1. Rosner, Hillary. "A Chemist Comes Very Close to a Midas Touch." The New York Times 15 October 2012. Web. 3 November 2012.
Paul Chirik, a chemist at Princeton University, has successfully managed to make iron react like platinum in certain chemical reactions. Though shy of changing the base metal into gold, Rosner describes this as a kind of alchemy and gives a brief glimpse at some of the implications of this discovery - including how it's contributing to new fuel-efficient tires. writes in a clear conversational style.
As a medievalist and someone interested in modern discoveries that either look or wink back at medieval beliefs and/or ideas, I just had to include this article.
2. University College London. "Virtual reality puts human in rat world: 'Beaming' technology transforms human-animal interaction." ScienceDaily 31 October 2012. Web. 3 November 2012.
Computer scientists at UCL and Barcelona have managed to create the technology to add a physical dimension to long distance interaction. The article details how this technology works (a mix of virtual reality and robotics), and includes some quotes from the scientists leading the project about its implications. This one is written in a clear style while making use of block quotes.
As someone who's been in a distance relationship for several years, this kind of technology is beyong intriguing. So, this one had to be included.
3. Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). "Asteroid belts of just the right size are friendly to life." ScienceDaily 1 November 2012. Web. 4 November 2012.
Rebecca Martin, a NASA Sagan Fellow from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and astronomer Mario Livio of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md, have published a study that suggests that a perfectly placed asteroid belt is necessary for life-sustaining planets to develop. The article summarizes these scientists' hypothesis, and walks readers through the possible asteroid belt-related scenario that lead to the formation of Earth, as well as suggesting that asteroid impacts can help to spur on evolution. This article is written in a clear, matter-of-fact style.
The necessity, and usefulness of asteroids is something curious to ponder. And what better way to stir thoughts on space rocks than to read about them? That's why this article is included in this week's Annotated Links.
4. Adams, James. "It’s high time: The Dreamachine is no longer just a dream." The Globe and Mail 31 October 2012. Web. 3 November 2012.
Adams' article provides a quick overview of the history and cult popularity of the dreamachine - a device that simulates light undulating in a regular pattern, as when passing by evenly spaced trees at sunset. Adams also gives some insight into the celebrities that have used it in the past, and uses the case of Margaret Atwood's recent receipt of one to provide a slightly cynical perspective on the device. This article is written in a steady going style.
Anything that offers a "drug-less high" is a curiousity. Not because it's possibly a legal way to get such a high, but because of what it suggests about the brain and its ability to, put simply, entertain itself. This article is included in this batch of links because of the insight into this phenomenon.
5. Kim, Sam. "Elephant in South Korean zoo imitates human speech." Bradenton.com 1 November 2012. Web. 3 November 2012.
Scientists have confirmed that an elephant in South Korea's Everland Zoo can imitate human speech. Kim explains how this phenomenon came about and why it seems to be isolated to just a couple of elephants. Kim's article is designed for the internet with simple sentence structure and short paragraphs.
Various birds can mimic human speech, but elephants? That's just plain weird, and so it just plain had to be included in this article.
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Closing
Next week on the blogs watch for another poem on Monday, the second to last stanza of "Dum Diane vitrea" on Tuesday and more Beowulf on Thursday. As always Tuesday's and Thursday's updates can be found over at Tongues in Jars, and Monday's can be found right here at A Glass Darkly!
By the way, because of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and how my work week's rolled out, I'm not going to be reviewing a movie this coming week. But, watch for a review of something the next week!
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Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #23: Chameleon Communications
1. Anders, Charlie Jane. "What would a Random House/Penguin merger mean for science fiction and fantasy?" io9 25 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
Anders offers a handful of insights into what a merger of Penguin and Random House might mean for publishers, imprints, writers, readers and those aspiring to be writers. She also includes a link to an in-depth article about what mergers in general mean for science fiction and fantasy, and another link to a 2007 interview with Ace/Roc editor Anne Sowards. This article is written in a easy-going, conversational style.
This one is included, and set into the first place, because the possibility of a Penguin/Random House merger is huge news for anyone keeping an eye on the publishing industry.
2. Sullivan, Tim. "'Gone With The Wind' In North Korea An Unlikely Cultural Phenomenon." HuffPost World: Canada 24 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
Sullivan writes on an array of reasons why Gone With the Wind is so popular among North Koreans. Among these reasons, he gives in depth treatment to the book's Civil War setting and its tough, hardship-enduring characters. He writes in a smooth style and uses a handful of quotations to underline his article's narrative quality.
This one's included because it's a great example of how cultural products can cross cultures and end up thriving in places that you would simply not expect.
3. Peng, Kan. "How to hard sell China's soft power." China Daily 26 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
Peng begins by summarizing the Psy/Gangnam Style phenomenon, how social media has played an integral part in the phenomenon's popularity, and how the phenomenon has helped to promote South Korean culture and products across the world. He then moves into how China has tried and failed to do promote their soft power via cultural exports in the same way, but have failed because they've kept their attempts too official. Peng writes in a punchy, to-the-point style.
This article is included because of the contrast that it sets up between two nation's strategies for increasing their soft power. This contrast underlines the usefulness of pop-culture.
4. Rector, Gene. "'Science fiction' becomes 'science fact' following Utah test." WRWR The Patriot 23 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
This is a brief article about a new microwave emitter-equipped missile (called CHAMP, or the Counter-electronics High powered Advanced Missile Project) that is designed to disable electronics. According to the article, the titular test in Utah saw this technology not only shut down all of the computers in a target building but also the camera recording the experiment.
As a technology article amongst articles about books and publishing, this one might seem out of place. However, at its heart it's about a missile that has the potential to take out communications systems - and what are publishing and books if not just friendly means of communication?
5. Perlow, Jason. "Computing's low-cost, Cloud-centric future is not Science Fiction." ZDNet 21 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
This article looks at Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner as examples of futurism. Specifically, Perlow goes over the aspects of each movie that, some 50 and 30 years before the present, accurately depict technological aspects of our daily life and those elements of the movies that aren't here just yet. Perlow writes in an expositional style, using a generous number of links to his own and others' writing.
This one is included because it shows the importance of fiction as a way to explore ideas that seem far removed from reality, just one of fiction's enduring uses.
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Closing
That's it for this week in the blog, but check back here next week for another short story draft, a review of the recent cult classic The Room (Monday and Friday), and, over at Tongues in Jars, more of "Dum Diane vitrea" and Beowulf (Tuesday and Thursday).
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Anders offers a handful of insights into what a merger of Penguin and Random House might mean for publishers, imprints, writers, readers and those aspiring to be writers. She also includes a link to an in-depth article about what mergers in general mean for science fiction and fantasy, and another link to a 2007 interview with Ace/Roc editor Anne Sowards. This article is written in a easy-going, conversational style.
This one is included, and set into the first place, because the possibility of a Penguin/Random House merger is huge news for anyone keeping an eye on the publishing industry.
2. Sullivan, Tim. "'Gone With The Wind' In North Korea An Unlikely Cultural Phenomenon." HuffPost World: Canada 24 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
Sullivan writes on an array of reasons why Gone With the Wind is so popular among North Koreans. Among these reasons, he gives in depth treatment to the book's Civil War setting and its tough, hardship-enduring characters. He writes in a smooth style and uses a handful of quotations to underline his article's narrative quality.
This one's included because it's a great example of how cultural products can cross cultures and end up thriving in places that you would simply not expect.
3. Peng, Kan. "How to hard sell China's soft power." China Daily 26 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
Peng begins by summarizing the Psy/Gangnam Style phenomenon, how social media has played an integral part in the phenomenon's popularity, and how the phenomenon has helped to promote South Korean culture and products across the world. He then moves into how China has tried and failed to do promote their soft power via cultural exports in the same way, but have failed because they've kept their attempts too official. Peng writes in a punchy, to-the-point style.
This article is included because of the contrast that it sets up between two nation's strategies for increasing their soft power. This contrast underlines the usefulness of pop-culture.
4. Rector, Gene. "'Science fiction' becomes 'science fact' following Utah test." WRWR The Patriot 23 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
This is a brief article about a new microwave emitter-equipped missile (called CHAMP, or the Counter-electronics High powered Advanced Missile Project) that is designed to disable electronics. According to the article, the titular test in Utah saw this technology not only shut down all of the computers in a target building but also the camera recording the experiment.
