Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with discovery

Exploring web content by mood?

blogenstock — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:10:24 -0800

I'm looking for examples of rich web interfaces that allow users to explore content based on mood or style, like Getty Images' Moodstream or Musicovery. Not necessarily restricted to audio, video or image sites; examples of 'mood 'explorers' helping users discover any other type of content -be it wall paint, holidays or cocktails- will be equally welcome.

How to upload listened MP3-player tunes to online music discovery sites?

evercool — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:10:11 -0800

How do I send my MP3-players listened tunes to a music discovery site (like last.fm) if I'm not using an iPod? I just love music discovery sites like Last.fm but I have found out that I mostly listen to music on my portable media player and would like to add those listened tunes to my online account on any music discovery site. Last.fm supports iPod's, but I have a Windows MTP-device (Cowon D2). I have tried Zenses but that doesn't work.

What are some good blogs for discovering new blogs? (explanation within)

kingtaj — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:15:24 -0800

What are some good blogs for discovering new blogs? (explanation within) Because great writers come and go in the blogosphere, one must be constantly vigilant to stay abreast of the highest quality blogs (of all genres). Some bloggers have a habit of referring to other good blogs consistently.

Do you know of any? What are the best blogs for discovering new blogs?

Help me get my music on

kall — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:37:56 -0800

Help me find a good way to fullfill my music needs I need more music! I'm interested in indie and rock type of music. But there are two problems, first is keeping up with new music, and second is to get it. Reading all kinds of blogs and magazines can be pretty time consuming, what would be nice, is a website that would list all new releases of bands I like, which I may have entered before, and that would maybe drop in some suggestions for new bands.
Second thing is getting the music, CDs are to expensive for me as a student, so i'm mostly downloading from bittorent, if its not one of my very favorite bands. But currently bittorent isn't to perfect for me, it is hard to find the stuff I want, and then the quality is not that great. I read something about private bittorent websites, and found Indietorrents, which seems to have the music I want. But they say I need an invite, so if anyone could help there? Or suggest an other good torrent site?
The Perfect thing would be a torrent site/new music magazine, but somehow I doubt such a perfect thing exists.

Distributed Probing?

[insert clever name here] — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:05:08 -0800

Why hasn't anyone invented cheap space probes? Some kind of thing that could be sent up en mass to gather just base data we don't have on all the planets/moons/etc . . .? So I've been watching the Universe series on the History Channel. One point that keeps coming up is that they don't know a lot of things about certain planets or moons because we haven't sent a probe there yet, and probably won't for a long time.

That got me thinking, why hasn't anyone, NASA or otherwise, developed "cheap" space probes to do basic information gathering? Relatively speaking of course. Instead of spending millions on a probe, maybe a few hundred thousand. Something that gets it to its destination, takes a bunch of pictures and sends those pictures home.

I'm sure I'm being naive asking this. Please enlighten me!

How to get myself employed in NGC, Discovery, BBC documentary crews

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 07:07:43 -0800

How can a Indian software engineer join documentary/photography crew of National Geographic, Discovery, BBC, PBS or other similar production houses? What kind of jobs are available in these organizations? Are there similar jobs (outside of the documentary business) that can take me to such places and pay for it? Low salary not an issue. (work colleagues read MeFi, hence anonymous, hence a bit lengthy, so pls bear with me).
I am a 29 year old Computer Engineer working in software development for the past 7 years (underutilised from my perspective because I am hardly motivated -- just going thru the motions, but on par for my firm), and over the last 4-5 years I have gradually come to a firm conclusion that I don't want to continue any corporate job that requires me to sit in front of a computer for 8+ hours, enclosed in a dull cell and work for the man. Currently I am dragging along in a VeryBigDeal MNC Computer Inc. in India with good pay, have absolutely no desire to continue in it or in this industry, married, no kids (no plans for the next 3-4 years), no debt, no mortgage, no long-term commitments. Only wife and old parents (without retirals) to support. I've already secured a small house in India, and our daily survival expenses are v.moderate, just about 3 meals (touchwood, no big medicals). I also have some small savings that I can fall back on to go without a steady pay for a year or so. But other than that I am not flu$h in any way. I don't have any other investments, stocks etc. Wifey is a Science graduate, can work something on the side based on where I land up.

The challenge :
The ideal place where I envision myself giving my 250% is in documentaries. Outdoors, in the lap-of-nature, with a filming-crew, under the ocean, on the Arctic ice-sheet, in the midst of Amazon rainforest, on the Tibetan plains, anywhere in Africa et al. I actually cried watching the absolutely stunning beauty of the March of the Penguins. Documentaries are the only thing I care to watch on TV and everytime I wonder, well, these guys must be needing some porters/helpers/assistants to carry their equipment around, take care of trip details, to pitch the tent while they are busy shooting that billion-dollar pic? Can I be that man? I am an amateur photographer myself, and have basic knowledge of film-making from the interwebs, but I don't fancy any chances against the professionals who've been at this game for far too long (atleast not right away, maybe 10-15 years from now). But I think I can be a good assistant and a valuable crew member to teams who do these jobs. Do these people need a tripod-carrying-assistants with a thing for photography ? Is there any forum of professionals who are looking to work in India and need help in researching a particular topic/region before they visit here so that I can get my feet wet while I am at my desk job and gain some street-cred?

