Hello Everyone,
Today I launched my Kickstarter campaign to fund a film I've been working on called "BioPunks"
Logline:
Three patients who unexpectedly gain enhanced abilities from undergoing an exclusive clinical trial designed to cure their neurological disabilities, must come together to destroy an unrelenting force bent on harnessing the source of their power for his own twisted agenda.
If you are interested in learning more about BioPunks, please visit my Kickstarter page here: http://kck.st/1UksRJB
If you would like to help bring my film to life, please support by donating and sharing with as many people as possible.
Thank you and I hope everyone is having a Happy New Year!
Royce
Featured Posts (3509)
Sort by
You truly are Unforgettable. May you find happiness in the next life.
 |
| Schematic illustration of the pattern-writing process using an optically controlled microbubble on a plasmonic substrate and the logo of “UT-AUSTIN” written with 60 nm polystyrene beads. Courtesy: M Yogeesh |
Topics: Biology, Carbon Nanotubes, Medical Physics, Nanotechnology, Photonics, Semiconductor Technology
A new “bubble-pen” lithography technique can be used to pattern colloidal and biological particles on solid-state substrates according to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. The technique, which works by using laser-controlled microbubbles to create the patterns, will find a wide range of applications in microelectronics, nanophotonics and nanomedicine.
Photolithography is one of the main techniques available today to make micro- and nano-scale components for semiconductor devices. However, the problem is that these methods have inherent disadvantages. “Far-field" optical lithography, for example, is limited by the so-called diffraction limit of light, which means that it is extremely difficult to create features smaller than several hundred nanometres across. Techniques based on "near-field" scanning optical microscopy can overcome the diffraction limit by bringing the light source very near to the surface, but they are low-throughput and can only scan small areas at a time. Electron-beam lithography, although able to produce much smaller features, is also limited by the choice of working materials and substrates that can survive exposure to an electron beam.
The new bubble-pen lithography technique invented by Yuebing Zheng's team in collaboration with Deji Akinwande's and Andrew Dunn's groups in Texas uses a single low-power laser beam to generate a microbubble at the interface of a colloidal suspension of nanoparticles and a plasmonic substrate containing a network of metallic nanoparticles that interact strongly with light via localized surface plasmons (collective oscillations of electrons on a metal's surface). These metal particles act as efficient optical nanoantennas and can focus light to wavelengths dramatically below the diffraction limit. The microbubble produced captures and immobilizes the colloidal particles on the substrate and by directing the laser beam to move the bubble, the researchers can create different patterns from the colloidal particles with varying sizes and architectures.
Nanotechweb: Bubble-pen lithography patterns nanodevices, Belle Dumé
 |
| From #P4TC post: ET and Prayer Cloths |
Topics: Commentary, Philosophy, Politics, Research, Science, SETI, Space Exploration
As I've read, originally the "backfire effect" was applied to how professional women were treated in the workplace, negative to be sure. Lately, it's been applied to our political discourse - up is down; out is in; logic is illogical, and reason be damned.
Humans don't like being wrong, and facts only grind their heels into the cement foundation of their own biased certainty. No matter what, we retreat from reality to the comfortable; we reject data for the surety of our own preconceptions.
Becoming aliens
Neel V. Patel posited an interesting question in his post: "Will Humans Ever Build Starships?"
Think for a moment - if you're in the camp of aliens visiting our somehow special planet out of literally billions of others over several parsecs of options - what it would take?
1. First and foremost, as implied by the Drake Equation, such a civilization needs to survive its own hubris to travel, let alone communicate.
2. Crowd funding wouldn't do, this would be a global, expensive effort on any planet.
3. It would have to be a compelling reason: avoiding extinction, profit, water; to merely "seek out new life and new civilizations" alone wouldn't cut it.
4. Leaving whatever environment and life you've grown accustomed to as "home" for something likely utterly and completely different...alien. This would be a special breed of interstellar explorers indeed.
5. The unlikelihood of warp drive in the foreseeable future, such a 0.1-c trip would be one way in distance and time, else coming back to the home world, the astronauts would find via time dilation most of their former friends and family buried.
Lastly, the astronauts would have to have a means of evaluating new information, jettisoning old information once new data was known, in short steeped in the Scientific Method, something in our current climate of science denial/rejection we're not capable of just yet. A backfire effect even in low Earth orbit could prove suicidal to a crew, let alone a joint mission with a more senior intelligence.