As a technology article amongst articles about books and publishing, this one might seem out of place. However, at its heart it's about a missile that has the potential to take out communications systems - and what are publishing and books if not just friendly means of communication?
5. Perlow, Jason. "Computing's low-cost, Cloud-centric future is not Science Fiction." ZDNet 21 October 2012. Web. 27 October 2012.
This article looks at Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner as examples of futurism. Specifically, Perlow goes over the aspects of each movie that, some 50 and 30 years before the present, accurately depict technological aspects of our daily life and those elements of the movies that aren't here just yet. Perlow writes in an expositional style, using a generous number of links to his own and others' writing.
This one is included because it shows the importance of fiction as a way to explore ideas that seem far removed from reality, just one of fiction's enduring uses.
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Closing
That's it for this week in the blog, but check back here next week for another short story draft, a review of the recent cult classic The Room (Monday and Friday), and, over at Tongues in Jars, more of "Dum Diane vitrea" and Beowulf (Tuesday and Thursday).
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #22: Different, but the Same
1. Ramstad, Evan. "Are Koreans the Irish of Asia? Here’s a Case." Korea Realtime (Wall Street Journal) 16 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
Ramstad recounts the recent visit to Seoul of Eammon McKee, Ireland's ambassador to the Koreas, and a speech he made there wherein he fleshed out the Korea-is-Ireland cliché. He quotes McKee's speech selectively, compiling a brief list of the ways in which the two nations are similar. This article is written in a pure journalistic style, this article reports on the idea of the two nations having shared traits.
An article about how two disparate nations actually have quite a bit in common is a great way to start of an Annotated Links about different things that, upon further analysis, can easily be considered similar. Thus, this article was an easy pick for this week's batch.
2. Lorditch, Emilie. "Using Science Fiction to Educate." Inside Science 17 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
This one is a brief article that provides an overview of the basic argument for using science fiction in science education: to show the relevance of science to young people so that more of them will take an active interest in pursuing the sciences at college or university. It makes specific reference to science fiction and super hero films while leaving out anything about science fiction literature. Lorditch writes in a direct style of reportage, with an effective use of quotes.
Science fiction and science fact are definitely different, but the limits of human technology are always making gains on the limits of human imagination. This article doesn't make a direct comparison between science fiction and science in the classroom, but mining science fiction for examples to show how science does and doesn't work bridges the two nicely.
3. Houpt, Simon. "IBM hones Watson the supercomputer’s skills." The Globe and Mail 19 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
In this interview with the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center's Eric Brown, Houpt explores the different uses for IBM's Question Answering supercomputer Watson. Specifically, Houpt asks about IBM's work with the US healthcare insurance provider WellPoint and how Watson will figure in with that. It's written as any interview is bound to be written - in a conversational tone.
Though comparisons between Watson and human personalities don't come up until near the end of the interview, this piece is included in this week's Annotated Links because it underscores how a stripped down version of human thinking (parsing sentences, taking certain elements and understanding the relationships between them) is being emulated by computers.
4. Taylor, Kate. "Picnicface: Why are we laughing? I don’t know, but it sure beats crying." The Globe and Mail 20 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
Taylor's article offers some quick background information on the Picnicface story, along with a very quick rundown of where the three-person comedy trio is today. Her article also offers some thoughts on the matter of internet fame vs. old school fame, and how being popular on YouTube does not necessarily translate being popular on the boob tube. This one is written in a straightforward style, with quotes from players in the Picnicface story sprinkled throughout.
Including this one in the Links for this week was necessarily partly because it fit and partly because of personal prejudices. Picnicface is an hilarious troupe, and the ways in which culture on the internet is different from culture on TV or radio or in print is something that needs more mainstream attention.
5. Strickland, Eddie. "Red Potion (The Legend of Zelda cocktail)." The Drunken Moogle 14 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
Simply a recipe for a cocktail inspired by the Legend of Zelda (clicking on that tag at the bottom of the recipe shows another 4 pages worth of Zelda-inspired booze bombs). This recipe is written in a direct style without any extra notes.
This one's included for the obvious reason that video games ('The Legend of Zelda,' perhaps especially) are not the same as real life. However, it must definitely be noted that medieval medicine (and therefore medicine in a high fantasy setting such as the one in 'Zelda') would invariably involve alcohol in some way - so the two different worlds of the real and the virtual are bridged by the cause of and solution to all of life's problems: alcohol.
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Closing
Next week, watch for a poem post for Monday, and Part Four of Shocktober, when I'll make the call for the conversion of the campy horror flic The Convent.
Plus, over at Tongues in Jars, watch for the fifth stanza of "Dum Diane vitrea" in Tuesday's Latin entry, and Wiglaf's tongue lashing of the cowardly thanes in Thursday's Beowulf entry.
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Ramstad recounts the recent visit to Seoul of Eammon McKee, Ireland's ambassador to the Koreas, and a speech he made there wherein he fleshed out the Korea-is-Ireland cliché. He quotes McKee's speech selectively, compiling a brief list of the ways in which the two nations are similar. This article is written in a pure journalistic style, this article reports on the idea of the two nations having shared traits.
An article about how two disparate nations actually have quite a bit in common is a great way to start of an Annotated Links about different things that, upon further analysis, can easily be considered similar. Thus, this article was an easy pick for this week's batch.
2. Lorditch, Emilie. "Using Science Fiction to Educate." Inside Science 17 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
This one is a brief article that provides an overview of the basic argument for using science fiction in science education: to show the relevance of science to young people so that more of them will take an active interest in pursuing the sciences at college or university. It makes specific reference to science fiction and super hero films while leaving out anything about science fiction literature. Lorditch writes in a direct style of reportage, with an effective use of quotes.
Science fiction and science fact are definitely different, but the limits of human technology are always making gains on the limits of human imagination. This article doesn't make a direct comparison between science fiction and science in the classroom, but mining science fiction for examples to show how science does and doesn't work bridges the two nicely.
3. Houpt, Simon. "IBM hones Watson the supercomputer’s skills." The Globe and Mail 19 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
In this interview with the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center's Eric Brown, Houpt explores the different uses for IBM's Question Answering supercomputer Watson. Specifically, Houpt asks about IBM's work with the US healthcare insurance provider WellPoint and how Watson will figure in with that. It's written as any interview is bound to be written - in a conversational tone.
Though comparisons between Watson and human personalities don't come up until near the end of the interview, this piece is included in this week's Annotated Links because it underscores how a stripped down version of human thinking (parsing sentences, taking certain elements and understanding the relationships between them) is being emulated by computers.
4. Taylor, Kate. "Picnicface: Why are we laughing? I don’t know, but it sure beats crying." The Globe and Mail 20 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
Taylor's article offers some quick background information on the Picnicface story, along with a very quick rundown of where the three-person comedy trio is today. Her article also offers some thoughts on the matter of internet fame vs. old school fame, and how being popular on YouTube does not necessarily translate being popular on the boob tube. This one is written in a straightforward style, with quotes from players in the Picnicface story sprinkled throughout.
Including this one in the Links for this week was necessarily partly because it fit and partly because of personal prejudices. Picnicface is an hilarious troupe, and the ways in which culture on the internet is different from culture on TV or radio or in print is something that needs more mainstream attention.
5. Strickland, Eddie. "Red Potion (The Legend of Zelda cocktail)." The Drunken Moogle 14 October 2012. Web. 20 October 2012.
Simply a recipe for a cocktail inspired by the Legend of Zelda (clicking on that tag at the bottom of the recipe shows another 4 pages worth of Zelda-inspired booze bombs). This recipe is written in a direct style without any extra notes.
This one's included for the obvious reason that video games ('The Legend of Zelda,' perhaps especially) are not the same as real life. However, it must definitely be noted that medieval medicine (and therefore medicine in a high fantasy setting such as the one in 'Zelda') would invariably involve alcohol in some way - so the two different worlds of the real and the virtual are bridged by the cause of and solution to all of life's problems: alcohol.
Back To Top
Closing
Next week, watch for a poem post for Monday, and Part Four of Shocktober, when I'll make the call for the conversion of the campy horror flic The Convent.
Plus, over at Tongues in Jars, watch for the fifth stanza of "Dum Diane vitrea" in Tuesday's Latin entry, and Wiglaf's tongue lashing of the cowardly thanes in Thursday's Beowulf entry.
