Everybody Touch the Dinosaur - PopTech 2007

"Open the door, get on the floor, everybody touch the dinosaur".

That was the scene after Caleb Chung's session about Pleo was finished. Caleb is the toy inventor who brought the world Furby, and his newest is a toy robotic dinosaur which can reach out to the world and learn new behavior.

Quite a few people approached the stage to touch the toy robotic dinosaur. It was fascinating to see people (myself included) interact with the robotic dinosaur as if it was a cat. It has 38 sensors, and nuzzles your hand as your petting it - many people where making "cute" faces and murmering to the toy as if it could emotionally connect with you (it could hear). It has microphones, two speakers, a camera and multiple sensors. It's also going to be released with open source software so that people can enhance the software platform it runs on to create infinite growth for the toy.

Here's a video to give you a sense.

I found it fascinating when Caleb picked up the toy - curious to see if one of its legs wasn't working- and pulled the leg back. It caused a sound like all toys make when there gears are forcefully moved, but we all grimaced like he was breaking our beloved toy's legs.

I've never been more excited about a toy. I left wanting a Pleo myself - now all I need to do is find $350 and wait in line well after the Christmas rush to get one.

Feelings Nothing more than Feelings

Has to share Jonathan Harris' We Feel Fine site. A tracking of people's feelings who are blogging on the Web. Truly worth playing around and experiencing the site.

The Female Brain - PopTech 2007

Louanne Brizendine has now taken the stage and is talking about how female hormones affect and change the women's brain throughout life. I loved her book, The Female Brain. It was a great look into why being a woman does really feel like a changing mental perspective throughout your life - because it is! Once menstruation happens, our brains change, at pregnancy, and during menopause - the brain changes each time. I got a chance to meet her, and she's a fabulous woman. She asked if I had encouraged my male friends to read the book, and I have spread the word. In fact, her next book is focused on the Male Brain.

What I find amazing is that every two weeks the estrogen and progesteron level in a woman actually changes up to 25% of the synapses in the hypothamus - the brain actually shrinks and grows every month based on the hormone load.

Fascinating to exist on this planet as a human being who has a truly ever changing brain.