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My life list: Natural phenomena
W Daniel Hillis
Scientist
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Views | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 231. Applied Invention's not-so-standard interviewing techniques | 97 | 03:27 | |
| 232. 'Quit my job at Microsoft, off to be a sculptor, thank you' | 69 | 04:30 | |
| 233. A fire engine ride that could have turned bad | 48 | 02:17 | |
| 234. My memories of Richard Feynman | 164 | 04:51 | |
| 235. My life list: Rides and places I would like to visit | 60 | 04:19 | |
| 236. My life list: Places I have visited | 48 | 03:39 | |
| 237. My life list: Natural phenomena | 45 | 01:53 | |
| 238. My life list: Plants and animals | 42 | 01:49 | |
| 239. My life list: Writing and publishing | 48 | 01:05 | |
| 240. My life list: Build and create | 49 | 02:46 |
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There's some natural phenomena that I've never seen that I really want. Like ball lightning or sprites. I've never seen a sprite. I've never seen breaking ice into the sea. I definitely want to do that. And I've actually never seen a total eclipse. I've seen annular eclipses and I've seen partial eclipses and I've seen total lunar eclipses, but I've never seen a total solar eclipse, so there's not too many more coming up in the next few decades, so I've got to get on that one. I've tried to, a few times, but never had the right alignment of weather and... but yes, I would definitely like to do that. Like I said, the aurora is still on the list. Even though I've seen it, I want to see it more. I don't feel like I've seen that enough. But I have seen things like active volcanoes, lava flowing into the sea, quicksand, the Magellanic Clouds. You know, they're all kinds of things that I'd dreamed of seeing and actually got to, so...
[Q] Have you seen the green flash?
Green flash is on the list to do. It's right there, but I have never actually seen it. I've looked for it many times, but the closest I came, there was once a perfect setup to see it, I was out on the beach, and then one of the kids needed a diaper change, and I ran inside to change the diaper and everybody else saw the green flash except for me. So I've never seen a green flash. It's a... that's a tough one.
W Daniel Hillis (b. 1956) is an American inventor, scientist, author and engineer. While doing his doctoral work at MIT under artificial intelligence pioneer, Marvin Minsky, he invented the concept of parallel computers, that is now the basis for most supercomputers. He also co-founded the famous parallel computing company, Thinking Machines, in 1983 which marked a new era in computing. In 1996, Hillis left MIT for California, where he spent time leading Disney’s Imagineers. He developed new technologies and business strategies for Disney's theme parks, television, motion pictures, Internet and consumer product businesses. More recently, Hillis co-founded an engineering and design company, Applied Minds, and several start-ups, among them Applied Proteomics in San Diego, MetaWeb Technologies (acquired by Google) in San Francisco, and his current passion, Applied Invention in Cambridge, MA, which 'partners with clients to create innovative products and services'. He holds over 100 US patents, covering parallel computers, disk arrays, forgery prevention methods, and various electronic and mechanical devices (including a 10,000-year mechanical clock), and has recently moved into working on problems in medicine. In recognition of his work Hillis has won many awards, including the Dan David Prize.
Title: My life list: Natural phenomena
Listeners: Christopher Sykes George Dyson
Christopher Sykes is an independent documentary producer who has made a number of films about science and scientists for BBC TV, Channel Four, and PBS.
Tags: bucket list, natural phenomena, Aurora Borealis, green flash, sprite, eclipse, volcano, lava
Duration: 1 minute, 53 seconds
Date story recorded: October 2016
Date story went live: 05 July 2017