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Saturday, October 6, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #20: Bending Borders
1. Koh, Yoree. "Novelist Murakami Weighs In on Japan Territorial Rows." Japan Real Time (The Wall Street Journal) 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Koh recaps Haruki Murakami's stance on Japan's current territorial disputes as they appeared in an essay that made the front page of the Asahi Shimbun. Murakami argues that these territorial disputes are threatening the cultural ties that the three Asian countries have established over recent decades, and that they're "like getting drunk on cheap sake." This article is written in a plain, direct style.
Haruki Murakami is an amazing writer, and the matter of Japanese-South Korean-Chinese territorial disputes is one of interest since I recall how passionate many South Koreans were about their owning Dokdo (Takeshima, in Japan), so inlcuding this article was a must.
2. Stusinski, Melissa. "‘Looper’-Like Time Travel Possible, Scientists Say." The Inquisitr 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
A misleadingly titled article that suggests that time travel to the future is possible, while time travel to the past is much more problematic. This one is written in a very conversational style that makes it seem like a token blog entry.
Despite its brevity, this article is included because it is a solid summary of time travel mechanics.
3. Tozer, Jessica L.. "Sensors on Scan." Armed With Science 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Dr. Chris Field at the Naval Research Laboratory is currently working on technology that does just what Star Trek's tricorder does - scan an area for any and all vapours it contains. Various applications for this quarter-sized technology are discussed, ranging from carbon monoxide detection to airport security applications. Tozer writes in an informal style.
Anything about such amazing science simply has to be included. It's practically the law.
4. Oh, Young-Jin. "Coming out on Psy." The Korea Times 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
This one offers a thought-provoking look at the Psy phenomenon from the perspective of someone who thinks that Psy represents nothing Korean. In it Oh relates his thoughts on Psy and how they've evolved to his current stance that Psy represents more of global pop culture than Korean pop culture. It is written in a prim, yet conversational style.
Because of the wild popularity of Psy, this one had to be included to offer a counter-argument to his apparent bolstering of the Korean cultural wave that's supposedly swept over the world in recent weeks.
5.Clayton, Nick. "Scientists Look to Use Bee’s Brains to Control Flying Robots." Tech Europe (The Wall Street Journal) 4 October 2012. Web. 6 October 2012.
Researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Sussex are looking into using bee brains to power flying recon robots. Among the uses for these robots, the article focuses on their being used to gather information to help rescue teams figure out what the next best option is. It is a short article, written in a plain style.
This one's included because it's some exciting news from the world of robotics, and it's not often that social insects are thought of as being as useful to science as social mammals.
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Closing
Next week, watch for another (much more recent) poem on Monday, and a prowl for the palatable in Leprechaun In The Hood on Friday!
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Koh recaps Haruki Murakami's stance on Japan's current territorial disputes as they appeared in an essay that made the front page of the Asahi Shimbun. Murakami argues that these territorial disputes are threatening the cultural ties that the three Asian countries have established over recent decades, and that they're "like getting drunk on cheap sake." This article is written in a plain, direct style.
Haruki Murakami is an amazing writer, and the matter of Japanese-South Korean-Chinese territorial disputes is one of interest since I recall how passionate many South Koreans were about their owning Dokdo (Takeshima, in Japan), so inlcuding this article was a must.
2. Stusinski, Melissa. "‘Looper’-Like Time Travel Possible, Scientists Say." The Inquisitr 28 September 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
A misleadingly titled article that suggests that time travel to the future is possible, while time travel to the past is much more problematic. This one is written in a very conversational style that makes it seem like a token blog entry.
Despite its brevity, this article is included because it is a solid summary of time travel mechanics.
3. Tozer, Jessica L.. "Sensors on Scan." Armed With Science 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
Dr. Chris Field at the Naval Research Laboratory is currently working on technology that does just what Star Trek's tricorder does - scan an area for any and all vapours it contains. Various applications for this quarter-sized technology are discussed, ranging from carbon monoxide detection to airport security applications. Tozer writes in an informal style.
Anything about such amazing science simply has to be included. It's practically the law.
4. Oh, Young-Jin. "Coming out on Psy." The Korea Times 2 October 2012. Web. 06 October 2012.
This one offers a thought-provoking look at the Psy phenomenon from the perspective of someone who thinks that Psy represents nothing Korean. In it Oh relates his thoughts on Psy and how they've evolved to his current stance that Psy represents more of global pop culture than Korean pop culture. It is written in a prim, yet conversational style.
Because of the wild popularity of Psy, this one had to be included to offer a counter-argument to his apparent bolstering of the Korean cultural wave that's supposedly swept over the world in recent weeks.
5.Clayton, Nick. "Scientists Look to Use Bee’s Brains to Control Flying Robots." Tech Europe (The Wall Street Journal) 4 October 2012. Web. 6 October 2012.
Researchers at the universities of Sheffield and Sussex are looking into using bee brains to power flying recon robots. Among the uses for these robots, the article focuses on their being used to gather information to help rescue teams figure out what the next best option is. It is a short article, written in a plain style.
This one's included because it's some exciting news from the world of robotics, and it's not often that social insects are thought of as being as useful to science as social mammals.
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Closing
Next week, watch for another (much more recent) poem on Monday, and a prowl for the palatable in Leprechaun In The Hood on Friday!
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
[Sæternes-dæg] Annotated Links #19: Wonders Outwards, Inwards, and Engineered
1. "This is Not a Real-Life Pokemon, Just the Poodle Moth." TechEBlog 23 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
This article focuses on an image of the poodle moth in nature, and as a pokemon card. It's a brief article that includes no extra description of the animal or an external link.
Nonetheless, this link is included because of its weirdness and how it shows the world's wondrousness.
2.Marable, Eileen. "This Nazi Space Buddha isn't science fiction — it's real." DVICE 27 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
According to this article, information on a Buddhist statue made from meteorite iron was recently released by researchers. This statue is from the 8th-10th centures, but the iron itself fell some 10,000 years ago, along the Siberia-Mongolia border. During the late 1930s it was brought to Nazi Germany, possibly because of the swastika on its chest. This article is written in a sensationalist, yet level-headed style.
This article is included because of its bizarreness.
3. Taylor, Kathleen. "The Brain Supremacy." Huff Post Science 24 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
An article that proposes that the field of neuroscience is going to be a hot spot for future scientific development - as the brain is increasingly better understood, the more it will be treated directly, and the more it will be pleased directly (with things like artificial experiences or direct thought-editing). At the same time, this piece raises the ethical questions important to a world where neuroscience can do all of these things. Taylor writes in a lecture-style register but keeps things moving along smoothly.
This one is included because the matter of brain manipulation is a curious thing.
4. Adams, James. "Why reading more carefully is better." The Globe and Mail 21 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Adams explains the importance of reading slowly based on observations of reading brains and circulatory systems. According to this article, slow reading gives blood flow to all of the brain, whereas skimming something only gives a blood flow to certain parts of the brain. He writes in a casual but tidy style.
I had to include this one because any research into the body's reaction to reading needs to be shared. Especially when it proposes such positive benefits to slow reading.
5. Kooser, Amanda. "Nintendo zapper hacked to shoot high-powered laser." CBS News 26 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Over at North Street Labs in Portsmouth, VA, engineers have hacked an NES Zapper to fire a powerful laser. This laser can set things on fire, damage eye sight, or burn skin. A video demonstrating some of its applications is included with this article, and it's written in a direct, simple style.
Because this one is so amazing, it's included.
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Closing
Tomorrow, watch for the next look-back/look-ahead entry!
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This article focuses on an image of the poodle moth in nature, and as a pokemon card. It's a brief article that includes no extra description of the animal or an external link.
Nonetheless, this link is included because of its weirdness and how it shows the world's wondrousness.
2.Marable, Eileen. "This Nazi Space Buddha isn't science fiction — it's real." DVICE 27 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
According to this article, information on a Buddhist statue made from meteorite iron was recently released by researchers. This statue is from the 8th-10th centures, but the iron itself fell some 10,000 years ago, along the Siberia-Mongolia border. During the late 1930s it was brought to Nazi Germany, possibly because of the swastika on its chest. This article is written in a sensationalist, yet level-headed style.
This article is included because of its bizarreness.
3. Taylor, Kathleen. "The Brain Supremacy." Huff Post Science 24 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
An article that proposes that the field of neuroscience is going to be a hot spot for future scientific development - as the brain is increasingly better understood, the more it will be treated directly, and the more it will be pleased directly (with things like artificial experiences or direct thought-editing). At the same time, this piece raises the ethical questions important to a world where neuroscience can do all of these things. Taylor writes in a lecture-style register but keeps things moving along smoothly.
