Autor: Samuel

Me sees noses - everywhere. Everyone has one! They tryin' to take over – so be aware of your nose. And make shure your left earlap will not join in – though this would be less evil...

Global Dimming

Published on 31. Mai 2007

industry and greenhouse gases

English (deutsch siehe unten)

If you thought it would be nice to have mediterranean temperatures in middle Europe by two more degrees Celsius in 2025, you must know that there is a good chance we’d have an increase of four degrees that year. And with it the dryness of nord Africa.

You ask why? Particulate matter might decrease the effect of greenhouse gases by its half, Nowadays, with all the particle filters, we’ll eventually get a nice burn in the future – simple, isn’t it?

Watch this BBC-documentation on YouTube and spread the word:

Global Dimming
(edit: Updated the videolinks)

Deutsch

Wer dachte, es wäre hübsch, in Mitteleuropa Mittelmeerklima zu haben, indem es 2 Grad wärmer wird, muss damit rechnen, dass es bis dann 4 Grad wärmer geworden ist. Und damit hier so trocken wie in Nordafrika.

Wie das gehen soll? Feinstaub in der Atmosphäre dürfte den Effekt der Treibhausgase um die Hälfte dämpfen. Mit den heutigen Partikelfiltern werden wir uns vielleicht einen netten Sonnenbrand einfangen.

Guck Dir dazu diese BBC-Doku auf YouTube:

Global Dimming Teil 1 | Teil 2 | Teil 3 | Teil 4 | Teil 5

Published inEcology Science Think!

Baul Melody

Published on 8. Mai 2007

Take a listen from this mp3-file (Baul Melody in 8 beats, 8/4):

To not stop playback surf in another tab/window!

Though it’s Indian Light Classical, it’s a master piece. This indian folk melody from the bengali Baul tradition is sweetly interpreted by Nikhil Banerjee (sitar) and Anindio Chatterjee (tabla) and I listened to it a minimum of 125 thousand times. Both are masters on their instruments and I especially suggest to listen to the little enrichments Nikhil gives to each note and the flow of the melody. He is just amazing!

If you never heard Indian Classical Music, this may open a new world for you. Indian Music is basically modal and based on one scale. Here is the seventh, the minor seventh and even the minor second in the scale at one point – so your listening habit may get stressed a bit. But belive me: You will love this! This is sugar.

If you like some more information about Classical Indian Music, you may start on Wikipedia.

Here’s another version in 6 beats, 6/8:

(Updated Sept. 2013)

Published inMusic Musicians

Indische Klassische Musik

Have a Game

Published on 15. April 2007

Since I didn’t got inspired by something spectacular, I post here some links to little games thar you can play online. Some requires plugins like Shockwave, which you may have to install or update to make fun of it.

The first one is Bubble Shooter. In classical manner you’ll have to hit colored bubbles with another one you shoot. If there are more than three in the same color, they’ll disappear. The goal is to clean the bubbles off the field. Beware: Danger of habit formation!
The second is a classic: Backgammon.
One more is Gold Strike. You’ll be a miner who’s diggin‘ to some Banjosounds. The game principle is somewhat like Bubbles, but with a time limit and the bricks disappear, if there are more than two of the same type neighboring. It’s fun, but the game seems somewhat unfinished…
For a limitet time (until you’ve found the best strategy) is Snow Storm. Free the parking area with your snow plug. The graphics are very nicely done.

Have fun with these and let me know which you like most. On http://www.playit.ch you can find tons of games – most are some kind of stupid… you know 😉 . Also, please post in the comments if you know some good sites for a short break.

Published inFun Think!

Spiele

The Power of Ten

Published on 7. April 2007

Today was a beautiful day and I was out by the river the first time this year with my Lapsteel playing. Looking at the water, this old movie «Power of ten» (YouTube video, 9 min.) from 1977 came to my mind. Read the details on wikipedia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CKd0aPSWe8

Well, this is now 30 years old, so I did some googling and found some more interesting, newer things. First, there’s a newer version of something similar: the Cosmic Voyage (YouTube, 4 min.) from 1996. This is unfortunately only the part of the journey similar to the former Power of Ten, I couldn’t find the whole movie, which is also described on Wikipedia.

