Guest Thinkers — December 17, 2010

Word Lens: Real-Time Translation via Augmented Reality

Real-time translation and augmented reality have been among 2010’s hottest topics. Now, one app is marrying the two. Word Lens is a real-time translation app that turns your iPhone into “the dictionary of the future,” using optical character recognition and augmented reality to translate text.

From street signs to t-shirt slogans, the app offers a useful, playful, albeit no doubt imperfect, educational tool and portable cross-cultural bridge.

The app is free in the iTunes Store, with various language pairs available for in-app purchase. The first pair released is Spanish-English, with more coming soon.

Maria Popova is the editor of Brain Pickings, a curated inventory of miscellaneous interestingness. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD Magazine, Design Observer and Huffington Post, and spends a shameful amount of time on Twitter.

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The Future

To fear AI is to fear Newton and Einstein. There are no “dragons” here.

Who’s afraid of utopia? AI doubters have cold feet. History can warm them.

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The Learning Curve

Why the pursuit of happiness leads to misery — and what to do about it

Impossible standards and poor self-understanding are making us miserable.

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The Carrington event of 1859 disrupted telegraph lines. A “Miyake event” would be far worse

We don’t know what causes Miyake events, but these great surges of energy can help us understand the past — while posing a threat to our future.

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The ultimate psychedelics explainer

Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Matthew Johnson answers 24 huge questions about psychedelics.

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02:09:03 min

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with

Matthew W. Johnson

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Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: What is a woman?

If you think you know what sex, gender, and “the right thing to do” for trans youth and adults are, be sure it agrees with actual science.

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