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E - volution Spring 2021
Journey to Mars
AI Integration
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Delivery Drones Page 10
Screen Development Page 22
THE Team t eam .e_volu t ion @lasaezin e.or g to you
E - volution Dear Reader,
We created this magazine to showcase some facets of new, evolving technology that may be just around the corner. Each of us has chosen a topic to explore, and we hope to share some of what we?ve learned with you. Our magazine ranges from rovers in the depths of outer space to drones much closer to home, and more established technologies like artificial intelligence and electronic screens. The creation of this magazine has also given us a chance to research our interests more in-depth and ask professionals the questions we?ve always wanted to, an opportunity we?ve enjoyed. The creation of this magazine has been quite a journey; it took some time for us to find a central topic we could all find something interesting in, and some of us changed topics a few times. We?ve also spent some time rearranging the sections, trying to find an order that made sense. Then, of course, we had the long process of finding interviews, writing stories, and making graphics. If you?re reading this, it means we?ve successfully finished with our sanity mostly intact! We?re quite pleased with how our magazine looks; none of us consider ourselves to be particularly artistic, but it?s turned out alright, in our biased opinions. Please enjoy the vector graphics; their creation sucked out Saffron?s soul, and she?s now a hollow shell of her former self. The topics we picked are somewhat tricky to write about since much of the technology is still in development, so part of our topics are still speculative -- the speculation of others, mind you, but speculation nonetheless. We?re all introverts with more STEM-oriented interests, as clearly evidenced by our topics, so getting interviews and putting the magazine together has been a challenge. We hope our efforts have paid off. We would also like to thank our Electronic Magazine teacher, Kevin Garcia, for teaching us the different aspects of making a magazine. His advice has been invaluable and has made the process a lot smoother. We?ve put a lot of time and energy into this magazine, so we hope you enjoy it. If it were a YouTube video, we?d ask you to like and subscribe to help us out, but as this is for no monetary gain, you taking the time to read and enjoy it is greatly be appreciated. Sincerely,
Carter Brooks, Saffron Liu, JJSurigao, and Tristan Tan
E-volution | Letter From the Editors | 1
Table of Cont ent Letter from the Editors - 1 Table of Contents - 2 Crossing the Void - 4 Takeoff! - 8 Drones-To-Go - 10 Timeline of Communication - 14
M
D
S
Lo
C
2 | Table of Contents | E-volution
ts
Man and Machine: Mind Meld - 16
Demystifying the Codes - 20
Scrying Screens - 22
oad the Code - 26
Credits - 28
E-volution | Table of Contents | 3
Cr ossing t he Void The problems of going to M ars and how we'll solve them By Carter Brooks
O
Image courtesy of NASA
ver fifty years ago, two men
away, it takes a minimum of six
just one singular view of how the first
became the first to walk on the
months just to get there with current
manned mission will play out, and
surface of the Moon, marking a new
technology. The surface is also
multiple different groups have
chapter in history. Since then, the
inhospitable to human settlement,
different ideas for how humans will
sights of space exploration have been
with temperatures that can plummet
reach the dusty plains of Mars. Take
set much higher ? and much farther
to -243 degrees Fahrenheit and a
NASA, for example. Their ambitious
away ? to Earth?s nearest neighbor:
carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere less
?Moon to Mars? program will see the
the planet Mars. Visiting the red
than 1% as thick as Earth?s. Despite
Moon transformed into a hub for
planet has long been a far off dream,
all of these major roadblocks, the
interplanetary travel, as well as a
confined to the realm of science
international community has decided
destination for refueling. Assuming
fiction. In recent years, however, the
that paying the planet a visit is worth
the plan?s first phase, the Artemis
prospect of a manned mission to
the risk because of everything it has
program, is a success, this will
Mars within the next few decades has
to teach us.
hopefully become a reality by the
increased every day due to our expanding knowledge of the planet, thanks to numerous robotic missions.
Government agencies and private businesses from all over the world have been working toward a common
That being said, there are still quite a
goal: make Mars a place where
few hurdles that need to be jumped
humans can live, and do it by the end
for such a mission to succeed. At an
of the century, at the latest.
average distance of 158 million miles
4 | Crossing the Void | E-volution
2030s. In contrast, the private company SpaceX prefers a more direct approach and plans on using their Starship rocket to fly straight from Earth to Mars. However, before any of these options can ever become a reality, there are a number
Even with this goal in mind, there isn?t
of obstacles that require immediate
attention.
architecture tends to break down.?
effects.
