Re: I am spamming your head I am spamming your head
I have a habit of stowing away certain e-mails that for one reason or another I can't respond to expediently, but that I fully intend to comment on at some point in time: From: Robert Seeberger [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Killer Bs Discussion brin-l@mccmedia.com To: Killer Bs Discussion brin-l@mccmedia.com Subject: Re: I am spamming your head I am spamming your head Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 18:26:40 -0500 Me: But yeah, I think there's some fairly decent music on that album. And if I could afford to I'd probably buy one. Hell, I'll probably buy one anyway. In a while. When I get a job. I like to think that AMYCD is an example of what Brin talks about when he discusses the rise of competent amateurism. In AFAIK only one piece was recorded in a studio (and I am pretty sure that was a piecemeal affair). The rest were recorded in bedrooms, living rooms, basements and converted garages. Most were recorded using the artists personal computer. I am quite amazed at the quality results one can achieve in such ordinary circumstances. Yeah I know a few people who record in their bedrooms etc, and the quality of the music can be suprising. As for the competent amateurism bit, I must say that personal experience on my part leads me to agree with you and of course da Docta. There are many amateur artists out there breeding competent creation in a variety of different mediums. Some even go so far as to excel and consequently rival the pros. Some. Anyway, kudos for helping to get the muzak out there. You just went up three and a half points on my cool meter. For what that's worth. It's worth quite a lot, even though I doubt I have done anything worthy of such props. xponent Only Having Fun, Doing Things I Like Maru rob And those things you like happen to be things that tickle my fancy; at least in this instance. Hence, cool. -Travis _ Powerful Parental Controls Let your child discover the best the Internet has to offer. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-capage=byoa/premxAPID=1994DI=1034SU=http://hotmail.com/encaHL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines Start enjoying all the benefits of MSN® Premium right now and get the first two months FREE*. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Satellite launch
This isn't about politics, so perhaps nobody cares... ;-) I forgot to mention earlier that I dragged myself out of bed at 3:15 Friday morning to see if I could see a weather satellite launch from Vandenberg AFB, which is about 250 miles south of here. Sure enough, it was visible, an orange dot just above the horizon. With binoculars, the dot resolved into a bit of a pillar of fire, so to speak. The vehicle was a Delta II, which makes a nice bright orange fire from its first stage, but the second stage is liquid fuel, much less bright, so I only saw it for 30-40 seconds before it vanished when the first stage went out. Not realizing that there was more than a few seconds betweeen stages, I may not have watched long enough to see the second. .. and it was fading fast and heading for the horizon rapidly. The launch was to the south, so it was moving directly away from me the whole time. It would have been 75 miles downrange when the first stage shut off, 40 miles altitude. Not a spectacular sight, but pretty cool knowing what it was. Dave Land was quite a bit closer and also saw it, so he might add his impressions. My only disappointment is that I wasn't on board. Well, I would have wanted a few other things on board with me. Food, oxygen, etc. When I was a kid, they promised me we'd all have a chance to go into space! And here I am a (unusually young) grandpa, but can I buy a ticket? No. (This wasn't nearly as spectacular as the Peacekeeper launch we saw a while back. Peacekeepers climb much higher initially and it was just after sunset, so the sun lit up its exhaust dramatically.) Nick -- Open WebMail Project (http://openwebmail.org) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
In a message dated 5/23/2005 9:43:48 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I forgot to mention earlier that I dragged myself out of bed at 3:15 Friday morning to see if I could see a weather satellite launch from Vandenberg AFB, which is about 250 miles south of here. Was this the same one that Steve had a closer view of? I remember back in ye olden days in Phoenix, of being able to see the trail of a White Sands missile launch WAY before Phoenix went mega-metro. Vilyehm ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
On May 23, 2005, at 9:43 AM, Nick Arnett wrote: Not a spectacular sight, but pretty cool knowing what it was. Dave Land was quite a bit closer and also saw it, so he might add his impressions. I got up a few seconds too late to see it from the beginning. I was about 80 miles north of Vandenberg, so it probably would have been quite impressive. When I got outside, I saw what I thought was a sodium vapor street light on a nearby hill, so I walked a little further out into the hotel parking lot. Only then, when it didn't move relative to the background stars -- or rather, when it moved much, much more slowly than it should have -- did I realize that what I was looking at was the launch. It was pretty small already (maybe 1/5 of the moon diameter, or about 6 minutes) and getting smaller rapidly. I had talked to my 8-year-old son about it earlier