Google Sets

Another breakthrough from those geniuses at Google:

Google Sets

Automatically create sets of items from a few examples.

Enter a few items from a set of things.

Next, press Large Set or Small Set and we’ll try to predict other items in the set.

Intriguing, eh?

So what’s it good for? Well the first thing that came to mind was inputting names of my friends. But Google’s not scary enough to come up with names of my other friends.

Ah, but what about names of bands I like?

Radiohead
Blur
Belle and Sebastian
Cardigans
Interpol

That got me some results I could use:

Radiohead
Cardigans
Blur
Belle and Sebastian
Oasis
Travis
Pulp
The Cure
David Bowie
The Smiths
SUEDE
The Verve
Stereophonics
The Beatles
Kula Shaker
COLDPLAY
Supergrass
U2
Boo Radleys
Placebo
Beck
Depeche Mode
Madness
Cast
Sleeper
Tori Amos
Fatboy Slim
SPIRITUALIZED
NEW ORDER
James
Lush
STONE ROSES
Weezer
The Prodigy
Semisonic
Nirvana
Bush
Manics
DAVID GRAY
JJ72
PRIMAL SCREAM
Small Faces
Ash

Incredible. Now I have no idea who JJ72 or Small Faces are, but I think I’ll go check them out.

10-handed?

Incredible. Check this out:

Party Poker 1/2 Hold’em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with 9d, Kd.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (10 SB) 2s, 7c, Ts (10 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG folds, UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, MP3 bets, CO calls, Button calls, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls, Hero folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls.

Turn: (8 BB) 7s (6 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, MP3 bets, CO folds, Button calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 folds.

River: (12 BB) 5c (4 players)
UTG+1 checks, MP1 checks, MP3 bets, Button folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds.

Final Pot: 13 BB
Main Pot: 12 BB, won by MP3.
Pot 2: 1 BB, returned to MP3.

MP3 doesn’t show.
Outcome: MP3 wins 13 BB.

It’s rough out there. Yeesh.

China ascendant

Since when did Shanghai have a Formula 1 circuit?

Crazy. Look at those curves.

Here’s what Formula 1 has to say:

Circuit architects Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl on their creation: “The 5.4 kilometre racing track is shaped like the Chinese character ‘shang’, which stands for ‘high’ or ‘above’. Other symbols represented in the architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. Here, nature and technology are carefully used to create harmony between the elements.”

Not only will the course be remarkable for its change of acceleration and deceleration in different winding turns, but also for its high-speed straights making high demands on the driver as well as the car. This should offer many opportunities for overtaking and give an intense and exciting motorsport experience to the spectators. The Main Grandstand with 29,000 seats provides a spectacular view of almost 80 percent of the circuit – one of the new features in race track design realised in Shanghai.

Race day is September 26.

Moving your capital city

It seems like an odd thing to do, but South Korea’s government has announced plans to move the capital 100 miles south of the current capital, Seoul. Their reasons? “to ease chronic overcrowding in Seoul, redistribute the state’s wealth, and lessen the danger of a bombardment by North Korea.” Sounds like a wet dream for architects and urban planners. Will they be successful in building a new city from the ground up? I wouldn’t bet on it. Which isn’t to say that successful design shouldn’t be attempted, it’s just that it’s very, very hard.