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<\/a><\/p>\nI finished my Boskone appearances at 1400 with a panel about Sigma, the SF group that sometimes does consultations for some government departments and industry groups. The audience seemed interested, but it\u2019s hard to talk about programs you can\u2019t discuss in detail. Sigma does not participate in classified studies although I suppose some individual members retain formal clearances (I don\u2019t; I have been a journalist for decades, and I gave up any and all clearances long ago for obvious reasons. That doesn\u2019t mean we are free to talk about the projects we participate in, which makes it difficult to describe what Sigma has done. I managed to come up with a couple of examples and I hope everyone listening was happy.<\/p>\n
When that was done I took a taxi to Brookline where I spent a pleasant afternoon with Marvin and Gloria Minsky. We spoke of many things, including the state of Artificial Intelligence research. Things have changed since the days when an MIT student like Marilyn (soon to be Niven) had to become a mathematics major in order to study computer science and artificial intelligence. Many of the objectives of AI research in those days have been realized, and the craft of robotics has greatly advanced, but much of AI is sort of stalemated just now. Marvin thinks it\u2019s because we have come to a plateau and it will take some new long term projects to get a new generation of AI scientists up to speed so they can plunge ahead. Of course computer capabilities increased far faster than we thought they would. And MIT dropped the LISP programming course two years ago. It\u2019s time for some new thoughts about AI from a new generation, but if they\u2019re wise they\u2019ll pay attention to some of the old wizards like Marvin. Like me he thinks a bit slower than he used to, but he\u2019s still a wizard.<\/p>\n
Marvin Minsky at home.<\/p>\n Marvin and Gloria<\/p>\n "Hows that space program coming along?"<\/p>\n Just a note that this illustration is getting wide notice without credit going to the artist, Aaron Williams<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.offworlddesigns.com\/p-814-asteroids-t-shirt.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n There are even other people who have been selling T-shirts with his design on it.<\/p>\n Aaron Williams is the author of a number of great comic strips, and I’m a big fan.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.nodwick.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Tom Brosz<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Just to get that straight.<\/p>\n View 763 Sunday, February 17, 2013 It\u2019s Sunday night. Boskone is over, and I have my passes for getting onto the airplane tomorrow. I plan to get out there fairly early, and wait in the United Red Carpet Club where there will be pleasant people, good coffee, and a newspaper. \u2026 Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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