in the evening, and I'm actually pretty glad I didn't wake him up for it: it took my knowledge of what I was looking at to make it interesting. To a kid, it would have been not much more than an unusually orange star moving ever so slowly towards another star and getting smaller as it did. He's watched satellites with me a couple of times, so I know that he has some tolerance for underwhelming celestial events, but probably not at 0320. As it was, the weekend was a real bust for Ryan: we drove down to CalArts in Valencia from San Jose (about 7 hours' drive and back) to see his cousin graduate from film school. For a school that has graduated the likes of Tim Burton, Ralph Eggleston, Ed Harris, Brad Bird and John Lasseter, they sure don't know how to produce a graduation ceremony, at least not one that keeps a reasonably bright 8-year-old entertained. A drum circle. Some Alanis Morissette wannabe singing L.A., L.A., L.A., what have you done to me? Grey-hairs accepting their honoris causae. 3-1/2 hours ... and only *then* his cousin cross the stage. Anyway, the launch was, well, an unusually orange star moving ever so slowly towards another star and getting smaller as it did. Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
On Mon, 23 May 2005 12:57:19 EDT, Medievalbk wrote Was this the same one that Steve had a closer view of? Steve? Nick ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abortion and such and so
On May 20, 2005, at 11:42 AM, Dan Minette wrote: From: Warren Ockrassa [EMAIL PROTECTED] On May 16, 2005, at 7:34 PM, JDG wrote: At 07:03 PM 5/16/2005 -0700, Warren wrote: The problem there is that your reasoning does not reduce. There is a distinct difference between, say, a blastocyst and an infant. The question is not even when the zygote becomes human. The question is what human actually means. If the answer is homo sapiens its actually a rather easy question. It's the easiest answers of which we should often be most suspicious. In one sense, yes, but in another sense, no. If the answer is straightforward within our scientific understanding of the world, then the simple answer is usually considered the best. Naturally. And if all we're seeking is a genetic definition, then the simple answer is more than sufficient. However I believe I've made it more than clear that the genetic answer is far from sufficient in this case, and I don't find it satisfactory. Expressed another way, what exactly does the simple genetic answer *mean*? I'd argue that human societies have, for a number of convenient reasons, denied the humaness of the other. Sooth. For a number of reasons, and even when the genetic differences are extremely small (as with the Irish vs. the English), it was common sense that the other was so different as to render than inherently less than one's own group. As Nick has pointed out obliquely, this labeling of others is a commonplace in *all* religious traditions as well. As I suggested in my note to Dan, extending the epithet human to every member of the species is an ideal and nothing more; in reality we barely allow that label to be placed on fellow countrymen with whom we do not agree, let alone other cultures. I would argue that this is denying the humanness of others. Homo sapients are human is a tatology, human is simply a common word for homo sapient. It is considered a critical first step in promoting atrocitiesdenying that those who are about to be killed, tortured, enslaved, etc. are humans like those who are doing the killing, the torturing, etc., and therefore the actions are acceptable I'd argue that this is the easy answer...that what one wishes to do for selfish reasons really doesn't violate any ethics. It is easy to promote war by dehumanizing the enemy. It's much harder to justify wars that involve the killing of innocent people, just like your kids. Your conclusion, interestingly, is almost exactly the opposite of mine, even though we start from the same premise. My conclusion is that, since it's abundantly clear that no one is innately of greater or lesser worth than anyone else, the very worst thing we can do is proceed as though our definitions of what human means make any absolute sense, that we can ascribe the trait of humanness to some and not to others -- that in fact arbitrary assignment of value is what we do *all the time*, and therefore we *must* remain conscious -- as much as possible -- of how any action we might take can adversely affect others. If you look at some of the arguements given for blacks being sub-human, Native Americans being sub-human, the Irish being sub-human, you get a number of counterfactuals that are believed and are used to prove the point. Yes, which is why, of course, any such arguments should be viewed with suspicion. This is no different from whatever line of unreasoning is followed internally to transform a person from simply a person to The Enemy, He Who Is Not As I Am And Therefore Must Be Killed. The line of unreasoning can be a declaration from a holy writ, a holy personage or even a lowly president. Is a one-week-old zygote human? Genetically, sure, maybe even potentially. Actually? I don't think the question is so easily answered. Same for someone who's completely brain dead and on life support. Now, how about a third trimester fetus? Or someone in a PVS who appears to evince consciousness in rare and random ways? Those questions should be even more difficult to answer. Why aren't they