Carlin Vieri Thesis Defense: Pickle Engineering

From: Neil Weisenfeld
To: all-ai@ai.mit.edu
Subject: GSB Today, 5:30, 7ai, Carlin Vieri
Date: Fri May 14 16:36:48 EDT 1999

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     THESIS DEFENSE   THESIS DEFENSE   THESIS DEFENSE   THESIS DEFENSE
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    	    	Light Engineering: The Bulb of the Future

			   Carlin J. Vieri

			 Friday, May 14, 1999
			 Refreshments 5:30
			     Talk at 11pm

		      Bldg. NE43 (545 Tech. Sq.)
                          7th floor playroom

Abstract:

Possibly the single most pervasive use of electricity is for lighting
our homes, our offices, and our streets.  Yet it is only recently that
major developments have taken place in the design of new replaceable
``bulbs'' for generating light.

In this work I present my experience using a wide variety of fruits
and vegetables as elements of a light producing system.  Many would be
surprised to know that the tomato, when current is properly applied,
provides a brilliant show as its seeds explode and current arcs
through the fleshy interior.  This is truly one of nature's wonders
and is quite beautiful, if impractical.  After describing areas of
investigation that were not, er, fruitful, I will outline the series
of experiments, and their results, that lead to my conclusion that the
North American pickled cucumber (half-sour, quarter-sliced) is the
perfect illuminating element for a domestic lighting system.

After describing the successful implementation of a pickle based
lighting system, I will cover some of the pitfalls and practical
details in which the devil lay.  Briefly, I will cover the following:
treatment of opthalmic injury due to contact with hot vinegar juice;
odor control through proper ventilation; unexpected peppercorns; seed
failure; skin failure; and strategies for electrode installation in
both stem-endowed and non-stem-endowed pickle elements.


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