Of all the components that make up a
Scientists are unsure if astronauts on
As of now, the most effective method
Mars mission, the most dangerous is
hypothetical Mars missions will be
of combating these problems has
likely the journey itself. The farther away humans travel from Earth and the longer we spend in space, the more problems that begin to arise. A majority of these problems can be traced back to the body, which isn?t adapted to living in a Zero-G environment (that is, an environment without the usual pull of gravity experienced on Earth). Retired colonel John Allen, chief program executive for crew
been frequent exercise,
"
which has been put into
We don't really know [what'll happen] because we need to collect more data on the effects
- Melissa Pore, science teacher able to immediately stand up
"
effect aboard the International Space Station, where astronauts usually stay for a 6-month period. ?They exercise for two
and begin working once they reach
hours a day on board the space
the planet. After spending months in
station,? said Allen. ?It?s one of those
little to no gravity (G), there?s a
things that?s very deliberate to try and
chance that their bones could
keep them healthy.?
degrade to the point where they
Due to the station?s proximity to
would have to spend time adapting to
Earth, it?s much easier to both replace
the ? G of Mars, cutting down on the
broken equipment and deliver newer,
available time to complete their
more effective means of exercise for
objectives.
the astronauts to use. On a journey to
Another issue related to the absence
Mars though, such a luxury won?t be
of gravity in space has to do with
an option. The amount of space
balance. On Earth, under normal G, a
dedicated to such equipment will also
human?s sense of direction is
be much smaller, since a craft
determined by fluids in the vestibular
traveling between the two planets
system of the ear, with ?down? being
would have to carry everything
the direction the
needed for the
fluids are pulled in.
crew to remain
Astronauts lack a
healthy.
sense of direction in
?We have to look
?There are certain hazards and risks
space. This is due to
toward developing
that we look at that can potentially
those previously
exercise
impact the body, and we study those
mentioned fluids,
capabilities that
risks very diligently to see what might
which are left to float
will be equally
happen,? Allen said.
freely in microgravity
effective, and on a
environments.
much smaller
Because of this, the
platform,? Allen
body can?t determine
explained.
health and safety at NASA, has long been at the forefront of addressing these issues.
One particular area of concern is the human skeletal system. ?The bone itself has a lattice type of
its orientation,
architecture,? Allen said. ?We find
leading to nausea
that from being in spaceflight, that
and other similar
Another possible solution could
E-volution | Crossing the Void | 5
involve the use of more experimental
communication becomes delayed, so
the event of an emergency,
technology, though some
the ability to have frequent
Mission-inhibiting problems will have
current-day analogues can be found
interactions will be impacted
to be sorted out on-site without
in the pressure suits jet pilots wear.
significantly,? said Allen.
external aid.
?What I think is going
?We?re trying very hard to build
to help is some sort of
autonomous systems,? said Allen.
pressure suit that
?Not necessarily robotic, but we?re
mitigates the negative
working together with robotic
effects and
systems; systems that will use
counteracts them to
artificial intelligence and other
make it more
approaches to help the crew
Earth-like,? said
members be their own treatment
Melissa Pore, a
providers if something comes about.?
science and
If a crew wants to be at peak
engineering teacher at Bishop O?Connell High School in Arlington,
efficiency, it?s important to make sure Melissa Pore (center) with her students. Image courtesy of Bishop O'Connell High School.
Virginia. Such a concept for a pressure suit has actually been tested in microgravity before. During his year in space, astronaut Scott Kelly took part in an experiment in which he
they?re well-fed. At the moment, solutions to the food problem are few
Radio waves travel at the speed of light, or approximately 671million miles per hour. As fast as this sounds, it still takes light just over 1second to reach the Moon from Earth. Now compare this to Mars, which is over a
and far between, though work is being done to tackle the issue. On the International Space Station, most rations are contained in closed bags with hot water being added to prepare them.
donned a pair of pressurized pants, normalizing the flow of blood in his legs and returning the sensation of gravity to his body. Similar technologies could be utilized to mitigate the effects of being in microgravity on the way to Mars. In addition to the numerous physical problems that are
"
There are certain hazards and risks... that can potentially impact the body, and we study those risks very diligently to see what might happen - John Allen, NASA program executive
"
hundred times further away.
However, a mission to Mars could last
expected to occur, scientists are also
Messages sent by NASA to one of
years, and the viability of using
considering the possible side effects
their many robotic missions or
similar rations has been called into
a long-duration mission to Mars
satellites operating on Mars can take
question. As has been previously
could have on the mental well-being
upwards of 20 minutes just to travel
mentioned, storage space on a ship
of the crew. Chiefly among those is
one direction.
traveling to the red planet will need to
the issue of instant communication between Earth and Mars being impossible. ?As we start moving on to Mars, [our] 6 | Crossing the Void | E-volution
Since instant communication with mission control will be impossible, a crew traveling to Mars will only have themselves to immediately rely on in
be conserved, so dedicating a large portion of that space to food and water storage isn?t an option. However, there are a number of
proposed solutions, such as one
knowledge will be
offered by the company Nanoracks.
used to grow a
Their design of their Bishop Airlock
sustainable food supply
would promote the self-sustainability
for the crew. There are
of a crew while also not cutting down
also methods being
on the amount of usable space in the
considered by scientists and
interior of the ship.
