What is the relationship between the ritual and the algorithm? Are all rituals algorithmic? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jul 17, 2012 - 16 answers

Was reading about microchips that are designed to allow a few mistakes (known as 'Sloppy Chips'), and pondering equivalent kinds of 'coding' errors and entropy in biological systems. Can a fair comparison be made between the two? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Jun 5, 2012 - 4 answers

I'm writing a paper on (animated) GIFs and am trying to track down some of the most (in)famous. I suppose I am talking memes, but I'm more interested in the GIF as an archaeological reference point. I frequent sites like dump.fm, tumblr etc. so am quite tuned in to the glitchy/kitschy side of GIF culture. How theoretical have people got on these wonders of the web? How does one trace the history of an animated GIF? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on May 16, 2011 - 11 answers

What term describes this property of human language? [more inside]
posted by molybdenum on Apr 18, 2011 - 17 answers

How to simultaneously exchange information? [more inside]
posted by deadweightloss on Oct 26, 2009 - 40 answers

Let's say I wanted to educate myself to sort-of the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree in Information and Data (not sure what the real degree would be called, but you get the idea). What should be in my syllabus? [more inside]
posted by Deathalicious on Jul 26, 2009 - 13 answers

'The Flâneur': What fascinating titbits can you add to my knowledge about this concept? Art, history, philosophy and literary theory links all welcome. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Oct 25, 2006 - 22 answers