human? Umm, Dan? Have you *read* my other discussions? Do you understand that I reject the idea of a real definition of what human is, because there are so many shades of meaning to the term that cannot be addressed easily, particularly with a facile application of a genetic category? The question, in the context of what I've stated on this topic, is meaningless. I think that your soft definition of human, instead of one based on a reasonable scientific classification, is really the answer to another question. Which beings deserve to be treated as I want to be treated because they are my peers? That is not a declaration of my perspective, nor do I believe I implied it to be so; the question is more along the lines of What exactly do we mean by human, what impact can that definition have on society and on individuals, and how can we apply the
Not Re: Satellite launch
At 12:29 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Dave Land wrote: As it was, the weekend was a real bust for Ryan: we drove down to CalArts in Valencia from San Jose (about 7 hours' drive and back) to see his cousin graduate from film school. For a school that has graduated the likes of Tim Burton, Ralph Eggleston, Ed Harris, Brad Bird and John Lasseter, they sure don't know how to produce a graduation ceremony, at least not one that keeps a reasonably bright 8-year-old entertained. A drum circle. Some Alanis Morissette wannabe singing L.A., L.A., L.A., what have you done to me? Grey-hairs accepting their honoris causae. 3-1/2 hours ... and only *then* his cousin cross the stage. One (at least one who is cynical^H^H^H^H^H^H^H realistic about the industry) question one might ask is whether keep[ing] a reasonably bright 8-year-old entertained is the primary purpose of the film school graduation, or is it possibly acknowledging that although the ones you mention did graduate from there, the odds are good that for at least some of the graduates the graduation ceremony may indeed be the high point of their film careers . . . ? Would You Like Fries With That Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
MENSA, Schmensa . . .
Some REALLY important scientific news (though many would say it's hardly news) . . . HIGHEST FUNCTIONS OF BRAIN PRODUCE LOWEST FORM OF WIT from The Guardian (UK) The highest functions of our brains handle the lowest form of wit, new research suggests. An investigation by Simone Shamay-Tsoory and colleagues shows that the ability to understand sarcasm depends on a carefully orchestrated sequence of complex cognitive skills in specific parts of the brain. Dr Shamay-Tsoory, a psychologist at the Rambam Medical Centre in Haifa and the University of Haifa, said: Sarcasm is related to our ability to understand other people's mental state. It's not just a linguistic form, it's also related to social cognition. http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1489902,00.html -- Ronn! :~) Humor...it is a difficult concept. --Lt. Saavik (Kirstie Alley) to Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) in _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn_ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Going to pot?
Cannabis use linked to risk of osteoporosis http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/science/story/0,12996,1490073,00.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Not Re: Satellite launch
At 04:47 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Dave Land wrote: On May 23, 2005, at 1:50 PM, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 12:29 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Dave Land wrote: As it was, the weekend was a real bust for Ryan: we drove down to CalArts in Valencia from San Jose (about 7 hours' drive and back) to see his cousin graduate from film school. For a school that has graduated the likes of Tim Burton, Ralph Eggleston, Ed Harris, Brad Bird and John Lasseter, they sure don't know how to produce a graduation ceremony, at least not one that keeps a reasonably bright 8-year-old entertained. A drum circle. Some Alanis Morissette wannabe singing L.A., L.A., L.A., what have you done to me? Grey-hairs accepting their honoris causae. 3-1/2 hours ... and only *then* his cousin cross the stage. One (at least one who is cynical^H^H^H^H^H^H^H realistic about the industry) question one might ask is whether keep[ing] a reasonably bright 8-year-old entertained is the primary purpose of the film school graduation, or is it possibly acknowledging that although the ones you mention did graduate from there, the odds are good that for at least some of the graduates the graduation ceremony may indeed be the high point of their film careers . . . ? Even as I wrote my message, I realized that the purpose of the graduation ceremony was certainly not to keep Ryan entertained. That is his parents' job. If, indeed, it is anyone's other than his own. A number of attendees opined that the purpose of the ceremony seemed to be to prepare the students to attend events like the Emmys, Oscars, the American Music Awards and so forth. Remember the comment made in the _MAD Magazine_ satire of (the original) _Star Wars_ wrt C-3PO? As for your other comment, I suspect that graduating from CalArts may represent the career pinnacle for many graduates, whether from the film and video, theater, fine arts, or other schools there, but that's true for many, many schools and many professions around the world. Which I realized, but that would have diluted the sarcasm. (Speaking of which, see the article I posted to the list . . .) -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