government agencies in which
?The Bishop Airlock has a huge clear area where they?re going to put plants and see if they can grow easily when attached to a non-living area,? said Pore. ?You pull it in from the outside and open it, and they?re grown and
the liquid waste of astronauts will be converted into potable water. This is a highly efficient option, since it would not only reduce the amount of water that has to be stored aboard the ship, but also create a closed system so that no water is lost.
don?t need care.?
liquid water extracted from below the surface, it?s doubtful that it?ll become a major issue once a manned mission actually reaches Mars and establishes surface
Even if there was a designated space to grow food, it?s important to make sure that the space is utilized as
Scientists have been hard at work
operations.
discovering the best solution to satisfy the crew?s water needs on the
Despite all of the progress that?s been made in the field over the past few
efficiently as possible.
decades, there?s still a chance that a
There are a multitude
previously unknown problem may
of different ways to
arise. After all, there?s no way to
ensure this.
predict all the issues that
?The most important
until the mission is actually
thing is to grow stuff
attempted.
that has a high edible
?We don?t really know [what?ll
mass ratio,? said Pore. ?The more edible mass, the more
ou ge c Ima may occur
happen] because we need to collect A concept design of what a possible greenhouse on the Martian surface could look like. Image courtesy of the Marshall Spaceflight Center.
worthwhile it is because space is so
Martian surface. Thanks to numerous
limited.?
robotic missions to the planet, the presence of water-ice has been
Through experiments such as the ?veggie?experiment, where astronauts aboard the ISS successfully grew lettuce plants, it?s been demonstrated that food can be
larger suite of possibilities,? said Allen. On the way to Mars, it?s likely that this
able to try multiple different things to see the good effects pay off.? Although traveling to Mars presents
believed that just dry ice existed on
many challenges, optimistic people
the surface). Despite this, the actual
and organizations from across the
quantity of ice to be found on Mars
world are already hard at work to find
still remains unknown.
the best solutions. Through their
?Future missions to Mars are going to expand that capability, to look at a
?We haven?t had the experience to be
confirmed (whereas it was previously
grown in microgravity. ?There?s currently work being done to
more data on the effects,? said Pore.
partially bring their own supplies of water, of course,? said Pore. ?We still need to investigate how much ice there is, and then go land near it.?
dedication, and mankind?s unquenchable thirst for knowledge, it?s only a matter of time before a journey to the red planet leaves the pages of science fiction and makes history.
Utilizing ice from the north pole, or E-volution | Crossing the Void | 7
yo rt es
fN
T A
! f f o e k a
e el i n m i ft br i e
i ght l f er ed w o of p
The Ingenuity helicopter completes its first flight tes surface of Mars. It's the first demonstration of power another planet. (source: NASA JPL)
Bertrand Piccard successfully completes the first circumnavigation in a solar-powered aircraft. With a wingspan larger than that of a Boeing 747, his plane traveled around the world using nothi but sunlight as fuel. (Source: The Guardian)
STS-1(A.K.A Space Shuttle Columbia) launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida. While not necessarily an airplane, the shuttle was capable of gliding in the same fashion as an airplane. The program?s last flight (STS-135) launched in 2011. (Source: NASA)
1969
ok s r t er Br o SA a C y b ons, N A m m o Gr aphic C edia it : W ik im d e r C o t Pho
1947
C
1927
Lo
S
1903
8 | Takeoff! | E-volution
The Wright
heavier-tha
st on the red flight on
2021
2016
ng
1981
The Concorde, a British-French passenger airliner capable of reaching supersonic speeds, makes its maiden flight. In one instance, a Concorde plane flew from New York to London in a mere 2 hours 53 seconds! (Source: Simple Flying)
Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager becomes the first human to ever break the sound barrier. He accomplished this historic feat in the Bell X-1rocket plane, nicknamed ?Glamorous Glennis.? (Source: Space.com)
Charles Lindbergh completes the first solo, nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean between c by hi r ap G ong Island and Paris. His flight lasted a whopping 33 ½ hours! (Source: Smithsonian Air and ne
Space Museum, PBS)
Air
ks r oo B r rte Ca
pl a
brothers take flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This marks the first-ever flight of a
an-air craft. (Source: Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)
E-volution | Takeoff! | 9
Dr ones - To - Go A look at the benefits of the new delivery method
By Abelardo Surigao III
Matternet manufactures drones designed to fly over urban environments. In the easy-to-use interface for sending and receiving packages 24/7/365. Automated
D
adapt to it? elivery drones were created
Companies that provide drone
customer, Workhorse?s Horsefly does exactly that. However, precisely why build a delivery
with the intention to deliver
products, like Matternet,
packages quickly through the air,
Workhorse, and Delivery Drone
soaring across the skies and
Canada (DDC) aim to provide fast,
Drones cheapen the cost to deliver
saving lives, especially when
reliable, and cheap drones to join
goods, an important factor in the
applied into medical use.
the delivery industry. Drones are
delivery industry according to John
Nowadays, delivery drones have
highly customizable, meaning that
Graber, head of Workspace's
features and abilities that can
various applications can be
Aerospace group leading
change the delivery industry and
implemented into them. For
development of drone delivery.
provide people with their
example, the Matternet M2 Drone is
necessities quickly and efficiently.
focused on transporting medical
However, is the time coming where
supplies from one person or
they could become more
hospital to another. In the
commonplace, and at the same
commercial industry, which works
time, where people will have to
to deliver retail goods to the
10 | Drones-To-Go | E-volution
drone at all?