This one is included because the matter of brain manipulation is a curious thing.
4. Adams, James. "Why reading more carefully is better." The Globe and Mail 21 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Adams explains the importance of reading slowly based on observations of reading brains and circulatory systems. According to this article, slow reading gives blood flow to all of the brain, whereas skimming something only gives a blood flow to certain parts of the brain. He writes in a casual but tidy style.
I had to include this one because any research into the body's reaction to reading needs to be shared. Especially when it proposes such positive benefits to slow reading.
5. Kooser, Amanda. "Nintendo zapper hacked to shoot high-powered laser." CBS News 26 September 2012. Web. 29 September 2012.
Over at North Street Labs in Portsmouth, VA, engineers have hacked an NES Zapper to fire a powerful laser. This laser can set things on fire, damage eye sight, or burn skin. A video demonstrating some of its applications is included with this article, and it's written in a direct, simple style.
Because this one is so amazing, it's included.
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Closing
Tomorrow, watch for the next look-back/look-ahead entry!
Back To Top
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Annotated Links #14: Science and Human Acheivement
1. Tucker, Phil. "Web designer building nuclear fusion reactor with parts from eBay." Sync.ca 2 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Brooklyn-based web designer Mark Suppes has been building a small-scale fusion reactor out of parts bought on Ebay over the past four years. Suppes has no nuclear physics background, but after a video made by Dr Robert Bussard inspired him to take up the challenge of building a working fusion reactor he has remained unfazed. The article is written in straightforward style that ultimately leans more towards reportage than possible human interest aspects of the story.
This article is included here because its subject is a testament to the innovative spirit of individuals and to the power that inspiration has to help people trailblaze.
2. Brandrick, Chris. "Want to live on Mars? Here's your chance." MSN Tech & Gadgets 31 July 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Mars One, a Dutch company founded by Bas Lansdrop, is looking to send a team of 10 civilians on a one-way settlement mission to Mars. The company will take on 40 volunteers through an international lottery in 2013 and, after specialized training, 10 of these 40 will be sent on the mission.
Mars One plans to send a communications satellite to Mars in 2016, to follow up with "settlement units" in 2020, and to send the crew itself in December of 2022, arriving on the red planet in April of 2023. The article is written with a slightly incredulous tone, while delivering bare facts. It also includes a link back to the original story as it appeared on Y!Tech.
This article is included because it showcases the audacity that humanity possesses when faced with the chance to delve into totally new territory. If you had no strong connections to Earth, wouldn't you enter the lottery and hope to be picked?
3. Gonzalez, Robert T. "Carl Sagan’s message to future explorers of Mars will cold-cock you right in the touchy feelies." io9 7 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Gonzalez features the full Carl Sagan quote from which a shorter excerpt has been bandied about the internet of late. The article also includes a brief introduction to the full quote, and mentions the reciprocal relationship between science and science fiction.
This article is included in this edition of Annotated Links because the Carl Sagan quote beautifully expresses why people have sought to climb high mountains, to write long works of fiction or philosophy, and to explore other worlds.
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Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial, where I offer my thoughts on book covers and ebooks, or Thursday's Annotated Links.
Plus, be sure to be around on Friday for Part Two of All-Request August: A search for the good (aside from the laughs) in the Bruce Campbell-starring, terrible-effects-having, quality-filming-using Alien Apocalypse.
Back To Top
Brooklyn-based web designer Mark Suppes has been building a small-scale fusion reactor out of parts bought on Ebay over the past four years. Suppes has no nuclear physics background, but after a video made by Dr Robert Bussard inspired him to take up the challenge of building a working fusion reactor he has remained unfazed. The article is written in straightforward style that ultimately leans more towards reportage than possible human interest aspects of the story.
This article is included here because its subject is a testament to the innovative spirit of individuals and to the power that inspiration has to help people trailblaze.
2. Brandrick, Chris. "Want to live on Mars? Here's your chance." MSN Tech & Gadgets 31 July 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Mars One, a Dutch company founded by Bas Lansdrop, is looking to send a team of 10 civilians on a one-way settlement mission to Mars. The company will take on 40 volunteers through an international lottery in 2013 and, after specialized training, 10 of these 40 will be sent on the mission.
Mars One plans to send a communications satellite to Mars in 2016, to follow up with "settlement units" in 2020, and to send the crew itself in December of 2022, arriving on the red planet in April of 2023. The article is written with a slightly incredulous tone, while delivering bare facts. It also includes a link back to the original story as it appeared on Y!Tech.
This article is included because it showcases the audacity that humanity possesses when faced with the chance to delve into totally new territory. If you had no strong connections to Earth, wouldn't you enter the lottery and hope to be picked?
3. Gonzalez, Robert T. "Carl Sagan’s message to future explorers of Mars will cold-cock you right in the touchy feelies." io9 7 August 2012. Web. 7 August 2012.
Gonzalez features the full Carl Sagan quote from which a shorter excerpt has been bandied about the internet of late. The article also includes a brief introduction to the full quote, and mentions the reciprocal relationship between science and science fiction.
This article is included in this edition of Annotated Links because the Carl Sagan quote beautifully expresses why people have sought to climb high mountains, to write long works of fiction or philosophy, and to explore other worlds.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's editorial, where I offer my thoughts on book covers and ebooks, or Thursday's Annotated Links.
Plus, be sure to be around on Friday for Part Two of All-Request August: A search for the good (aside from the laughs) in the Bruce Campbell-starring, terrible-effects-having, quality-filming-using Alien Apocalypse.
Back To Top
Monday, July 30, 2012
[Moon-dæg] Words and Their Stories
Context
Collisions
Persuasion
Closing
Back To Top
Context
Tonight's creative writing entry is something of a double feature. The exercise that these works came from asks you to take five words that are rarely used in everyday speech and to create meanings for them. They can be nonsensical meanings, serious meanings, or meanings that are just plain wrong. Then, as an additional part of the exercise, you write short stories using each set of words.
So, here are the words that I used and their real definitions:
And here are the words and the definitions that I made up:
Curiously, both of these stories are about science in one way or another, and particularly about machines that move things at very high speeds.
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Collisions
"Millicent, power up the grid. We need to run this test today."
"Today? But the instruments aren't ready. The necessary precautions..."
"We need to throw caution to the wind. Albert is coming to the lab this evening and he'll snap up our funding faster than a duchess snaps up millefleur on the high street if we don't have results."
The woman stiffened her shoulders and was about to cross her arms. But Jones' hand at her elbow made them go slack instead.
"Alright we've tested enough to know that hull fracture is an adynaton."
"Alright." Jones' look carried the scent of petrichor.
Maybe he's forgiven me? Millicent tried to catch a glimpse of Jones' eyes, but he had already turned back to his clipboard.
She walked over to the throw switch and turned the power loose on the control panel before her. She stood and waited while Jones stepped into the collider and pulled the rock into it behind him.
"This will crack the bastard open. I'm sure of it." He turned from the rock, set snugly into a ring raised in the collider's bottom.
"Sending particles flying at each other and putting rock between them isn't the usual way to crack a walnut."
"This isn't your usual walnut." Jones had climbed out of the collider and now stood beside the control panel. "Throw the switch Millicent." He must have sensed her hesitation through sound alone. He looked up from the controls. "You can relax. If this doesn't work nothing will reach us - like you said. The hull's defenses have tested positively. The worst to happen will be a little splatter that the ombrifuge will keep from hitting us - even if debris flies quaquaversally."
"I know, but I'm still concerned that this will all end in an auto-de-fe." She leaned onto the panel that housed the switch.
"Bah. There aren't any peasants around. Besides, what could we have done to have called on the wrath of a mob? We've done nothing wrong."
Millicent tried once more to get a look at Jones' eyes. She could see the same certainty in them that she had seen that night, weeks before. It churned her stomach, but she saw her hand reach for the power switch and pull it downwards, completing the circuit and powering up the collider.
As the machine wound up all of its sprockets and gears it roared behind them like some hideous animal struck with a rock.
Millicent's arms crossed. "No. Not yet."
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Persuasion
Alton struggled to keep his expression from changing as he muddled through his mind. Password. Password...what was the password?
"Come on, bub. It's quaquaversal. All your kind knows this."
"Alright. So then let me in." Alton leaned heavily on the hood of the auto-de-fe he'd stolen.