Here’s also a slideshow-version from this idea to show the cosmos. I found even a version from the famous Simpsons animation series 🙂 .

There’s also a very interesting dissertation from astrophysicist Mike Norman on Google video (56 min). He takes you on an unprecedented journey across space and time to witness the formation of galaxies and cosmic structure as well as the formation of one of the first stars to shine in the universe.

His dissertation features also this by far the best animated virtual journey (YouTube, ca. 4 min.), calculated with accurate data from the actual cosmic science. So it’s up to date with data and computer rendering technique. Here are some screenshots (click for bigger versions, threy’re the best resolution I could get):

The journey will start at our solar system and the first impressing step is the Orion Nebula (right), 1000 light-years away, with the Horsehead Nebula (middle) in the background.

We then turn around to see a fictive picture of our own home galaxy, the Milkyway. Fictive because we still cannot shoot a picture of our galaxy… 😉 .

Then we will pass through the galaxy M-33 (right) towards the giant Andromeda galaxy with the blue outskirts (top left). In the middle another star forming Nebula in M-33, like the Orion Nebula, but much larger. We’re about 1 million light-years away from home.

What looks like a couple of stars is actually the Virgo Cluster, about 28 mio light-years away, our local cluster of galaxies. Each white dot is a whole galaxy and the destination of this animated journey.

So, finally, if you look at the sky next time, try to imagine the 28 million light-years distance to our nearest galaxy cluster, which is only one of all them out there…

Published inScience

Be tolerant!

Published on 27. März 2007

Just have a look at this picture I’ve found today. Isn’t it great? Although I’m not shure how well the pope is feeling. Anyway, the buddhist monk seems having a great time watching the others find a way to be tolerant… 🙂 !

You can download the original pdf here (link is dead). The campaign «week of the religions» was raised by www.iras-cotis.ch, an interreligious working group of Switzerland.

Published inSociety Think!

Weltproblem Radikalismus

Published on 22. März 2007

(all german)

Das Philosophische Quartett vom 29. Oktober 2006 mit den Gästen Roger Willemsen und Dr. Gunnar Heinsohn. Hier der Link zum Stream:

http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/inhalt/4/0,4070,3998532-0,00.html

Die These

Machen junge Männer Krieg?

Gunnar Heinsohns wilde Thesen – und eine Berliner Studie zur Weltbevölkerung (von Reiner Klingholz)

Der amerikanische Geheimdienst CIA publizierte im Jahr 1995 das Papier Demografische Hintergründe für ethnische Konflikte. Darin ging es um die Frage, ob rasches Bevölkerungswachstum zu politischer Instabilität führen kann. Denn dieses erwirkt zwangsläufig einen youth bulge, eine Beule in der demografischen Kurve, einen Ãœberhang an jungen Menschen, die keinen Platz in der Gesellschaft finden. Die Studie kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass Mord und Totschlag drohen, sobald die Altersgruppe der 15- bis 24-Jährigen einen Anteil von 20 Prozent an der Gesamtbevölkerung übersteigt.

Published inScience Society Think!

Two Planets

Published on 18. März 2007

Well, yeah, two planets met somewhere at the edge of the universe.

«Hi!» said the first.

«Hi…» – «Hm, you look sick. Everything ok?»

«I’ve got humans.» – «Oh, that’s really disgusting.»

«For a short time they were really itchy !»

«So don’t worry, that bodes well» said the second, encouragingly, «it’ll be over in no time then…!»

————————-

Got it from this Blogs comments (german).

————————-

Edit: Found this on eskira.tumblr.com

A planet has humans. (eskira.tumblr.com)

Published inEcology Fun Politics Think!

Witz

Dream about Iran

Published on 16. März 2007

(or about any other big crude oil deliverer)

Close your eyes (well, after reading) and imagine the following.

