OUTER-SPACE-PINE-CONE-PRISON

In the distant future, prison space stations will become common.   Soon we will have to build a maximum security prison space station.  The answer would be the Outer-Space-Pine-Cone-Prison.  The OSPCP is shot from earth towards the moon where it will eventually catch orbit and take shape for prison functionality.  Everything will be run using brain signals from engineers on Earth.   They will keep the prison system running routinely and systematically.   Prisoners never come into contact with other prisoners. Although set up as a compact prison system with prisoners in close quarters of each other at all time, there will never be a time where one prisoner will have access to another prisoner.  They will be able to see the other prisoners and even talk to other prisoners under Earth's supervision, but physical contact will be impossible. 

The outer pine-cone structure of the prison is used for camoflauge as well as protection.  When it leaves earth, it will be closed and slim but when it starts its orbit, it will open up exposing its many razorsharp spikes.  If one was attempting to break a prisoner out of the prison, like perhaps some intergalactic mob family, they would have to first get past the spikes.  If this is accomplished, then they must get past the first egg-people pod.  If this is accomplished, then they would have to get past 3 more egg-people pods where they will finally reach the core of the prison.  Here, the prisoners stay locked in their cell.  There are 8 cells to each pod with a central control center controling brain signals coming from Earth.

Research

Brain Signals

Monkeys in North Carolina have remotely operated a robotic arm 600 miles away in MIT's Touch Lab -- using their brain signals.

The feat is based on a neural-recording system reported in the November 16 issue of Nature. In that system, tiny electrodes implanted in the animals' brains detected their brain signals as they controlled a robot arm to reach for a piece of food.

According to the scientists from Duke University Medical Center, MIT and the State University of New York (SUNY) Health Science Center, the new system could form the basis for a brain-machine interface that would allow paralyzed patients to control the movement of prosthetic limbs.

The work also supports new thinking about how the brain encodes information, by spreading it across large populations of neurons and by rapidly adapting to new circumstances.

In the Nature paper, the scientists described how they tested their system on two owl monkeys, implanting arrays of as many as 96 electrodes, each less than the diameter of a human hair, into the monkeys' brains.

The technique they used allows large numbers of single neurons to be recorded separately, then combines their information using a computer coding algorithm. The scientists implanted the electrodes in multiple regions of the brain's cortex, including the motor cortex from which movement is controlled. They then recorded the output of these electrodes as the animals learned reaching tasks, including reaching for small pieces of food.

Analyzing Brain Signals

To determine whether it was possible to predict the trajectory of monkeys' hands from the signals, the scientists fed the mass of neural signal data generated during many repetitions of these tasks into a computer, which analyzed the brain signals. In this analysis, the scientists used simple mathematical methods and artificial neural networks to predict hand trajectories in real time as the monkeys learned to make different types of hand movements.

"We found two amazing things," said Miguel Nicolelis, associate professor of neurobiology at Duke. "One is that the brain signals denoting hand trajectory show up simultaneously in all the cortical areas we measured. This finding has important implications for the theory of brain coding, which holds that information about trajectory is distributed really over large territories in each of these areas even though the information is slightly different in each area.

"The second remarkable finding is that the functional unit in such processing does not seem to be a single neuron," Professor Nicolelis said. "Even the best single-neuron predictor in our samples still could not perform as well as an analysis of a population of neurons. So this provides further support to the idea that the brain very likely relies on huge populations of neurons distributed across many areas in a dynamic way to encode behavior."

Over the Net

Once the scientists demonstrated that the computer analysis could reliably predict hand trajectory from brain signal patterns, they used the brain signals from the monkeys as processed by the computer to allow the animals to control a robot arm moving in three dimensions. They even tested whether the signals could be transmitted over a standard Internet connection, controlling a similar arm in MIT's Laboratory for Human and Machine Haptics, informally known as the Touch Lab.

"When we initially conceived the idea of using monkey brain signals to control a distant robot across the Internet, we were not sure how variable delays in signal transmission would affect the outcome," said Dr. Srinivasan. "Even with a standard TCP/IP connection, it worked out beautifully. It was an amazing sight to see the robot in our lab move, knowing that it was being driven by signals from a monkey brain at Duke. It was as if the monkey had a 600-mile-long virtual arm."

