Architecture at Syracuse

We had a great panel discussion this morning at the Syracuse University School of Architecture (which is on Madison Avenue between 31st and 32nd Streets, not upstate in Syracuse itself). The topic was the impact of object-oriented ontology on architecture.

My formal lecture there will be tonight at 7 PM, though word is the seats are already taken and there’s a waiting list of close to 200. Architecture is perhaps the biggest area for OOO right now.

another weird cell phone conversation overheard in New York

On Madison Avenue, I waited at a stoplight with a guy wearing a baseball cap and speaking with a very thick New York accent.

“No, I’m not interested. She’s sweet, and she’s pretty. But her profession’s a bit shady, and she’s too little. I have enough of my own problems. I don’t need yours.”

It would be fun to know the back story to this one, but it’s far from THE BEST cell phone conversation I’ve overheard in New York.

brain scientist discovers his brain is that of a psychopath

HERE.

It’s a fascinating story. Scanning the brains of psychopathic killers, Fallon discovers that he has a psychopathic brain as well. He’s no killer, but candidly admits to getting a kick out of charming and manipulating people into doing dangerous things. His brother says that hanging out with Fallon is more dangerous than his time spent in the Vietnam War.

No doubt, any of us will have encountered a number of full-blown psychopaths along the way, and it’s an intriguing game to play: pick out the psychopaths we’ve met. I’d have to say I’ve met three in academia, two male and one female. They weren’t entirely worthless people, but did seem to function according to a completely different set of rules that didn’t match the normal standards of humanity.