#unclibraries

[uncrcow]

What are some cool things about libraries that most people don’t know about?

What a great question! Most libraries have some pretty cool things that most people don’t know about, but the nature of the cool things depends on the library. Since we’re at UNC, let’s take a look at some of the cool things about UNC libraries that often fly under the radar!

Stream over movies for free! Don’t have a Netflix account? No problem! The Media Resources Center provides you access to various online streaming platforms, letting you watch over 40,000 films online for free. You can also check out audiobooks and production equipment there.

Get your daily news! It can be hard to keep up with the news when you’re busy with school and work, but UNC Libraries provides free, renewable yearlong passes to the New York Times for students! The New York Times Academic pass gives you access to NYTimes.com and the mobile app, so you can stay informed wherever you go.

Create something awesome! The three research hubs on campus described below are here to help you do the incredible things you want to do while you’re at UNC!

The Kenan Science Library hub has a makerspace equipped with 3D printing and imaging software, sewing machines, modeling and VR design studios, prototyping materials, and more – everything you need to jump-start the next great startup or build an amazing project. It also has coworking spaces to get creative juices flowing.

The Davis Library research hub is the place to go for data visualization, mapping services, statistical software, and digital projects. There are also presentation and working spaces in the hub for all your collaborative research needs.

The Health Sciences Library hub provides health sciences research support, digital health services, impact measurement, and a collaboration center to anyone on campus doing health research.

Get a Clue! Every semester in Wilson Library, a live-action Clue game takes place. Assemble a team and get to know Wilson’s spaces and materials as you search for clues and interrogate suspects for the chance to win awards and prizes!

Learn a new skill! There are a lot of interesting workshops and events across libraries on campus, but here at the Undergraduate Library we have 2 fantastic workshop programs!

Whether you want to find out how to start a podcast, design a T-shirt, or set up a blog, SkillfUL is your chance to learn about – and make the most of – all the awesome technology and software you have access to as a student!

Adulting 101 helps you help yourself be the adult you long to be, with classes focusing on topics such as creating an amazing LinkedIn profile, where to find legit health information, and what credit is.

Explore! This post contains just a sampling of some of the cool things you can do at UNC Libraries. There are many more libraries with many more cool things on campus, so I recommend that you do your own exploring and see what you can find!

References:

Film & Streaming Media: Watch Online. (n.d.). UNC Media Resources Center. Retrieved from https://guides.lib.unc.edu/streaming/stream

New York Times Academic Pass. (n.d.). UNC University Libraries. Retrieved from https://guides.lib.unc.edu/nyt-academic-pass

Makerspace @ KSL. (n.d.). UNC Kenan Science Library. Retrieved from https://library.unc.edu/science/makerspace

Davis Library Research Hub. (n.d.). UNC Davis Library. Retrieved from https://library.unc.edu/data/

Research Hub @ HSL. (n.d.). UNC Health Sciences Library. Retrieved from http://www.hsl.unc.edu/hub

Clue. (n.d.). UNC Wilson Library. Retrieved from https://clue.unc.edu/

University Libraries - Upcoming Events. (n.d.). UNC University Libraries. Retrieved from https://calendar.lib.unc.edu/calendar/unc-libraries/?cid=2998&t=d&d=0000-00-00&cal=2998

SkillfUL Tech Workshops. (n.d.). UNC House Undergraduate Library. Retrieved from https://library.unc.edu/house/workshops/skillful-tech-workshops/

Adulting 101. (n.d.). UNC House Undergraduate Library. Retrieved from https://library.unc.edu/house/workshops/adulting-101/

Library Hours. (n.d.). UNC University Libraries. Retrieved from https://library.unc.edu/hours/

Image Sources:

https://giphy.com/gifs/disney-book-library-7aPevwPAgsBkQ

https://giphy.com/gifs/harry-potter-news-what-13VjIob4b54ABG

https://giphy.com/gifs/3d-pixel-8bit-l2JhwdnrGvfnoXrzi

[uncrcow]

How do blind people dream?

The common assumption is that blind people do not see in their dreams. However, visual impairment can vary from being blind since birth to having a temporary condition to degenerative sight later in life. Given this variability, it is important to clarify that people who have been blind since birth do not see traditional images as sighted people do in their dreams. This population has not had any visual memories or stopped having them at an early age. The question is then: do people who are blind see in their dreams?

