For twenty years, the fastest known algorithm to multiply two n-by-n matrices, due to Coppersmith and Winograd, took a leisurely O(n^2.376) steps. Last year, though, buried deep in his PhD thesis, Andy Stothers discussed an improvement to O(n^2.374) steps. And today, Virginia Vassilevska Williams of Berkeley and Stanford, released a breakthrough paper [pdf] that improves the matrix-multiplication time to a lightning-fast O(n^2.373) steps. [via] [more inside]
posted by albrecht
on Nov 29, 2011 -
50 comments
Kaydara is a French-made Matrix fan film, released on the 21st of May 2011, which has been noted for the high quality of its special effects. The entire 55-minute film is now available to stream for free from its site.
[more inside]
posted by chmmr
on May 27, 2011 -
10 comments
"
Welcome to the Zion Archive. You have selected Historical File #12-1: The Second Renaissance."
So begins the short film of the same name by Mahiro Maeda
[Flash: 1 2 - QuickTime: 1 2] -- a devastating yet beautiful work of animation.
Originally produced to explain the backstory behind the
Matrix trilogy, Maeda's project ended up telling a story far darker and more affecting than any blockbuster.
Using a blend of
faux documentary footage and
visual metaphor, his serene Instructor relates in biblical tones the saga of Man and Machine, how age-old cruelty and hatred birthed a horrifying, apocalyptic struggle that consumed the world.
Packed with striking imagery and
historical allusions galore, this dark allegory easily transcends the films it was made for.
But while "The Second Renaissance" is arguably the best work to come from the
Matrix franchise, it's hardly alone -- it's just one of the projects made for
The Animatrix, a collection of
nine superb anime films in a
wide variety of styles designed to explore the universe and broaden its scope beyond the usual sci-fi action of the movies.
Click inside for a guide to these films with links to where they can be watched online, along with a look at
The Matrix Comics, a free series of comics, art, and short fiction created for the same purpose by
some of the best talent in the business.
[more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Feb 14, 2011 -
54 comments
BardoThodal the tibetian book of the dead, a way of life.This is what happens on the 49th day of our being dead. If you do not escape the Matrix, the day after you are inside a woman's womb.
part one part two
(Google video)
posted by hortense
on Oct 31, 2006 -
6 comments
Memorializing Hypereality maybe it is not always something 'new' that bears fruit but rather actually understanding something said before. Especially if we don't listen carefully the first time.
posted by hard rain
on Sep 12, 2006 -
12 comments
The Smell of War -- the Institute for Creative Technologies preps Quake-happy teens to become first-person shooters in the non-virtual war on terror. Now in Odorama.
posted by digaman
on Jul 25, 2006 -
22 comments
Mother of the Matrix? What if everything we experience is actually being delivered to our catatonic bodies by superintelligent robots? On a more practical note, what if the Wachowski brothers ripped off the ideas for their high-grossing trilogy from an unknown screenwriter who claims to have submitted it in response to a 1981 ad the brothers placed "
requesting new sci-fi works?" (registration required, but it will deliver the goods while saving you the pain of parsing intentional spelling errors in "Da Ghetto Tymz"). Does the fact that the author claiming infringement is a
black woman change the character of this story? It does seem like, considering where the case has gone, that it would be considered
news. Just how long is the arm of Time/Warner/AOL/Skynet? In other stories, how many times
will The Terminator be
sued? (via
PennyArcade)
posted by nanojath
on Dec 6, 2004 -
70 comments
This guy has hit the nail on the head. I've been marveling at how it was possible to completely screw up the sequels to what I consider the greatest action movie of all time. Matt Feeney has precisely and eloquently pinpointed everything wrong with the Matrix sequels.
posted by aznblader
on Nov 10, 2003 -
49 comments
Paging adrianhon ... Everyone's favorite soulless cubicle farm,
Metacortex, now has a web presence. You can also visit their strategic ally
Underscore Hosting, and even see a currently functionless homepage for their forthcoming
Metadex product. In fact, you can even check the status of their Greek fabricated-island resort
Aquapolis. Should you need to contact Metacortex or Underscore, their websites offer both e-mail and telephone numbers, both valid.
