Security blogs out there.

I usually run into a few people every month in the Starcraft 2 community, that are surprised that I am not on Facebook at all, usually they are not aware of these issues.

When I read the Forbes article, I felt that they provided a very good overview of Data Privacy as it pertains to Facebook.

Thought there was a slight, but clear bias for Facebook in the Forbes article (ie they are painted as "good guys" and no mention is made of the Irish Audit, I think Forbes has done a much better job of explaining the Data Privacy risks of Facebook,  than I have ever done.

So I encourage everyone to read it, and please note:  I am NOT saying you should not use Facebook, I am saying that you should do so with a clear idea of what that means for anything and everything you put on Facebook.

Forewarned is Forearmed 

You may also find Nerd News: Post SOPA, EU vs USA Internet Freedom & Rights worth reading.

Streaming Tips & Tricks: "Auto Scene Change" for XSplit

I have heard Thundertoss and others mention auto switch for XSplit, this is the one I know about, for full information see TL thread http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=269995

[Edited to add:  djWheat likes it http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=269995#13]

But it will automatically switch overlay for you on and off, unless you disable it.

I was reminded of this today while watching TLO stream, he forgot to drop the overlay he uses between games for one game T_T

To see other Blog posts about streaming click Streaming: Tips Tricks, you can also click that label in the label cloud at left side of Blog, or any label you are interested in at bottom left of every post.

You can even bookmark the labels and check them from time to time for new info, if you don't want to subscribe to the whole blog via RSS or email at bottom of every Blog page.

Learning Starcraft 2: Scouting vs Terran

A very good VLog by Ipp, part of RageQuitTV, about Scouting vs Terran in Starcraft 2, some very good pointers!

Thank you Ipp! 

Nerd News: Post SOPA, EU vs USA Internet Freedom & Rights?

A Computer/Net Security blog I follow, Naked Security, has a very good article out, "Who has better privacy laws: USA or European Union?"

This articel from Naked Security seems to have been motivated in part by PCWorld's article "Protect Our Data! A Digital Consumer Bill of Rights"

Both of those article are worth reading, I feel at worst I have an average understanding of these issues, I am a full time Esports Blogger after all, and I put a lot of effort into staying informed on this & related topics.

I still learned some things I was not fully aware of, specifically, the Naked Security article clearly states that "In the US, the Data Protection picture is more fragmented."

Which is something I knew, but had never really thought of before, the United States of America are called "United States" in part because each state actually can have completely different laws in many areas of law.

That is part of the complexity of the issue in the USA, but at the Federal level there is also more than one department involved, and each department has different concerns, not to mention the different departments are influenced by different PAC's, lobbyists, and Politicians.

I don't know enough currently to make any strong statements, except that I think everyone that works or plays on the internet should strive to know and understand as much as they can on these topics.

Starcraft 2 Skills: Critical thinking, Analyzing Replays, & Mindset.

I have posted before about Analyzing Replays, and about Mindset, this post connections a bit with both of those previous posts.  Also provides some background and direction for further study for anyone interested.

If your interested in my other Starcraft 2 Skills posts, you can also find that link at the bottom left of this post or in the Label Cloud at left side of Blog.

I strongly believe that strong Critical Thinking Skills are a key part of learning in general, and learning and improving at Starcraft 2 in particular. 

The core reason for that belief, is that to truly learn you need good Critical Thinking Skills, as well as Critical Reading, and Analysis Skills.

If you lack those skills, you will have a far more difficult time learning, since you will lack the ability to clearly identify reasons for success and failure when analyzing a replay. 

Or when trying to learn in general, you will make mistakes in understanding, of a sort that are more difficult to learn from, mistakes are part of learning, but they need to be "good" mistakes, in the sense that you need to be aware that you (everyone) will make them.  You also need a process for spotting and correcting those mistakes or errors, as well as an open mind.  See the second VOD below, on Cognitive Bias, for a clearer understanding of that.

