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M. A. Changizi (theoretical neurosceince and vision)
General | Posted 17 years agoRight about time for another wise-ass journal...
I was browsing Typophile forums a while back when I came across a link to this Dr. Mark A. Changizi's page of research papers.
It's full of fascinating reads and interestign ideas. And they make sense. Some of my picks:
A new function for binocular vision, and the evolution of forward-facing eyes
"Here we describe new research suggesting that the degree of binocular convergence is selected to maximize how much the animal can see in its environment. Animals in non-cluttery environments can see the most around them with panoramic, laterally directed eyes. Animals in cluttery environments, however, can see best when their eyes face forward, for binocularity has the power of "seeing through" clutter out in the world."
Bare skin, blood, emotion, and the evolution of primate color vision
Why letters are shaped the way they are
"The Structures of Letters and Symbols throughout Human History Are Selected to Match Those Found in Objects in Natural Scenes"
Patterns across writing systems, and what it tells us about visual recognition
Latency correction and a general theory of illusions
"Perceiving-the-present is the theoretical framework positing that the function of the visual system is to generate percepts representative not of the scene that generated the proximal stimulus, but of the scene that will be present at the time the percept actually occurs about 100 msec later, thereby compensating for the neural delay."
Ultimate computational limits on learning
"Natural notions of "learning with error" are introduced, and the ultimate computational limits of learning studied in light of the new notions."
Writers might be interested in these articles concerning language:
Vagueness of natural language (and another one)
The economical organization of the lexicon
I also found Complexity Digest, which looks well worth digging through.
I was browsing Typophile forums a while back when I came across a link to this Dr. Mark A. Changizi's page of research papers.
It's full of fascinating reads and interestign ideas. And they make sense. Some of my picks:
A new function for binocular vision, and the evolution of forward-facing eyes
"Here we describe new research suggesting that the degree of binocular convergence is selected to maximize how much the animal can see in its environment. Animals in non-cluttery environments can see the most around them with panoramic, laterally directed eyes. Animals in cluttery environments, however, can see best when their eyes face forward, for binocularity has the power of "seeing through" clutter out in the world."
Bare skin, blood, emotion, and the evolution of primate color vision
Why letters are shaped the way they are
"The Structures of Letters and Symbols throughout Human History Are Selected to Match Those Found in Objects in Natural Scenes"
Patterns across writing systems, and what it tells us about visual recognition
Latency correction and a general theory of illusions
"Perceiving-the-present is the theoretical framework positing that the function of the visual system is to generate percepts representative not of the scene that generated the proximal stimulus, but of the scene that will be present at the time the percept actually occurs about 100 msec later, thereby compensating for the neural delay."
Ultimate computational limits on learning
"Natural notions of "learning with error" are introduced, and the ultimate computational limits of learning studied in light of the new notions."
Writers might be interested in these articles concerning language:
Vagueness of natural language (and another one)
The economical organization of the lexicon
I also found Complexity Digest, which looks well worth digging through.
Acland's Dvd Atlas of the Human Anatomy
General | Posted 18 years agoTHE best material to learn anatomy from. Ever. No "buts". I mean it.
Amazon link. (though the dvds are available sepparately, you can collect the 1-5 and skip the 6th, since that one's about internal organs)
A short excerpt at youtube. (I can't find videos of the bones/muscles to show, though, but it does give a taste of what the set is like.)
[edit] Found a more useful excerpt.
I just borrowed it from a friend and I'm completely dumbstruck - how the hell isn't this dvd set worshipped at every single art website/forum/blog yet? It can't be compared to any anatomy book I've ever seen... It's a miracle in dvd format! The holy grail of anatomy! <insert more apotheoses here>
Dissection isn't useful, unless you really know what you're doing (not to mention getting such an opportunity isn't easy). But it most certainly is useful when someone experienced does it and shows you everything from multiple angles and explains the workings of each and every part thoroughtly.
If you can afford it - get it. At this moment I can't imagine a better investment for an artist.
