Ravit's Blog

29% of Americans think that cloud computing has to do with an actual cloud. Let's change that. (Source of definition: Google Dictionary) Cloud computing is simply a mechanism that allows one to perform operations on a remotely connected computer. To understand this in more depth, let's go back to what a computer does. A typical computer has a Central Processing Unit, or CPU. Essentially, this piece of hardware controls the rest of the computer, and allows it to carry out its basic functions, from basic arithmetic operations to controlling the operating system. Each computer has a different CPU, and CPUs come in a wide variety of capabilities. More powerful computers have more powerful CPUs, and can carry out the same number of operations in a shorter amount of time; however, a more powerful CPU also translates to a more expensive, and less portable computer. A solution has been developed to combine the benefits of portability and power, known as cloud computing. Clo...

In the world we live in, or think we live in, we are guided by our sensation. Our entire perception of the world is based off only five senses—sight, audition, olfaction, gustation, and sensation—from which we have constructed ourselves to behave a certain way. Psychology has proved again and again that our behavior is affected by the surrounding environment; classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and reinforcement learning are such examples. We have learned to behave in certain ways because of what we are exposed to. Sensation is the interface between us and the world. Our entire life feels so real, yet we scarcely dare to question our own sensation. Sure, we have science, which we use to understand the world, but it explains so little, and what's more, it's is centered around our own perception. We understand so little about it, or even about ourselves, yet we confide greatly in this understanding based on senses themselves. This leads to an important issue. As s...

What is the motivation behind staying alive? I notice that humans in today's society often complain about their lives. This led me to consider why we actually even stay alive. Here's my answer. Short answer: Hedonism. Long answer: The argument I put forth relies on a single underlying claim—that we are in charge of staying alive. There are plenty of ways one can cease living, and I advise you to consider the following: because you are reading this blog post right now, you are consciously making the decision to stay alive; thus you clearly see a purpose for not ceasing your own life, whatever that reason may be. First, I'd like to establish that humans operate on the basis of cost-benefit analysis. Now I know that this may not be evident at first, so let me elaborate. Let's take a sample real-life situation. You and your brother both want to go to the park one evening, but only one of you is allowed to go. Originally, you wanted to go, but then you decide to le...