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Have You Seen This? The robot knife game
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No Caption - photo by John Clyde
John Clyde
KSL.com
Published: Apr 26, 2017, 1:01 PM


SKYNET As a kid I always wanted to be super hardcore. Afraid of nothing. Willing to try anything. But in reality, I was none of those things.

I wasn't hardcore considering I had to sleep with a light on until I was about 13. I was afraid of plenty, including bears, my neighbor's dog Joe Joe (he was about 2 pounds of frail puppy), and my parents' basement. And I would not try anything. Don't even ask me how long it took me to jump off the high dive at Alta Canyon Rec Center. I mean, it was about 15-feet tall after all.

Even though I was a coward, there is one thing I decided to try once because I thought my hand-eye coordination was on point. I mean, I was pretty good at Street Fighter II, when I played the computer on the easiest level. Actually I wasn't any good, but I still had confidence.

So, once I got a plastic knife we used at a Fourth of July barbecue and played five-finger fillet. That's when you spread your fingers wide in a table and stab a knife between your fingers as fast as you can. I attempted this and I soon realized I did not have the hand-eye coordination I thought I did. I'm grateful it was a plastic knife, but I still had some bloody spots on my digits afterward.

That was a long intro to this video of some smart people who created code for this robot, the Staubli TX40. The guy in the video puts his hand on the board and lets the robot play this game with a real knife. My heart was pumping watching the video, even more than when I was playing it for real with the plastic cutlery.

At this point I don't know if I'm more impressed with the robot or the steadiness of that man's hand. I'm pretty sure I would have moved and panicked, causing more damage than I needed to.

Don't try this at home with any kind of utensil like I did, but if you've got a Staubli TX40 and a smart programmer around, I say go for it.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot
Martha Ostergar
KSL.com
Updated: Dec 30, 2018, 5:00 PM
Published: Dec 29, 2018, 1:57 PM

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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