The researchers will soon begin experiments in which movement of the robot arm generates tactile feedback signals in the form of pressure on the animal's skin. Also, they are providing visual feedback by allowing the animal to watch the movement of the arm.

Such feedback studies could also potentially improve the ability of paralyzed people to use such a brain-machine interface to control prosthetic appendages, said Professor Nicolelis. In fact, he said, the brain could prove extraordinarily adept at using feedback to adapt to such an artificial appendage.

Augmenting the Body

"If such incorporation of artificial devices works, it would quite likely be possible to augment our bodies in virtual space in ways that we never thought possible," said Dr. Srinivasan, a principal research scientist in mechanical engineering and the Research Laboratory of Electronics. "In fact, the robot that was controlled by the monkey brain signals is a haptic interface -- a device that is part of a multisensory virtual-reality system in our lab. It enables us to touch, feel and manipulate virtual objects created solely through computer programs, just as computer monitors enable us to see synthesized visual images and speakers enable us to hear synthesized sounds.

"In our experiment at using brain signal patterns to control the robot arm over the Internet, if we extended the capabilities of the arm by engineering different types of feedback to the monkey -- such as visual images, auditory stimuli and forces associated with feeling textures and manipulating objects -- such closed-loop control might result in the remote arm being incorporated into the body's representation in the brain," Dr. Srinivasan continued.

"Once you establish a closed loop that is very consistent, you're basically telling the brain that the external device is part of the body representation. The major question in our minds now is: what is the limit of such incorporation? For example, if we program the virtual objects such that they do not follow the laws of physics of our so-called real world, how will they be represented in the brain?" he said.

Besides experimenting with feedback systems, the scientists are planning to increase the number of implanted electrodes, with the aim of achieving 1,000-electrode arrays. They are also developing a "neurochip" that will greatly reduce the size of the circuitry required for sampling and analysis of brain signals.

The work is supported by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of Naval Research.

Dolphin Communication

Humans for eons assumed that whales and dolphins chirped, clicked, or sang to communicate with each other until they discovered, quite recently, that there were other means being used. As anyone underwater when a stone strikes an object will attest, sound traveling underwater is magnified beyond the affect above the surface. Of course, this is simply the mass of water moving, rather than the mass of air moving, and water is heavier, affecting the ear drum with greater force. Thus, when utilizing sound waves setting water in motion, whales and dolphins chirp or sing little notes, but never shout. But communication has been observed between members of a family many miles apart, even an ocean apart, and the means of communication is little understood. Man, who uses ricocheting radio waves as a form of communication, understands that as long as the sender and receiver are using the same code, any directed wave can be used as a communication tool, be it water waves or otherwise.

Just as humans hundreds of miles from each other can be in telepathic communication by sharing the same brain wave frequencies in similar patterns, whales and dolphins as species with common biological backgrounds speak to each other in this way. They are suspected of having even greater communication talents by the military, which in their envy has studied them. Being biological creatures, whales and dolphins can only produce as a means of communication that which the corporeal body will support! Human beings clap their hands, wave, vibrate their vocal cords in recognizable patterns, and throw rocks. Whales and dolphins slap their tails on the ocean surface, chirp and sing, and swim in patterns that carry meaning to the others.

Humans send telepathic signals that other humans attuned to them can and on occasion do receive. Whales and dolphins, not having an opposable digit that allows them to experiment with various means of communication, worked more intensely with what they had. Their telepathy for one another is operant, not only sent but listened to by the others. They not only speak soundlessly, they are heard. However, their songs, carried mile after mile through the water, does not lose its intensity as would a song in the atmosphere. Water in the ocean does not blow about as does air, as being more dense it sends pressure forward in the form of a wave, and from one side of an ocean to another this sound can carry. For a lost member of a family, hearing the song heard when young is a call to rejoin the family. Thus what humans are observing is not only the whale or dolphin's ability to receive what appears to be soundless communications, but strong hearts that act on these communications. They love one another.