A recent study (2017) attempted to answer this question of whether blind participants demonstrated eye movements and visual activity during REM sleep, which is a behavior commonly found in sighted subjects. For people who have been blind since birth, is that still the case? In REM sleep, the brain sends oscillations to the visual cortex to kickstart visual activity in dreams. The study compared the eye movements of blind and sighted participants to find that blind participants had fewer eye movements in REM sleep. This finding still shows they had visual activity in their dreams.

When the researchers asked participants whether they dream, all participants said they do. Once asked if they saw anything in those dreams, it was difficult for participants who are congenitally blind to say where they saw or not. However, they did mention experiencing many visual, auditory and kinesthetic sensations in their dreams as well. In this study, they found there was “no direct way, through the dream reports, to evaluate the presence of visual activation in the dream of congenitally blind subjects.” (Bertoli et al., 2017) In 2014, researchers also found that blind people are less likely to see visual imagery as they get older.  For people who have been blind since birth or an early age, there are no visual memories to base their dreams on. Ultimately, the sensory experiences of dreams change for people who are blind and does not fit what we traditionally assume dreams to be - visual, colorful and full of images.

Case closed? Not so fast! Tommy Edison is a well-known Youtuber who has been blind since birth. On his primary channel, The Tommy Edison Experience, he answers viewer questions and brings on guests to deconstruct the myths about being blind. In an episode from 2012, Tommy shared that he doesn’t see in dreams but rather dreams in smell, sound, taste, and touch. The same weird things happen in his dreams, just the senses represent them differently. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUW9pm9wxs&t=1s It is important to consider that congenital blindness is not the only kind of visual impairment. Making this assumption impacts the lives of many other people who have visual impairments. As always, individuals are the experts in their own experiences. References: Bértolo, H., Mestre, T., Barrio, A., & Antona, B. 2017. Rapid Eye Movements (REMs) and visual dream recall in both congenitally blind and sighted. In Proc. of SPIE Vol (Vol. 10453, pp. 104532C-1). Meaidi, A., Jennum, P., Ptito, M., & Kupers, R. (2014). The sensory construction of dreams and nightmare frequency in congenitally blind and late blind individuals. Sleep Medicine, 15(5), 586-595. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2013.12.008 Tracey, E. (n.d.). Lesser-known things about being blind. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-28853788 Romm, C. (2016, October 11). What Dreams Are Like When You’re Blind. The Cut. Retrieved from https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/what-dreams-are-like-for-blind-people.html Edison, Tommy. [The Tommy Edison Experience]. (2012, February 28). How Blind People Dream. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpUW9pm9wxs

[uncrcow]

Why is King Kong so large?

The famed King Kong first arrived large and in charge in RKO Pictures’ 1933 titular film and since has appeared in numerous films, television, comics and more. Some of his appearances include King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), King Kong (1976), King Kong Lives (1986), King Kong (2005), and most recently Kong Skull Island (2017). Needless to say, King Kong is a pretty BIG deal in more ways than one. In his most recent iteration, the large primate (a Megaprimatus class to be exact) comes in at around 100 feet tall. Check out this calculator to see how many of YOU it takes to reach as tall as King Kong or a comparison guide to famous landmarks. 

But the question of course is why is this regal ape so large? Behind the scenes, King Kong is large because, well, creator and American filmmaker Merian C. Cooper wanted him to be that way. Cooper was inspired by his trips around the world and encounters with wild creatures. The original Kong was billed around 50 feet tall (he’s now twice that size!), although his height changes throughout the original 1933 film. In some jungle scenes he appears 18 feet tall and occasionally in city scenes he appears at 24 feet. This was done in part to make sure that “he was never so large as to destroy his interest in human players” and also because too much of the film was completed before Cooper realized Kong’s scaling was off.

If you are curious about the science of King Kong, one report claims Kong’s enormous size would make it extremely difficult for him to be athletic, but that he could be relatively healthy assuming he could keep an extreme intake of food and nutrients (7,500 pounds of food a day to be exact). Another article cites a Stanford researcher who claims, “King Kong as shown in the movie probably isn’t a physically viable organism…” because of his gravity and biomechanics. Simply, when it comes to mathematics, Kong is too big to support himself. Mindy Weisberger also examines Kong’s size in relation to how animals evolve. Interestingly, in nature its typical for island environments to have small animals growing larger and large animals growing smaller as they evolve. This means that King Kong is actually working backwards against the natural evolution of his environment.

