I got back to the Intergalactic Military Academy today, ready to do more studying. None of the new material was particularly intriguing; just basic facts that need to be memorized. It's a shame that a large part of education has to work in such a way, so content based.
Now, don't get me wrong, I can memorize. I know all the inhabited planets in the galaxy, all the stars as well, and I've even memorized the semi-periodic table of hyperspace elements. I can memorize well. I just wish we didn't have to spend all this time doing it.
I understand why we memorize in school. It's important to know which planet the 33rd governor of Hijalkonia was from. After all, not knowing that detail will prevent our society from learning about his mistakes and will allow us to progress into the future. Plus, that planet of origin is the reason he was able to develop the nanoray, a major feature in most modern weaponry, so it's important for people pursuing a career in the Zirconian Navy especially.
Of course, that demographic has pinpointed me.
So I certainly don't want to tear down the memorization aspect of Zirconian education. That's probably the only thing I don't want to change. Regardless, you didn't come to this blog to read about the educational system of Zirconia. After all, this is the blog of a spaceman, someone who lives in a different galaxy. There should be robots, spaceships, extraterrestrials, and mozzarella cheese.
I guess now would be a good time to tell you about our P.E. class. See, today we decided to take advantage of the good conditions for space faring and stage a mock battle in orbit around our 2nd moon, Jupiter.
I took on one of my close friends, Zac, in a simple ship vs. ship match up, just to practice our single ship skills. We spent most of the time screwing around, using our nuclear anti-rays as our primary weapons.
Essentially what that accomplishes is incredible damage: incredibly powerful and incredibly unpredictable. We had some very interesting results, but as it was all fake, no one got hurt. We had some good laughs about that one.
Oh yeah, I also asked Lynn to the Intergalactic Military Academy's annual moon walk dance. I thought that asking a girl, one I've been dating for a year now, to a dance would be an easy yes.
It wasn't.
It's OK though; I still get to see her, just probably not at the dance. I don't like dancing very much anyway, so it's all good. The problem is that she doesn't have time to get ready, which I understand completely with all the military entrance exams that have to be dealt with. We still love each other, so it's all pirates and robots from here on out.
So, that's life in Andromeda. Better than life on Earth, am I right?
April 5, 2010
April 3, 2010
Literature in Andromeda
I'm sure many of you who are reading this blog have a fascination with literature. If you don't, I'm certain you at least know how to read. Here in Andromeda, reading is an important pastime; the information of an entire galaxy is ready to be absorbed by a curious mind.
Think of all the literature you Earthlings have created over your history. Books, articles, treatises, letters, journals, poems, essays, scripts, and event the mighty blog. Doubtless the literature available is extensive.
In Andromeda, the situation is even more severe. We have thousands of thousands of times as much literature available to us, the literature of earth multiplied by the colonized planets in the galaxy. Our population is vastly greater, and as such we have produced many greater and many lesser works.
One of the greatest problems with a scope of knowledge so large is seeking out the best text on a subject in the vast array of incredibly similar literature. For example, an eager mind who seeks to learn about the electrons of a boron atom has many a book to turn too. There's "Electrons of the Boron Atom," "The Boron Atom's Electrons," and the ever popular "Negatively Charged Particles of Element 5, also Known as Boron, the Element Containing Five, neither Four nor Sixty-Two, Protons," too name a few that were released in the last five years. That ignores all the holograms, space tapes, dilated flux transistors, and various other media through which the information can be conveyed. Needless to say, the market for literature appears to be saturated.
However, with such a vast scope of readers, the information industry continues to thrive. Our knowledge base increases exponentially, as we explore farther and farther into the realms of our universe. The trick is avoid writing more about broad subjects such as atomic nuclei and psycliometrics, but rather new, unexplored arenas. If someone were to publish literature about a girl who falls in love with a vampire, for example, I'm sure the people of Andromeda would find it to be a big hit; there's not enough of that stuff here. You wouldn't happen to know of such literature on Earth, would you?
Think of all the literature you Earthlings have created over your history. Books, articles, treatises, letters, journals, poems, essays, scripts, and event the mighty blog. Doubtless the literature available is extensive.
In Andromeda, the situation is even more severe. We have thousands of thousands of times as much literature available to us, the literature of earth multiplied by the colonized planets in the galaxy. Our population is vastly greater, and as such we have produced many greater and many lesser works.
One of the greatest problems with a scope of knowledge so large is seeking out the best text on a subject in the vast array of incredibly similar literature. For example, an eager mind who seeks to learn about the electrons of a boron atom has many a book to turn too. There's "Electrons of the Boron Atom," "The Boron Atom's Electrons," and the ever popular "Negatively Charged Particles of Element 5, also Known as Boron, the Element Containing Five, neither Four nor Sixty-Two, Protons," too name a few that were released in the last five years. That ignores all the holograms, space tapes, dilated flux transistors, and various other media through which the information can be conveyed. Needless to say, the market for literature appears to be saturated.
However, with such a vast scope of readers, the information industry continues to thrive. Our knowledge base increases exponentially, as we explore farther and farther into the realms of our universe. The trick is avoid writing more about broad subjects such as atomic nuclei and psycliometrics, but rather new, unexplored arenas. If someone were to publish literature about a girl who falls in love with a vampire, for example, I'm sure the people of Andromeda would find it to be a big hit; there's not enough of that stuff here. You wouldn't happen to know of such literature on Earth, would you?
April 1, 2010
Simulation Practice
Sorry for the amount of time between updates; time dilation has really been cutting me down. It's only been a day on Andromeda since my last post, but I know it's been longer for you. My humblest apologies.
Anyway, I'm off of school right now, and I've been devoting a lot of time to this simulation that was developed to help Zirconian officers practice their battlefield tactics and strategy. I want to improve my skills, which are currently quite limited, as I know it will help me in the future.
It's important to note, however, that skill in the game does not necessary lead to skill on the battlefield. What the game helps is improve understanding of the economic aspect of war, as well as the brain's ability to deal with unit management under pressure. Currently, the latter is what I'm having more difficulty with.
Sometimes I wish the knowledge of how to do something was equal to actually accomplishing it. I wish that life were more like a puzzle; the challenge comes in figuring it out, not in carrying out the task.
I can come up with ideas, I can come up with plans, I can allot the proper amounts of time for every step. I can complete enough projects in my head to tear down the accomplishments of generations and replace them with a new universe. The problem is, I have to actually take do what I plan to do in order for it to get done.
Believe it or not, even a game can help me learn that important lesson. The problem is, it's also distracting me from the jobs I wish to complete. I should probably do something about that, but first, it's time for another game.
Anyway, I'm off of school right now, and I've been devoting a lot of time to this simulation that was developed to help Zirconian officers practice their battlefield tactics and strategy. I want to improve my skills, which are currently quite limited, as I know it will help me in the future.
It's important to note, however, that skill in the game does not necessary lead to skill on the battlefield. What the game helps is improve understanding of the economic aspect of war, as well as the brain's ability to deal with unit management under pressure. Currently, the latter is what I'm having more difficulty with.
Sometimes I wish the knowledge of how to do something was equal to actually accomplishing it. I wish that life were more like a puzzle; the challenge comes in figuring it out, not in carrying out the task.
I can come up with ideas, I can come up with plans, I can allot the proper amounts of time for every step. I can complete enough projects in my head to tear down the accomplishments of generations and replace them with a new universe. The problem is, I have to actually take do what I plan to do in order for it to get done.
Believe it or not, even a game can help me learn that important lesson. The problem is, it's also distracting me from the jobs I wish to complete. I should probably do something about that, but first, it's time for another game.