Jail Cells and Pods

Pelican Bay's SHU often is referred to as a "super-max" prison. It was designed to ensure the maximum protection for inmates and staff.

Most inmates are in single cells. Heavy, perforated cell doors limit an inmate's ability to assault others, without obstructing visibility into or out of a cell. Bunks to are molded into the wall and toilets have no removable parts that could be used to make weapons . All clothing, bedding and personal effects are x-rayed before being placed in a cell. There are eight individual cells in each pod. A shower is located on each floor. Several overhead skylights flood each pod with natural light. Each pod has its own 26' by 10' exercise yard.

The pods are arranged in a semi-circle, like spokes of a wheel, with a centralized control room as the hub. The control room officer has a clear view of all six pods, also called cell blocks. The officer operates each door, controls the entrances and exits to each pod, and monitors movement in the exercise yards via closed circuit television.

The SHU complex encompasses both housing and support functions within a single building envelope. A secure system of corridors is monitored by control rooms. To aid in the secure operation of the complex, the upper level corridors are restricted to staff only. Heavy mesh grating on the floor of the upper corridor allows close scrutiny of activity below.

Controlling Inmate Movement

Most SHU inmates are allowed a limited amount of unescorted movement within the pod. For example, an inmate can walk alone from his cell to the shower or to the exercise yard. This reduces the frequency of physical contact between staff and inmates and greatly diminishes the risk of assault. Only one inmate at a time is allowed to move within the pod.

Before an inmate moves outside his pod, he is placed in restraints. He is escorted to secure areas within the SHU complex by two correctional officers. He may:

·        Receive health services

·        Meet with counseling or administrative staff

·        Conduct legal research

·        Attend classification, parole or disciplinary hearings

·        Visit with family or friends (non-contact visits only)

 Egg People Pods

            I am not sure what they are called but those egg like figurines that contain a smaller egg inside which holds a smaller egg inside and so forth.  Each of these eggs acts as a pod which contains another pod which contains another pod until you get to the one egg that does not open.  This egg, I will consider the cell.  This cell is the most important part of this massive pod enclosure.   Having to go through each pod provides safety for the cell and paintings on each can provide camoflauge, which could also provides safety for the cell. 

            If a predator was to approach a scary looking pod, it would first hesitate.  If it succeeded in passing the first pod, they are presented with another pod, which could look more threatening to the predator.  This causes more hesitation and might turn the predator away.  Each pod can be more appalling than the last resulting in the predator fleeing because of fear of the unknown.

Pinecones as Pods

            For some reason, I am strangely drawn to pinecones and there ability to house entities in its core while providing safety for whatever is inside.  When I first think of pinecones, I think of a useless addition to a tree.  I can’t count the number of times I have stepped on its sharp exterior and cursed the damn pinecone.   Thinking back to this gave me an idea, however.  If its sharp exterior could provide housing for a very important entity then its safety would dramatically increase.  By using a pinecone-like exterior, safety is providing for its core.  Then, if you took an egg people pod as described above and placed it inside a pinecone-like structure, it would provide even more safety.  Nature provides safety from predators, but the incorporation of nature and technology can provide even more safety from predators.

Hair Cell

An unusual dance recital was videotaped in David Corey's lab at Massachusetts General Hospital recently. The star of the performance, magnified many times under a high-powered microscope, was a sound-receptor cell from the ear of a bullfrog, called a hair cell because of the distinctive tuft of fine bristles sprouting from its top.

The music ranged from the opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Richard Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra" to David Byrne and the Beatles.

As the music rose and fell, an electronic amplifier translated it into vibrations of a tiny glass probe that stimulated the hair cell, mimicking its normal stimulation in the ear. The bristly bundle of "stereocilia" at the top of the cell quivered to the high-pitched tones of violins, swayed to the rumblings of kettle drums, and bowed and recoiled, like tiny trees in a hurricane, to the blasts of rock-and-roll.