And I am not just a couch-happy viewer. I am an adventure freak as well, as far as they go in India. I like to trek, hike, take long walks, have bungee-jumped, skydived (in US), slept overnight out in the open on Goa's beach etc. This is not to boast but just to show that I have that streak in me. I guess for most MeFiites this is just normal, but really in India I am called a nature-wilderness guy, and I am happy with it. Infact I am not even looking at just jobs in geo-societies. Any of those wild-dangerous jobs (working the North-Sea, bridge construction crews, anything that they show on MegaStructures and Frontlines of Construction and similar)..the whacky jobs. Anything outdoors, requiring a fair bit of travel that takes me to stunning places... I am game.

I have already looked into things like WWOOF (visa restriction, short-term, age < 30 years) and other backpacking options, but i get a feeling that most of them really look like short-term odd jobs for single college students, while couchsurfing that country. also, my republic of india passport is not very embassy friendly in many places. in that respect i envy you europeans. however, i am open to even that route (get visa etc.), provided i see a way of stringing together a series of such odd jobs and come out top with some cash at the end of the month to send home to my parents. i don't mind doing short bursts of high-paying jobs mixed with long gaps of minimum or no wage. i guess i'd love it./small>

A real problem I face is that there are v.few people doing such things in India and none that I know of to approach and seek guidance. It's even difficult to google the credits of a "Wild India" Discovery documentary(Aamir Bashir, Samara Chopra, Jasdeep Punna, Avinash Singh, I am looking at you). I guess the NGC office in India is mainly an admin office that takes care of mktg & mag. distribution. There is no one in my circle with a arts/film/social-sciences background. We are all bloody engineers and doctors here.

In order to 'get there from here', I am ready to 'pay my dues' doing low-end menial jobs at these organizations, short-term unpaid-internships, side-assignments, stipends-while-training, etc. to prove to them that though I don't have the academic background, I am willing to put whatever it takes. Infact I think I’d enjoy even that, if it happens to be NGC, Discovery. Do they need people to watch their archives, for hours on endlessly, and....I don’t know like take notes, categorise, place/mark them for specific target audiences etc ?? Do their sales/marketing dept. needs people who can place the right content, customize it across their many media properties? I guess that could be a good first step to take.

I don’t know how the production side of it goes? Sometimes I see a single person appearing in many titles of credits (eg:John Paul Davidson - Himalaya with Palin). Do they first secure a grant from BBC or whoever and then go filming, or is it just that they do the complete thing on their own and then try to sell the rights? I am asking as it may probably impact whether I should be looking at jobs in telecast channels or with individual documentary makers and photographers like Mr.Davidson. Then sometimes I see credits ending with "produced by i stylus for Discovery"(unGoogleable btw) , which suggest presence of small production companies who might be later selling their work to BBC, NGC. Again, I want to know such individuals and companies, who are preferably working in India, or any country where I can just show up and 'take it from there'. If it helps, I have my own film & digital SLR camera(Nikon N80, D70s), let's say if a BigDeal photographer/documentarian requires an assistant with some pay for 6 months with no upfront costs -- maybe I can fit in there?

I’ve thought about joining one of the wilderness tour operators, but again, I don’t have any experience whatsoever as a guide or such high-end places, and I don’t know what is the best way to proceed here.

I even have an idea or two on topics for documentaries right here in India, which NGC and the likes haven't tackled yet. I can work alongside someone (grad film-students who want to shoot their final project?) who have heir own budgets/grants, and be a host to them in India. But I guess without any experience or 'portfolio' nobody is going to take me seriously on this one

Also related: If you know of any jobs in India similar to show-up on the deck for crab-fishing, I might be interested in them.

As far as other skills go: I was a straight 'A' student, good at maths/logic/languages, good communication and team skills, a fairly decent knowledge of various cultures, basic photography skills, can survive on most kind of outside food, no allergies, any water that the locals drink(no Misty Blue ColdMineral for me), have been to US a couple of times, so I have a good feel of US-culture, a good sense of humour, and good presentation skills.

Basically help me chart my way out of the office environs and out in the open, under the vast blue sky.

Any help, any info, any contacts for networking or further guidance, no matter how small or irrelevant you think, please post it. It will only help me. You can reach me at helpmejoinNGC@gmail.com if you have any queries.

Are treasure maps real?

bugloaf — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 08:42:19 -0800

Has an ancient document ever led to an archaeological discovery? This seems to always happen in the movies: The hero translates some ancient document or digs up some ancient map which leads him to some buried treasure. For example, the Indiana Jones movies or the Tomb Raider movies. I wonder if there are any archaeology-themed movies that don't follow this pattern. Does this ever happen in real life?