?Companies believe 1to 2% of all delivered packages are able to ship by drones,? Graber said. ?That is over 5 million a day. Drone deliveries cost less than 10 cents a
Zahra. ?It could be in
With so many positive effects
Canada, we have a lot of
drones can provide to human
seasonal roads that don't
society and contribute to the
operate in the winter, we
delivery industry, you may be
actually have some ice
wondering where we are at in
highways that don't operate
terms of drone progress.
in the summer, or ferry service is infrequent. If access is convenient, it's not necessarily a drawing solution.?
smallest one, which is fully operational,? Zahra said. ?It's actually operating at customers, generating revenue for almost a
According to Zahra, drones
year now. The Robin and the
can be used to deal with
Condor, we're just wrapping up
time. This could be a food
testing in the next little while with
delivery, or a healthcare
both of those. The Robin is sort of
emergency.
the medium sized one that has
?If I'm moving an organ for transplant from one hospital to another, and you've got
picture is a visual concept of the Matternet Station, an payload and battery exchange. Image courtesy of Matternet.
?We have the Sparrow, which is the
capability. I think we're very excited to see the two bigger ones come out in the next little while.?
traffic, it's going to take an
Drones are not quite ready to
hour and I can get my drone
compete with Santa Claus and
in 10 minutes,? Zahra said.
deliver toys before Christmas
?That could be saving lives,
morning, but the dream of
transporting defibrillators,
transporting goods from an origin
bloods, transporting an
to the destination is becoming
mile, while traditional delivery
EpiPen, an asthma inhaler, a snake
closer to reality. As time goes on,
trucks cost more than $1a mile.?
bite kit, or something like that. Time
technology flourishes, but some
Many other purposes are at play
is critical, sometimes is
challenges may still arise. For
regarding drone delivery,
important.?
example, while current regulations imposed by transportation
According to Michael Zahra? president and CEO of
agencies like the FAA are
Delivery Drone Canada. He, as
limiting, they are slowly but
well as the previous Senior Vice President of Operations and Strategy , is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience as a senior level leader. ?The use cases are really where access is difficult,? said
"Companies believe 1to
surely changing.
2%of all delivered packages are able to ship by drones."
?For instance, the FAA just
- John Graber, Workhorse Aerospace Lead
that opens up more use cases
made some announcements a couple of months ago; they're making changes and and more viable projects that can be done,? Zahra said. ?I E-volution | Drones-To-Go | 11
would say, the biggest one would
aerospace and autonomous
not be the technology, but it would
navigation. In addition to this,
be the regulations. We're happy
concerns of the public regarding
with our system. We're happy with
privacy and safety have risen over
our technology, we're very happy
the past few years.
with what we can do and how far ahead we are versus any of our competitors. The only thing that we
?The issues to address are privacy and noise,? Zahra said. ?In our case, we don't have cameras on
all would want in this industry is
the drone
maybe the regulations to move a bit more quickly.? According to Graber, Workhorse?s primary
"This is not going to replace all other means of transportation." - Michael Zahra, CEO of Delivery Drone Canada
goals are
intentionally for reasons of privacy, but we do have a sort of an optical sensor camera that we point straight down that we use to
A visual graphic of DDC Sparrow's delivery drone applicatio Abelardo Surigao III.
noisy than large 787 aircraft flying at 30,000 feet. They?re not really
safety,
more precisely land based on an
reliability, and community
optical barcode at the drone spot.
acceptance. It is very hard to
For us, privacy is not an issue
Even with all these limitations and
complete systems that achieve all
whatsoever. The second issue is of
the concerns of the public,
of those things. Members of the
noise. Our drones fly around 400
companies still continue to
team have deep experience with
feet, and they're generally less
develop drones, each with a
that noisy.
specialty. Jenny Russo is a PR A look of the Delivery Drone Canada Operations Centre, where all drones are monitored 24/7. Image provided by Delivery Drone Canada.
manager at Matternet. ?One of the things I can highlight is that our M2 drone was designed to fly over cities? urban environments,? Russo said. ?Unlike others who mainly have to fly over rural environments.? DDC has taken a notable approach and focused on a systems approach according to Michael Zahra. They?ve focused systematically on drones, not just on the hardware itself, for hardware is almost a commodity. ?I think if you look at the whole
12 | Drones-To-Go | E-volution
?I think there's always going
footprint, and you don?t think about
to be a mix, but I think you will
them anymore than you do your car
definitely see drones as part
or bike, they will cement their place
of that mix for the instances
in our world.?