dealing with attachments
Here is a handy hint I just received. Instead of sending a file as an attachment, send it to yourself via http://www.yousendit.com/ And then forward the message to the group of people you want to receive the file. The file disappears after one week or 25 D/Ls (whichever comes first). You can send up to a Gig. Kind of a handy way of passing a file along to a group. xponent Who's Idea Was That? Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Not Re: Satellite launch
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: Remember the comment made in the _MAD Magazine_ satire of (the original) _Star Wars_ wrt C-3PO? No, I don't, and we only got 2 or 3 issues of MAD Magazine per year around that time, and that was one of them. (Dang!) So, would you please be so kind as to refresh my memory? :) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: dealing with attachments
At 05:09 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Robert G. Seeberger wrote: Here is a handy hint I just received. Instead of sending a file as an attachment, send it to yourself via http://www.yousendit.com/ And then forward the message to the group of people you want to receive the file. The file disappears after one week or 25 D/Ls (whichever comes first). You can send up to a Gig. Kind of a handy way of passing a file along to a group. I'm not completely clear on this. Does this mean that by sending the file to yourself via that address means they store the file temporarily _on their server_ and you send a link to the list, so the attachment is never sent to the list? Does it work for text attachments only, or graphics, too? Does it allow executables, and, if so, do they do anything to protect against viruses? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Going to pot?
In a message dated 5/23/2005 2:57:26 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Cannabis use linked to risk of osteoporosis Well, that makes it easier to study the fantastic patterns in the carpet, man. Vilyehm Try Citracal-Gold. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Officers Plot Exit Strategy
This story was sent to you by: Nick Arnett Related to DB's stories of officers being purged... Officers Plot Exit Strategy Many young lieutenants and captains, key leaders in combat, are deciding against Army careers in light of the open-ended war on terrorism. By Mark Mazzetti Times Staff Writer May 22 2005 KILLEEN, Texas #8212; Army Capts. Dave Fulton and Geoff Heiple spent 12 months dodging roadside bombs and rounding up insurgents along Baghdad's highway of death #8212; the six miles of pavement linking downtown Baghdad to the capital city's airport. Two weeks after returning stateside to Ft. Hood, they ventured to a spartan conference room at the local Howard Johnson to find out about changing careers. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-captains22may22,1,4160143.story?coll=la-headlines-nation Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Not Re: Satellite launch
At 05:33 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Ronn!Blankenship wrote: Remember the comment made in the _MAD Magazine_ satire of (the original) _Star Wars_ wrt C-3PO? No, I don't, and we only got 2 or 3 issues of MAD Magazine per year around that time, and that was one of them. (Dang!) So, would you please be so kind as to refresh my memory? :) For those who have their stash handy (either on dead trees or CD-ROMs), it's issue 196 (Jan 1978), page 5, the panel at the lower right hand corner of the page. (For those who have it in the latter format, it's on disc 4.) For those who don't, let me know and I'll send the panel to you off-list. (I guess we could try that service Robert mentioned for sending attachments . . . ) -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
At 11:43 AM Monday 5/23/2005, Nick Arnett wrote: My only disappointment is that I wasn't on board. Well, I would have wanted a few other things on board with me. Food, oxygen, etc. When I was a kid, they promised me we'd all have a chance to go into space! And here I am a (unusually young) grandpa, but can I buy a ticket? No. Have you read the article I posted about the disappearance of true innovation? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: dealing with attachments
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 05:09 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Robert G. Seeberger wrote: I'm not completely clear on this. Does this mean that by sending the file to yourself via that address means they store the file temporarily _on their server_ and you send a link to the list, so the attachment is never sent to the list? Exactly Does it work for text attachments only, or graphics, too? As I understand it, pretty much any kind of file. But they do have rules against Adult or copyrighted material, and they state that they co-operate with law enforcement. Does it allow executables, and, if so, do they do anything to protect against viruses? I think your protection is that you do not download anything suggested by someone you do not trust, or you can even wait to see what happens when fools rush in.G But it seems pretty clear that *intentionally* sending viruses is a violation of their terms of service, and that *you* are responsible for protecting yourself from malicious code. Considering that the incidental downloading of website graphics now requires one to employ a certain level of caution (including an updated antivirus and tight browser permissions) use of this service is likely a minimal risk if one is properly prepared to surf the web. The site brags that it transfers about 34 TeraBytes daily. That is a honking lot of zeros and ones. xponent Hopefully Helpful Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