You may also be curious in how Kong’s origin story. Unfortunately, his backstory is rarely explained in canon. Some believe that the most recent Kong flick, Kong Skull Island, hints at Kong being a bi-product of the hollow earth theory – which is just wild enough that you should read about it for yourself.

Ultimately Kong’s metaphorical weight might be more powerful than his fictional and physical one. Our famous foe has come to represent the various themes and challenges of human civilization. Cynthia Erb says, “King Kong’s monstrous hybridity manages to absorb most of the binary structures characteristic of Western thought— East/West, black/white, female/male, primitive/modern.” In the end, King Kong is as large as our fears are deep whether those fears are about racism, economic strife, the Vietnam war, the entertainment value of our studio’s film, or whether the props department guy remembered your notes on how big the gorilla should be.

References

Erb, C. M. (2009). Tracking King Kong: a Hollywood icon in world culture (p. xix, 315 p. : ill.). Detroit: Wayne State University Press. Available from http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb8108744

Ewalt , D. M. (2005, December 12). The Biology of King Kong. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/2005/12/12/king-kong-biology_cx_de_1213kongbiology.html#4ec59f231a28

Goldner, O., & Turner, G. E. (1976). The making of King Kong: the story behind a film classic (p. 287 p. : ill., ports.). New York: Ballantine Books.

Kong: Skull Island. (2017). How Do You Size Up? Retrieved April 10, 2018, from http://kongsized.kongskullislandmovie.com/how-do-you-size-up/

Kong: Skull Island. (2017). Kong-Pare. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from http://kongsized.kongskullislandmovie.com/kong-pare/

Morton, R. (2005). King Kong: the history of a movie icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson (p. 349 p. : ill. (some col.)). New York: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books ;

Murphy, M. (2017, March 7). The Five Ages of King Kong. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/movies/kong-skull-island-and-other-kong-movies.html

Panko, B. (2017, March 21). How Big Can a Land Animal Get? King Kong’s biggest enemy isn’t humans—it’s the laws of physics. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/58227-why-king-kong-dwarfs-real-life-animals.html

Standish, D. (2006). Hollow earth: the long and curious history of imagining strange lands, fantastical creatures, advanced civilizations, and marvelous machines below the earth’s surface (p. 303 p. : ill., maps). Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Books. Available at http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb8144517

Universal Studios Florida. (2016, May 16). NEW DETAILS REVEALED: Face-to-Face Encounter with King Kong in Universal Orlando’s Skull Island: Reign of Kong. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-details-revealed-face-to-face-encounter-with-king-kong-in-universal-orlandos-skull-island-reign-of-kong-300269143.html

Watercutter, A. (2017, March 13). Kong Skull Island Wins Where Almost Every Other Reboot Fails  . Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.wired.com/2017/03/kong-skull-island-canon/

Weisberger, M. (2017, March 11). Still King: Why Kong Dwarfs Today’s Beasts. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/58227-why-king-kong-dwarfs-real-life-animals.html

Weisberger, M. (2017, March 14). Kind of a Big Deal: How King Kong Measures Up (Images). Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://www.livescience.com/58251-how-king-kong-measures-up-images.html

Images

Black And White Vintage GIF by The Good Films. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/thegoodfilms-black-and-white-vintage-king-kong-u6lmMqSYXq0FO

Godzilla GIF by Warner Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/godzilla-cqNE5cvGlwIDe

Animated GIF (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/3Ngf2ZIa6xVj0WjWqz

[uncrcow]

Q: What is the secret of life?

A: “The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.” ― W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage

Or we can get started on this journey to help you discover the secret for yourself! There are a few different angles we could approach this from: the scientific view, the humanities view, and the pop-culture view.

Science View

Let’s start with the most technical of them all: the science view. While it may seem straightforward that DNA and cells are the secret of life, there’s actually a lot of debate within the scientific community about what the true “secret of life” really is.