If there are intelligent aliens out there, they are proving it...by ignoring us.
Related links:
Brain Pickings: The Backfire Effect
Columbia Journalism Review: The Backfire Effect
Rational Wiki: The Backfire Effect
Slate: Can we build a Starship Enterprise in the Next 10 Years?
Space.com: Could We Build 'Star Trek's' Starship Enterprise?
You Are Not So Smart: The Backfire Effect
 |
| Light-based technologies wowed the crowds at Lightfest in Birmingham, UK, a celebration of light in science, art, technology and culture held in conjunction with IYL 2015. Visit Physics World Showcase: Light to see a video of the event and other light-themed videos. |
Topics: Lasers, Optical Physics, Optics
The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015) will soon draw to a close, in a year that has seen thousands of events celebrating the science and applications of light in more than a 100 countries worldwide. Officially launched in January at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, IYL 2015 has involved more than 100 partners from 85 countries – including the Institute of Physics, which publishes Physics World.
A range of international and national events have been held, touching on light in everything from archaeology and communications to medicine and the arts. The Light: Beyond the Bulb project, for example, has put the science of light into public settings around the world, such as parks, metro-stations, airports and libraries, while the Study after Sunset initiative promoted the use of solar-powered light-emitting-diode (LED) lanterns in parts of the world where there is little or no reliable source of light after dark. The iSPEX-EU campaign has used "citizen science" to measure air pollution with smartphones; while children, teachers, scientists and artists from more than 25 countries came together to write the "SkyLight" science opera.
Physics World: International Year of Light Draws to a Close, Michael Banks
#P4TC: International Year of Light
 |
| Scientists are only beginning to advance memory-enhancing technology research, but even in this early stage, there are questions that deserve consideration. (Illustration credit: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock) |
Topics: Biology, Science Fiction, STEM
I immediately thought of "Neo: I know Kung Fu!"... "Morpheus: Show me!" I was disabused of the notion after reading through the article.
I secondarily thought of the hand-wringing on what was-then referred to as the "information superhighway" AKA the Internet. At the time, you needed the ability to access it on a personal computer - not a laptop, but a desktop or tower, which at the time cost far more than it does now. Example: my old 486 was $2,500 with my wife's EMPLOYEE discount! Our laptop cost less than $400 now. Also, "apps" on cell phones were nonexistent, and you certainly couldn't surf the Internet on them. They were mostly analogue walkie-talkies with dial tone and horrendous service charges, not that that's gotten any better.
Humans are distinctly unique in Earthbound species: we define somethings as valuable and almost immediately craft barriers - real and artificial - to its access to further drive its value and profits. (Elephants and herds of buffalo at watering holes are far more democratic.) Also, as the article alludes, it is a mixed blessing in some memories that we've learned through pain aversion to block out completely. Perfect recall could be that and a curse.
Even if intelligence could be enhanced by an implant, I could see the backlash and the caveat emptor arising from the expert and provocateur alike. I am reminded of two quotes I thought apropos:
"There is no great genius without some touch of madness."
Aristotle
"Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence."
Edgar Allan Poe
`
In fall, DARPA announced a major success in its Restoring Active Memory (RAM) program. Researchers implanted targeted electrical arrays in the brains of a few dozen volunteers — specifically in brain areas involved in memory.
The researchers found a way to read out neural “key codes” associated with specific memories, and then fed those codes back into the volunteers’ brains as they tried to recall lists of items or directions to places. While the results are still preliminary, DARPA claims that the RAM technique has already achieved “promising results” in improving memory retrieval.
Intriguing as this implant is, it’s only the latest in an ongoing series of neurological techniques and gizmos designed to boost and sharpen memory. The effects and implications of these systems raise questions that are worth consideration.
Discover Magazine: 3 Implications of Memory-Boosting Devices, Ben Thomas
Could never grow a big nappy halo, the genes never allowed it. I realized that words and pictures play havoc on experiencing reality. I'm neither tall or short, not strikingly handsome nor naturally disfigured. I am over critical in judgement trying to better what passes before my eye gates. I can not except the mimic in the mirror because he does everything backwards. Why do I experience everything in the first and third person and who is that illusive second person?
4 big garbage bags on the sidewalk. Damn city folk, why they put huge bags of sh*t so close to the bus stop. Gotta stink, gotta.........the bus came, the bags stood up got on the bus.............