On Mon, 23 May 2005 18:05:29 -0500, Ronn!Blankenship wrote Have you read the article I posted about the disappearance of true innovation? I did, but I saw nothing new in it. Nick ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Abortion Case Heads to the Supreme Court
In light of our recent abortion discussion, I'm wondering what some of the Brin-L'ers here think of the NH law requiring that parents of a minor be notified 48 hours before an abortion.Should this law contain an exception if the health of the minor is at risk? Currently, our national abortion jurisprudence says that it should. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/23/scotus.abortions.ap/index.html JDG ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Satellite launch
At 06:31 PM Monday 5/23/2005, Nick Arnett wrote: On Mon, 23 May 2005 18:05:29 -0500, Ronn!Blankenship wrote Have you read the article I posted about the disappearance of true innovation? I did, but I saw nothing new in it. Groan. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: dealing with attachments
On May 23, 2005, at 4:21 PM, Robert Seeberger wrote: Does it allow executables, and, if so, do they do anything to protect against viruses? From the site: YouSendIt cares, we now scan all files for viruses. Of course, Robert Seeberger's reminder not to download and run anything sent to you by anyone you don't trust is well-founded. Sure, they *scan* all files for viruses, but it doesn't say that they do anything more about them than that. Caveat concipior Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abortion Case Heads to the Supreme Court
At 06:41 PM Monday 5/23/2005, John D. Giorgis wrote: In light of our recent abortion discussion, I'm wondering what some of the Brin-L'ers here think of the NH law requiring that parents of a minor be notified 48 hours before an abortion.Should this law contain an exception if the health of the minor is at risk? Currently, our national abortion jurisprudence says that it should. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/23/scotus.abortions.ap/index.html And as long as health includes mental health, in practice any such law is invalidated, as a mental health type diagnosis can be based upon the opinion of one professional without any hard evidence from lab tests, etc., which is why some have the opinion that those who make such determinations do not and will not restrictions of any sort on abortions, thus they (the first group) say that they (the second group) defend all abortions. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abortion and Appeals to Emotion
At 01:15 PM Friday 5/20/2005, Warren Ockrassa wrote: The justice system in the US is tortuous and ghastly to be caught in the middle of, and I don't think we need to be creating *more* possibilities (in the form of laws that would have to be judicially interpreted, prosecuted, challenged, etc.) for misery and trauma than we already have in place. Which is why some of course have the (perhaps unachievable) goal of writing legislation (for this or many other issues) which is subject to only one interpretation: the one intended by the writers of the legislation. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Scouted: Having Fun With Intelligent Design
Folks, Today at lunch, Nick and I were reading reading selections from The Art of Peace by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. It is a tiny book that contains 100-some sayings excerpted from Master Ueshiba's writings. Among them is this: If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-floating. The following article describes an Aikido-like counter to the growing trend of state school boards to insist that science instructors teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution, and to teach that evolution is just a theory. http://www.alternet.org/story/22039/ Excerpt: All teachers know that their first and hardest job is to gain the student's attention and interest. What subject best attracts a teenager's undivided attention? Sex. Happily, when it comes to evolution, sex is central. I recommend that biology teachers begin by discussing Elisabeth A. Lloyd's decidedly scientific book, The Case of the Female Orgasm. No school board member should complain. The book's subtitle, Bias in the Science of Evolution, clearly fits with the new requirement that teachers critique evolutionary theory. Darwinians can explain the male orgasm. After all, the male ejaculation is necessary for the survival and perpetuation of the species, and if giving the male great pleasure while doing so promotes that, then natural selection would eventually endow the male orgasm with that characteristic. When it comes to the human female orgasm, however, evolutionists are stumped. No other female of the animal kingdom experiences an orgasm. Professor Lloyd examines 21 evolution-based explanations for the female orgasm, and demolishes every one of them. Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
No holes?
