A human singing a melody can be modeled as a feedback controlled dynamical system. Take a look at this little diagram here (click to enlarge):
At the bottom there is a diagram of a simple control system. The reference could be a frequency played by another instrument or simply a predetermined tone or melody inside the brain. The brain would compare the reference to the sounds (system output) it is recieving via the auditory system (sensor). Based on this ‘measured error’ it determines how to change the system input in order to make the system output match the reference. This all seems fairly simple. If you don’t like what you hear you change what you’re doing. What I’m interested in is quantifying how the brain goes about using the measured error to determine the new system input.
A generic analog controller could be a variation of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller. This means the error signal is passed through various op-amp circuits where it is multiplied, integrated, and differentiated with specific constants then added together to formulate the new input signal. How close could this approximate a human brain’s controller? I’ve done a very limited search for papers published on the topic but haven’t found one yet that could describe the response of the brain’s control algorithms mathematically. If the research has been done I’d love to hear about it. Maybe biological controllers are superior to the ones we’ve invented.
There are some other cool bio-controller experiments I can think of. You could observe a BMX rider doing a manual. You may even find a bit of an oscillating response in that case where he or she is shifting his or her weight to maintain balance. Similarly a person doing a ‘wheelie’ on a motorcycle varies the throttle position based on the angle of the bike with the ground. Trying to keep your arm level with a time varying force applied would be another interesting experiment. Humans/animals are amazing controllers and if you know more about it send over some information. If no one has done this research yet then someone please get on it because I probably won’t!
Yes that’s right the old Explorer hit 34 mpg a few weeks back. I also finally got around to starting a tally of all the CO2 emissions I’ve been saving. In my 5,267 total miles I have prevented an estimated 2019.68 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released. This is compared to a 17mpg gasonline powered vehicle. The emission per gallon numbers were taken from http://www.epa.gov/OMS/climate/420f05001.htm. I also have a running tally of how much money I’ve saved along with the savings per mile. This allows me to calculate an estimate for the amount of miles it will take to pay off the investment. Right now it’s looking like 109k more miles which should be no sweat for the engine.
Eventually I’ll get around to posting up a blank spreadsheet if anyone would like to start their own.
See ya!
I’ve recently stumbled upon these two websites and I have to say they are extremely entertaining. Conservapedia is a response to Wikipedia’s so-called ‘liberal bias’. Check it out and read some articles. It’s a blast.
Tangle.com formerly known as ‘Godtube.com’ is a site of user uploaded videos similar to Youtube. The only difference is that they will not let a video be uploaded that disagrees with their agenda. Youtube doesn’t ban religious people for making videos espousing their beliefs mainly because the point of Youtube is to be an OPEN FORUM. This means we can hear all the ideas and let them live or die based on merit, not censorship.
Click a link for a good time:
They get the most head.
Ha
Ha
Hi! Welcome to a new category of post, the Terrible Joke category. I have a passion for terrible jokes. In fact, I like terrible jokes more than ‘good’ jokes. Enjoy as the collection grows.
…but no deeper.
Thanks,
Pete
Pic related:
Yes that’s correct. The last tank in the old Explorer gave 32.3 MPG. Total mileage on the engine is 3031 miles. So far this engine has saved $74.75 vs. a 17 MPG gasoline powered vehicle. I’m saving roughly $0.05/mile currently, which will pay off the conversion in 160,000 miles. Mileage should improve a bit possibly paying off the conversion is 120,000 miles or so. I expect the engine to last around 300,000 miles so overall the project should turn out economically beneficial.
I have been all over South east mass. looking for a decent Apt. for a reasonable price. And I cannot believe the Crap that all of you landlords call livable. Apartments that are so small that if you get out of bed you have to crawl out the window and come in the front door to get in the living area! And you asking top dollar for places that can be considered closets in most houses. Appliances that are so old Lucy cooked dinner for Ricky on them. Half assed repairs done by half assed carpenters or better yet done by you!. Do you even know what soap and water is? Do you have any shame or are you just out to take people for there money. You and many others know that YOU would never live in the places that you call. BEAUTIFUL! COZY! SUNNY! and what ever other adjectives you can use to make a pile of Dung sound like the Taj Mahal. Do you think that we wont see through our own eyes that you are full of it and are just greedy. The powers to be in this country has destoyed the middle class. This means YOU and all of us. So is it not time that we took matters into our own hands and did somethng to help all involved. By this I mean offering good clean housing at a FAIR price. For instance asking Fist last and security? Why because the law says you can!/ Do you even know that you have to put that security deposit in an accout with the renters name on it? I have seen pics of apts on line that still have the formers renters pocessions in the apt. That too is illeagal! Here is a thought how about helping people to get affordable housing and getting your heads out of you collective asses. You know as well as I do that none of the powers to be are going to do anything to help the situation in this country for the middle class. Like YOU its all about them. Instaed of full one month security deposits try going half. Or even none if you find thet the renter is not a threat to your property. How about charging a fair rent for your place one that your prospective tenant can afford for the DURATION! And by doing this you will have happy tenants and YOU will not have to chase them for your rent. YOU will have less down time with no rent from them. So you think that if you charge 900 to 1000 for a one bedroom that you will have 12,000 a year from it. well think again! that house will typically have one income. and the way things cost in this country they will barely get by. And Then YOU state that they have to pay alll utilities!. and then eat and clothe themselves and what ever other things that NORMAL humans reqire to live a happy life. The 1 bedroom that you rent for 900 to 1000 is worth 600 at best With no utulities included!!!. Wake up! YOU are only making the situation in this Country worse with your selfishness and Greed. I have seen heating systems that went out in the sixties. Plywood floors in westport. Tiny little cottages in Mattapoisett that smell of mold. Space heaters. cabinets that are falling off the wall, places with NO cabinets. Bedrooms that are not bedrooms at all. To be a bedroom it must have a closet. not just some spare closet that some idiot thinks you can get a bed in. I have walk up stairs in Middleboro and had my feet sticking to the floor only to see the biggest dump of all For 800. this Guy even said he had installed new windows?… Yea right the windows were new to HIM. and they were trimmed out with base board!Other tenants in there with their kids toys and bikes and crap all through the halls.. That whole building is a health board violation. I am outraged!. As I know you are too. I want to hear from you because the next place i see like this I am going to the proper authorities. and will be sending this Blog and your Emails to the News stations and papers. Enough is Enough!!!!!!!!!
I like this post. I think it illuminates an interesting situation. If you want to be a landlord, taking care of your property becomes your job. The recent availability of easy credit had everyone thinking they could buy a building and have someone else pay the mortgage. This relates to my last post. This relates to the entire universe. Who’s going to help make it right? Pic related:
Those finance guys think they can create wealth without any work input. This is fundamentally not possible as displayed by our current failing economy. We need to stop the alchemists of the finance ‘industry’. People should be concerned with sustaining our civilization peacefully while exploring the universe and expanding our knowledge; not manipulating fake numbers and attempting to get something from nothing through wild investment schemes. Something’s broken. Pic related.
Recommended Reading: Sustainable Economics
The last tank worked out to 30.5 MPG! This is very good considering one day was taken up by a big snow storm where I had to drive in 3rd gear at the fastest. I’m still collecting my data and so far I’ve saved $56 compared to a gas engine (not including the conversion cost). Once it gets warm out and mileage improves even more I will have the emissions tested then I will be ready to publish all the results. It will be interesting to calculate the carbon dioxide emission reductions as well as cost savings. Bo!
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