Amazon link. (though the dvds are available sepparately, you can collect the 1-5 and skip the 6th, since that one's about internal organs)
A short excerpt at youtube. (I can't find videos of the bones/muscles to show, though, but it does give a taste of what the set is like.)
[edit] Found a more useful excerpt.
I just borrowed it from a friend and I'm completely dumbstruck - how the hell isn't this dvd set worshipped at every single art website/forum/blog yet? It can't be compared to any anatomy book I've ever seen... It's a miracle in dvd format! The holy grail of anatomy! <insert more apotheoses here>
Dissection isn't useful, unless you really know what you're doing (not to mention getting such an opportunity isn't easy). But it most certainly is useful when someone experienced does it and shows you everything from multiple angles and explains the workings of each and every part thoroughtly.
If you can afford it - get it. At this moment I can't imagine a better investment for an artist.
10 albums meme
General | Posted 18 years agoWell, since everyone seems to be doing it...
In no particular order:
1. VolApük - Slang!
2. Goodspeed you black emperor! - Yanqui Uxo
3. Skardas - Neocron
4. Roger Waters - Amused to Death
5. Explosions in the sky - those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shal live forever
6. Dirty Three - Whatever you love, you are
7. Sigur Ros - Takk
8. Stravinsky - Firebird
9. Mstislav Rostropovic (a collection)
10. Pink Floyd - dark side of the moon
In no particular order:
1. VolApük - Slang!
2. Goodspeed you black emperor! - Yanqui Uxo
3. Skardas - Neocron
4. Roger Waters - Amused to Death
5. Explosions in the sky - those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shal live forever
6. Dirty Three - Whatever you love, you are
7. Sigur Ros - Takk
8. Stravinsky - Firebird
9. Mstislav Rostropovic (a collection)
10. Pink Floyd - dark side of the moon
Animal reference: bbcmotiongallery
General | Posted 18 years agohttp://www.bbcmotiongallery.com
Ok, so a few animators here probably have heard of it by now, those who haven't should bookmark it on the spot (not being an animator isn't an excuse).
I'd like to point out that it's a great tool not only for learning about motion and gesture, but also anatomy, proportions, surface textures, a certain animal's mannerisms and the general idea of how things look in 3d (a moving flat picture is better at conveying volumes than a still one).
You can also download them as .wmv or .mov (with a slight watermark)
Example.
(note: average red deer stag weights 295kg/650lbs)
A trip to the zoo is of more use, though.
It's worth noting that animals in the wild look slightly different from those behind bars.
Ok, so a few animators here probably have heard of it by now, those who haven't should bookmark it on the spot (not being an animator isn't an excuse).
I'd like to point out that it's a great tool not only for learning about motion and gesture, but also anatomy, proportions, surface textures, a certain animal's mannerisms and the general idea of how things look in 3d (a moving flat picture is better at conveying volumes than a still one).
You can also download them as .wmv or .mov (with a slight watermark)
Example.
(note: average red deer stag weights 295kg/650lbs)
A trip to the zoo is of more use, though.
It's worth noting that animals in the wild look slightly different from those behind bars.
Molecular classification of placentals
General | Posted 18 years agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammal....._of_placentals
I'm dumbstruck.
Human is more related to rat, than to pig, since both fall into Group III - Euarchantoglires, while pig is in Group IV - Laurasiatheria.
But that can be believed... What's really fascinating is this:
"In the initial molecular analyses, whales were shown to be more closely related to ruminants (such as cattle and deer) than ruminants are to pigs." (read the thing for an explination)
Appears that hippos are far more related to whales than to pigs...
Worst of all -- all of it makes perfect sense.
[edit]P.S.: Here's how deep human is in the taxonomy (I hope i didn't overlook anything):
Gaeabionta -> Cytota -> Neomura -> Eukaryota -> Unikonta -> Opisthokonta -> Animalia -> Eumetozoa -> Bilateria -> Deuterostomia -> Chordata -> Vertebrata -> Gnathostomata -> Tetrapoda -> Amniota -> Mammalia -> Boreoeutheria -> Euarchatoglires -> Eauarchonta -> Primates -> Haplorrhini -> Simiiformes -> Catarrhini -> Hominoidea -> Hominidae -> Homininae -> Hominini -> Homo -> Homo sapiens sapiens.