"I don't think so, mac. We need more than that if you're to get in here."
The man slid his eye slot shut, but Alton flung a stone into it before it closed completely. In the same second, the stone was caught in the slot, and the man's eye bulged and blinked.
"Hey! This is very un-headmaster like of youse!"
"Maybe so. But this stone's important."
The man made no move to loose his eye slot's cover. "It's just a stone. Get it outta here before I call up security."
"It's not just a stone. It's a piece of petrichor."
Alton could see the curiousity rising in the man's eyes.
Typical underclassman. Alton fought the smirk from his face.
"Petrichor? Where'd you ---"
"Don't ask questions of me here. I'd much rather discuss this over a nice adynaton - something more than the millefleur we get out here."
The man on the other side of the door was silent.
"Well? Can I come in now?"
"Uh." The man loosened his slot and the stone fell through. The absence of the sound of stone hitting stone assured Alton that the man had caught it. "Sure. But don't get loud. Just follow me."
Alton smiled to himself as the door's hinges protested their being moved. He knew they had an ombrifuge inside and that all of the petrichor he carried would be more than enough to convince them to change their minds. Just as long as he was far far away when they tried to extract the stones' shadows.
Back To Top
Closing
To let me know what you thought about these stories you can leave a comment or check out my Contact page for other ways to reach me. And, don't miss tomorrow and Thursday's Annotated Links (Nos. 12 and 13), Wednesday's editorial, and Friday's movie review!
Back To Top
Collisions
Persuasion
Closing
 |
Back To Top
Context
Tonight's creative writing entry is something of a double feature. The exercise that these works came from asks you to take five words that are rarely used in everyday speech and to create meanings for them. They can be nonsensical meanings, serious meanings, or meanings that are just plain wrong. Then, as an additional part of the exercise, you write short stories using each set of words.
So, here are the words that I used and their real definitions:
- quaquaversal: something that protrudes in every direction at once (a geological term).
- adynaton: an impossibility.
- petrichor: The scent of the air after it rains over an area that's been dry for a while.
- auto-de-fe: A ceremony used by Inquisitors to affirm the faith of converts in South Western Europe; the destruction of something by mob; the destruction of something by fire.
- millefleurs: a perfume made by mixing various flowers together; the pattern, as in tapestries, of various plants and flowers woven together.
- ombrifuge: anything that protects a person or thing from percipitation (an umbrella).
And here are the words and the definitions that I made up:
- quaquaversal: something commonly known among private school headmasters (because they all know Latin, right?)
- adynaton: the Neo-French term for a particularly delicious cut of tuna, which is most often served at dinner.
- petrichor: the fossilized form of a nuclear reactor's core.
- auto-de-fe: the kind of car that the faeries use to get around.
- millefleurs: extra large bouquets found in country shops in rural Europe. OR The mush that you get from mising flour and water
- ombrifuge: a machine that spins things around so fast that it separates them from their shadows.
Curiously, both of these stories are about science in one way or another, and particularly about machines that move things at very high speeds.
Back To Top
Collisions
"Millicent, power up the grid. We need to run this test today."
"Today? But the instruments aren't ready. The necessary precautions..."
"We need to throw caution to the wind. Albert is coming to the lab this evening and he'll snap up our funding faster than a duchess snaps up millefleur on the high street if we don't have results."
The woman stiffened her shoulders and was about to cross her arms. But Jones' hand at her elbow made them go slack instead.
"Alright we've tested enough to know that hull fracture is an adynaton."
"Alright." Jones' look carried the scent of petrichor.
Maybe he's forgiven me? Millicent tried to catch a glimpse of Jones' eyes, but he had already turned back to his clipboard.
She walked over to the throw switch and turned the power loose on the control panel before her. She stood and waited while Jones stepped into the collider and pulled the rock into it behind him.
"This will crack the bastard open. I'm sure of it." He turned from the rock, set snugly into a ring raised in the collider's bottom.
"Sending particles flying at each other and putting rock between them isn't the usual way to crack a walnut."
"This isn't your usual walnut." Jones had climbed out of the collider and now stood beside the control panel. "Throw the switch Millicent." He must have sensed her hesitation through sound alone. He looked up from the controls. "You can relax. If this doesn't work nothing will reach us - like you said. The hull's defenses have tested positively. The worst to happen will be a little splatter that the ombrifuge will keep from hitting us - even if debris flies quaquaversally."
"I know, but I'm still concerned that this will all end in an auto-de-fe." She leaned onto the panel that housed the switch.
"Bah. There aren't any peasants around. Besides, what could we have done to have called on the wrath of a mob? We've done nothing wrong."
Millicent tried once more to get a look at Jones' eyes. She could see the same certainty in them that she had seen that night, weeks before. It churned her stomach, but she saw her hand reach for the power switch and pull it downwards, completing the circuit and powering up the collider.
As the machine wound up all of its sprockets and gears it roared behind them like some hideous animal struck with a rock.
Millicent's arms crossed. "No. Not yet."
Back To Top
Persuasion
Alton struggled to keep his expression from changing as he muddled through his mind. Password. Password...what was the password?
"Come on, bub. It's quaquaversal. All your kind knows this."
"Alright. So then let me in." Alton leaned heavily on the hood of the auto-de-fe he'd stolen.
"I don't think so, mac. We need more than that if you're to get in here."
The man slid his eye slot shut, but Alton flung a stone into it before it closed completely. In the same second, the stone was caught in the slot, and the man's eye bulged and blinked.
"Hey! This is very un-headmaster like of youse!"
"Maybe so. But this stone's important."
The man made no move to loose his eye slot's cover. "It's just a stone. Get it outta here before I call up security."
"It's not just a stone. It's a piece of petrichor."
Alton could see the curiousity rising in the man's eyes.
Typical underclassman. Alton fought the smirk from his face.
"Petrichor? Where'd you ---"
"Don't ask questions of me here. I'd much rather discuss this over a nice adynaton - something more than the millefleur we get out here."
The man on the other side of the door was silent.
"Well? Can I come in now?"
"Uh." The man loosened his slot and the stone fell through. The absence of the sound of stone hitting stone assured Alton that the man had caught it. "Sure. But don't get loud. Just follow me."
Alton smiled to himself as the door's hinges protested their being moved. He knew they had an ombrifuge inside and that all of the petrichor he carried would be more than enough to convince them to change their minds. Just as long as he was far far away when they tried to extract the stones' shadows.
Back To Top
Closing
To let me know what you thought about these stories you can leave a comment or check out my Contact page for other ways to reach me. And, don't miss tomorrow and Thursday's Annotated Links (Nos. 12 and 13), Wednesday's editorial, and Friday's movie review!
Back To Top
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Annotated Links #11: Getting Technical And/Or Long
1. Bird, Winifred. "Fish-loving Japan begins to embrace sustainable seafood." The Christian Science Monitor 24 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.
A lengthy article that details much of the action being taken both inside and outside Japan to move the country into using sustainable fisheries since they consume 6% of the world's fish harvest. The article is flush with consumption and fishing industry statistics. It is written in the style of a report, and includes very little to no human interest element.
2. Julian, Hana Levi. "Sci-Fi Comes Alive in New 'Temporal Focusing' Microscope." Arutz Sheva 25 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.
Professor Yaron Silberberg and Dr. Dan Oron of the Physics of Complex Systems Department at the Weizmann Institute have created a microscope that views cells in both time and space. The microscope works by controlling the focus of a laser light beam in time rather than in space. It has been used primarily for brain tissue analysis so far. The article is written in a revelatory fashion, and dwells on explaining just how the microscope works.
3.Johnson, Carolyn Y. "Boston scientists use light to control behavior in monkeys." White Coat Notes 26 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.
Using a technique called "optogenetics," (a process by which algae genes are inserted into brain tissue) a team of scientists in Boston have successfully used light to control monkey behaviour. The team is optimistic that their work will help scientists to breakdown and figure out complex human behaviours and diseases in the future. The article is lengthy, but gives a significant amount of background information on the experiment and where it may lead in a straightforward fashion.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's conclusion to Nicolas Cage Month - a search for the salvageable in Seeking Justice!
Back To Top
A lengthy article that details much of the action being taken both inside and outside Japan to move the country into using sustainable fisheries since they consume 6% of the world's fish harvest. The article is flush with consumption and fishing industry statistics. It is written in the style of a report, and includes very little to no human interest element.
