Fri, July 20, 2007
My iPod Loves Me—9:56 AM
I don't have time to Google up a link for you right now, but there was an interesting article a couple of years ago about the "shuffle" algorithm used on the iPod, how random it actually is, etc. (It can't be totally random, of course, because people don't want to hear the same song eleven times in a row – which is technically possible in a truly random system.)
Anyway, the article talked about how people think their iPod "knows" them, because it seems to serve up their favorite songs more often. The article marked this up to synchronicity: folks notice their favorite songs more often, so they remember the hits and forget the misses.
In the middle of a marathon housecleaning session last night (technically 1:00 this morning), I had hit yet another demoralizing moment when nothing seemed to be working out and no progress was being made. I said something to the effect of, "Well, I just want to die." (Except with 7 or 8 "fuck"s in there.) Two seconds later, li'l iPod served up "Le Festin" from the Ratatouille soundtrack and totally buoyed my spirits.
I still don't believe my iPod has a soul, but it definitely gave me the energy to scrub floors for another hour!