I'm dumbstruck.
Human is more related to rat, than to pig, since both fall into Group III - Euarchantoglires, while pig is in Group IV - Laurasiatheria.
But that can be believed... What's really fascinating is this:
"In the initial molecular analyses, whales were shown to be more closely related to ruminants (such as cattle and deer) than ruminants are to pigs." (read the thing for an explination)
Appears that hippos are far more related to whales than to pigs...
Worst of all -- all of it makes perfect sense.
[edit]P.S.: Here's how deep human is in the taxonomy (I hope i didn't overlook anything):
Gaeabionta -> Cytota -> Neomura -> Eukaryota -> Unikonta -> Opisthokonta -> Animalia -> Eumetozoa -> Bilateria -> Deuterostomia -> Chordata -> Vertebrata -> Gnathostomata -> Tetrapoda -> Amniota -> Mammalia -> Boreoeutheria -> Euarchatoglires -> Eauarchonta -> Primates -> Haplorrhini -> Simiiformes -> Catarrhini -> Hominoidea -> Hominidae -> Homininae -> Hominini -> Homo -> Homo sapiens sapiens.
<tag>
General | Posted 18 years agoI have to admit, AlexSpastic got me...
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/255157/
The rules:
1)Post these rules
2)Each person tagged must post 8 random facts about themselves
3)Tags should write a journal/blog of these facts
4)At the end of the post, 8 more persons are tagged and named
5)Go to their page and leave a comment telling them their tagged
Facts:
1. spends most of his life in a 2.5m x 3.5m x 2.1m room with the only windows to the world being 2000.
2. likes solitude.
3. East-west comparative aesthetics and art philosophy is what he reads about these days.
4. is an audiophile.
5. is crazy for MTBs; especially riding one in a forest on a clear full moon night with no headlight.
6. nibbles random spicery at random intervals through out the day
7. likes dry red wine, prefferably Spanish.
8. chains ALWAYS snap when they come his way. [With all due respect, but that's how it was and is going to stay. :]
I tag:
1. a person who never existed
2. the other person
3. Das Übermensch
4. my alter ego, locked up tightly at the back of my head
5. person not having a page
6. the spider on the wall (what do you mean?.. Mr. Macrame is quite the personality)
7. person whose head explodes when he gets a chain.
8. the person i've sculpted out of plasticine just now.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/255157/
The rules:
1)Post these rules
2)Each person tagged must post 8 random facts about themselves
3)Tags should write a journal/blog of these facts
4)At the end of the post, 8 more persons are tagged and named
5)Go to their page and leave a comment telling them their tagged
Facts:
1. spends most of his life in a 2.5m x 3.5m x 2.1m room with the only windows to the world being 2000.
2. likes solitude.
3. East-west comparative aesthetics and art philosophy is what he reads about these days.
4. is an audiophile.
5. is crazy for MTBs; especially riding one in a forest on a clear full moon night with no headlight.
6. nibbles random spicery at random intervals through out the day
7. likes dry red wine, prefferably Spanish.
8. chains ALWAYS snap when they come his way. [With all due respect, but that's how it was and is going to stay. :]
I tag:
1. a person who never existed
2. the other person
3. Das Übermensch
4. my alter ego, locked up tightly at the back of my head
5. person not having a page
6. the spider on the wall (what do you mean?.. Mr. Macrame is quite the personality)
7. person whose head explodes when he gets a chain.
8. the person i've sculpted out of plasticine just now.
commissions for free
General | Posted 18 years agoThanks for the requests everyone!
Don't post new ones anymore - I may open the free commission thing again in the future (will post a new journal then), but that won't be until I get this list done - I'll do them one by one once in a while.
Don't post new ones anymore - I may open the free commission thing again in the future (will post a new journal then), but that won't be until I get this list done - I'll do them one by one once in a while.