I know things have been discovered that were previously only known about through ancient texts, such as the lost city of Ubar or the Gospel of Judas, but I'm not asking about these. I'm asking about discoveries that were found with direct help from an ancient text. I expect that there are none.

Run it on regular?

scooters.toad — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:59:19 -0800

I am looking at purchasing a 99 Land Rover Discovery and I notice that it runs only on premium gas. Is this absolutely necessary? Does anyone with experience with a Discovery have any opinions of this vehicle? I heard that the diesel version is a better choice. Thanks in advance.

Next on...I Shouldn't Be Alive

symphonik — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:30:13 -0800

I'm addicted to the Discovery Channel's show I Shouldn't Be Alive, and the soundtrack is a big part of that. So here's the obvious question: how do I get the soundtrack? Amazon and Google both let me down, so I'm assuming it's not available in standard retail channels. Are there any other ways to get it?

Where/how can I watch Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime?

nitsuj — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 10:10:15 -0800

Where/how can I watch Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime? It premiered on April 1, 2006. Discovery's website has a schedule saying it's playing on August 29th and 30th on Discovery HD, but I don't have that channel. I can't find anywhere that would have it on DVD. I can't even find a torrent for it (though I'd be up for paying for it if there's a legal way to do it). I can't find any reference of it on the regular Discovery or Travel Channel websites (both of which have been advertising the show).

Any ideas of how I can see this show?

What don't we know?

-harlequin- — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 13:20:50 -0800

I would like to make a "scientific discovery", or otherwise contribute something (however useful, or not) to the body of human knowledge. What are some unanswered questions, or unexplained details of the world, or (most especially) developing fields of inquirey, that an amateur might seek to investigate with possibility of making progress into the unexplored? I feel like I do too much backyard science that has all been done before, or tech industry software stuff that, while cutting edge, and thus technically contributing to human knowledge, is a kind of technology-driven innovation that previosuly just lacked a means rather than being non-obvious.

It is pretty clear that there are plenty of unanswered questions if you know your field or know where to look, and plenty of examples of people answering them in ingenious ways that are not beyond the reach of the amateur.

I'm looking for something to investigate that interests me, but there will be things that I don't know about that interest me, hence I'm throwing the question right open. I'm hoping for suggestions in myriad areas, perhaps specific unknowns, a scattergun that will hopefully bring to light something I didn't previously know I was interested in.

Not counting standard consumer stuff like computers, cameras, regular tools, etc, I'd prefer fields that don't require specialised apparatus in excess of $1000 just to get started, but that $1000 is ebay/used/surplus prices, not retail ;)

(If necessary, I am willing to design/build my own instruments/equipment (and am probably more capable of doing so than many professional scientists, though I certainly have my limits), might there might be lower-hanging fruit in areas for which there isn't off-the-shelf equipment?

I've been to Science projects. The Society for Amateur Scientists didn't seem to have much to address this aspect. Any other links? I guess what I'm looking for is some vague way to improve my mental map of the edges of knowledge - so that I can better recognize the unknown when I see it. Or know where it is and go straight to it.

I'm not looking to make some epic discovery. Just work out or confirm some obscure thing that previously wasn't known :)

TLC, my friend, and her toes.

nitsuj — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:04:57 -0800

Apparently an old friend of mine was on some TLC show, but I'm not sure which one, or when. Can you help? Her name is Rachel (6' blonde girl) and she was (at some point) talking about her toe(s) being chopped off by a door. Strange, eh? I would guess that it aired in the passed 6 months. That's all the info I have... sorry! Anyone out there happen to see this?

Finding a production of a play.

mto — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:39:52 -0800

Is there a good resource (online or not) to find out if a given theatrical production is running, anytime in the near future, anywhere in the country (USA/Canada)? It happens often that I'll read or hear about a play and want to see it. If I want to see a rock concert I just go to the band's web page and view their tour information. I essentially want a similar resource but I want it for plays and musicals. I'm wondering if there is anything close to this out in the wild.

For example, presume I just read Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and now I want to see it performed. I am possibly willing to travel anywhere in the USA or Canada to see it and I don't really care if it's being put on by a college versus a professional theatre company. How, other than Google, would I find such a listing of performances? I have tried using Ticketmaster to find performances, but a lot of places I know don't use them to handle ticketing.

Mercury in Fish

Orb — Mon, 19 Apr 2004 14:58:08 -0800

I watched Episode 208 of Discoveries This Week on the Discovery Science Channel, and there was a short blurb about mercury levels in fish. They showed a web site with drop down boxes so you could enter in what fish you have been eating and come up with a figure for how much mercury you have been consuming. I didn't have anything to write on, and by the time I got home to the computer I couldn't recall the address. The Discovery site is useless and I'm not having any luck with Google. Did anyone catch it and go to the site they mentioned?