The dance of the hair cell's cilia plays a vital role in hearing, Corey explains. Now an HHMI investigator at MGH and Harvard Medical School, Corey was a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology when he began working with James Hudspeth, a leading authority on hair cells. Together, the two researchers have helped discover how movements of the cilia, which quiver with the mechanical vibrations of sound waves, cause the cell to produce a series of brief electrical signals that are conveyed to the brain as a burst of acoustic information.

In humans and other mammals, hair cell bundles are arranged in four long, parallel columns on a gauzy strip of tissue called the basilar membrane. This membrane, just over an inch long, coils within the cochlea, a bony, snail-shaped structure about the size of a pea that is located deep inside the inner ear.

Sound waves generated by mechanical forces, such as a bow being drawn across a string, water splashing on a hard surface, or air being expelled across the larynx, cause the eardrum—and, in turn, the three tiny bones of the middle ear—to vibrate. The last of these three bones (the stapes, or "stirrup") jiggles a flexible layer of tissue at the base of the cochlea. This pressure sends waves rippling along the basilar membrane, stimulating some of its hair cells.

These cells then send out a rapid-fire code of electrical signals about the frequency, intensity, and duration of a sound. The messages travel through auditory nerve fibers that run from the base of the hair cells to the center of the cochlea, and from there to the brain. After several relays within the brain, the messages finally reach the auditory areas of the cerebral cortex, which process and interpret these signals as a musical phrase, a dripping faucet, a human voice, or any of the myriad sounds in the world around us at any particular moment.

Fuel Cell

In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied.

A fuel cell consists of two electrodes sandwiched around an electrolyte. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water and heat.

Hydrogen fuel is fed into the "anode" of the fuel cell. Oxygen (or air) enters the fuel cell through the cathode. Encouraged by a catalyst, the hydrogen atom splits into a proton and an electron, which take different paths to the cathode. The proton passes through the electrolyte. The electrons create a separate current that can be utilized before they return to the cathode, to be reunited with the hydrogen and oxygen in a molecule of water.

A fuel cell system which includes a "fuel reformer" can utilize the hydrogen from any hydrocarbon fuel - from natural gas to methanol, and even gasoline. Since the fuel cell relies on chemistry and not combustion, emissions from this type of a system would still be much smaller than emissions from the cleanest fuel combustion processes.

Phosphoric Acid. This type of fuel cell is commercially available today. More than 200 fuel cell systems have been installed all over the world - in hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office buildings, schools, utility power plants, an airport terminal, even a municipal waste dump. Phosphoric acid fuel cells generate electricity at more than 40% efficiency -- and nearly 85% of steam this fuel cell produces is used for cogeneration -- this compares to about 35% for the utility power grid in the United States. Operating temperatures are in the range of 400 degrees F.

Proton Exchange Membrane. These cells operate at relatively low temperatures (about 200 degrees F), have high power density, can vary their output quickly to meet shifts in power demand, and are suited for applications, -- such as in automobiles -- where quick startup is required. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "they are the primary candidates for light-duty vehicles, for buildings, and potentially for much smaller applications such as replacements for rechargeable batteries." The proton exchange membrane is a thin plastic sheet that allows hydrogen ions to pass through it. The membrane is coated on both sides with highly dispersed metal alloy particles (mostly platinum) that are active catalysts. Hydrogen is fed to the anode side of the fuel cell where the catalyst encourages the hydrogen atoms to release electrons and become hydrogen ions (protons). The electrons travel in the form of an electric current that can be utilized before it returns to the cathode side of the fuel cell where oxygen has been fed. At the same time, the protons diffuse through the membrane to the cathode, where the hydrogen atom is recombined and reacted with oxygen to produce water, thus completing the overall process.

Molten Carbonate. Molten carbonate fuel cells promise high fuel-to-electricity efficiencies and operate at about 1,200 degrees F. To date, molten carbonate fuel cells have been operated on hydrogen, carbon monoxide, natural gas, propane, landfill gas, marine diesel, and simulated coal gasification products. 10 kW to 2 MW molten carbonate fuel cells have been tested on a variety of fuels. Carbonate fuel cells for stationary applications have been successfuly demonstrated in Japan and Italy.

