by Steve Sakiyama –
Just when I figured out how to program my PVR, a wave of new smart gadgets with Artificial Intelligence (AI) invites me to use them. By the way, “AI” when spoken sounds like “Eh” which leads me to believe it’s a Canadian invention.
All this technology improves our lives, right? For example, automatic doors allow me to make a breezy exit while carrying an armload of stuff. However, I have walked chalantly (vs nonchalantly) into a glass door while leaving a store, thinking that it would automatically open. It didn’t. You see, some doors are automatic while others are not – this causes much confusion in my world.
Sometimes technology can serve two purposes. Automatic paper towel dispensers are good for hand hygiene and great for entertainment. It’s fun to do all sorts of hand contortions in front of a mysteriously-located sensor before an undersized paper towel finally spits out with a “bzzt” – as if it’s blowing a raspberry at you. They must have AI with a funny bone.
Automatic self-checkout is great too. It speeds up my departure and avoids situations where everybody in line knows what I’m buying. You know, where the cashier yells: “Price check on the jumbo tube of foot fungus cream for this gentleman.”
Believe it or not, we now have smart appliances that connect to the “cloud” and communicate with us through our smartphones. This means the fridge will text me information like the expiry dates of the contents, thus minimizing food waste. Maybe in the future it will have a personality like Jerry Seinfeld and send messages like: “That’s your third piece of pie today. Come on … really.” Or: “The cheese has been in here since the Jurassic Period … (three teary-eyed emojis).”
Speaking of clouds in the computing ether, there is a different kind of cloud that we can actually see floating in the air. Real clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals that are too small to fall to the earth. They come in infinite shapes and sizes and are a visual representation of the conditions in the atmosphere. For example, strong upward motions in the atmosphere create clouds with a large vertical extent and a puffy appearance. Wispy clouds at high altitudes that look like a long paintbrush smear result from very strong winds that stretch them laterally. Clouds move, transform and are so visually impressive that they have inspired poets, artists and musicians. While aesthetically pleasing, clouds are vital to sustaining life as they play a critical role in the earth’s climate and water cycle.
As the door to June opens, what kind of weather will greet us? The smart models prefer a warmer-than-normal month with near-normal precipitation, so let’s go with that.
Hey, it’s June. Don’t miss it. Although we benefit so much from technology, this month put your phone down and step away from it all. When our devices begin to push our buttons, drop the e-baggage and take a slow walk outside in the natural world. Sink into the sights, sounds and smells of the real, living environment. The land, sea and sky are a harmonious, interconnected natural system, filled with awe-inspiring wonder that transcends all understanding. Before you know it, you’ll feel human again. ~ Weatherwit
