Unquiet Desperation

How cool is this? [CK](http://www.sampletheweb.com) just blogged about a [Mac OS X dashboard widget for Mahalo](http://codingrobots.com/mahalo/).

It’s been less than 24 hours. I love this job.

[](http://www.mahalo.com)

This is the project I’ve been working on for the last few months, which I have not been able to talk about until now. The Big Secret is now out, and we are live. Say hello to [Mahalo](http://www.mahalo.com).

From the [press prelease](http://www.mahalo.com/Mahalo_PR):
>**Human-powered search engine Mahalo.com launches with investors including Sequoia Capital, Elon Musk, Newscorp, CBS and Burda Media.**
>
>Wall Street Journal’s D Conference (Northern San Diego), May 30th, 2007: Serial entrepreneur Jason McCabe Calacanis today launched Mahalo.com, a human-powered search engine, at the Wall Street Journal’s D Conference. The site is currently being launched in Alpha with the Internet’s 4,000 most popular search terms completed. The Santa Monica-based company hopes to reach 10,000 search terms by the end of the year. At that point it will enter Beta, and launch shortly thereafter.
>
>”We’re in month five of a five-year project,” explained Calacanis, “but we wanted to get some real-world feedback, so we’re launching it early here at D Conference.”
>
>The site is focused on the top English-language search terms, including verticals such as travel, products, news, entertainment, sports, food, and health. “Google’s mission is to index the world’s information; our mission is to curate that wonderful index,” said Calacanis. “It’s my belief that humans can play a significant role in the development of search results and we’re going to try to figure out exactly what that role is over the next couple of years. I am really looking forward to hearing what people think of the Alpha,” he added.
>
>..Additionally, the firm announced that it has closed two rounds of financing to date. Lead investors include Sequoia Capital, Elon Musk and NewsCorp. Additional investors include CBS, Hubert Burda Media, Allen & Co., David Bradley, Gigi Brisson, Sandy Climan, Mark Cuban, Matt Coffin, Ted Leonsis, Jonathan Miller, Mark Pincus, Ryan Scott, and Fred Wilson.

Check out the following links for some more information:

1. [Mahalo FAQ](http://www.mahalo.com/Mahalo_FAQ)
2. [Mahalo Blog](http://blog.mahalo.com)
3. [Techcrunch Coverage](http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/30/jason-calacanis-launches-mahalo-today-human-powered-search/)
4. [D Conference Coverage](http://d5.allthingsd.com/20070530/mahalo-search/)
5. [FOX News](http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007May30/0,4670,HumanSearch,00.html)
6. [Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118056234795419124.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)

Scott Sigler’s book, *Infested*, previously released at the podiobook *[Infection](http://www.podiobooks.com/title/infection)*, is going to be made into a [movie by RH Films](http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6447296.html)…

>The deal was arranged by RH Films president Peter Gethers and the co-presidents of Rogue, Andrew Karpen and Andrew Rona. Random House Films will also get filmmaking rights to the unpublished second novel in Sigler’s series, which Crown has already signed. Infested, which Crown senior v-p and publisher >Steve Ross said is expected to be one of the imprint’s biggest books for next spring, follows a CIA specialist and Centers for Disease Control scientist >trying to contain a bioterror threat in the form of a fast-spreading parasite that turns its victims into serial killers.

Congrats Scott!

**Cathy:** Logan¹, did you poop?

**Logan:** No!

**Cathy:** I disagree…

1. Logan is not quite two years old[back]

The response to my post about a shared, collaborative work about supers was strong, and that’s really encouraging. I want to thank everyone who responded either on the blog or via Twitter or email…it’s good to know that other folks think about this stuff too.

The main thing I’m rolling around in my head is how superpowers are usually introduced. I’m wondering of we’ve exhausted the possibilities. In the fiction I’ve read, people come by their powers in the following ways:

1. **Internal Genetic Mutation:** This is the one that bugs me the most. If any of you evolutionary biologists out there want to correct me, please do, but I’ve always thought that mutation is a reaction to an external stimuli. Usually, it’s to help insure the survival of the host race. This is why heroes like Scott Summers drive me crazy…what kind of world would have to exist to make Nature imbue one of her creations with eyebeams?¹ The same sort of thing is happening in Heroes.² This is the core thought that makes me want to take on this shared world and forms the core question I want to answer.

2. **External Genetic Mutation:** Radioactive spiders, super-soldier serums, gamma rays, and cosmic rays — That sort of thing. A single external event that forces a non-natural change on the host.

3. **Alien:** Last Son of Krypton, Last Man from Mars…you know what I mean. Beings who are super on Earth who, on their home world, might have been above-average specimens. Heroic, even, but not super-heroes necessarily. It’s alien biochemistry mixed with the foreigner status that gives them their powers.

4. **Mystical Genesis:** Magic, otherworldly natures, reincarnation, etc. Host owes their powers to a supernatural or extra-natural agent of some sort.

5. **Superdevice:** Or, the +5 Holy Avenger syndrome. Green Lantern’s Ring is a good example of this one. It’s the object, not the being, which makes the power possible.

Now…note that folks like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson don’t seem to fit in any of the above, because, strictly speaking, they have no super-powers. Heroes, but no powers.

At the beginning, I want this new world of ours to be pure #1…internal genetic mutation. We can introduce other things later as a reaction tot the first events, but let’s start with the hard part. So, this is my first guideline for anyone who wants to play along:

**There must be a reason for your character’s powers to exist. An external force to which that Nature is reacting.**

…and I’m not talking about an Event. No gamma rays or micro-waved arachnids. This has to be something which has developed over time, and thereby giving the mutation time to form. Because of that, it seems like this world needs to be set in a future of some sort, with some kind of situation that will force the changes needed. Ecological collapse? Alien invasion and generations of enslavement? What would cause your character’s super powers? Let’s discuss this. Any thoughts?

1. To be fair, they look cool, and even Stan Lee admits that ‘mutation’ was a great catchall for powers. No insult meant to Stan, here.[back]
2. although Heroes might be more about selective breeding..the Claude’s comments about pigeons[back]