Sweet Mullah in chief would state:

We have no nuclear material to build weapons – come and see.
We have no plants to make poison gas – come and see.
We even have no missiles to transport such things – come and see.
We don’t treat our opposition like lifestock – come and see.
We respect human rights – come and see.
Everyone has one vote, everyone can campaign – come and see.
We’d like to be your host – come and test us.
And, finally, we’ll sell you our oil in Euros – come and buy!
(tell me some more ideas…)

This could change so many things. It would probably be good for European economics. Probably, many other countries would jump on the bandwagon. Surely, it would be bad for the American economy.

America would not be able to find a real reason for an attack to prevent this. Maybe it would fudge an excuse, but nobody would believe it. The ruler ruled out by his own rules!

But, hold on, what’s the saying? Kick an old dog long enough and it will turn around and bite. Also, what about power vacuum? How many inferiority-complex addled people will fill buckets with their drivel? If physics are to be trusted, gallons of the stuff will drool into place.

Then only holy metaphysics can repeal the laws, but on this score all the mystics men and women sucked, till today. Damn, I’m glad I don’t have to make the rules…

Well, yeah – open your eyes, a dream comes back to reality.

Any suggestions to dream on?

Published inPolitics Think!

Der Spekulant

Published on 14. März 2007

(sorry, all german)

Eine sehr interessante Arbeit habe ich auf www.derspekulant.info gefunden. Wer schon immer mal wissen wollte,

wie es sich verhält, wenn Gott ein Auto wäre und ein Mystiker, ein Wissenschaftler, ein Priester und ein Skeptiker darin Platz nehmen, oder
wie lange ein Affe auf einer Schreibmaschine tippen muss, bis der erste Einzeller entsteht, oder
wie die Evolution sich verhält, wenn Sony die Firma „Leben“ und der Mensch ihr Walk Man wäre,

sollte sich unbedingt die Zeit nehmen, diese Arbeit zu lesen.

Der Spekulant nähert sich auf unterhaltsame Weise in einfacher Sprache und simpler Logik dem Sinn des Lebens.

Viel Spass beim Lesen!

Published inMysticism Science Think!

Generalisierte Quantentheorie / Weak quantum theory

Published on 10. März 2007

(English readers please click on continue and scroll down)

Mein erster Post in deutsch. Soeben fand ich einen neuen Helden: Prof. Dr. Dr. Harald Walach! Er bringt meine Gedanken so schön auf den Punkt, dass ich besser den Mund halte 🙂 .

Hier ein paar Schmankerl, den ganzen Text findet ihr hier auf http://www.psychophysik.com. Viel Inspiration bei dieser spannenden Lektüre! Interessant ist auch die Einleitung dazu.

«Man geht mit theoretischen Konstrukten – „Geister“, „Energien“, „Engel“, „Dämonen“, „previous lives“, „transpersonaler Raum“, „absoluter Geist“ – im transpersonalen Kontext am besten sparsam um. … Damit ist gemeint, dass man den damit gemeinten Sachverhalten eine Art Eigenexistenz zuzubilligen geneigt ist, wenn sie erst einmal genannt ist, …»

«Das heisst aber nun nicht, dass man die Erfahrung deswegen verleugnen muss. Letzteres ist ein Trugschluss, der von der konventionellen Wissenschaft häufig gemacht wird, indem sie Ockhams Rasiermesser radikal anwendet und sich gewissermassen nicht nur rasiert, sondern dem entsprechenden Phänomen gleich den Hals abschneidet und es damit für irrelevant erklärt. Nein, Ockhams Rasiermesser hat ein komplementäres Gegengewicht: Platons Rettungsboot. Dieses von mir so titulierte Prinzip leitet sich aus dem platonischen Wort von der „Rettung der Phänomene“ ab (Walach & Schmidt, 2002). Dieses methodische Prinzip stammt aus der platonisch-astronomischen Schule und meint, eine astronomische Theorie müsste die Himmelsphänomene erklären können und nicht umgekehrt, dass Phänomene einer Theorie untergeordnet werden.»