Wormhole 'no use' for time travel By Paul Rincon BBC News science reporter For budding time travellers, the future (or should that be the past?) is starting to look bleak. Hypothetical tunnels called wormholes once looked like the best bet for constructing a real time machine. These cosmic shortcuts, which link one point in the Universe to another, are favoured by science fiction writers as a means both of explaining time travel and of circumventing the limitations imposed by the speed of light. The concept of wormholes will be familiar to anyone who has watched the TV programmes Farscape, Stargate SG1 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The opening sequence of the BBC's new Doctor Who series shows the Tardis hurtling through a vortex that suspiciously resembles a wormhole - although the Doctor's preferred method of travel is not explained in detail. But the idea of building these so-called traversable wormholes is looking increasingly shaky, according to two new scientific analyses. Remote connection A common analogy used to visualise these phenomena involves marking two holes at opposite ends of a sheet of paper, to represent distant points in the Universe. One can then bend the paper over so that the two remote points are positioned on top of each other. [The wormholes] you would like to build - the predictable ones where you can say Mr Spock will land in New York at 2pm on this day - those look like they will fall apart Stephen Hsu, University of Oregon If it were possible to contort space-time in this way, a person might step through a wormhole and emerge at a remote time or distant location. The person would pass through a region of the wormhole called the throat, which flares out on either side. According to one idea, a wormhole could be kept open by filling its throat, or the region around it, with an ingredient called exotic matter. This is strange stuff indeed, and explaining it requires scientists to look beyond the laws of classical physics to the world of quantum mechanics. Exotic matter is repelled, rather than attracted, by gravity and is said to have negative energy - meaning it has even less than empty space. Law breaker But according to a new study by Stephen Hsu and Roman Buniy, of the University of Oregon, US, this method of building a traversable wormhole may be fatally flawed. In a paper published on the arXiv pre-print server, the authors looked at a kind of wormhole in which the space-time tube shows only weak deviations from the laws of classical physics. These semi-classical wormholes are the most desirable type for time travel because they potentially allow travellers to predict where and when they would emerge. Wormholes entirely governed by the laws of quantum mechanics, on the other hand, would likely transport their payloads to an undesired time and place. Calculations by the Oregon researchers show a wormhole that combines exotic matter with semi-classical space-time would be fundamentally unstable. This result relies in part on a previous paper in which Hsu and Buniy argued that systems which violate a physical principle known as the null energy condition become unstable. We aren't saying you can't build a wormhole. But the ones you would like to build - the predictable ones where you can say Mr Spock will land in New York at 2pm on this day - those look like they will fall apart, Dr Hsu said. Tight squeeze A separate study by Chris Fewster, of the University of York, UK, and Thomas Roman, of Central Connecticut State University, US, takes a different approach to tackling the question of wormholes. Amongst other things, their analysis deals with the proposal that wormhole throats could be kept open using arbitrarily small amounts of exotic matter. Fewster and Roman calculated that, even if it were possible to build such a wormhole, its throat would probably be too small for time travel. It might - in theory - be possible to carefully fine-tune the geometry of the wormhole so that the wormhole throat became big enough for a person to fit through, says Fewster. But building a wormhole with a throat radius big enough to just fit a proton would require fine-tuning to within one part in 10 to the power of 30. A human-sized wormhole would require fine-tuning to within one part in 10 to the power of 60. Frankly no engineer is going to be able to do that, said the York researcher. The authors are currently preparing a manuscript for publication. Supporting view However, there is still support for the idea of traversable wormholes in the scientific community. One physicist told BBC News they could see problems with Hsu's and Buniy's conclusions. Violations of the null energy condition are known to occur in a number of situations. And their argument would prohibit any violation of it, they commented. If that's true, then don't worry about Hawking radiation from a black hole; the
Re: Abortion Case Heads to the Supreme Court