where it makes sense to have to have drones. I think it's going to be a hybrid, I don't think it's going to be a mass replacement of other channels. It's going to get there, but it's going to get there in phases.?
ons. Image provided by Delivery Drone Canada. Graphics by
system, that's where we differentiate ourselves,? Zahra said. ?It's a more integrated
We are in the modern age according to Graber, where the use of various technologies aids us immensely. With the development of these drones and new advancements being made every day, they are here to create a better world. It is undeniable that we
Drones could become part of
wouldn?t love to have drones that
the variety of transport
can transport emergency supplies
options and do their part
to our homes or hospitals,
where they are needed.
anywhere and anytime. To achieve
However, an important
the dream of drone delivering
question to ask is ?Why should
becoming a reality, we as a
society accept drones??
community need to accept their assistance so we may take
turnkey solution where others are
?This is the most important
focused very just on the drone, like
question facing the industry,?
Google or Amazon, they've got a
Graber said. ?If drones annoy you
very small drone. But they don't
every day, they won?t make it. But if
?I want them to earn their place,?
have a big Operations Control
they serve you well, improve your
said Graber. ?To show the value to
Center. At the price point where we
life, help take congestion off our
society that I know they have.?
are, there really isn't somebody
roads, help lower our carbon
advantage of what they have to offer and benefit from it.
who has the size and the capabilities of the drones.? Zahra said drones are in the making and have a probable future. When the time comes, they will possess practical capabilities that may act as an addition to the delivery industry as well as change human society positively. ?This is not going to replace all other means of transportation,? said Zahra.
Horsefly is a custom-built drone that is fully integrated with electric delivery trucks. Image courtesy of Workhorse.
E-volution | Drones-To-Go | 13
Timeline of Communicat ion Br ief
4 fascinating devices that acted as building blocks to form the technology we have today.
By Abelardo Surigao III
1831 - Tur ning Point in Hist or y Introducing the telegraph, the pivotal system that changed the way of warfare and the outcomes of conflict. It provided long distance communication using the Morse Code of which the name "Morse" was derived from the inventor of the machine Samuel Morse. The telegraph also allowed pieces of news to be exchanged between locations almost instantly, and provided an economic effect on businesses.
1876 - "Ar e You Inside t he Telephone?" The telephone is a machine that was invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. It allowed two people to speak to each other verbally from long distances, rather than speaking face-to-face, using the machines ability of converting sound. Due to large usage of the population, switchboards were invented that transmitted electricity from one source to the other. Nonetheless, this machinery made distance less of a problem. 14 | Brief Timeline of Communication | E-volution
Information Courtesy of Learning Hub and History.com
1895 - Tur n it on, and You'll Know it All In these times, radio and television were popular sources of information. It provided not only musical entertainment, but also provided news, sports, and weather forecasts. Radios came in all sorts of shapes, from circles to rectangles, and were widely installed in automobiles, which is still a popular modification today. Radios can also be used to talk from one person to another, for example walkies-talkies. Radios use radio waves for the possibility of communicating from far distances, at the same time, wireless which helped act as a template for smartphones.
20 21 - An Object w it h Ever yt hing! Presently, smartphones are owned by almost half the population worldwide. Different apps with unique functions, provide us news, entertainment, and communications. Video conferencing apps, like zoom and google duo, provide people the ability to talk and see each other from far distances. Social Media apps provide people the ability to share and express people's personal life and content. E-mail, the electronic rendition of mail, has been around for more than 50 years and is used by over 4 billion people around the globe. In essence, we have the ability to communicate with other people worldwide at our fingertips. What a time to be alive, don't you think? E-volution | Brief Timeline of Communications | 15
Man and Machine: Mind Meld H ow AI could aid humans as it continues to develop By Saffron Liu
16 | Man and Machine: Mind Meld | E-volution
T
here are countless sci-fi
require a human. A subset of
speakers and online
stories of hypothetical
AI is machine learning, the
translation software is often
futures where a computer
ability of a machine to learn
not the most powerful or
becomes sentient and all
on its own and perform tasks
recent, meaning these
powerful, and while some
without having instructions
products often aren?t as
propose a utopia, others
explicitly programmed in. AI
reliable as they could be. The
propose a darker world,
is frequently used in place of
world-dominating
where the computer runs
machine learning when
supercomputer, well it
rampant, bent on world
discussing recent and
doesn?t seem to be an
domination at any cost. While
upcoming technology,
imminent threat. The real
some people live in fear or
despite the fact that AI can
world is difficult for a
hope of this possibility,
also be used to refer to the
computer to quantify, and
others scoff at the mere
conditional if/then
there?s an unthinkable
thought of it. After all, it?s not
statements and simple
amount of variables to take
as if computers are capable
algorithms that have been
into account to be able to
of such intelligence. There
around since the beginning
predict the future accurately,
are entire YouTube channels
of computer science.
never mind control it.
dedicated to Google Translate?s hilarious inaccuracy, and smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Alexa often misinterpret user requests. While both the skeptics and believers have their reasons, neither has the full picture.
