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Help look for Steve Fossett
Sorry, Steve Fossett. We tried looking for you at 38.840103,-119.316330 but didn't find you there.
This morning we spent some valuable company time to join in on the search for millionaire Steve Fossett, who disappeared last week somewhere over Nevada.
It helps to be famous, for Amazon has joined the search party through its Mechanical Turk server.
Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) is a nifty service that allows you to automate tasks that can't be automated. You can use the service to have small tasks performed by people, ranging from looking at satellite photos in hopes of finding an airplane – or whatever is left of it – or transcribing an audio tape. Typically you have to pay people to have them perform these tasks, but in the case of Fossett it will be all charitable work.
Analyzing satellite images provide a great case for AMT's capabilities, because it allows you to execute tasks at virtually no costs. A simple task such as a photo analysis typically costs only a few cents.
So even if you're not Steve Fossett and still get lost, $20,000 will probably get 100,000 photos analyzed. Now if only we could get satellite photos good enough to track down Osama bin Laden.
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The search for Steve Fossett would be a good test for each of the famous individuals who are making oodles of money on TV telling people that they can see the future and know when, where and what loved ones, dead or alive, are saying and doing at this very moment.
Give each of them a piece of Fossett's
clothing and see which one it "helps."
I, like most of us, will anticipate quite generalized answers from each of them which, when Fossett is found, will fit nicely and imply that the magic was there.
To be more open minded, I also would welcome
their use and be convinced should the miracle match be a reality and documented
with witnesses from reputable news media at
Fox,N.B.C.and A.B.C. News.
Posted by: marvin purser | September 11, 2007 1:28 PM
Why not call in Sylvia Brown and let her put her psychic knowledge to work, Wh knows it just might work.
Posted by: NADINE | September 14, 2007 12:14 AM
Nadine:
That is what I said in the first paragraph. Sylvia would be included in that famous list.
Posted by: marvin purser | November 14, 2007 4:23 AM