In 1943, a series of lectures was given in Dublin, Ireland by physicist Erwin Schrödinger asking the question, “What is life?” These lectures were later published, and more thought was given to the matter. Schrödinger opened up the path of “thought showing how quantum physics might help biology to grasp a better understanding of the mystery of life” and brought new pieces to the puzzle. This work helped propel the journey onwards; so did the rise in technology.

However, there is also a “secret secret of life:” allosteric regulation.

No, not “allons-y” as the 10th Doctor says. Allosteric regulation is “intrinsic to the control of most metabolic and signal-transduction pathways.” In human speak, it helps you (and other living creatures) adapt to environmental conditions. Since this is so important to keep you from overheating or freezing, it was dubbed the “‘second secret of life,’ second only to the genetic code” (so, super duper important!)

Humanities View

The humanities field is filled with different views on what the secret of life is. From love to happiness, you’ll find themes of life’s meanings throughout all creative work. Even if it’s not stated explicitly, books, movies, and plays mostly all have a message about life’s meaning, or the secret to life. You just have to look for it!

Let’s look into what Nietzsche specifically thought, and how one person decided to explore it. Nietzsche thought the secret to life was “life as will to power” and “an experiment of the knower.” By thinking of life as an experiment, there is room to explore the true meaning of life and to overcome challenges, both internally and externally. Nietzsche says life “can maintain itself as life only in continually overcoming itself, only in continually growing beyond itself” into a never ending loop of constant change and “eternal recurrence of the same.” This force, or power, to keep going is the source of life and the will is why we keep going.

Pop-Culture View

You’ve heard it said in songs. You’ve seen it in lists: “Click here to discover the secret of life!” “Scientists say this is the secret of life!” “25 top secrets of life!” While most of this is clickbait, there are a few overlapping concepts which come up again and again on these lists: happiness and self-fulfillment. Even Steve Jobs had a take on it, and explains it in 46 seconds!

“When you grow up you, tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls too much, try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.” 

However, there are also a few articles out there saying there’s an “ultimate secret.” What is this great secret they dangle for you to discover? “Everything that you do in life will return to the source from which it came,” which while sounding obvious, is explained further. The author, Matthew Jones, says the key is to acknowledge you are only mortal, and life is limited, which gives you greater “power over your destiny.” This allows you to fully appreciate your life as you live it and really live out your passions.

So now that you have a few more ideas of what the secret to life might be, go out there and discover it for yourself! Just don’t tell anyone!

References:

(n.d.). Secret of Life Quotes. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/secret-of-life

Benítez-Bribiesca, L. (2003). DNA. The secret of life? Archives of Medical Research, 34(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0188-4409(03)00078-X

Fenton, A. (2008). Allostery: an illustrated definition for the “second secret of life.” Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 33(9). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2008.05.009

Jones, M. (2016, October 5). The Ultimate Secret About Life (That No One Wants You to Know). Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.inc.com/matthew-jones/the-ultimate-secret-about-life-that-no-one-wants-you-to-know.html

McNeill, W. (2013). The Secret of Life: Explorations of Nietzsche’s Conception of Life as Will to Power. Research in Phenomenology, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.1163/15691640-12341253

Popova, M. (2011, December 2). The Secret of Life from Steve Jobs in 46 Seconds. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.brainpickings.org/2011/12/02/steve-jobs-1995-life-failure/

Image References:

DNA GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/dna-l1fWtMmQbuGvm

Doctor Who Midnight GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/doctor-who-david-tennant-2GI3yBQc0zu2A

Jimmy Fallon Dancing GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/jimmy-fallon-secret-dancing-gif-wDGCA2dv9VJxC

MDNA Madonna Tour GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/madonna-mdna-tour-like-a-prayer-12lACOc6QgY3jW

Secret Stephen Colbert GIF. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/stephen-colbert-secret-quiet-yow6i0Zmp7G24

Written by Brenna Edwards

[uncrcow]

Q: How will the world end?

A:

A Whodunnit of Cosmic Proportions

What is to be the ultimate fate of humanity? Might we be mastered by Martians, or will robots rule? Shall we suffer for our sins at the hands of the horsemen? Or be decimated by the dark lord in a Death Star blast? Methodology aside, one inevitable truth remains…

PSA: The world is going to end.