Published inMysticism Think!

Weak Quantum Theory

A sign of realism

Published on 9. März 2007

industry and greenhouse gases European heads of government agreed to get onward with climate protection. The ambition is to reduce one fifth of greenhouse gases from 1990 by 2020. (!)

In fact, this is not ambitious enough by far. But I see the fact that they are in consent about the need of such steps, even if very tardily. It seems they started to think about our future.

But about which ways to take there are the old inconsistencies. Is nuclear power renewable? Brave Angela Merkel (German President of the European Council at this time) stood tall and argued against this viewpoint. Big applause, please!

France and others won’t be happy with this. And in question is how earnest this statement will be realised. If I take a look at how far we are with the Kyoto-protocol. Still, the insight is here, and if it’s only for popularity. But the end justifies the means, when it results in clear decisions.

Hear I someone say «dream on» 🙂 ? As John Lennon said: I’m not the only one.

Maybe we should put some stuff in Brussels drinking water – it might teach the politicians to dream even further. If they sense life in the next tree they see; it could be inspiring.

Back to realism again I suggest you make sure with your vote, that some realistic and idealistic dreamers take place in the houses of governments – this is how dreams come true, isn’t it?

Published inEcology Politics

Difference between Lemmings and market operators

Published on 28. Februar 2007

This I just asked myself. All they run after each other, no one knows who is leader and where the trip is going. Just because someone in Shanghai made a wrong deal they loose somewhat 3 % worldwide at the stock market. Together they bloat a big balloon and everyone fears, it could burst – but nobody stops pumping. Nobody wants to be stupid and loose a chance to betray money without work.

If you look at it globally, in a wide range, stock market is somehow social: Either all win or all will loose. What an insight – all neo-liberal market operators are in fact damned communists! The Sowjet Union ain’t dead yet.

I mean, seriously, it seems money can be a turn on, but it has no biological life and cannot increase itself. If you made win on a stock, someone must have sweat for it.

It’s easy to make wrong deals with stolen money, besides of an impending heart attack. But it’s the dog biting in its own tail. Maybe it should bite the balloon. The big bang could be a chance for a new, better start.

Published inEconomy

Big times

Published on 26. Februar 2007

The last few days I learned many things. First of all: Screen media ARE NOT print media. After I did all my script sizes with points (as any layouter does) I changed all to em (a relative mesurement like percent, as any webdesigner does). Well, my mistake… But now letters should look more the same in different browsers.

Then, I added the gallery, with two sets of … but look for yourself 🙂 . Then, I added the ~~forum~~, as a place for a guestbook and for site problem reports, for deeper discussions (me don’t like big discussions in a blog comment area) and as a support place for any computer related questions, since I’m kind of a geek and know some help, maybe.

And yes, now there’s a German part on the welcome site. But French, Italian, Arabic, Hindi and Chinese is still missing. Hm, when I think about it – Chinese I’ll boycott eventually…

Published inWebsite

Advanced search form

Published on 22. Februar 2007

Yay, this search form will search through everything, if desired. The css data of this plug in is extremly well done and was a lot easyer to adapt for my design than that from the contact form yesterday.

I also managed to exclude the search page from the page menu on the left side. I will try to link the original wordpress search field (which only searches blog entries) with the advanced search. Hope I can manage that.

The right sidebar becomes more and more intelligent – now realizes what content is shown and brings up matching content. Without having different template files with different sidebars, so maintaining is a lot easyer. This is very imprtant for lazy men like me, although it means more work at the beginning… That’s the price to pay.

Published inWebsite

One more night…

Published on 21. Februar 2007

…hacked away. Formating is mostly finished, for the right sidebar I wrote a script which should display link-categories matching the pages one is viewing and implemented a contact form that should be secure against spam bots. Working with .css is great, but a complex thing, particularly if it’s not the own one.

Next will be the forum and galery to set up – and hopefully some inspiring content. Time to attract some visitors…

Published inWebsite