Rudolph's magic wand

["Michael McGeachie" <mmcgeach@>]

Yes, today is the day!  One of those rare days that comes once every couple
of years when a new Harry Potter movie is released.  Or, well, every year if
you count the book releases, too.  But those have less cars flying across
the screen and fewer audible explosions.  Can a "harry potter" opening
really be one without explosions?  It is a question that assaults the very
definition of Harry Potter.  

If we mean by "harry potter" someone who uses a wand, we may well mean Larry
Rudolph.  Professor Rudolph's new PDA is a cylindrical "wand-like" device.
And this shape facilitates arrays of precisely spaced sensors, microphones,
or lasers for, enabling all manner of technological witchcraft and wizardry
to take place at the push of a button, the flick of the wrist, or the
voice-activated incantation.  

Perhaps we connote by "harry potter" individuals capable of taming wild
magical beasts, those roaming autonomous winged or legged entities beyond
the description of the uninitiated.  Could these be Brian Williams'
autonomous robots for exploration?  Perhaps they are Rod Brooks' hoard of
fast, cheap, swarming spiders feeding on the magical energy in the land, or
the magical energy in the walls and power cables.

If when we say "harry potter" we merely mean nerds who subject themselves to
seven long years of arduous training at the hands of cruel masters and
mistresses, in the hopes of securing knowledge and skills that will afford
them special, unique, advantages outside the academy of magic; why, then we
might well include the whole of MIT Building 32 under that rubric.  And
this, I daresay, is cause for celebration!  A celebration commencing at this
week's...


            +-                                                  -+
              girl scout benefit -+-  5:30 pm  -+- 32-G9 lounge
            +-                                                  -+

               For those coming from elsewhere: Building 32 is
                <http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=32>
           Once you are in 32, just take the G-elevator to the 9th
       floor and we will be in the lounge that you will be looking at
                     <http://projects.csail.mit.edu/gsb>



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