When applied to specific tasks in a professional environment, AI can be quite powerful. With enough training and programming, it can accomplish more difficult, less predictable tasks, like controlling a
Technology has a lot more advancing to do for an AI-pocalypse to be a pressing danger, and humans will be there every step of the way to check both the ethics and security of new developments.
robotic hand to solve a
As technology advances,
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Rubik?s cube or driving more
humans tend to adapt to take
generally refers to the ability
safely than humans.
advantage of it, often without
of a computer or machine to
Famously, AI has beaten the
even noticing, explained John
exhibit human-like
world?s best human players
Licato, a professor of
intelligence and perform
first in chess, then in Go.
computer science and
tasks that would normally
However, the AI used in smart
engineering at the University
E-volution | Man and Machine: Mind Meld | 17
of South Florida who
AI will replace human
learning how to work with the
researches AI. In fact, it?s
intelligence, others believe
chess engines, to adjust their
already happening with
that humans can actively use
strategies. It didn't kill chess
something we take for
it as an aid to improve, and
as a game, it just changed the
granted: the cellphone.
that humans and machines
way that the game is played.?
?Think about how tied we are to our smartphones, right??
can work alongside each other.
We outsource that part of our mind to our phones. We're almost a man-machine hybrid at this point with our cell phones - John Licato,
"
professor of computer science and engineering outsourcing our memories; we don't memorize phone numbers, we outsource that part of our mind to our phones. We're almost a man-machine hybrid at this point with our cell phones. And I think that it might go further in that direction, and it might just happen so gradually, that we won't notice or complain about it when it happens.? While some people worry that
18 | Man and Machine: Mind Meld | E-volution
might hold for other things as well. Licato also leads the
"
Licato said. ?We're
He added that this pattern
Advancing Machine and Human Reasoning (AMHR) Lab, which works with both formal and informal reasoning and is dedicated to using artificial intelligence to make humans better reasoners.
?IBM's Deep Blue system
?Formal reasoning would be
beat the best human player in
creating logical proofs and
the world, Garry Kasparov, in
mathematical proofs,? Licato
the 1990s,? said Licato. ?But
said. ?AI can help people
it didn't kill chess as a sport.
reason in that sense because
In fact, arguably, it's more
AI systems can be better at
popular today than it was
holding a lot of memories. So
back then. What ended up
you can reason through a lot
happening was yes, the AI
of premises at a time. And
got better than humans. But
they can offer suggestions to
the next generation of chess
people that are working on
players learns how to use the
mathematical proofs.?
chess engine to make themselves better. So now
Formal proofs are not the
you have a whole generation
only thing AI can be used for.
of chess players that grew up
It can also be used where
less structured reasoning is
regularly and ensure they
but AI also encompasses
required, like a debate or
cover all angles, like the CEO
speech and image
argument.
of a company. Additionally, it
recognition. When these
could be used as a tool for
subsets of AI are combined,
introspection.
they can be applied in a
?Human beings are very subject to the sorts of cognitive biases that harm
?You have an idea and want
our ability to reason through
to test out whether the idea is
topics, especially when they
any good before you actually
get emotional, that's when
tell it to other people,? Licato
we start to perform at our
said. ?Sometimes it helps to
worst in terms of
just have someone that you
argumentation,? said Licato.
bounce ideas off of. And so
?AI can help by pointing out
the AI could maybe one day
when we?ve made a mistake,
serve that purpose?
it can help us create a supporting argument, it can help us try to find actual evidence that supports that
variety of ways, like industrial automation, personalized recommendations, and autonomous driving. Some of the uses may not be as flashy or ground-breaking as movies would have you think, but AI is steadily finding its way into our everyday lives, and it shows no signs of
Although only one small facet
slowing down.
of AI has been covered here, computer scientists have already found a range of
?AI shouldn't only be to make machines smarter,? Licato
argument so that we can refine claims that we make and avoid the situation where
"
applications. Although it
AI shouldn't only be to make machines smarter. Those advances should also be used to make people better at reasoning. - John Licato,
could be generally useful to
professor of computer science and engineering
we make claims that we can support in the first place.? A tool with these capabilities would have a variety of
"
anyone needing to make a major decision, it could also
possible applications for it.
be helpful to anyone who has
Reasoning is a subset of
to make such decisions
natural language processing,
said. ?Those advances should also be used to make people better at reasoning as well.?