Afro, the word means many things to many people. Coupled with Futurism, it encompasses everybody from one drop of negro blood to folks who embody the core of the planet. What strikes me is the lack of material culture. It's not really a design style but I've seen elements of Steampunk from sticks to chrome and fashion from military to angel garb. You don't own nothing in this present world but dreams. As if poverty of materialism is a forced asceticism. Some of us lament it, some rock the hell out of it. It is a science of personality and personalization. That illusive second person.
I am shy and unaccustomed. Walking to the podium with well fussed over words on a script. I sputter and stutter before my lips began to move. I stare at the crowd and apologize excusing myself. I turn, pull out a half mask appliance and apply it to my face. There is a rumble in my head as the transformation takes place. The thoughts in the que are flushed and another person, that second person comes forth. The first person still agassed screams "What do we do now?", the third strains to see the script, out of focus now. That second person with a glint of an ageless sage whispers to his entourage "Improvise". He says the first word and builds a tale, weaving the body with a few choice expressions and gestures that link to the attentive and slaps the distracted................it all echos into a void interrupted by applause, whistles and "yeah, Yeah!" I remove the appliance and become one of them again. They ask did he leave already, we wanted to meet him.
The powers that be are trying to kill him, her, it, the improv. When jazz and hip-hop became canned they thought they nailed us. Afrofuturist come from all their various schools of mind, the improvs. This is the last bar. They channeled and corraled everyone including the psychics, all accept the improvs. The Improvs will transform the world, always have, always will. Here's to the Afrofuture! Spill your best content, ref your script (if you must), quantum-improvious!!
My Earthday is in 11 Days..... If anyone feels generous here is MY wishlist Part 7 (of 17...LOL). Today I am asking for AFRICAN MUSIC in MP3 format for ABYSSINIA MEDIA GROUP® will start with a HOUSE MIX from SOUTH AFRICA by DJ KHAYES. CHECK IT!
 |
| The Borexino detector comprises 300 tonnes of an organic liquid that is viewed by 2212 photomultipliers. The Borexino detector has not seen evidence for electron decay (Courtesy: Borexino Collaboration) |
Topics: Chemistry, Electron Configuration, Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics, Theoretical Physics
Yotta is the largest decimal unit prefix in the metric system, denoting a factor of 1024 or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It has the unit symbol Y. The prefix name is derived from the Ancient Greek οκτώ (októ), meaning "eight", because it is equal to 10008. Wikipedia
The best measurement yet of the lifetime of the electron suggests that a particle present today will probably still be around in 66,000 yottayears (6.6 × 1028 yr), which is about five-quintillion times the current age of the universe. That is the conclusion of physicists working on the Borexino experiment in Italy, who have been searching for evidence that the electron decays to a photon and a neutrino; a process that would violate the conservation of electrical charge and point towards undiscovered physics beyond the Standard Model.
The electron is the least-massive carrier of negative electrical charge known to physicists. If it were to decay, energy conservation means that the process would involve the production of lower-mass particles such as neutrinos. But all particles with masses lower than the electron have no electrical charge, and therefore the electron's charge must "vanish" during any hypothetical decay process. This violates "charge conservation", which is a principle that is part of the Standard Model of particle physics. As a result, the electron is considered a fundamental particle that will never decay. However, the Standard Model does not adequately explain all aspects of physics, and therefore the discovery of electron decay could help physicists to develop a new and improved model of nature.
Physics World: Electron lifetime is at least 66,000 yottayears, Hamish Johnston
 |
| Feynman Diagrams Depicting Possible Formations of the Higgs Boson. Image Credit: scienceblogs.com, astrobites |
Topics: CERN, Higgs Boson, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Theoretical Physics
Nature
The two experiments that discovered the Higgs boson in 2012 have sensed an intriguing if very preliminary whiff of a possible new elementary particle. Both collaborations announced their observations on 15 December, as they released their first significant results since completing a major upgrade earlier this year.
The results largely matched a rumour that has circulated on social media and blogs for several days: that both the CMS and ATLAS detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) outside Geneva, Switzerland, have seen in the debris of proton-proton collisions an unexpected excess of pairs of photons carrying around 750 giga electronvolts (GeV) of energy combined. This could be a tell-tale sign of a new particle — also a boson, but not necessarily similar to the Higgs — decaying into two photons of equal mass. It would be about four times more massive than the next heaviest particle discovered so far, the top quark, and six times more massive than the Higgs. [1]
New York Times Science
Does the Higgs boson have a cousin?