If the name Metacortex only rings a vague bell, it might help to recall their most, ah, celebrated ex-employee,
Thomas Anderson. (more inside)
posted by blueshammer
on Oct 2, 2003 -
9 comments
The Fanimatrix is an
amazing zero-budget amateur MATRIX film made by some great folks in Auckland, NZ. Finally, somebody gets it - The Matrix is an
action film.
posted by anser
on Sep 29, 2003 -
23 comments
"Hello, Neo. I am the Architect." For those of us who liked The Matrix Reloaded but got lost shortly after the Architect opened his mouth, here's a handy annotated transcript of his entire scene. Great for people who want to delve into the deeper meanings of what he's going on about, and also great for people (like me) who are interested in the
way he talks.
[Warning: Geocities site. Mirrored here if it goes down]
posted by Monster_Zero
on Aug 22, 2003 -
25 comments
( Matrix Revolution ) in just a few months! Warning: Link contains possible spoiler for those who haven't seen it! Looks like we won't have to wait very long until the conclusion to the cliff hanger ending of the Matrix is revealed in the sequel. Matrix 3 (Matrix Revolution)
posted by filecrave
on May 18, 2003 -
41 comments
Last of the free Animatrix episodes released! I've been waiting for this for a long time (in fact, ever since it was discussed
here). Set to be released on DVD June 3rd, four of the nine animated shorts were made available to download, one released every month since February. The last one,
The Second Renaissance Part 2, has finally been released, much to my anticipation [Note: Quicktime required]. This one is directed by Mahiro Maeda, famous his
Blue Submarine no. 6 series. Other directors include Shinichiro Watanabe, known for his work on
Cowboy Bebop, and Aeon Flux's
Peter Chung.
posted by joedan
on May 8, 2003 -
5 comments
Is there no spoon? The
Warner Bros Matrix site is home to a series of scholarly essays inspired by the film (last updated 3/20/03). I mean, sure, the film offers some "whoa dude" moments regarding technology, perception, and vinyl pants, but I was surprised to find it an interesting launching point for discussions about
freedom,
heaven, and
Plato's Cave as well. Being a philosophy layman, I can't vouch for their quality with any authority, but if you know the movies inside and out, as I apparently do (god help me) you might find the essays interesting.*
*for the next 15 agonizing days, anyway
posted by scarabic
on Apr 30, 2003 -
36 comments
Review on SF Site Here’s a question: what if the Wachowski brothers’ 1999 film
The Matrix was not just an entertaining piece of sf-action-adventure hokum. What if, instead, it is all true? Imagine it as a message sent via the medium of the Matrix itself (Hollywood cinema) from someplace outside the Matrix, to wake us up to our human condition, to alert us all to the fact ‘that we are slaves’. If so, then we are not living the lives we thought we were living; we are instead inhabiting a virtual reality composed by oppressive machine-intelligences. What if this were literally true? How would it appear to us? Well, clearly, it would appear exactly as our lives presently appear to us. Unless we get ‘unplugged’, unless we become enlightened, we cannot see past the illusion that has been created for us.
What should we do in this circumstance? Should we collaborate with the machines and not rock the boat? Or should we fight, free ourselves and eventually free everybody else? Clearly, says
The Matrix Warrior, this latter. This is a book that proceeds from the assumption that the situation described in The Matrix is real, and tells you where to go from there.
posted by metameme
on Apr 20, 2003 -
54 comments
What is the AniMatrix? A direct-to-video release of 9 animated shorts (comic book style, pure CGI, etc) by 7 directors looks at possible visions of the world pre-Matrix. Looks like it could be an interesting collection.
posted by mathowie
on Sep 5, 2002 -
27 comments
"This is a war, and we are soldiers." The first teaser for "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" has hit the web (QT only). Is this the movie that is going to break the Spider-Man/Star Wars Episode 2 records? Do the fans want/need a sequel? Can they possibly top the "cool fight scene" quotient of the last movie?
posted by Grum
on May 15, 2002 -
23 comments
Potty humor. "Because y'see, when you combine
The Matrix and
farting... you've got comedy right there."
posted by owillis
on Apr 14, 2001 -
5 comments