2. Julian, Hana Levi. "Sci-Fi Comes Alive in New 'Temporal Focusing' Microscope." Arutz Sheva 25 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.
Professor Yaron Silberberg and Dr. Dan Oron of the Physics of Complex Systems Department at the Weizmann Institute have created a microscope that views cells in both time and space. The microscope works by controlling the focus of a laser light beam in time rather than in space. It has been used primarily for brain tissue analysis so far. The article is written in a revelatory fashion, and dwells on explaining just how the microscope works.
3.Johnson, Carolyn Y. "Boston scientists use light to control behavior in monkeys." White Coat Notes 26 July 2012. Web. 26 July 2012.
Using a technique called "optogenetics," (a process by which algae genes are inserted into brain tissue) a team of scientists in Boston have successfully used light to control monkey behaviour. The team is optimistic that their work will help scientists to breakdown and figure out complex human behaviours and diseases in the future. The article is lengthy, but gives a significant amount of background information on the experiment and where it may lead in a straightforward fashion.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss tomorrow's conclusion to Nicolas Cage Month - a search for the salvageable in Seeking Justice!
Back To Top
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Annotated Links #9: Changing Our Minds
1. Kesterton, Michael. "Keeping an open mind about vacationing aliens." Globe and Mail 12 July 2012. Web. 19 July 2012.
This is a collection of small news briefs about quirky events and findings. The most interesting of these is one entitled "Seat of self-awareness disputed," which summarizes an article from London's Sunday Times about Dr. Donald Pfaff, a neuroscientist who believes that the center of the brain responsible for creativity and self-awareness evolved in primitive fish to help them escape from predators. These news briefs are written around quotes from the original articles.
2. Feit, Daniel. "Hands-On: Nintendo’s Demon Training Purports to Build Your Brain’s RAM." Wired 18 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
As a 3DS follow-up to the popular Brain Age memory training game, Nintendo is releasing Five-Minute Demon Training on July 28 in Japan. According to Ryuta Kawashima, the neuroscientist who works on Nintendo's brain training games, Five-Minute Demon Training helps to build your memory's speed and capacity. The article is written using the first person, and includes a video of the Nintendo Direct video featuring a demo of the game.
3. Crowell, Todd. "Could Fukushima Cause A Change In Japan's Groupthink?" Asia Sentinel 17 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
Two commissions, a parliamentary commission headed by Kiyoshi Kurokawa (the Kurokawa commission for short) and "The Verification Committee for the Accident at Tepco’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Station" headed by Yotaro Hatamura (the "Hatamura Committee" for short) are on the verge of publishing investigative reports on the Fukushima disaster. These reports will help to answer whether the disaster was an act of God or the result of Japanese risk-aversion and group-think, though the article takes no sides. This article is written in a clear, concise style and includes some quotes.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss part three of Nicolas Cage month, going up tomorrow, as we get into 2011's Trespass.
Back To Top
This is a collection of small news briefs about quirky events and findings. The most interesting of these is one entitled "Seat of self-awareness disputed," which summarizes an article from London's Sunday Times about Dr. Donald Pfaff, a neuroscientist who believes that the center of the brain responsible for creativity and self-awareness evolved in primitive fish to help them escape from predators. These news briefs are written around quotes from the original articles.
2. Feit, Daniel. "Hands-On: Nintendo’s Demon Training Purports to Build Your Brain’s RAM." Wired 18 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
As a 3DS follow-up to the popular Brain Age memory training game, Nintendo is releasing Five-Minute Demon Training on July 28 in Japan. According to Ryuta Kawashima, the neuroscientist who works on Nintendo's brain training games, Five-Minute Demon Training helps to build your memory's speed and capacity. The article is written using the first person, and includes a video of the Nintendo Direct video featuring a demo of the game.
3. Crowell, Todd. "Could Fukushima Cause A Change In Japan's Groupthink?" Asia Sentinel 17 July 2012. Web. 18 July 2012.
Two commissions, a parliamentary commission headed by Kiyoshi Kurokawa (the Kurokawa commission for short) and "The Verification Committee for the Accident at Tepco’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Station" headed by Yotaro Hatamura (the "Hatamura Committee" for short) are on the verge of publishing investigative reports on the Fukushima disaster. These reports will help to answer whether the disaster was an act of God or the result of Japanese risk-aversion and group-think, though the article takes no sides. This article is written in a clear, concise style and includes some quotes.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss part three of Nicolas Cage month, going up tomorrow, as we get into 2011's Trespass.
Back To Top
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
[Wōdnes-dæg] A Well Placed Documentary Makes Science Fiction Science Fact
Introduction
The Article Summed Up
Not New, But Great
Publishing's Next Stage and Mainstream Acknowledgement
Closing
Back To Top
Introduction
This past Sunday, the Discovery Channel aired a documentary that has stirred up controversy. The program in question is called "Mermaids: The Body Found," a work of science fiction in the form of a documentary.
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The Article Summed Up
The article (from The Christian Post) gives an overview of the controversy and sums it up by stating that the documentary's description and creators said that it is "based on some real life events." Whether or not this is a case of misdirection is not made clear.
Making things even more provocative, the article ends with some statements from the Discovery Channel that present logical arguments for the possibility of mermaids existing.
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Not New, But Great
The controversy here isn't so much about whether or not mermaids are real, but about media literacy. And, much more specifically, about the power of the claim that things are "based on some real life events" (or "based on a true story" or "based on real events," whichever variation you might encounter).
This intertitle has become so overused that it's almost meaningless. Anything can be "based on a true story." In fact, any story that is in any way metaphorical (such as science fiction and fantasy stories) is "based on" reality, otherwise its metaphor is useless. The same can be said for comic book stories like Batman - society is faltering because good people do nothing, and then those good people stand up (only in an extreme way that goes beyond what most people would do).
Moreover, it's human nature to relate things to what we know, and most of us know some sort of "real life."
This connection might not seem like a strong argument against specifying that certain things are 'based on reality,' but just as people are apt to read things into various stories, so too are stories apt to feed these readings. Stories that don't have some relation to "real life" often don't make sense and often don't become very popular.
To take a risk and go out on a limb, stories that are successful speak to people's basic desires. Many stories that are coming out now are complicating these desires and the road to their fulfilment.
Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, or Geroge R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series are good examples of these desires being complicated. Yet, even they still come down to basic desires like wanting to be the hero, personal growth, or safety.
Back To Top
Publishing's Next Stage and Mainstream Acknowledgement
In terms of the documentary form itself, especially regarding the "Mermaids: The Body Found" documentary featured in today's article, it is an especially powerful tool for science fiction and fantasy.
These genres are so continuously popular because people are always looking for more than what they have.
As humans we're always trying to reach beyond our grasp. Putting this desire for more into a form that purports to give straight facts says to people, "hey, you know that thing that you really want to be real? Well, it is, and here are the facts."
That we're so willing to believe is also a great sign of our open-mindedness. Some might say that this willingness to believe is something that people need to guard against when it comes to the stuff of fantasy like mermaids and supernatural cures, but open minds are as necessary for advancement as they are for distraction.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss my look at 2011's Trespass for part three of Nicolas Cage month, and be sure to catch tomorrow's Annotated Links!
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
Not New, But Great
Publishing's Next Stage and Mainstream Acknowledgement
Closing
 |
Back To Top
Introduction
This past Sunday, the Discovery Channel aired a documentary that has stirred up controversy. The program in question is called "Mermaids: The Body Found," a work of science fiction in the form of a documentary.
Back To Top
The Article Summed Up
The article (from The Christian Post) gives an overview of the controversy and sums it up by stating that the documentary's description and creators said that it is "based on some real life events." Whether or not this is a case of misdirection is not made clear.
Making things even more provocative, the article ends with some statements from the Discovery Channel that present logical arguments for the possibility of mermaids existing.
Back To Top
Not New, But Great
The controversy here isn't so much about whether or not mermaids are real, but about media literacy. And, much more specifically, about the power of the claim that things are "based on some real life events" (or "based on a true story" or "based on real events," whichever variation you might encounter).
This intertitle has become so overused that it's almost meaningless. Anything can be "based on a true story." In fact, any story that is in any way metaphorical (such as science fiction and fantasy stories) is "based on" reality, otherwise its metaphor is useless. The same can be said for comic book stories like Batman - society is faltering because good people do nothing, and then those good people stand up (only in an extreme way that goes beyond what most people would do).