A good place to start learning Critical Thinking Skills, would be the Podcasts & VOD's from Kevin deLaplant at the Critical Thinker Academy Website.  The Podcasts & VOD's are free, but he offers more content for people interested with a Membership.

Kevin is an Academic, and IMO a Nerd, since he is a college professor, with an undergraduate degree in Physics.  He is currently the Chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies at Iowa State University.

The first VOD I have embedded below is an introduction to the subset of skills needed for Critical Thinking, an introduction if you will to the topic of Critical Thinking.

The second VOD, is about Cognitive Bias, which explains in part the connection I think that exists between Critial Thinking Skills and Analyzing SC2 Replays, or any other data you really want to learn from, as well as explaining the connection with Mindset (perception Bias).

GL HF,

Cliff


Critical Thinking





 Cognitive Bias

Nerd News: SOPA list of Supporters and Opposition

Found this source today, from my preliminary checking they seem legit, though I am not sure what biases they might have.

This link http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/money provides a list of groups that support and that oppose SOPA.

There is a lot more information available on OpenCongress.

Starcraft 2 Skills: The Neuroscience of Winning!

Perseverance separates the winners from the losers in both sports and life. Are you someone who perseveres despite difficulties and setbacks, or do you tend to throw in the towel and call it quits when faced with a challenge or adversity? What makes some people able to keep pushing and complete a task while others habitually fizzle and don't follow through?
Dopamine is the fuel that keeps people motivated to persevere and achieve a goal. You have the power to increase your production of dopamine by changing your attitude and behavior.  Scientists have identified higher levels of dopamine -- also known as the "reward molecule" -- as being linked to forming lifelong habits, such as perseverance.

 From http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201112/the-neuroscience-perseverance, I suggest reading entire article.

When I was in college a spent a lot of time doing research in the Library, Sports Physiology Journals contain a lot of useful information on improving if you spend the time to understand what they are talking about.

I also learned a lot about Psychology, much of what is discussed in above article matches what I have learned, sometimes the easy way (ie study), and sometimes the hardway (School of Hard Knocks).

When you can learn the smart way, by study, or from expert instructor it is a lot faster.  Because once we do something the wrong way, or right way, we tend to repeat that.

Starcraft 2 Skills: Translate Korean to English

Here is one way to translate Korean to English, link.  Helps me a lot, I am horrible at learning languages.

Link may not work if your not using Firefox browser.

Ahh, this one might be better has free download http://translation.babylon.com/korean/to-english/

Please post others that you know of in the comments section.

GL HF

~Cliff

Nerd News: Change Your Brain, Game!

Gaming should make the brain grow, since it requires memory and pattern recognition like the London Cabbie Test does.  Since Starcraft 2 requires APM it should improve fine motor skills as well, like Day9 says something like:  Starcraft 2 is like a combination of Chess and playing a musical instrument.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16086233:

Would-be taxi drivers have to learn 320 routes within a six mile radius of Charing Cross, which covers a mind-boggling 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks and places of interest.

Throughout the process, any changes to their brains were mapped by regular MRI scans.
Compared with similar scans from non-taxi drivers, those who had attempted the Knowledge had increased the size of the posterior hippocampus - the rear section of the hippocampus which lies at the front of the brain.

FPS: Counter Strike: Source & Battlefield 3 VOD Guides

My blog is focused on Starcraft 2, but I do promote Esports in general, I don't know much about FPS (First Person Shooters) games.  I do know something about Coaching and Tutoring, and Hatton's VOD below is very clear and concise, so if you play Counter Strike or Battlefield 3 check out his VOD's!

Hatton, in his own words, from his youtoube channel:

I've been gaming on my PC way back in 1999, the days of Age Of Empires II and I still enjoy it to this day.
This channel is strictly PC gaming only. No consoles.
I currently play mostly Counter Strike: Source and Battlefield 3 but play a variety of other games.
I will be uploading game commentaries, experiences and guides on all of my gaming shenanigans.
I'm doing this because I want to get involved with the YouTube community and meet like minded gamers but also because it will be pretty cool to look back in 10 years from now and take a nostalgiac trip.