Humans keep experimenting keep moving away from practice in favor of another supposedly better practice, but keep coming back to the same conclusion...
Instances of this (As I am related to computer world, I will mostly have examples more in my domain)...
1. Pesticides and fertilizers
Started with natural fertilizers. Earlier (at least in India) cow dung, earthworms and decomposed leaves were used as fertilizers. Neem was used as a natural pesticide. Then came the great (supposed) green revolution which - through the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and modified seeds started giving more output. It took a few years to realize that this was making both the soil less fertile, more toxic and also harmful to humans in the long run.
We are returning back to natuaral way with a new name - Organic farming...
The increasing demand for organic food proves this point.
2. Medicines
Started with herbs - Auyrveda, Unani and know by similar names in different countries. Allopathy came in for fast relief. Again it took a long time to realize the side effects. Besides Allopathy ignores the most important medicinal rule - it bombards the liver which is supposed to remove toxins and keep the body clean. The other traditional natuaral medicines consider liver as one of the most imporant organs and important medicines protect the liver first.
The prescription of antacids with normal medicines and the blooming ayurveda industry in the western world supports this.
There was also constant switch in acceptance to practices like should water be put on burn wounds (Long back yes put water on wounds, medivial - no dont put water and now again put water on burn wounds) and also the orientation of cuts made during
delivery operation (horizontal, verticle...).
3. Computer topology
Earlier, we just had dumb clients and a powerful server (more because we could not afford strong processors at home). Later came intelligent PCs which had powerful computing capabilities. The trend stayed for a few years and now we are again going back to the old ways. Keywords like cloud are IN. We are moving back and trying to store everything on the huge server. Entry into cloud by Microsoft and Apple is just the begning of the change. Google chrome OS might be the first to take us back to the age of dumb computers.
3.Computer Database
Started with simple storage in flat files. Some one introduced RDBMS and everything changed. When I got to learn RDBMS, I got to know the importance of null. Come facebook and orkut, we moved to non relational database. Concepts like no downtime and speed started taking precendence over advantages provided by relational database. Time is such that wherever I see a reference about database to be used for cloud, I see a strong argument against use of null.
I am sometimes made to think that money plays an important role in this change. Sometimes, inventors will try to convince and push the change even if it is not a reality. For example BT Brinjal was being pushed in India even though we were surplous in foods only because the inventors have put moer money in this.
Also, not sure if cloud computing is eing pushed to make money.
Whatever be the driving factor, we keep coming back to the same point.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Down the memory lane: puzzle based games
Just recently, few of my team mates was playing riochet kills 2. This took me back to memories of all such games.
All these games had one thing in common - They were puzzle based games based on some phyics law and you had to optimally use the limited resources to complete a level.
1. LTank (laser tank)
Long back when I was new in software industry, working for CMC, one of my friends gave me a game - LTank. The idea is simple: You have maze like structure, you can move around your tank in that maze. You can shoot, the static enemy tankers too shoot if you fall in their visibility range. You additionally have reflectors which can divert the shot. Arrange the reflectors so that you are not shot by enemy but you can shoot at them. You also have objects like bridge which you have to shoot and take it near the waterbody so that you can cross it.
Extremely tough to complete and one wrong move can do a stale mate. If someone knows sokoban, then this is a modified version of sokoban.
If anyone is interested in looking, you can view details at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasertank
2. Prism
Got this one from my friend as soon as I switched to a new company.
This is a completely optical game. You have one or more light sources and a few targets. All the targets must receive light sources. You have straight and angular reflectors so that you can deflect the light. You also have beam splitters and actual prism so that you can split and unite the light.
Gets extremely tough and when we get a prism to use and targets seem impossible.
I could find a working version at http://flashgamesspot.com/play/prism-2-puzzle-games-involving-laser-beams-and-mi/flash-game/
3. Gravity Master
By this time flash has completely killed the dirty .exe file exchanegs by friends and new sites have cropped up containing unlimited number of games to imagine.
Next comes gravitational force and creation of objects. This was my all time favourite and an extremely addictive. Again the principle is the same, you have a ball and you need to make it touch all the targets. You might have impossible looking valeys in between and might have to use somehting like a weight balance to make the ball jump.
This can be played at http://www.gravitymaster.net/
One additional great feature of this game was that you can make your own levels and I remember having made a level which was exrmemly difficult to solve.
4. ricochet kills
A game which does not have too much physics, but refreshed my memories about other puzzle games. You have limited bullets and the bullets are strong enough to reflect and pass through many people. You might be lucky many a times because the bullets sometimes relfect beyond imagination and give you unexpected results.
