 |
 |
|
|||||||
| |
|||||||||
| |
|||||||||
Brent Silby ProjectResume Essays, articles, and e-papers Production history My DJ Site:
brentishouse.com The Philosophy Coffeehouse
Background"I currently live in Christchurch, New Zealand. In 1988 I became a sound and lighting engineer--operating sound systems and light-shows for bands and other productions. Through my contacts in that industry, I changed profession and became a nightclub DJ in 1990. During the daylight hours of the early 1990's, I ran a computer graphics business, which involved the production of animated cartoon commercials for a local network of video screens that I installed in various public locations. The business also gave me the opportunity to produce a 30 minute long animated Nursery Rhyme video (for children under 5 years old), which was marketed throughout New Zealand and Australia by the Hughes Leisure Group. In 1995 I enrolled at the University of Canterbury. Originally a computer science major, I fell victim to the seductive influence of philosophy, which prompted me to change my course of study. I completed my Masters degree in 1999, and was employed by the Department of Philosophy as a teaching and research assistant until 2002. My philosophical interests include Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, Memetics, Evolution, and the Origin and Structure of the Universe. I continue to research and write in Philosophy. A number of my articles on Science and Philosophy have been listed on this site. I currently develop Arcade Style Video Games. I have always been a fan of video games. My first attempt at programming games was on a primitive Sinclair home computer in 1983. I quickly progressed to an Acorn computer (they built the famous BBC machines of the mid 1980's), and it was with that system that I learned most of the techniques used to design games. After 1987 I took a long break from videogame design until 1995 at which time I created a Dos based game named Orbs. A few years later I became interested in animation effects on Internet sites using dynamic HTML, and it was from there that I jumped right back in to writing games. You can check out the production history of my games by visiting the Production page. From Monday to Friday I teach at a Christchurch secondary school called "UPT" (Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti). This is a special character school for highly motivated learners. Students are encouraged to direct their own learning through the pursuit of topics of individual interest. My role at UPT includes teaching Philosophy and ICT. While not writing games or doing Philosophy, I enjoy DJ'ing at clubs and dance party events in Christchurch city. I am founder and resident DJ of the Audiodreams project. Audiodreams is dedicated to providing an ongoing series of dance parties for all audiences. I also mix house music sets for dance music radio. I am working on several goals involving game design, music, and DJ'ing. Outside of those goals my primary goal is one of science and knowledge. My goal is to move Philosophy out of the corridors of academia and introduce it to a larger audience. My hope is that people will learn to think rationally and exercise skepticism when faced with everyday concerns. This will allow all people to question authority, ask for reasons before accepting claims, and seek a better understanding of the world and the universe. As people become skilled in this way of thinking, they will look at the bigger picture and better understand their place in the universe. This will result in people taking better care of Earth, raising the perceived status of animals, and respecting other people as equals." -- Brent Silby 2001-2008 ©Copyright BRENT SILBY 2001-2008 |
|||||||||