How? Let’s explore the possibilities:

Some say the world will end in fire…

1. SOLAR STORMS

In 1989, a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) erupted from the sun, causing geomagnetic storms on Earth which triggered dangerous electrical currents, leaving 6 million Canadians without power. The Carrington Event of 1859 was TEN TIMES more intense. Another CME of that magnitude could leave entire continents in the dark, inciting widespread panic and chaos. But our sun isn’t the only star which poses a danger.

2. GAMMA RAY BURST

A nearby explosion of electromagnetic radiation from a hypernova or a pair of neutron stars could damage to the earth’s ozone layer, leaving mankind vulnerable to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. That is, if we don’t deplete it on our own.

3. GLOBAL WARMING

It’s getting hot in here. An increase of more than 2° Celsius would lead to catastrophic global consequences, even mass extinctions. Experts predict that as a result of the greenhouse effect and continued burning of fuels and waste at the current rate, global temperatures will rise at least 2°C by the end of the century.  

4. THE RED GIANT

If all else fails, the sun will exhaust its supply of hydrogen in 5-6 billion years and slowly expand to 256 times its current size, engulfing any planet in its wake. Long before it dies (in approximately 7.72 billion years) it will incinerate (what’s left of) Earth.

Some say in ice…

5. COSMIC COLLISION

The dinosaurs were obliterated 65 million years ago when a 10-kilometer rock fell on Mexico. But an asteroid or comet of even 1/10th that size could cast the earth into an “impact winter,” blocking out the sun for months on end and effecting mass starvation.

6. SUPERVOLCANIC ERUPTION

It is theorized that the eruption of Mount Toba in Indonesia over 70,000 years ago nearly wiped us out. There are about twenty such supervolcanoes spread across the planet, the closest residing in Yellowstone National Park. Another eruption of such magnitude could plunge humanity into decades of famine induced by the resulting “volcanic winter.”

7. NUCLEAR WAR

In the event of mutually assured destruction, (provided the bombs don’t kill us all) the resulting ash and dust may be enough to block out the light of the sun, effecting a “nuclear winter.”

…but any number of disasters will suffice.

Other potential catalysts for global annihilation include:

Overpopulation and global poverty

Bioterrorism via bioengineered pandemic

Malevolent or self-replicating artificial intelligence

Being eaten by a rogue supermassive black hole

Alien invasion/intergalactic warfare

Zombie apocalypse

The Rapture

The End…?

One way or another, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

So live your best life today, because the world could end at any mo—

Resources:

Choi, C. Q. (2014, December 08). Did Deadly Gamma-Ray Burst Cause a Mass Extinction on Earth? Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.livescience.com/49040-gamma-ray-burst-mass-extinction.html

Dinosaur Extinction Information and Facts. (2017, March 02). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/dinosaur-extinction/

Institute of Physics.  The end of the world? (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.iop.org/resources/topic/archive/end-of-the-world/index.html

Klein, C. (2012, March 14). A Perfect Solar Superstorm: The 1859 Carrington Event. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.history.com/news/a-perfect-solar-superstorm-the-1859-carrington-event

Krulwich, R. (2012, October 22). How Human Beings Almost Vanished From Earth In 70,000 B.C. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/10/22/163397584/how-human-beings-almost-vanished-from-earth-in-70-000-b-c

Rosen, J. (2017, July 26). Here's how the world could end-and what we can do about it. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/07/here-s-how-world-could-end-and-what-we-can-do-about-it

Strickland, A. (2017, July 31). Earth to warm 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, studies say. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/31/health/climate-change-two-degrees-studies/index.html

Image Resources:

Cataclysm [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://me.me/i/8120748

Star Wars GIF [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/star-wars-doom-c3po-UQYtr98lNNrWw

Winter is coming [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://imgflip.com/i/qr1cz

WTF GIF [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/burning-dr-steve-brule-4TMqcN59kg3Yc

Written by Tabitha Frahm

[uncrcow]

Q: Are we in the Matrix?

A: Free your mind...

What is the Matrix?

In the Wachowski Brothers’ 1999 sci-fi flick, The Matrix, computer-hacker Neo discovers the truth: [spoiler alert] the world he lives in is really a giant computer simulation developed by sentient machines to harvest human energy inside a much darker reality. Badass action sequences bending every law of physics ensue.