Solid Oxide. Another highly promising fuel cell, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) could be used in big, high-power applications including industrial and large-scale central electricity generating stations. Some developers also see solid oxide use in motor vehicles and are developing fuel cell auxiliary power units (APUs) with SOFCs. A solid oxide system usually uses a hard ceramic material instead of a liquid electrolyte, allowing operating temperatures to reach 1,800 degrees F. Power generating efficiencies could reach 60%. One type of SOFC uses an array of meter-long tubes, and other variations include a compressed disc that resembles the top of a soup can. Tubular SOFC designs are closer to commercialization and are being produced by several companies around the world. Demonstrations of tubular SOFC technology have produced as much as 220 kW.

Alkaline. Long used by NASA on space missions, these cells can achieve power generating efficiencies of up to 70 percent. They use alkaline potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte. Until recently they were too costly for commercial applications, but several companies are examining ways to reduce costs and improve operating flexibility.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cells. These cells are similar to the PEM cells in that they both use a polymer membrane as the electrolyte. However, in the DMFC, the anode catalyst itself draws the hydrogen from the liquid methanol, eliminating the need for a fuel reformer. Efficiencies of about 40% are expected with this type of fuel cell, which would typically operate at a temperature between 120-190 degrees F. Higher efficiencies are achieved at higher temperatures.

Regenerative Fuel Cells. Still a very young member of the fuel cell family, regenerative fuel cells would be attractive as a closed-loop form of power generation. Water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen by a solar-powered electrolyser. The hydrogen and oxygen are fed into the fuel cell which generates electricity, heat and water. The water is then recirculated back to the solar-powered electrolyser and the process begins again. These types of fuel cells are currently being researched by NASA and others worldwide.

Digital vs. Analog 

Digital-to-analog conversion is a process in which signals having a few (usually two) defined levels or states (digital) are converted into signals having a theoretically infinite number of states (analog). A common example is the processing, by a modem, of computer data into audio-frequency (AF) tones that can be transmitted over a twisted pair telephone line. The circuit that performs this function is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC).

Basically, digital-to-analog conversion is the opposite of analog-to-digital conversion. In most cases, if an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is placed in a communications circuit after a DAC, the digital signal output is identical to the digital signal input. Also, in most instances when a DAC is placed after an ADC, the analog signal output is identical to the analog signal input.

Binary digital impulses, all by themselves, appear as long strings of ones and zeros, and have no apparent meaning to a human observer. But when a DAC is used to decode the binary digital signals, meaningful output appears. This might be a voice, a picture, a musical tune, or mechanical motion.

Both the DAC and the ADC are of significance in some applications of digital signal processing. The intelligibility or fidelity of an analog signal can often be improved by converting the analog input to digital form using a DAC, then clarifying the digital signal, and finally converting the "cleaned-up" digital impulses back to analog form using an ADC.

Digital describes electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Positive is expressed or represented by the number 1 and non-positive by the number 0. Thus, data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0's and 1's. Each of these state digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer can address individually as a group is a byte).

Prior to digital technology, electronic transmission was limited to analog technology, which conveys data as electronic signals of varying frequency or amplitude that are added to carrier waves of a given frequency. Broadcast and phone transmission has conventionally used analog technology.

Analog technology refers to electronic transmission accomplished by adding signals of varying frequency or amplitude to carrier waves of a given frequency of alternating electromagnetic current. Broadcast and phone transmission have conventionally used analog technology.

Analog also connotes any fluctuating, evolving, or continually changing process. Analog is usually represented as a series of sine waves. The term originated because the modulation of the carrier wave is analogous to the fluctuations of the voice itself.  A modem is used to convert the digital information in your computer to analog signals for your phone line and to convert analog phone signals to digital information for your computer.

 Digital Video Compression

Video on digital TV will be compressed using a scheme called MPEG-2. It takes advantage of how the eye perceives color variations and motion. Inside each frame, an MPEG-2 encoder records just enough detail to make it look like nothing is missing. The encoder also compares adjacent frames and only records the sections of the picture that have moved or changed.

