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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============================================================================== 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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