The original motion picture debuted in the midst of the 20th-century’s rise of the machines, spawning an instant cult following, two sequels, a series of video games, numerous print publications, and even a religion.

The film’s apocalyptic premise may leave you feeling a bit dystopic about the future – but add in the recent pop-culture takeover of information technologies including 3D simulations, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence to the mix – and it leaves one to wonder, what is the likelihood ‘the matrix’ is more than science fiction?

Are we in the Matrix?

While a life of ones and zeros might be a hard pill to swallow, the idea may have scientific merit.

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has stated “the likelihood may be very high” that we are all living inside a simulation. “[I]t is easy for me to imagine,” said Tyson at the 2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate at the American Natural History Museum, “that everything in our lives is just a creation of some other entity for their entertainment.”

The debate first gained momentum in 2003 with the publication of Nick Bostrom’s Simulation Argument: If we believe a posthuman species could progress to the point where it would be possible to create a matrix-type simulation, argues Bostrom, it follows that we are “almost certainly” already living in one.

There are more than a few supporters of Bostrom’s logic in the scientific community. Elon Musk, billionaire founder of PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla, declared last year at San Francisco’s Code Conference, that “the odds that we’re in base reality is one in billions.” Moreover, “we should hope that that’s true,” reasons Musk, because alternatively, civilization will (someday) cease to exist. 

How can we know?

One potential solution is the Cosmic Ray Test:

If the programmers of this simulation were subject to limited computational resources, the simulation would be imperfect and therefore it would be possible to discover a ‘glitch’ in the matrix. Assuming the universe is built on a computer-simulated grid, cosmic rays – charged particles that travel through space approaching lightspeed – would likely travel along the lines of the grid, and not at random.

The test makes a lot of assumptions about our future overlords, however, and humanity could well go extinct before technology makes sufficient advances to test the theory.

If we truly are living in the matrix, what would it mean for humankind, and the true nature of reality?

Am I real?

          Are you?

                     Does it matter?

What is real?

Reality refers to things as they actually are – but as human beings, we conceive of what is real only through the lenses of our own perception.

Michael Abrash, chief scientist at Oculus, said in his presentation at the Global Grand Challenges Summit, "all reality is virtual… the reality we experience is a construct in our minds, based on highly incomplete data." Or as Morpheus tells Neo, “real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.”

Until then, check out the Undergraduate Library’s new Virtual Reality Gaming Station! Visit library.unc.edu/vr to reserve your slot today.

Resources:

Abrash, M. (2017, July 24). VR’s Grand Challenge: Michael Abrash on the Future of Human Interaction. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.oculus.com/blog/vrs-grand-challenge-michael-abrash-on-the-future-of-human-interaction/

AMNH. (2016, April 08). 2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Is the Universe a Simulation? Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/2016-isaac-asimov-memorial-debate-is-the-universe-a-simulation/

Ball, P. (2016, September 05). Earth - We might live in a computer program, but it may not matter. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160901-we-might-live-in-a-computer-program-but-it-may-not-matter

Bostrom, N. (2003). Are You Living in A Computer Simulation? Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html

Bostrom, N. (2003). Why Make a Matrix? And Why You Might Be In One. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.simulation-argument.com/matrix2.html

Boult, A. (2016, June 03). We are 'almost definitely' living in a Matrix-style simulation, claims Elon Musk. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/06/03/we-are-almost-definitely-living-in-a-matrix-style-simulation-cla/

Elon Musk. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/profile/elon-musk/

Enter the Matrix (Video Game 2003). (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277828/

Howell, E. (2016, April 21). What Are Cosmic Rays? Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.space.com/32644-cosmic-rays.html

Matrixism: The path of the One, The Matrix religion. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://phosphoressence.tripod.com/

Merali, Z. (2003, November 14). Do We Live in the Matrix? Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://discovermagazine.com/2013/dec/09-do-we-live-in-the-matrix

Neil deGrasse Tyson. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/

Nick Bostrom. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.nickbostrom.com/

Oculus. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.oculus.com/

Reality. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reality

Rid, T. (2016, June). Rise of the Machines. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Rise-of-the-Machines/

The Matrix (1999). (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/?ref_=tttg_tg_tt