Two teams of physicists working independently at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, reported on Tuesday that they had seen traces of what could be a new fundamental particle of nature.
One possibility, out of a gaggle of wild and not-so-wild ideas springing to life as the day went on, is that the particle — assuming it is real — is a heavier version of the Higgs boson, a particle that explains why other particles have mass. Another is that it is a graviton, the supposed quantum carrier of gravity, whose discovery could imply the existence of extra dimensions of space-time. [2]
1. LHC sees hint of boson heavier than Higgs, Davide Castelvecchi
2. Physicists in Europe Find Tantalizing Hints of a Mysterious New Particle, Dennis Overbye
I always wondered why shoes are so important in this civilization. They keep us insulated from the earth. Thru fashion
engineering we have lost our physical contact with the earth. There is still a residual charge that keeps us alive. But you
got to wonder how primitive peoples survive without all the entrapments and entanglements we have today. I was thinking
since our feet are so tender we could make a shoe sole with an earth contact circuit. A combination of activated carbon
and silicon to act as a rectifier and over time our body would remember how to hold and release the charge. Imagine lifting
a foot and a string of electricity arcing between you and the earth. And when you jump, you will to reverse polarity to glide
momentarily in thin air or deliver a thunder kick when needed. After years of use the shoes's carbon/silicon sole is
converted to diamonds, hence the phrase 'diamonds on the soles of your shoes' becomes true and bling brained a
heresy. Come on, sports would be.........run lightning fast, explode out the blocks. The three man baseball team,
pitcher/catcher, the baseman (all the bases) and the fielder.
On the flip side the gov will implement a boots on the ground program to have melanitary troops making bootleg diamonds
to continue financing chaos in the world. You'll have to band together to save your own soles.
 |
| Image Source: Reuters Science |
Topics: Humor, International Space Station, Space, Space Exploration
A Soyuz spacecraft successfully delivered a Russian, an American and a Briton to the International Space Station on Tuesday after blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The otherwise smooth journey ended with a slightly delayed docking at 1733 GMT as Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko aborted the automatic procedure and manually guided the spacecraft towards the station.
Alongside Malenchenko, a veteran of long-duration space flights who is on his fourth space mission, were NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Briton Tim Peake, both former Apache military helicopter pilots.
Peake, 43, a former army major who is on a six-month mission for the European Space Agency (ESA), became the first astronaut representing the British government and wearing a Union Jack flag on his arm. The first Briton in space was Helen Sharman, who travelled on a Soviet spacecraft for eight days in 1991.
Reuters Science: Spacecraft carrying Russian, American, Briton docks with space station
“I’m so sorry, honey. I have been neglecting you for work.”
The quiet bustle of the restaurant filled the air. Murmuring lovers leaned closely and whispered to each other of their undying affections over warm bread and expensive wines. Richard Refuerzo was such a man.
He was trying to rekindle the relationship with his estranged wife, Evangeline, who had made, in her estimation the wise decision of leaving this crazed dreamer — this mad scientist, dedicated solely to his work — to his work.
She looks around the restaurant. It was a new place, beautiful understated decor, beautiful wait staff and its ratings were off the chart. On the way over she had checked her IRIS to discover it was a Zagat-favored and three star restaurant. Tonight he was sparing no expense.
It had not been easy. They were so in love once. A decade ago, a lifetime ago, college had been very good to both of them. Students of biology, they were both working in a doctoral program at MIT; plant studies, recombination of genes to create new plants, hardier, capable of surviving harsher environments, able to live on less pure or even salt water.
He was the most promising of those students she thought to herself as he continued his blandishments of returning to the old days, the old ways, the passion; the love they had set their world and their lab on fire, more than once.
Literally. A moment of passion distracted them and while they were… busy, a small lab caught on fire and they were forced out in the sprinkler downpour. With their clothes in the burning lab, their affair was exposed as they were forced to leave the building wearing little more than their dignity and his most successful candidate for a new flower proto-type, the sterling. It didn’t matter, they were so young and in love. They ran home streaking through the campus, to madcap laughing through the night.
Those were good old days. They didn’t last.
Evangeline tried to focus her attention on what he was saying but she had heard these apologies before. She was sure nothing had changed for him. But, she had to admit, he looked good.
That haggard look, once so common for him; unshaven, unkempt, was gone. He seemed at ease, peaceful. This was the man I fell in love with, not that other crazy pendejo he became while he was doing, what he called his life’s work.
“Evangeline, are you listening?”