If only a small section of the picture changes, the MPEG-2 encoder only changes that area and leaves the rest of the picture unchanged. On the next frame in the video, only that section of the picture is changed.

MPEG-2 has some problems, but it's a good compression scheme and it's already an industry standard for digital video for DVD-Videos and some satellite television services. One problem with MPEG-2 is that it's a "lossy" compression method. That means that a higher compression rate gives a poorer picture. There's some loss in picture quality between the digital video camera and what you'll see on your television. However, the quality is still a lot better than an average NTSC image. And using these compression schemes, MPEG-2 can reduce the amount of bits by about 55 to 1!

With that ratio, there's a lot of information that get's thrown away, but there's still enough to look like everything is still there. The human ear isn't as easy to fool, though. It's much more sensitive to subtle changes in sound. Digital TV is going to improve the sound over today's television using advances in digital sound developed over the last two decades.

The days of vinyl are long gone. I'm not talking about the upholstery in your grandparent's sedan. Instead, I'm getting nostalgic about those old 78 RPMs spinning on the record player and the oh-so-careful lift of the needle. Stereophonic sound!

When CD's appeared on the market, most people were skeptical about the silver discs, but the sound was great. Digital audio recordings on CD have a wider frequency range, finer sampling, and they won't wear down with age (it stays perfect until something like a scratch damages the data). Almost everyone can hear an obvious improvement. Eventually they have taken over the commercial music industry, but television is still low-range analog.   Taking the next logical step, HDTV will broadcast sound using the Dolby Digital/AC-3 audio encoding system. It's the same digital sound used in most movie theaters, DVDs, and many home theater systems since the early 1990's. It can include up to 5.1 channels of sound: three in front (left, center, and right), two in back (left and right), and a subwoofer bass for a sound you can feel (that's the .1 channel). Sound on digital TV will be "CD quality" with a range of frequencies lower and higher than most of us can even hear.

Telephone Analog

An old-fashion telephone system is an example of the use of an analog signal. Sound - music, talking, etc. - is carried through the air as a pattern of pressure waves. The microphone in a telephone senses how the air pressure varies from moment to moment and generates an output voltage which varies with time in the same way.  This pattern of voltage fluctuations is then carried by wires, amplifiers, etc., to a small loudspeaker in the other telephone. On receiving the signal, the loudspeaker waggles with the same pattern, recreating the sound waves near the listener's ear.

The pattern of voltage changes transmitted from phone to phone is said to be an analog of the sound pressure variations. The voltage pattern is said to be an analog signal.

Analog signals are relatively easy to create and carry from place to place. However, they suffer from the fact that every tiny detail of the pattern matters. If the pattern is slightly altered by unwanted noise or distortion, the output will not be identical to the input. This is why good analog hi-fi equipment is so hard to make (translation - it's expensive!).

Electronic Keyboards

The key factor that differentiates electronic keyboards from acoustic ones is that the sound they create is not derived from the physical movement of a string or a bellows forcing air through a pipe. In an acoustic piano, for example, the act of depressing a key causes a hammer to drop down and strike one or more strings, which then begin vibrating, in turn setting the surrounding air into motion. This back-and-forth movement of air is then received by sensitive mechanisms in our ears, and the resulting nerve impulses are interpreted by our brain as sound.

In contrast, the sound of an electronic keyboard begins its life either as a continuously changing electrical signal (if the instrument is analog) or as a microprocessor-generated stream of numbers (if the instrument is digital). In the case of analog instruments, the electrical signal, after being manipulated in a variety of ways, is finally routed to a loudspeaker, which has the task of converting the changes in electrical polarity to movement of air, resulting in a sound. Digital instruments work much the same way, only the stream of numbers has to first be converted into an equivalent continuous electrical signal; this is the function of an internal component called, appropriately enough, a digital-to-analog converter (or DAC for short). From there, it is routed to a loudspeaker in the usual way.

Within this broad definition, there are a number of different types of electronic keyboards. In this article, we'll describe the differences between the categories and highlight the key features of each.