The Matrix (1999) - Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/quotes

The Matrix 101. (n.d.). The Books. Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://thematrix101.com/books/

VR in the Undergraduate Library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2017, from http://library.unc.edu/vr

Image Resources 

GIPHY. The Matrix GIF. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://media.giphy.com/media/l0Hlyj0fsHlNMxj8I/giphy.gif

GIPHY. Time GIF. [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://media.giphy.com/media/p2HSo534M8Is8/giphy.gif

Singh, S. (2016). The Matrix Movie Quotes. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.escapematter.com/2016/11/the-matrix-movie-quotes-that-make-you.html

Sarma, D. (2012). The Matrix. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://writeriot.blogspot.com/2012/07/

You|Need|Me. (2010). Matrix He is the one 1080p Full HD. [Film Still]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYwdzYC3uUc

Written by Tabitha Frahm

[uncparklib]

Happy National Coffee Day!

This postcard from Wilson Library’s North Carolina Postcard Collection depicts a giant coffee pot which still stands in Winston-Salem, NC. The 7-foot-3 pot was created in 1858 by the Julius and Samuel Mickey as a sign for their tinsmith’s shop. It can purportedly hold 740 cups of coffee.

Read more about the pot at the Wachovia Historical Society page.

[prudeperson-blog-blog]

In Praise of Librarians

[Oh, the perils of online composition! This is the second time I’ve written this post, because I accidentally hit my “Back” button and Tumblr, unlike WordPress, doesn’t have an autosave function. Let that be a lesson to you (by which I mean me).] Each semester students in my classes hear the same thing: “If you learn nothing else in this class, remember to always ask a librarian.” Obviously I hope they learn more than that from my classes, but if they don’t—if the only thing that floats vaguely into their consciousnesses when they hear my name is “ask a librarian” (well, and "check the syllabus")—they will never be at a loss for resources. UNC has one of the top Library and Information Sciences programs in the country and many of its graduates opt to stay here in the Triangle after graduation, so the UNC Libraries are stuffed to the gills with incredible professionals who are dying to help instructors design an assignment, locate sources, introduce a piece of software, head off plagiarism, or present one-of-a-kind artifacts from the UNC collections. That UNC librarians manage to be this helpful, thorough, and professional in the face of ongoing and debilitating state budget cuts is a testament to their training and work ethic; they could do so much more with adequate and consistent resources. When I began thinking about a classroom project related to nineteenth-century scrapbooks I got in touch with UNC’s Wilson Special Collections Library, hoping for a little shove in the right direction. But as in all my dealings with UNC librarians, I was deluged with resources. Dr. Emily Kader, Rare Book Research Librarian, found a number of scrapbooks in the Rare Books and North Carolina Collections for my English 127 students and me to peruse. When I brought up the possibility of creating an online edition of the Prudence Person scrapbook with my students, Emily researched rights and permissions and put the scrapbook in the queue for the Scribe scanning machine, where it somehow miraculously jumped to the front of the line (sorry, other patrons). When I made a comment about introducing my students to some basic print history so they could better understand the materials from which Prudence Person was drawing, Emily offered to arrange an exhibit of materials from the UNC collections, ranging from illuminated medieval manuscripts to an early-twentieth-century book with handwritten annotations by C.S. Lewis. She has at every turn been an amazing collaborator, anticipating my students’ needs and my own and supplying whatever she could to enhance the learning experience. Emily is just one of many fantastic librarians I’ve had the opportunity to work with at UNC, but my “ask a librarian” advice really applies to just about any university. Last week, in search of primary materials related to Prudence Person that might flesh out the online edition of her scrapbook, my students and I contacted the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University. There Elizabeth Dunn, Research Services Librarian, tracked down and scanned Prudence’s diploma from the Louisburg Female Seminary and her holograph will and was also able to quickly and knowledgeably answer our questions about permission to reproduce the materials online. Thanks to Elizabeth, we now have high-quality scans of these materials that we will be including in our digital edition of the scrapbook. In a few weeks Meagan, Jimmy, and I will be meeting librarians and cultural heritage professionals from Louisburg College and the Person Home when we visit Prudence’s hometown of Louisburg, NC, so I expect to have more legendary librarian stories to share very soon.