
Google Multivac - vijaydev
http://neil.fraser.name/news/2009/12/29/
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trickjarrett
I think one thing that always fascinated me was how anchored Asimov was in
reality. I began reading 'The Gods Themselves' which Asimov wrote as a
response to another writer (whose name escapes me) using a Isotope which
couldn't exist and ignoring the science related ties that it would mean.

His science fiction was always speculative, but in as many places as possible
it was anchored to the reality he knew.

Simple amazing.

Oh, and yeah, Google is scary how big, powerful, and... omnipresent it has
become.

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Raphael
Cool, maybe Google will figure out how to reverse entropy.

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Perceval
Actually MultiVac sounds closer to Wolfram|Alpha, especially the data being
curated by civil servants, and only subsequently
analyzed/interpreted/correlated by the computer.

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lsb
That's really cool that we're implementing a lot of the sci-fi. What hasn't
been done yet? What bits of Multivac don't exist at the GOOG yet?

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jodrellblank
The bit where it understands what you want and gives you one single helpful
answer instead of dozens of pages of links to forum posts, each of which
contain a clone of the same unanswered question as all the others, followed by
some Google adverts.

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rbranson
That's much more profitable than a single answer. Jeez :D

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jodrellblank
> <http://neil.fraser.name/news/2009/multivac/patrol.jpg>

I have to wonder - is this guy wearing headphones because:

a) Google's a hip and groovy place to work and he is allowed to listen to
whatever music he wants as long as he gets his job done.

b) It's noisy in there and he needs ear defenders.

c) <http://www.marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm> begins at Google, and that's a
wireless headset connected to a Google automated manager/instruction system.
_Please take one server unit from repair area D2. Thank you. Go to Server
container N14. Thank you. Please identify yourself and enter. Thank you.
Please locate rack 8, on your right. Thank you. Please identify the red and
black power lead, and unplug it. Thank you. Please locate the network lead and
unplug it. Thank you. Please slide the server out and replace it with the
repaired one. Thank you. Please reconnect the network and power leads. Thank
you. Please take the removed server back to repair area R2. Thank you. Please
report to task room 3 for your next task. Thank you._

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scdlbx
Most large and dense server rooms are quite noisy. Ear protection can make
them much more bearable to work in for long periods of time.

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nollidge
Yeah, there's no wires going to them. They're ear protection.

Edit: Nor antenna. Probably not wireless headphones.

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klocksib
Most Bluetooth headsets have their antennas inside, so that they aren't
visible.