Digital Pianos

Digital pianos combine the sound of an acoustic piano with the control and convenience of an electronic instrument. They do this by playing back digital recordings ("samples") of acoustic pianos (and, often, other sounds as well), triggering different notes as you play different keys. Like acoustic pianos, they respond to your touch so that the harder you play, the louder (and brighter) the note, and, like acoustic pianos, they provide a sustain pedal (some have sostenuto and soft pedals as well). Many digital pianos even have weighted keyboards so that they have the same kind of feel as their acoustic cousins. But digital pianos are much less expensive than acoustic pianos, take up less space, and never need tuning. Plus, using headphones, you can practice late into the night without disturbing your family or neighbors! Some models even include disk drives so that you can play back orchestral accompaniments and record your performances.

Electronic Organs

Electronic organs use modern technology to closely emulate the sounds of traditional pipe, reed, and tone wheel organs. Most also provide the same kinds of features and controls, such as stops, footpedals, and drawbars, as well as autoarrangers, rhythm accompaniments, and built-in speakers some even have rotary speaker simulation! However, all this is accomplished in a package that is a fraction of the size, bulk, and cost of a traditional organ, making the electronic organ a popular favorite for family enjoyment at home.

Synthesizers and Samplers

Synthesizers and samplers represent the cutting edge of electronic keyboards. Synthesizers come in lots of different varieties some play back digital recordings ("wavetables" or "samples") of real sounds, while others allow you to construct other-worldly electronic sounds from scratch. Samplers act like digital tape recorders, allowing you to record your own original sounds in memory and then play them back from a keyboard. Using wheels, pedals, sliders, and footswitches, you can add endless amounts of expressive control to the sounds you create, and there are also enormous libraries of preprogrammed sounds available.

In addition, most synths and samplers are "multitimbral," meaning that they can play back several different sounds at the same time. Used in conjunction with music software or onboard sequencers, they allow you to hear entire orchestrations of your music, including drum and percussion sounds.

Some synths and samplers don't even have a keyboard at all! These are known as "tone modules" standalone boxes that contain a collection of sounds in memory which are triggered remotely from a computer or a connected keyboard via MIDI (the Musical Instrument Digital Interface the standardized "language" of electronic instruments). Most tone modules are also General MIDI (GM)-compatible so that they can be used to play back the wide selection of Standard MIDI Files (SMF)s available on the Internet and through music distributors.

Workstations

The term "workstation" is generally applied to any synthesizer or sampler that includes drum and rhythm sounds in addition to standard instrument sounds, as well as an onboard sequencer and built-in effects such as reverb, delay, chorus, flanging, and phasing. They are, in effect, complete music studios that allow you to create entire orchestral compositions without the need for any additional equipment.

Portable Keyboards

As their name implies, portable keyboards are affordable, compact, lightweight, and easily transportable. They're also easy and fun to use -- and, since they have built-in speakers, no external sound system is required. In many ways, portable keyboards are the chameleons of the electronic keyboard world, since they often include dozens of high-quality sounds, including pianos, organs, and synths, as well as drums and special effects. Many portable keyboards also offer auto-arranging features and even allow you to record and play back your performances! 

Conclusions

After gathering this information about signals, pods, and cells, I have more ideas of how to incorporate each into each other.  My initial reaction to all of my collected information was a state of the art prison system in space that provides more than just housing for inmates but other technologies as well.  By using fuel cells to provide energy to a prison, energy costs would be low. 

This is mostly rambling with little structure because too many ideas are floating around my head.  Finding connections between these pods, signals, and cells I have collected seems proposterous but interesting at the same time.

What if there really was a prison in space that looked like a pinecone which housed thousands of inmates in cells contained in pods, which were then contained in other pods for safety reasons, while everything electrical was controlled by fuel cells and our own brain signals?  It is way “out there” but has some logical appeal to me. 

I feel like I have tried to tackle enormous amounts of science in a small amount of time thinking that I would understand it all.  Instead, I have found that that world is more complicated than I thought but connections can be made anywhere.

Project 2     Final Project