Sunday, December 30, 2007

Social Integration of Robots into Groups of Cockroaches to Control Self-Organized Choices




I personally dont like cockroaches very much, but this experiment is amazing..


Social Integration of Robots into Groups of Cockroaches to Control Self-Organized Choices, ETH Zuerich


Collective behavior based on self-organization has been shown in group-living animals from insects to vertebrates.

These findings have stimulated engineers to investigate approaches for the coordination of autonomous multirobot systems based on self-organization. In this experimental study, we show collective decision-making by mixed groups of cockroaches and socially integrated autonomous robots, leading to shared shelter selection.

Individuals, natural or artificial, are perceived as equivalent, and the collective decision emerges from nonlinear feedbacks based on local interactions.

Even when in the minority, robots can modulate the collective decision-making process and produce a global pattern not observed in their absence.

These results demonstrate the possibility of using intelligent autonomous devices to study and control self-organized behavioral patterns in group-living animals.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Winter in Austria




I wish you all a very Happy Christmas with some wintery pictures from close to where I live..

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Take a break with a joke



A blonde walked up to a coke machine, put in a dollar, and got out a coke. She then put in another dollar, and got another coke. Again and again, she put in more and more dollars and got out more and more cokes.

As she was doing this, a man came and stood behind her. he tapped her on her shoulder, and said “What on earth are you doing?”

She replied angrily ” Shut up! Cant you see im winning?!”

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Diano Marina at the Italian Rivera






A beautiful village my last trip took me to is Diano Marina near San Remo, Italy.
The Gulf of Diana is one of the most important tourist areas in the Riviera of Flowers and Liguria. Close to the seaside towns, rich in hotels, architecture, restaurants and sport centres, we find the beauty of the countryside, and discover nature and medieval hamlets, with their charming echoes of the past.
The Gulf of Diana is a crown, and seven are its gems: Diano Marina is the most important one, and its name derives from the ancient devotion to the Roman Goddess Diana.

Diano Castello is one of the most charming villages, and was the administrative centre, with its “castrum” (village surrounded by stone walls). Today known for its Vermentino vineyards; Diano Arentino and Diano San Pietro, with their hamlets, are the heart of olive oil cultivation in the valley since earliest times. San Bartolomeo al Mare, on the coast, has one of the most beautiful seaside promenades of the Riviera; Cervo appears as a jewel looking out to sea, and Villa Faraldi, in the countryside, is famous for its Theatre Festival in summer. These last three villages form the other side of the valley of the Gulf of Diana, around the river Steria.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Hiking from Latschau to Lindauer Hütte








A beautiful hiking trip in the Montafon region in southern Vorarlberg starts in Latschau. Driving to Tschagguns you turn right there and drive up the road to the Lünersee Kraftwerk and start of the Golmerbahn. With the 8 people cabin of the Golmerbahn Gondel we took the way up to Grüneck, which is already on 2001 meters above see levels, so the view is breathtaking without previous effort. From there you take the way down (and then a bit up again) to Lindauer Hütte where on a day as beautiful as yesterday crowds of hikers had the same idea. After a rest on a small back bench at Lindauer Hütte - we ordered a coffee to sort of take away to behind the restaurant..the way down through the Gauertal was quite long but the view to Drei Türme and Sulzfluh still very overwhelming.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

From Damuels to Portlahorn









A beautiful hiking trip near Laterns and Damüls is the Portlahorn.
first the path takes you up passing Portlaalpe, quite steep, then you go further to the " Blauer See " and the straight up to the Portlahorn which is quite stony at some points, but the view is beautiful and overwhelming, showing all autumn colours..

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Everyday psychology in a nutshell



A book about things that happen in everyday life, psychologically analysed, without tons of theory, ready to use and transfuse to your own life..at the moment only available in German.

Kleine Psychologie des Alltäglichen, von Rolf Reber
Das Leben stellt uns jeden Tag viele Fragen: Wie kann ich im richtigen Moment nein sagen? Warum benötige ich für ein Vorhaben immer mehr Zeit, als ich anfangs geschätzt habe? Macht das Sehen von Gewalt gewalt-tätig? Sind Kinderkrippen schädlich? Kann ich mich bei Kaufentscheidungen auf mein Gefühl verlassen? Kommt mit dem Alter auch die Weisheit? Diese und über 70 andere alltagsrelevante Fragen beantwortet der Autor vor dem Hintergrund anerkannter Studien. Dabei verzichtet er auf unnötige Theorie und konzentriert sich auf den praktischen Nutzwert für den Leser - mit dem Ergebnis, dass wir unser Leben besser verstehen und im Alltag besser handeln können.