Moreover, it's human nature to relate things to what we know, and most of us know some sort of "real life."
This connection might not seem like a strong argument against specifying that certain things are 'based on reality,' but just as people are apt to read things into various stories, so too are stories apt to feed these readings. Stories that don't have some relation to "real life" often don't make sense and often don't become very popular.
To take a risk and go out on a limb, stories that are successful speak to people's basic desires. Many stories that are coming out now are complicating these desires and the road to their fulfilment.
Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, or Geroge R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series are good examples of these desires being complicated. Yet, even they still come down to basic desires like wanting to be the hero, personal growth, or safety.
Back To Top
Publishing's Next Stage and Mainstream Acknowledgement
In terms of the documentary form itself, especially regarding the "Mermaids: The Body Found" documentary featured in today's article, it is an especially powerful tool for science fiction and fantasy.
These genres are so continuously popular because people are always looking for more than what they have.
As humans we're always trying to reach beyond our grasp. Putting this desire for more into a form that purports to give straight facts says to people, "hey, you know that thing that you really want to be real? Well, it is, and here are the facts."
That we're so willing to believe is also a great sign of our open-mindedness. Some might say that this willingness to believe is something that people need to guard against when it comes to the stuff of fantasy like mermaids and supernatural cures, but open minds are as necessary for advancement as they are for distraction.
Back To Top
Closing
Don't miss my look at 2011's Trespass for part three of Nicolas Cage month, and be sure to catch tomorrow's Annotated Links!
Back To Top
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Annotated Links #7: Old Things Found New
1. "Climate in Northern Europe Reconstructed for the Past 2,000 Years: Cooling Trend Calculated Precisely for the First Time." Science Daily 9 July 2012. Web. 13 July 2012.
Professor Dr. Jan Esper and his team from the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenburg University Mainz have used tree-ring density measurements to reconstruct Northern Europe's climate as far back as 138 BC. This research has shown that the coolness of Roman and medieval periods were previously over-estimated, and that there has been a cooling trend of -0.3 °C each millenia over the past two (global warming is credited with causing a rise of less than 1 °C). The article is written in dense paragraphs that summarize and skim the full journal article, a link to which is provided at the end of the article
2. Moore, Karl. "Transcript: Tapping the potential of bi-cultural employees." Globe and Mail 11 July 2012. Web. 13 July 2012.
Karl Moore of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University talks with Mary Yoko Brannen, a professor at one of the world's top business schools, INSEAD. They talk about the value of bi-cultural people to businesses and the workplace. The article is a transcription of the conversation between these two academicians.
3.Mulrine, Anna. "Army uses 'Xena: Warrior Princess' as inspiration for new body armor for women." Christian Science Monitor 9 July 2012. Web. 13 July 2012.
Men's body armor is not optimized for women's use, and now female-specific armor is being developed by the US Military. The armor worn by Lucy Lawless in Xena:Warrior Princess is being used as an example of female armor that is comfortable and maximally effective. This article is written in a narrative style that delivers the Five Ws while relating how the story has developed.
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Closing
Don't miss the search for the good in Season of the Witch (Part Two of Nicolas Cage month) - it'll be posted here tomorrow!
Back To Top
Professor Dr. Jan Esper and his team from the Institute of Geography at Johannes Gutenburg University Mainz have used tree-ring density measurements to reconstruct Northern Europe's climate as far back as 138 BC. This research has shown that the coolness of Roman and medieval periods were previously over-estimated, and that there has been a cooling trend of -0.3 °C each millenia over the past two (global warming is credited with causing a rise of less than 1 °C). The article is written in dense paragraphs that summarize and skim the full journal article, a link to which is provided at the end of the article
2. Moore, Karl. "Transcript: Tapping the potential of bi-cultural employees." Globe and Mail 11 July 2012. Web. 13 July 2012.
Karl Moore of the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University talks with Mary Yoko Brannen, a professor at one of the world's top business schools, INSEAD. They talk about the value of bi-cultural people to businesses and the workplace. The article is a transcription of the conversation between these two academicians.
3.Mulrine, Anna. "Army uses 'Xena: Warrior Princess' as inspiration for new body armor for women." Christian Science Monitor 9 July 2012. Web. 13 July 2012.
Men's body armor is not optimized for women's use, and now female-specific armor is being developed by the US Military. The armor worn by Lucy Lawless in Xena:Warrior Princess is being used as an example of female armor that is comfortable and maximally effective. This article is written in a narrative style that delivers the Five Ws while relating how the story has developed.
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Don't miss the search for the good in Season of the Witch (Part Two of Nicolas Cage month) - it'll be posted here tomorrow!
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Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Annotated Links #6: A Simulated Pair
1. Barnswell, Helen. "Simulation laboratory a cutting-edge tool in training surgeons." Winnipeg Free Press 9 July 2012. Web. 11 July 2012.
Drs. Teodor Grantcharov and Vanessa Palter have released a study comparing surgeons with and without virtual surgery training. According to this study, simulations increase the confidence and overall performance of new surgeons. The article offers almost no counter-argument or counter point, and implies that simulation training is unquestionably the best practice. The article's style is conversational and it's sprinkled throughout with quotations.
2. "Simulations at the Texas Advanced Computing Center Assist Alzheimer's Research." HPC Wire 10 July 2012. Web. 11 July 2012.
Joan-Emma Shea, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been running simulations of misfolded proteins in the brain related to Alzheimers on the supercomputer Ranger since 2007. Based on these simulations, Professor Shea has discovered that the proteins' precursors, known as oligomers, may be closer to the cause of Alzheimers than the actual misfolded proteins themselves This article is written in plain English, but makes liberal use of technical terms (all of which it defines).
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Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on some of the newest news and on Friday for part two of Nicolas Cage month - the search for the good in Season of the Witch. Plus, there'll be more annotated links on Thursday.
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Drs. Teodor Grantcharov and Vanessa Palter have released a study comparing surgeons with and without virtual surgery training. According to this study, simulations increase the confidence and overall performance of new surgeons. The article offers almost no counter-argument or counter point, and implies that simulation training is unquestionably the best practice. The article's style is conversational and it's sprinkled throughout with quotations.
2. "Simulations at the Texas Advanced Computing Center Assist Alzheimer's Research." HPC Wire 10 July 2012. Web. 11 July 2012.
Joan-Emma Shea, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been running simulations of misfolded proteins in the brain related to Alzheimers on the supercomputer Ranger since 2007. Based on these simulations, Professor Shea has discovered that the proteins' precursors, known as oligomers, may be closer to the cause of Alzheimers than the actual misfolded proteins themselves This article is written in plain English, but makes liberal use of technical terms (all of which it defines).
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Closing
Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on some of the newest news and on Friday for part two of Nicolas Cage month - the search for the good in Season of the Witch. Plus, there'll be more annotated links on Thursday.
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Thursday, July 5, 2012
Annotated Links #5: Technological Culture, Cultural Technology
1. Totilo, Stephen. "A New, $99 Console Called Ouya Is Real and Radically Different From Xbox, PlayStation and Wii." Kotaku 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
This article confirms the existence of a new console called the "Ouya." Apparently the console will sell for $99, run on the Android platform, and come with a developer's kit - inviting people to create their own games and hacks. The article is written in a sparse style that just covers the basics, but promises more information once it becomes available.
2. Mckenzie, Hamish. "The Curse of Culture." PandoDaily 4 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Mckenzie writes about the limitations that a country's culture imposes on its youth, especially those of an entrepreneurial bent. His analysis focuses on the way in which cultural emphasis on hierarchies, the status quo, and risk evasion found in Asian nations leads to less innovation. This analysis is briefly contrasted with the individualistic culture of America, though with the caveat that Americans often don't know how to handle entrepreneurial hardship since their dreams often face too little criticism. Mckenzie writes in a conversational, yet professional style, and includes some quoted expert opinions.
3. Shin, Ji-Hye. "Culture Technology – a Paradigm Shift from Technology Oriented to Human-Centered." Korea IT Times 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Shin provides two definitions of 'culture technology': technology used to emphasize pre-existing cultural forms, and technology that has stories embedded in its design. Shin also mentions the theory of convergence, and the fact that technology and culture are converging more and more in the realm of the individual as society as a whole puts more and more emphasis on the individual. The article is written in a simple style, but with a few misspellings and grammatical errors that may initially cloud understanding.
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Be sure to come back to this blog tomorrow for a search for the good in the first film of Nicolas Cage month: Deadfall!
