SciFoo is now finished... it's going to take me a few days to do it justice, but it qas definitely different, interesting, inspiring. It was also a bit dwarfing at the same time - realising how many people are doing Head First-ish things in game design, e-learning, maths programs etc, and the challenges in getting anything new accepted in an education industry where consultants in some countries have vested interests with particular textbook companies.
Where else but SciFoo could you get in an informal chat with the guy who was editor in chief for Scientific American for 15 years - then have him turn round and say "I picked up your book last night - I really like it." The big leveller is just having names on badges - and an atmosphere of mingling that makes it OK to sit down with anyone and start chatting (or start playing guitars and singing - more of that in another post!).
I'll write more as time goes on, with photos to be added when I'm back and have my camera cable. For now I'd like to write about something I've been unable to documents photographically. Google have relaxed their photos policy for SciFoo - pictures outside plus in the main foyer / reception area and the seinar rooms are OK (though if anyone is identifiable they've requested we ask their permission before posting them online). This means I have been unable to take live shots of the Googleplex's scary bottom washer toilets.
Imagine you've just sat on the loo, and the person using it before you was running a temperature while sitting there reading War and Peace for several hours. That's how warm the seat is. Casting your eyes around the cubicle, you see debugging newsletters tacked to the back of the door, and a strange control panel on the side wall. This toilet has a wall mountable remote control. Disturbingly, its buttons are labelled "Stop", "Rear cleansing" "Front cleansing" "Dryer" and "Oscillating". Fortunately, none of these modes are auto-activated (though it knows when to flush) and my natural button-pressing curiosity is somewhat tempered when sitting on a scary bottom washing toilet.
Gentle reader, I have searched for this toilet and though I respected the photo policy and took no images myself, I can now present to you several peopel who have reviewed this scary bottom washing toilet:
http://www.toiletsthatwork.com/toto-toilet-detail.asp?id=MS950CG&name=NEOREST&view=1&view2=seat#review
The best bit is this toilet's intelligence. According to the manufacturer, it can detect whether the toilet was used standing or sitting, and flushes with an appropriate volume of water.
Time for a snooze now, I think, before the tone is lowered any further.
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