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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Ticino Review

Let the good things roll..


Sunday, September 02, 2007

Alpwegkopf from Furx




a nice half day hiking trip is the Alpwegkopf up Rankweil, Vorarlberg..You start from Furx and walk up about 1 hour till you reach a nice viewpoint.


eine ansprechende Halbtagswanderung ist der Alpwegkopf, von Rankweil Richtung Batschuns, Furx. dort startet man und in ca 1 Stunde hat man eine schöne Aussicht über das Rheintal auf der einen Seite und die Bergwelt des Hohen Freschen auf der anderen. wer nicht genügend Verpflegung mitgebracht hat kann etwas weiter oben im der Alwegkopfhaus genussvoll einkehren..

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Home Pitchfork- music magazine indie online




A great online music magazine with record reviews, and much more for the independent music fan..I like the way it is set up..



Thursday, August 30, 2007

Bastian Sick - Happy Aua


das neue Buch des deutschen Grammatik-und Sprachmeisters Bastian Sick ist da. Der Untertitel lautet , ein Bilderbuch aus dem Irrgarten der deutschen Sprache, und das ist es auch. ein Buch mit gesammelten Schildern aus dem deutschen Sprachraum oder aus Ländern, wo zumindest der Versuch gestartet wurde die deutsche Sprache würdevoll zu vertreten.. es werden die schönsten Sprach- und Grammatikfehler in diesem Bilderbuch. da gibt es das Schild im Supermarkt, 1x Ananas, 2x Ananässer,mit Ueberschriften die einen noch mehr zum lachen bringen.. oder.."wir stechen Ihnen Ohrlöcher ohne Schmerzen auch in die Nase"..dieses Buch ist ein muss für den kritischen Bürger mit einem besonderen Fable für sprachbezogenen Humor..

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Hiking Trip Gurtis-Sattelalpe







The trip starts in Gurtis,first there is path trough grass, later up the woods, and then along a very small path along the rocks.. we reached Sattelalpe after about 1.45 hours.. It would take another hour to the Gurtisspitze but the weather got quite bad so we decided to go back down..

This is the description to the Gurtisspitze:
Gurtisspitze

Dauer: 4 Stunden
Schwierigkeitsgrad: rot
Ausgangspunkt: Gurtis Parkplatz rechts von der Kircher. Sie gehen an dem Gasthaus Gurtisspitze links vorbei zum "Oberen Winkel" und dort führt in Serpentinen mit der Markierung weiß/rot/weiß der Weg zur "Bazora Alpe". Der Aufstieg über die "Bazora Alpe" zur "Gurtisspitze" ist gut markiert.

Es ist ein etwas anspruchsvoller Weg, der über wunderbare Alpenmatten führt und eine phantastische Aussicht bietet. Von der "Bazora Alpe" führt ein schmaler Fußweg bis zur "Gurtisspitze" (1770 m). Genießen Sie den einmaligen Rundblick, bevor Sie dem Fußweg über die ?Sattelalpe? nach Gurtis folgen. Es ist ein empfehlenswerter Tagesausflug für Bergwanderer. Für geübte Bergsteiger führt ein Pfad von der "Gurtisspitze" über die "Hohen Köpfe" zur Galina-Alpe und über die Sattelalpe zurück nach Gurtis.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Near Wildhaus Switzerland




Wildhaus, Toggenburg offers many facilities to go hiking, walking, biking and other sportive and relaxing activities.. on the way down to Gams there is the nicely placed Gasthaus Zoll where you cn eat outside with a beautiful view over the Rheintal (Rhine valley)

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Island of Brissago, Ticino






The Brissago Islands, the botanic Garden of Canton Ticino, give you the wonderful opportunity to escape from the noise and confusion of frenetic modern life. The exotic plants, the colors and perfume of flowers are beneficial to your wellness.. i visited it in Augsut 2007 and was impressed by the very special athmosphere..
take the boat from Ascona (about 15 minutes) or from Locarno (about one hour)

Friday, August 17, 2007

Leo the proudest cat of he world




my parents cat Leo, picture taken by Daniel.. the best photo of Leo ever..

Cat Poetry

Loving and Liking
Long may you love your pensioner mouse,
Though one of a tribe that torment the house:
Nor dislike for her cruel sport the cat,
Deadly foe both of mouse and rat;
Remember she follows the law of her kind,
And Instinct is neither wayward nor blind.
Then think of her beautiful gliding form,
Her tread that would scarcely crush a worm,
And her soothing song by the winter fire,
Soft as the dying throb of the lyre.

William Wordsworth

More treasures from Vallemaggia Switzerland