E-volution | Man and Machine: Mind Meld | 19
By Saffron Liu
Although barcodes and QR codes are both widely used, people rarely stop to question how they work.
In a barcode, each character is represented by a block containing a certain number of vertical stripes. Each stripe can be either black or white, and the configuration of stripes within a block corresponds to different characters. When a scanner reads a code, it shines a light at the code and a photoelectric cell captures the reflected light. The black stripes reflect much less light than the white ones, so a scanner can quickly read the arrangement.
Although barcodes can be scanned and read very quickly, they usually output numerical codes that need to be put through a database to get the desired information. While it is possible to encode text into a barcode, these require larger blocks per character, and anything more than 5 or 6 characters ends up being an unwieldy length. However, since they are usually short, it is easy to quickly manually enter the data if the scanner is broken or the code is damaged. They're also often cheaper to manufacture and purchase than QR codes. 20 | Demistifying the Codes | E-volution
Information from the American Mathematical Association, Explain That Stuff, SproutQR, Thonky, and Mobile QR Codes
QR codes represent bits of data as small squares or dots; black/dark for a 1, and white for a 0. The data is broken into 8 bit sections, or bytes, and arrayed onto the square. However, it?s not quite as simple as that. Some modifications are made to ensure the code is read correctly or to minimize the impact of tears or missing segments, which have been color coded above.
QR codes can contain large quantities of data compactly; it can take a barcode up to ten times as much space to encode the same amount of information. Additionally, QR codes have built in error correction, meaning part of it can be damaged, covered, or dirty, but the information can still be extracted in its entirety. This also allows part of it to be used for decorative purposes, like a logo. The downside of QR codes is that their scanners are often more expensive and can be slower to use, but now, most mobile phones can scan them and they're becoming more widespread.
Codes generated by TEC-IT and Mobilefish
E-volution | Demystifying the Codes | 21
Scr ying Scr eens Delving into screen development By Tristan Tan
22 | Drones-To-Go | E-volution
F
rom the cell phones in people?s
pockets to electronic billboards in New York City, screens are common items during this digital age. They can come in different varieties, from LED, to LCD, or OLED screens. This is only the beginning, as companies are developing newer technologies everyday. Most types of screens nowadays can produce a variety of light colors. After all, the world is composed of many colors. The computers we use have to be able to know which color to project in order to produce an image according to Brandon Carter, entrepreneur and tech marketing executive. ?Computers are often binary code,? said Carter, ?which is a one and zero. That basically tells the computer to turn off one pixel or not.? Screens have been around since the late 19th century, with its invention being credited to Karl Ferdinand
Brandon Carter, an entrepreneur in the tech world and a tech marketing executive. Image provided by Carter.
combining multiple of these ?pixels?,
Screens have had time to develop,
an image can be produced, ranging
going from these cathode ray tubes
from plain black and white to even
to simply LEDs lining the screen.
simple colors. These simple colors
LEDs, or light emitting diodes, work
?We used to have cathode ray tubes
were achievable using three separate
by using a phenomenon called
and the big screens that took up an
beams of red, green, and blue. By
electroluminescence. By passing an
entire huge desk,? Carter said. ?They
combining these three colors,
electron through a semiconductor
weren't very portable laptops? they
shortened to RGB, in different
and filling electron holes, which are
were 20 pounds and then those
amounts, a much wider variety of
places where atoms are missing
slowly went down.?
colors is available, with each being
electrons, the material can emit light.
Cathode ray tubes work by shooting a
represented with an RGB value
Thanks to how small LEDs have
phosphorescent screen with an
consisting of three numbers from 0 to
become, screens are able to produce
electron beam. When this happens, it
255. This method of combining colors
images in much higher resolution.
causes one pixel to glow. By
was so effective that it is still used
Their size allows them to render the
today.
finer details that would have been
Braun. During their initial stages of development, they were very different to modern computer screens.
E-volution | Drones-To-Go | 23
fuzzy or pixelated on older models of
?It felt like manipulating things in the
and advertisers can see what kinds of
screens.
real, real world,? said Carter.
things consumers like and dislike,
?You have the whole streaming
The ability to manipulate and interact
generation where most of their media
with things you can visibly see is
consumption is in front of a computer
called a graphical user interface
or on their phone,? Carter said, ?So a
(GUI). This includes things like being
lot of that is driving the technology
able to click virtual buttons, or
allowing more products to more easily target either specific kinds of audiences or the most people. Even after their invention and multiple improvements,
side of it to where
screens are still
screens are
?evolving? too, just like
becoming larger, but also lighter, and higher definition.? While this means that screens are
"
It felt like manipulating things in the real, real world.
"
- Brandon Carter, entrepreneur and tech market executive
generally
impacts on society. As society progresses further in this digital age, an increasing amount of people are getting addicted to screens. During the pandemic, many people are left stuck at home with nothing much to do except be on their devices. Many schools have even switched from the traditional methods of teaching in a classroom to an online version of education. Touch screens, on the other hand, are a more recently developed technology, coming about 70 years after cathode ray tubes were invented
the concept of a touch screen appeared in science fiction movies and books, including Die Hard. When this kind of screen finally came out, Carter said that it felt like a maturation of technology.
