Apple's Vision Pro Problem, a Midi Machine to the Max, and a Banned Book to End All Books
5 oddities to ponder and share
Hello, fellow Oddballer!
This week’s edition of Oddballs is not for the faint of heart, no sir! Creepy stuff herein. But not to worry. I cap it off with something goofy so all is well.
As always, links are in bold and underlined. Have fun with those. So, without further ado, here are five oddballs for your eyeballs!
Apple’s New Vision Pro Predicted in the 70s?
Way back in 1974, a guy by the name of Robert Nozick wrote a book called “Anarchy, State, and Utopia.” In it, Nozick puts forth a thought experience that he calls the “Experience Machine.” Basically, it’s the idea of a machine that allows you to experience everything you could ever want and, in doing so, would you choose the fake “reality” over a real one? Could this have been a foreboding harbinger of Apple’s Vision Pro? Full disclosure, I haven’t read the book or the article that I linked. I was too busy doing fun stuff online.
The Birthday Paradox
Some math nerds figured out that if you have 23 people in a room, the probability of two of them having the same birthday is over 50%. I looked at the math and it checks out. By that, I mean that I looked at the math and, yup, math was there; way over my head, but it was in fact there. Click here and check it out for yourself! In any case, think about it: when you go out to eat for lunch, if there are more than 23 diners and staff present, you have over a 50% chance that you share your birthday with someone there. The more people, the higher the probability. Crazy!
One Simple Music Machine Does All
Honestly, when I first saw the video below of the Nopia Midi Controller MK1 (what a geeky name!), I thought it was a gag; a fake video that someone made up to look real. But, from what I can tell, it’s legit. Basically, it’s a machine that not only plays chords but also all the music around the chords. Kinda tough to explain. In short, it’s a small machine that does a whole lotta stuff!
Book Banned for an Odd Reason
While people are debating whether certain books should or should not be banned (i.e., not being allowed in public schools), another book that was actually banned for 60 years, “The Adam and Eve Story: The History of Cataclysms” by Chan Thomas, has recently been declassified by the CIA. What’s strange is that, from what I can tell, it doesn’t have all the hot-button topics that may make it bannable (e.g., sex, racism, political dissent, etc.). It was classified because it talks about an upcoming cataclysm. What??? I haven’t read it yet, but I plan on listening to it on YouTube.
Oddballs: “Superbheroes”
Since my zine “Oddballs” is, in itself, a bit of an oddity, I thought I’d share a page from this month’s issue. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Instagram. Also, check out my YouTube Short of me inking the page by clicking here!
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