John D. Giorgis wrote: In light of our recent abortion discussion, I'm wondering what some of the Brin-L'ers here think of the NH law requiring that parents of a minor be notified 48 hours before an abortion.Should this law contain an exception if the health of the minor is at risk? Perhaps not, but there should be an exception if the father of the fetus is a family member (incest/rape). The intersection of the subjects of abortion and incest is a pretty sick neighborhood. When I was a teen a family (with 3 kids) moved in across the street from us. When it was revealed that the Father had gotten the daughter (12) preggers no one was surprised since it was commonly known that the daughter was doing her younger brothers. (These kids openly talked about this with sickening frequency. And I doubt you could have found a pubic hair between the three of them) It was rumored that the parents were brother and sister. It was pretty obvious the rumor started because all three kids were complete and utter morons, not retarded actually (At least I don't think so), but so completely emptyheaded and oblivious and compliant that they would do pretty much anything someone told them to do. Seriously, I do not think these kids could ever forsee the outcome of their actions. The wierd thing is, these kids were absolute innocents. I don't think any of them had the slightest glimmer of evil in them. They were kind of like talking cartoon animals in human bodies. And they are likely dead or imprisoned. I like to think the world is moving away from situations that allow this kind of child abuse to occur. I'm probably wrong. The consideration of this subject causes some internal turmoil for me. On one hand I feel that kids like those I knew should never have been born. On the other, I feel some guilt because I am condoning the killing of innocents. And guilt again because I feel that those kids were something less than human in ways that I recognise in every other person I have known. xponent The Lights Were On But No One Is Home Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: Having Fun With Intelligent Design
On May 23, 2005, at 5:46 PM, Dave Land wrote: When it comes to the human female orgasm, however, evolutionists are stumped. False. The female orgasm comes from the same zone as male nipples (metaphorically speaking). The wiring is there in both genders to produce analogous nerve endings in various body parts; in the male they are centered in the corona, particularly around the frenulum, and in the female they are centered in the clitoris. Both sets of nerves, cut from the same cloth, produce the same results when stimulated correctly. There's no mystery here at all. What's mysterious is how anyone can see this as being baffling, weird or unexpected. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abortion and Appeals to Emotion
On May 23, 2005, at 5:16 PM, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 01:15 PM Friday 5/20/2005, Warren Ockrassa wrote: The justice system in the US is tortuous and ghastly to be caught in the middle of, and I don't think we need to be creating *more* possibilities (in the form of laws that would have to be judicially interpreted, prosecuted, challenged, etc.) for misery and trauma than we already have in place. Which is why some of course have the (perhaps unachievable) goal of writing legislation (for this or many other issues) which is subject to only one interpretation: the one intended by the writers of the legislation. I think experience alone has shown that this is, in fact, an impossible goal. This suggests to me that it should not be tried. Not because it's futile; but because needless suffering will be the inevitable result. Since that suffering is preventable, it makes sense to *not* act, and to not enact as a result of the non-action. ;) -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Revenge of the REAL George Lucas...
Damn you George Lucas. Chinese actress Bai Ling shot a small role in Star Wars 6 as Senator Bana Breemu. Ling told one interviewer that Senator Bana Breemu helps put Padm's mind at peace when she's in trouble. In another interview, she described her character's costume: I'm all naked with tattoos on my body. You have to find out why when you see the movie. But alas, the Breemu character's scenes were cut from the final release version. That's right George Lucas apparently shot a scene in which naked Bai Ling comforts troubled Natalie Portman, then decided not to use the scene. Hot intergalactic girl-girl action is sitting on a shelf somewhere, but we won't get to see it. Between filming and release, Bai Ling posed nude for Playboy, which put her on this month's cover billed as Star Wars Sexy Alien. Last week Bai Ling sparked a mini-scandal by claiming that George Lucas deleted her role in anger over the Playboy spread. Lucas denied it in an Access Hollywood interview: She was cut out of the movie very early on. My daughter's in that same scene. My daughter was cut as well. My other daughter was in another scene and that was cut as well. Will we get to see an unrated DVD version? http://www.dazereader.com/24000842.htm -- Gary busy lately - election tied - runoff early voting starts Wednesday Denton Easter Lemming Blogs http://elemming.blogspot.com http://elemming2.blogspot.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
When I am an old Jedi I shall wield purple.
When I am an old Jedi I shall wield purple With a red cloak which doesn't go into battle, and doesn't suit me. And I shall use the Force on brandy and summer loves And satin sandals, and say we can't stand talk style Yoda. I shall sit down in strange bars when I'm tired and gobble up samples from Trade Federation shops And run my lightsabre along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall fight bounty hunters in the rain And levitate flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear oil stained cloaks and grow more wise And eat three pounds of sausages at a go served by robot waitresses or four armed cooks. And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in swamps. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And follow the council and not swear in the street. And set a good example for the padawan. We will have friends to dinner and float the pears. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised When suddenly I am old and start to wield purple. William Taylor - Good words on page I do forbear Not pulled out from my derriere. Blest be the man who says, 'Writes well.' And cursed be he that makes me spell. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