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This article confirms the existence of a new console called the "Ouya." Apparently the console will sell for $99, run on the Android platform, and come with a developer's kit - inviting people to create their own games and hacks. The article is written in a sparse style that just covers the basics, but promises more information once it becomes available.
2. Mckenzie, Hamish. "The Curse of Culture." PandoDaily 4 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Mckenzie writes about the limitations that a country's culture imposes on its youth, especially those of an entrepreneurial bent. His analysis focuses on the way in which cultural emphasis on hierarchies, the status quo, and risk evasion found in Asian nations leads to less innovation. This analysis is briefly contrasted with the individualistic culture of America, though with the caveat that Americans often don't know how to handle entrepreneurial hardship since their dreams often face too little criticism. Mckenzie writes in a conversational, yet professional style, and includes some quoted expert opinions.
3. Shin, Ji-Hye. "Culture Technology – a Paradigm Shift from Technology Oriented to Human-Centered." Korea IT Times 3 July 2012. Web. 5 July 2012.
Shin provides two definitions of 'culture technology': technology used to emphasize pre-existing cultural forms, and technology that has stories embedded in its design. Shin also mentions the theory of convergence, and the fact that technology and culture are converging more and more in the realm of the individual as society as a whole puts more and more emphasis on the individual. The article is written in a simple style, but with a few misspellings and grammatical errors that may initially cloud understanding.
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Closing
Be sure to come back to this blog tomorrow for a search for the good in the first film of Nicolas Cage month: Deadfall!
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Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Annotated Links #4: Breaking the Surface to Find Truth
1. Lamb, John. “Scientists untangle web of science fiction on Spider-Man.” INFORUM 1 July 2012. Web. 3 July 2012.
A rundown of the various powers that Spider-Man has and whether or not they’re accurate representations of a real spiders’ abilities. This article makes extensive reference to a History Channel documentary called “Spider-Man Tech” and includes expert analysis by Don “The Bug Man" Carey of North Dakota State University. It is written in a plain fashion, and makes use of headings that are based on Spider-Man’s powers.
[N.B.: To view the above article you'll need to sign up for a free account with INFORUM.]
2. Miller, Ben. “‘Incredible’ hoard of 50,000 Iron Age coins, buried in escape from Caesar, found in Jersey.” Culture24 July 2012. Web. 3 July 2012.
A pair of "metal detectorists" have found a horde of Celtic coins in a farmer’s field in Jersey. Experts such as the Curator of Archaeology for Jersey Heritage, Olga Finch, are noted as praising the find as one of great importance in the field of Celtic coins. This article is written in a straightforward style that covers the Five Ws and nothing else.
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Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on the newest news, on Friday for the first hunt for the good in poorly received Nicolas Cage movies (this week, Deadfall), and on Thursday for another annotated link.
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A rundown of the various powers that Spider-Man has and whether or not they’re accurate representations of a real spiders’ abilities. This article makes extensive reference to a History Channel documentary called “Spider-Man Tech” and includes expert analysis by Don “The Bug Man" Carey of North Dakota State University. It is written in a plain fashion, and makes use of headings that are based on Spider-Man’s powers.
[N.B.: To view the above article you'll need to sign up for a free account with INFORUM.]
2. Miller, Ben. “‘Incredible’ hoard of 50,000 Iron Age coins, buried in escape from Caesar, found in Jersey.” Culture24 July 2012. Web. 3 July 2012.
A pair of "metal detectorists" have found a horde of Celtic coins in a farmer’s field in Jersey. Experts such as the Curator of Archaeology for Jersey Heritage, Olga Finch, are noted as praising the find as one of great importance in the field of Celtic coins. This article is written in a straightforward style that covers the Five Ws and nothing else.
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Closing
Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on the newest news, on Friday for the first hunt for the good in poorly received Nicolas Cage movies (this week, Deadfall), and on Thursday for another annotated link.
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Annotated Links #3: Invasive Technology
1. 1. Robbins, Gary. "UCSD camera lens can see everyone in a stadium." U-T San Diego 22 June 2012. Web. 28 June 2011.
In a project led by Duke University, UC San Diego has helped to develop a lens for a camera that can take 1-gigapixel images of large spaces. The project is funded by U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and designed primarily for 'surveillance, wildlife observation and sports coverage.' The article is written in a plain style with ample use of quotations.
2. Finnegan, Matthew. "Pigment discovery makes biological chips possible." TechEye.net 27 June 2012. Web. 28 June 2012.
Scientists from the University of Queensland believe that melanin could bridge electronics and human biology because of its ability to switch electrical charges from electrons, essential to electronics, to ions, essential to human biological functioning, and vice versa. The article is a dense summary of information, and written in a straightforward style.
3. Gaudin, Sharon "Google looks to make science fiction real with Glasses." Computerworld 28 June 2012. Web. 28 June 2012.
Google has launched their glasses, wearable computers that are equipped with a processor, memory, cameras, microphones and speakers. The glasses will sell for $1,500 at first, but then Sergey Brin, the co-founder and CEO of Google, is optimistic that they will be offered to the general public for a lower price in 2014. The article is a summary of an interview with Brin that is rich in quotations.
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Check back here tomorrow for a hunt for the good in Wrath of the Titans.
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In a project led by Duke University, UC San Diego has helped to develop a lens for a camera that can take 1-gigapixel images of large spaces. The project is funded by U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and designed primarily for 'surveillance, wildlife observation and sports coverage.' The article is written in a plain style with ample use of quotations.
2. Finnegan, Matthew. "Pigment discovery makes biological chips possible." TechEye.net 27 June 2012. Web. 28 June 2012.
Scientists from the University of Queensland believe that melanin could bridge electronics and human biology because of its ability to switch electrical charges from electrons, essential to electronics, to ions, essential to human biological functioning, and vice versa. The article is a dense summary of information, and written in a straightforward style.
3. Gaudin, Sharon "Google looks to make science fiction real with Glasses." Computerworld 28 June 2012. Web. 28 June 2012.
Google has launched their glasses, wearable computers that are equipped with a processor, memory, cameras, microphones and speakers. The glasses will sell for $1,500 at first, but then Sergey Brin, the co-founder and CEO of Google, is optimistic that they will be offered to the general public for a lower price in 2014. The article is a summary of an interview with Brin that is rich in quotations.
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Check back here tomorrow for a hunt for the good in Wrath of the Titans.
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Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Annotated Links #2: Science (Fiction)
1. O'Neil, Lauren. "Google brain simulator learns to identify cats on the internet." CBC 26 June 2012. Web. 27 June 2012.
All about a "Google Brain" that can recognize a cat after constructing the concept of the animal from randomly viewed YouTube videos. This piece of technology, consisting of 16,000 computer processors, was developed by Google's X Laboratory, the research facility responsible for augmented reality glasses, self-driving cars, and a slew of other projects involving computer programming. It is written in a straightforward fashion, and is a fine example of classic, mostly objective reporting.
2. Linster, The. "The best women authors of science fiction and fantasy: Who's on your list?" After Ellen 25 June 2012. Web. 27 June 2012.
This article presents a list of six of the best female fantasy/science fiction writers inspired by a list commemorating Octavia Butler's 65th birthday that can be found at Flavorwire. The list ranges from Octavia Butler to J.K. Rowling, presenting the highlights of each author's work. The article is written in a casual style that makes regular use of the first person.
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Closing
Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on some of the newest news, and on Friday for a hunt for the good in Wrath of the Titans.
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All about a "Google Brain" that can recognize a cat after constructing the concept of the animal from randomly viewed YouTube videos. This piece of technology, consisting of 16,000 computer processors, was developed by Google's X Laboratory, the research facility responsible for augmented reality glasses, self-driving cars, and a slew of other projects involving computer programming. It is written in a straightforward fashion, and is a fine example of classic, mostly objective reporting.
2. Linster, The. "The best women authors of science fiction and fantasy: Who's on your list?" After Ellen 25 June 2012. Web. 27 June 2012.
This article presents a list of six of the best female fantasy/science fiction writers inspired by a list commemorating Octavia Butler's 65th birthday that can be found at Flavorwire. The list ranges from Octavia Butler to J.K. Rowling, presenting the highlights of each author's work. The article is written in a casual style that makes regular use of the first person.
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Closing
Check back here tomorrow for an editorial on some of the newest news, and on Friday for a hunt for the good in Wrath of the Titans.
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