technology

Unnaturally Clean

By Jaime Nava –

“So natural, it would even deceive.” Filostrato spoke with passion in C. S. Lewis’ final novel in his space trilogy. To have aluminum trees that looked as real as an organic one, that would be magical in its own way. Once we discovered a way to clean the air chemically, we wouldn’t need organic trees anymore. We could create clean aluminum trees that looked real. We could move them wherever we wanted. What about the birds? Get rid of them too. “Consider again the improvement. No feathers dropped out, no nests, no eggs, no dirt.” He goes on to say that eliminating organic life is “simple hygiene.”

Continue reading →

Please Help

By Caleb Keith –

I have a problem and need your help. You see, like most other people in my generation, and perhaps even those outside of my generation, I am dependent on the internet. More specifically, I am dependent on the Google search engine. This dependence is a gut reaction and a tool that feeds a general skepticism about the things I know and the knowledge passed onto me by parents, advisors, and even experts. I only recently became aware of my addiction because I happen to be a young parent whose own parents live nearby.

Continue reading →

Cheap Trick?

By Caleb Keith –

Pokemon Go, a new smartphone game, has taken the world by storm in just a week. That’s because Pokemon Go was one of the most anticipated video games of 2016. Pokemon Go is inspired by Nintendo’s classic series of Pokemon games, which are turn-based strategy games involving the catching and training of various Pokemon creatures. The original games came out in 1993 and a new version has been released every one to two years since then. Pokemon Go puts a new twist on the classic games by implementing GPS and augmented reality technology using a smartphone.

Continue reading →

The VR Invasion

By Jaime Nava –

A couple years ago, Google introduced a piece of cardboard with a couple lenses. You had to cut the cardboard, insert the lenses, fold it together, and voila! You had virtual reality (VR). Well, you had to stick your phone into the headset as well. With the motion tracking and camera on the headset, Google provided a cheap way for people to experience virtual reality. The idea of a virtual reality headset made with something as cheap as cardboard seemed silly to a lot of people. In reality, it was an appetizer for the feast of VR to come.

Continue reading →

Wildfire

By Caleb Keith –

Growing up in the Sierra Desert exposed me to annual wildfires. Some fires would last mere days, while others could blaze on for months. Despite the duration for which they burn, wildfires have common causes and consequences. First off, fires typically don’t start out wild. The majority are man-made, caused by accident, carelessness, or arson. After a wildfire has begun, it wreaks havoc. Devastated landscapes, collapsing houses, and charred earth scar the land. Not only do fires devastate the ground, but also the air. When a Sierra fire is burning the sky is thick with smoke.

Continue reading →

Lazy

By Caleb Keith –

Two days ago, Apple hosted one of its regular press conferences. The highlight of these exclusive events is the unleashing of the latest and greatest products Apple has to offer. iPhones, Macs, Apple watches, and iPads once again become extraordinary. Each edition of these devices exceeds the last in power and beauty. However, Monday’s conference, in my opinion, fell flat. The general tone of the meeting was relatively dull, and the revealed products, while still incredible, spoke more of laziness than innovation. What I left with was the revelation that Apple is just like me: lazy.

Continue reading →

Welcome to the Matrix

By Caleb Keith –

The Matrix is one of the most recognizable movie franchises of all time. Not only is the series filled to the brim with action, but it also tackles moral dilemmas, and most importantly the philosophical idea of existence. The basic gist of the series rests on the unseen enslavement and harvesting of humanity by cybernetic beings. This race of machines relies on the electrochemical energy produced by the human mind. In an effort to harness this energy the machines imprison human minds in a virtual reality called the Matrix.

Continue reading →

The 12 Most Shocking Celebrity Revelations of 2016!

By Daniel van Voorhis –

The Jagged Word has its first scoop of the new year! We tracked down these, well, unflattering pictures of some of the hottest stars on the planet RIGHT NOW! Whether it is celebrities in their “not quite ready for summer” beach bods or an “A”-lister stopping at the local market in jeans and hoodie, we have, over the next few pages, discovered that some of these celebrities are JUST like us!

Continue reading →