Connect With Nvate:
Life Archive
-
Visual Novel Video Games are Big in Japan, Small Elsewhere
Posted on May 22, 2013 | No CommentsBobby Miller Ask somebody from the United States to list different genres of video games, and you’ll probably get responses like platformers, first-person shooters, role-playing games, and so on. One response you probably won’t get is visual novel. Although many visual novels are released in Japan every year, only a very select few ever make it to the United States, and they do not tend to sell particularly well. The genre might be very popular in one country, but it’s almost unheard of in the rest of the world. So,... -
Nvate Commentary: Is Technology Affecting Our Ability to Spell?
Posted on May 21, 2013 | 1 CommentPaloma Basilio Communication has evolved several times through the years with the most recent transformation due to the boom in technology. Our grandparents communicated through letters, our parents communicated through rotary telephones and our generation communicates through text messages and social media outlets. Being that we live in a fast-paced world everything must be communicated in a way that takes the least amount of time. This is when abbreviated words become useful. The use of technology has become second nature to us. We rely on it so much now that... -
“Pure Genius”—Engineers versus Wind, Fire and Water
Posted on May 18, 2013 | No CommentsBobby Miller This week the contestants designed a portable, one-person shelter that can protect an individual from extreme forces of nature. First, heavy wind blew the shelter to simulate a hurricane. Next, fire blast the shelter. Finally, water was shot at their creations. The judges showed these forces acting upon a miniature building for demonstration. Every element tears away at the structure—the water blast practically destroys it. In the Blueprint Challenge, the engineers come up with conventional ideas and some outlandish ones, such as a suit of armor akin to... -
The Rise of Artificial Intelligence: What’s Going on Now
Posted on May 16, 2013 | 1 CommentMichael Cleland Although James Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar,” which is set in 2154, seems like a far stretch from reality, the first steps toward experimenting with robot surrogates have been taken. Avatar technology will prove to be able to forever change what science can accomplish for humanity. Of the many definitions of avatar, the online free dictionary contains a derivative that is the most relevant today, “a movable image that represents a person in a virtual reality environment or in cyberspace.” Recent precedents have proven that avatar-related technology has evolved... -
Is that a Blemish? Makeup and Its Relation to Skin Irritation
Posted on May 15, 2013 | No CommentsPaloma Basilio Have you ever been caught in a situation when on the day of a big job interview or a date you look in the mirror and see a blemish waving back at you? In a frantic state you reach for the quick fix—foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick. Your face is what you first present yourself with, and therefore, you want to make it as perfect as possible. But in doing so you may be causing more damage than good. Ever wonder what really goes onto... -
Picking through Online Guitar Lessons: What Works and What Needs Tuning
Posted on May 10, 2013 | No CommentsRudy Tardin Type in “how to play ‘Free Fallin’ on guitar” in the YouTube search engine and about 358,000 results turn up. Most within the guitar playing community consider Tom Petty’s classic tune a beginner’s song to learn with its basic three-chord strumming. But sift through the first page of search results and at least three different versions instructing a how-to of the same song exist from an assortment of amateur and professional guitarists. The difficulty of determining the correct way to play can be instantly frustrating when starting off,... -
“Pure Genius”—Fire at Will, Don’t Miss the Missile
Posted on May 10, 2013 | No CommentsBobby Miller The second episode, original airdate May 8, opens with a unique twist. Apparently the eliminated contestants will still be participating in every build. As the competition winds down, the judges will pick one capable “wild card,” who will then have a second chance at winning. Joe Caravella, who was eliminated last week, is confident that he can make a comeback. The wild card aspect certainly adds suspense to the show, and allowing the contestants to return prevents the teams from shrinking—smaller teams would mean less interesting builds. After... -
How Far are We from Catastrophe? The Doomsday Clock and What it Signifies
Posted on May 8, 2013 | 1 CommentMiranda Moore In recent years, gas, grocery, insurance, and a number of other normal American expenses have radically increased. According to Yahoo News, a new car, which was once an American staple item, is now out of reach for many American families. With the growing economic pressures in the United States, many Americans as well as people abroad, overlook the environmental and political dangers that could endanger the world. What is the Doomsday Clock? Since its creation in 1947 by the board of directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic... -
Danish Hotel Proves Green Living Can Be Posh and Profitable
Posted on May 7, 2013 | No CommentsTracey M. Romero Given the title of The World’s Greenest Hotel by Skal International, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers in Denmark strives to show that sustainable living is not only possible, but can be a four-star experience for the customer while still being profitable for the business. One of their missions is to offer their guests a “vacation with a clear conscience.” The key, of course, is implementing the right innovations. As the first Danish hotel to sign the U.N. Global Compact, which asks businesses to work with the United Nations... -
“Pure Genius”—Protecting a Black Box in a Plane Crash… or Truck Collision
Posted on May 4, 2013 | No CommentsBobby Miller The first episode, original airdate May 1, opens with host Kal Penn explaining the scope of the series. He then tells the contestants to watch a little show as two white pickup trucks drive in traveling at 35 mph, about 56.3 kph. They collide head-on, causing boxes of explosives in the truck beds to explode. Penn explains that the explosives in the trucks were designed to detonate if their gravitational force, or G-force, exceeds 25 G’s. WiseGeek.org defines g-force as “either the force of gravity on a particular...