No. “Yes.” A pause. “No. I wasn’t. This is all so predictable. You bring me to a nice restaurant, you promise you’re going to change. I believe you, we fuck, then you go back to work neglect me for six months and I get tired of that, move out and go home to my condo. This will be the third time. I am tired, Richard. I think I am finally able to move on.”
Richard looked at her. Stared deeply into her eyes. “I finished it.”
Oh no, not again.
“Before you give me that look, hear me out. I really finished it. I corrected the last design flaws and this time, it is perfect. I can show you.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
Richard, looks over at the maitre d who had been coordinating the delicate dance of waiters, tables and clients like a conductor directs an orchestra. “Francis?”
“Right away, Mr. Refuerzo.”
Francis waves his hands and three of the young waiters appear and disappear into the back of the restaurant. When they return, they are carrying a large ornate vase filled with water, a box of sea salt, and a towel with fourteen long-stem roses. Each was a variety of colors, with the central flowers being silver-grey.
“Despite their colors they are all variations on my original sterling. I can make them any color I choose. But that is just the tip of the iceberg.” Richard directs the young men to place the large vase onto the floor and takes the sea salt from Francis. He takes a cup and scoops some of the water from the wide mouthed vase and drinks it.
“Ordinary water. Take a sip for me.” Evangeline complied, hoping to be done with the charade before everyone in the restaurant began looking.
“Ordinary sea salt, complete with a variety of flavorful minerals.” Francis looked at Richard as if to say, this wasn’t any ordinary sea salt but wisely said nothing. The old Richard hated interruptions in his demonstrations. This new Richard is something else. He is smiling. Confident. Evangeline is drawn to his movements, despite her reservations.
Richard pours the entire box of sea salt into the vase. Francis winced and nearly fainted; those were rare Italian sea salt dispensed as if it were common dirt.
He stirs the water in the vase until the salt is completely dissolved. He tasted the water with a flourish worthy of a magician. His sour face the indication something was amiss. He let Evangeline sip as well to confirm what he himself had already indicated. The water was now extremely salty.
He unwrapped the sterlings and exposes a delicate root structure at their base. Each was somehow grown as an individual flower, not part of a rosebush, or as a graft. These were genetic constructs.
He places each of the roses into the water, lovingly, with a passion he once reserved for her. He caresses each rose, making plenty of room for the root structures. She watched Richard as he whispered to each rose before putting it in with the others.
Evangeline found herself strangely aroused by his treatment of the roses and wondered if the supposed success of his project had change him in some way. “Now we are going to leave them in the water for just over five minutes. During that time, Evangeline, I want to ask you a question.”
“I know we have had some difficult times and while we have been apart, I have thought of nothing but you. This last two years without you make me realize I never want to be without you again. Will you exchange vows with me again?”
As Richard said this, the Sterlings, closed until now, opened up with rich and magnificent blooms. The center flower, the silver one, opened its petals and produced a silver and white ring. Richard gently removed the ring, thanking the flower and placed it on Evangaline’s finger.
It was a perfect fit. Richard took his glass and dipped it in the vase, filling it to the brim. He drank it completely and offered Evangeline a glass. Filled with the enthusiasm of the moment, she drank it, marveling at the purity and the complete removal of any mineral content whatsoever. Even the minerals in the water were gone and the water was now pH balanced to boot.
“How long do they live? What is their threshold for absorption, how do they process the minerals?” Evangeline’s mind was racing. He had done it. The process was quick, efficient and able to be controlled to the point he could have the flowers make a goddamn ring composed of all of the minerals. She licked the ring and was greeted with the concentrated taste of salt and metal.
“Save all of the questions for after dinner. You never answered my question. Will you remarry me. We will never want for anything, the patents alone on this process will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams of avarice.” Richard grabbed her up in his arms and spun her around. Evangeline tensed, for only a split second and then let herself go.
This man was happy. He was the man she fell in love with. Ebullient, energetic, alive again in a way she hadn’t seen in so long. He was the first man she ever loved, and wanted to love him again.
“Yes, you beautiful bastard, yes, I will marry you again. But this is the last time.”
“We won’t ever have to do this again. I promise.”
Dinner was extraordinary. The food was splendid. Richard was a new man and Evangeline found herself in love with him again.
They even made time for a quickie. Everyone pretended not to notice when they returned to their seats. Everyone, except the Sterlings.
Diners were so enraptured with each other, they failed to watch the imperceptibly slow movements of the Sterlings. Their stems began to intertwine, tightly wrapping each other in a fierce embrace.