It is good that the oppnents do not shoot, else it would be a boaring game to pay.
Also, unlike some other boaring games, the level does not get reset to zero on 3 unsuccessful attempts which allows you to retry a level unlimited times.
Can be played at : http://www.addictinggames.com/shooting-games/ricochet-kills-2-game.jsp
Custom level that I created :
2=380=440=2=380=420=2=380=400=2=380=380=2=380=360=2=380=340=2=380=320=2=380=300=2=380=280=2=380=260=2=380=240=1=570=420=2=360=100=4=360=30=2=540=440=2=540=420=2=540=400=2=540=380=2=540=360=2=540=340=2=540=320=2=540=300=2=540=280=2=540=260=2=540=240=2=380=220=2=540=220=5=360=70=1=460=420=2=380=200=2=380=180=2=380=160=2=540=200=2=540=180=2=540=160=2=400=340=2=400=360=2=420=360=2=500=360=2=520=360=2=520=340=2=400=180=2=420=180=2=440=180=2=460=180=2=460=260=2=480=260=2=500=260=2=520=260=2=520=300=2=520=220=2=400=320=2=460=160=2=460=140=2=330=20=2=390=20=2=380=90=2=340=100=2=400=90=2=390=300=2=540=140=2=540=120=
All these games had one thing in common - They were puzzle based games based on some phyics law and you had to optimally use the limited resources to complete a level.
1. LTank (laser tank)
Long back when I was new in software industry, working for CMC, one of my friends gave me a game - LTank. The idea is simple: You have maze like structure, you can move around your tank in that maze. You can shoot, the static enemy tankers too shoot if you fall in their visibility range. You additionally have reflectors which can divert the shot. Arrange the reflectors so that you are not shot by enemy but you can shoot at them. You also have objects like bridge which you have to shoot and take it near the waterbody so that you can cross it.
Extremely tough to complete and one wrong move can do a stale mate. If someone knows sokoban, then this is a modified version of sokoban.
If anyone is interested in looking, you can view details at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasertank
2. Prism
Got this one from my friend as soon as I switched to a new company.
This is a completely optical game. You have one or more light sources and a few targets. All the targets must receive light sources. You have straight and angular reflectors so that you can deflect the light. You also have beam splitters and actual prism so that you can split and unite the light.
Gets extremely tough and when we get a prism to use and targets seem impossible.
I could find a working version at http://flashgamesspot.com/play/prism-2-puzzle-games-involving-laser-beams-and-mi/flash-game/
3. Gravity Master
By this time flash has completely killed the dirty .exe file exchanegs by friends and new sites have cropped up containing unlimited number of games to imagine.
Next comes gravitational force and creation of objects. This was my all time favourite and an extremely addictive. Again the principle is the same, you have a ball and you need to make it touch all the targets. You might have impossible looking valeys in between and might have to use somehting like a weight balance to make the ball jump.
This can be played at http://www.gravitymaster.net/
One additional great feature of this game was that you can make your own levels and I remember having made a level which was exrmemly difficult to solve.
4. ricochet kills
A game which does not have too much physics, but refreshed my memories about other puzzle games. You have limited bullets and the bullets are strong enough to reflect and pass through many people. You might be lucky many a times because the bullets sometimes relfect beyond imagination and give you unexpected results.
It is good that the oppnents do not shoot, else it would be a boaring game to pay.
Also, unlike some other boaring games, the level does not get reset to zero on 3 unsuccessful attempts which allows you to retry a level unlimited times.
Can be played at : http://www.addictinggames.com/shooting-games/ricochet-kills-2-game.jsp
Custom level that I created :
2=380=440=2=380=420=2=380=400=2=380=380=2=380=360=2=380=340=2=380=320=2=380=300=2=380=280=2=380=260=2=380=240=1=570=420=2=360=100=4=360=30=2=540=440=2=540=420=2=540=400=2=540=380=2=540=360=2=540=340=2=540=320=2=540=300=2=540=280=2=540=260=2=540=240=2=380=220=2=540=220=5=360=70=1=460=420=2=380=200=2=380=180=2=380=160=2=540=200=2=540=180=2=540=160=2=400=340=2=400=360=2=420=360=2=500=360=2=520=360=2=520=340=2=400=180=2=420=180=2=440=180=2=460=180=2=460=260=2=480=260=2=500=260=2=520=260=2=520=300=2=520=220=2=400=320=2=460=160=2=460=140=2=330=20=2=390=20=2=380=90=2=340=100=2=400=90=2=390=300=2=540=140=2=540=120=
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