24 | Drones-To-Go | E-volution
?On every single vector, they're going to improve,? said Carter. ?you're going to they are going to be lighter.
dragging objects around on-screen. Another advancement in screen
Maybe larger. They'll eventually be better for your eyes.?
technology may take form in flip
Carter indirectly points out a major
screens. It may seem odd that
flaw with modern screens though:
companies are taking a step back to
their negative effect on eyesight.
try and recreate an older kind of
Currently, screens produce blue light,
phone with newer screen technology,
which can cause vision problems that
but this is actually more space
are either untreatable or have
efficient. On the other hand, it may
treatments with low success rates.
seem odd that companies haven?t
Blue light itself is not a negative thing
been doing this the whole time, but
though. Blue light is all around us, as
this is where the consumers come
light is technically composed of many
into the factor.
different colors, and is even emitted
?Shifting tastes, competition, and
from the sun.
just throwing something out there to
?The blue light can come from LED
see if it sticks,? said Carter.
and fluorescent light, as well as from
but two before LEDs came into common use. Before it was invented,
technology.
have higher contrast ratios,
improving, the development can also have negative
other kinds of
This is how many kinds of products and advertisements are tested today. Companies ?throw something out there? to see how well received it gets. If the product is received well, the companies produce it more. By using this kind of method, companies
monitors, mobile devices, and can negatively affect your vision over long term from the glare,? said Dr. Hamisou, an optometrist. ?This can cause eye strain, fatigue, and can lead to what?s called Computer Vision Syndrome.?
Computer Vision Syndrome are
reversible, they can recur and
various eye and vision problems that
possibly worsen if not dealt with.
can result from an elongated use of computers, cell phones, and tablets. Common symptoms of this include eye
screens, an increase in demand is sure to follow. Advances in screen and eye
"
protective technology will
The blue light can come from LED and fluorescent light, as well as from monitors, mobile devices, and can negatively affect your vision over long term from the glare.
and more convenient. Until
- Sally Hamisou, doctor of optometry
screen usage will be
"
strain and
Ways people can deal with it are
fatigue, as well as headaches, blurred
simple though, like by taking
vision, dry eyes, and neck and
frequent, short breaks.
also come in turn, making life in the digital age safer these safer screen technologies come out though, practicing wiser enough.
shoulder pain. While these symptoms are generally small and easily
As gradually more people start using
Blue light is processed by the retina, which is in the back of the eye, as shown by the diagram. It's considered one of the more important parts of the eye, as it does most of the work in sending signals to the brain and allowing us to see details. Image courtesy of Louisa C Lippitt.
E-volution | Drones-To-Go | 25
Load t he Code By Tristan Tan
How common coding languages are translated for a computer.
26 | Load the Code | E-volution
E-volution | Load the Code | 28
Team Edit or s Carter Brooks is a violinist of 9 years/ professional at doing stuff later. As a lifelong space geek, he?s excited for the opportunity to share his interest through E-volution. Among his hobbies are swimming (when the water isn?t freezing), playing Nintendo games, and watching old Japanese monster movies with his two dogs. He?s enjoyed being able to wake up ten minutes before the school day starts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fun fact: he?s actually left-handed, a trait found in only 10% of the world?s population!
Abelardo Surigao III, nicknamed JJ, enjoys running and biking around Austin. JJ has participated in numerous track and cross-country meets across Texas, and takes Spanish as a third language. He has also participated in many different choirs across Texas for 4 years. Photo taking and racing drones are one of his hobbies, and so contributed to the magazine an article about a special type of drone, a delivery drone. He is interested in various types of medical services and hopes to find success in the medical field. He likes snow too.
Saffron Liu is a LASA freshman with a love of books and an ever-deepening hatred of Adobe Illustrator. Despite this, she still loves admiring the art of others and watching speedpaints. Alongside reading, she enjoys coding, crafting, and making specific playlists. She also plays the piano, studies Greco-Roman mythology for a Latin trivia contest, and is interested in all the ways computers are becoming more capable.
Tristan Tan has a small background in coding and generally likes picking up different hobbies. Recently, he has picked up doing cross-country and speedrunning minecraft in the different categories, and he strives to reach many major milestones in both speedrunning and cross-country. He has also been playing trombone for almost 4 years but is also considering learning other instruments.
28 | Team Editors | E-volution
Special Thanks To Kevin Garcia - MAIS John R. Allen - PhD Brandon Carter - ME John Graber - PM Sally Hamisou - PhD Heather Hardeman - HR Dir. Nelson Hudes - PR John Licato - PhD Melissa Pore - MEd Jenny Russo - PR Michael Zahra - CEO