The Sterlings noticed everything.
They extruded thorns made of salt and minerals. They considered the threat of Evangeline. They were of a cool and patient intelligence. They could wait. Plants never hurry. All things yield to them in time, even stone.
The Maker belonged to them and them alone.
Sterlings © Thaddeus Howze 2014, All Rights Reserved
 |
| Image Source: Link Below |
Topics: Logic, Politics, Science, Research
I find it hard to watch political debates...and I mean either party. Largely, if you've ever attended a high school debate, seen one or participated in one, you KNOW what we're getting is a 90-minute-for-ratings performance; "last man/woman on the island" - patently and pathetically a reality show. The League of Women Voters are still around, but not central to our presidential elections as they used to be. One of my contentions is our education encourages conformity, not inquiry; blind obedience, not questioning. Instead of future citizens, we have created over-tested, Pavlovian dogs.
It's no wonder freshman classes at great or "lesser" colleges (an undignified dog whistle) aren't showing up with the scholastic and critical thinking skills that would make their matriculation enjoyable, and a democratic republic possible.
In frustration, I've listed the following logical fallacies. I frankly get more from the after-action social media commentary than I ever will from the "performances."
When they debate THIS, I'll tune in. When it's finally important to those running to possess the nuclear codes, we all should.
 |
| Image Source: sakkmesterke/Shutterstock.com |
Topics: Modern Physics, Quantum Computer, Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Teleportation
Although, "precise requirements" seems oxymoronic in a Heisenberg Uncertainty sense!
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated the precise requirements for secure quantum teleportation – and it involves a phenomenon known 'quantum steering', first proposed by Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger.
Before you get too excited, no, this doesn't mean we can now teleport humans like they do on Star Trek (sorry). Instead, this research will allow people to use quantum entanglement to send information across large distances without anyone else being able to eavesdrop. Which is almost as cool, because this is how we'll form the un-hackable communication networks of the future.
Science Alert:
Scientists have figured out what we need to achieve secure quantum teleportation
Fiona MacDonald
My Earthday is in 14 Days.... If anyone feels generous here is MY wishlist Part 4 (of 17... LOL). Today I am asking to cater to my Personal Electronics fetish with the following SAMSUNG Mobile products:
1) THE GALAXY NOTE 5
2) GALAXY TAB A 9.7" 16GB (WI-FI) W/ S PEN
3) SAMSUNG GEAR 2 NEO WILD ORANGE
My Earthday is in 15 Days.... If anyone feels generous here is MY wishlist Part 3 (of 17... LOL). Lets just say ANY TUSKEGEE AIRMEN/ RED TAILS Gear is what I am down with..... Here they are WITH LINKS.
Great to see the New Jean Grey, Boom Boom, Nightcrawler, the 4 horsemen, Psylocke.... wow will Mojo and his crew appear too? LOL
 |
| Image Source: Week in Weird, Chris Silva |
Topics: Drake Equation, Fermi Paradox, Entropy, Space Exploration, SETI
There seems to be a strong inclination for Eschatology, or literally the study of "end things." A great deal of ink is devoted to it in books, blogs and Internet memes.
The Apostle Paul - the sub after Judas - et al believed they would see the end of things in their own lifetimes. The Jehovah's Witnesses' founder Charles Taze Russell devoted a great deal of thought to the subject. Millerites - derived from former Baptist preacher William Miller set a date for the end-of-the-age as October 22, 1844. This became known as the "Great Disappointment." Even Jesus hedged his bets in ancient tradition (seems to have been more a matter of business than romance), and there's an ever-growing list of predictions that (spoiler alert) weren't quite accurate.
Filters do a tremendous work, especially in fermentation. For anyone with inkjet printers, Subtractive Color Mixing employs the primary colors cyan, magenta and yellow. You can even do a lab on it.
The Great Filter is a post I saw on Facebook from io9 that looks at the Fermi Paradox and tries to answer it with the likely possibility that evolved intelligence is its own Entropy as I've stated in previous posts. We may well be past that, and capable of becoming a space faring species with a lot of real estate to explore.
It's an admittedly positive spin. In light of the current xenophobia and the delicate balance of income inequality, strained resources; domestic and international terrorism, it is my hope we all are past the filter and get to an advanced level of maturity...quickly.
io9:
The Great Filter theory suggests humans have already conquered the threat of extinction
George Dvorsky
