~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #63
From
human being <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Fri, 21 Nov 2003 16:10:29 -0600
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Electromagnetic News & Views -- #63
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00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (11/21/2003)
01) Top Stories of Electromagnetism
02) Electromagnetic health & safety
03) Electromagnetic trash & treasure
04) Electromagnetic security & surveillance
05) Electromagnetic power & energy
06) Electromagnetic current & human affairs
07) Electromagnetic transport & communication
08) Electromagnetic matter & information
09) Electromagnetic trends & inventions
10) Electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
11) Electromagnetic business & economics
12) Electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
===================================================
00) --commentary-- URLs URLs URLs...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
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Iraq & Our Energy Future // via Alt Energy Inst. newsletter. ***
Homepage of class website by students of Geography
378 (International Environmental Problems & Policy)
<http://www.uwec.edu/grossmzc/energy.html>
'This website was developed in May 2003 by students of Geography 378
(International Environmental Problems & Policy) at the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire, to examine the connections between the Iraq War
and the energy polices of the United States and the world community.
The recent conflict in Iraq, and the aftermath of the 2003 invasion,
has focused attention on global environmental issues in several ways.'
... 'The opinions expressed on this website are those of the students
or their research sources, not of all Geography 378 students, the
instructor, or of the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire and its
departments.'
As students power up, colleges rewire // energy use & war are related.
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2003/11/19/dorms/>
'Today's collegians are part of a generation raised on electronics,
and colleges are having no choice but to spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars to upgrade electrical systems. Often, the upgrade costs are
getting passed on to parents and students in the form of higher fees.'
.. '"It looks like Circuit City in some of those rooms," said Dan
Bertsos, director of residence services at Wright State University near
Dayton.' ... 'Some officials say higher energy costs, campus
expansions, lighting and the addition of computer labs and other
energy-eating facilities are more to blame for increased power demand
than student appliances.' ... 'The higher amp load has some schools
setting limits and conserving.'
Energy bill blocked in Senate
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2003/11/21/energy_bill/>
'Approval of an energy bill has been a top priority for President
Bush, who repeatedly called on Congress to finish the legislation this
year.' .. 'As opponents to the bill appeared to gain strength, Vice
President Dick Cheney began calling GOP senators urging them not to
abandon the president on the issue. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, a
former senator from Michigan, was dispatched to Capitol Hill in the
hours before the voting.'
China Set to Act on Fuel Economy // reality-based (energy) policy...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/18/business/worldbusiness/18AUTO.html>
'The Chinese government is preparing to impose minimum fuel economy
standards on new cars for the first time, and the rules will be
significantly more stringent than those in the United States, according
to Chinese experts involved in drafting them.' .. 'The new standards
are intended both to save energy and to force automakers to introduce
the latest hybrid engines and other technology in China, in hopes of
easing the nation's swiftly rising dependence on oil imports from
volatile countries in the Middle East.' ... 'The International Energy
Agency predicts that by 2030, the volume of China's oil imports will
equal American imports now.' ... 'In a major departure from American
practice, all new sport utility vehicles and minivans in China would be
required to meet the same standards as automatic-shift cars of the same
weight. In the United States, standards for sport utilities and
minivans are much lower than for cars.' ... 'Over all, average fuel
economy in the United States has been eroding since the late 1980's as
automakers shifted production from cars to light trucks. It fell in the
2002 model year to the lowest level since 1980. Automakers in Europe
have accepted European Union demands to increase fuel economy under
different rules that could prove at least as stringent as China's
minimums.'
Jolts turn liquid to solid // electrorheological effect...
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/111903/
Jolts_turn_liquid_to_solid_111903.html>
'The change from liquid to solid and back takes place within a
hundredth of a second and requires a relatively small electric
current, said Sheng. About 8 thousandths of a watt will turn a square
centimeter of the nano particle mixture solid, he said. The power drawn
by an 80-watt light bulb will turn a square meter's worth of the
mixture solid.' .. 'Although the transition from liquid to solid
happens quickly, it is continuous rather than abrupt,...'... 'The
electrical force holds atoms together and is one million trillion
trillion trillion times stronger than the gravitational force. In
everyday life, however, we feel gravity as weight, but can hardly feel
any strong electrical forces, said Sheng. "The reason is... that the
positive and negative charges in our universe are very finely balanced
and their electrical forces nearly canceled," he said.' .. 'This makes
the electrical force extremely weak at distances larger than atomic and
molecular dimensions, but it can be very strong at the nanoscale, said
Sheng. The strong electrical force is responsible for the strength of
all solids.'
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
Virtue in mind -- What has the virtuous life of a 17th-century
philosopher got to do with going out for lunch, the need for a second
Enlightenment, basing feeling and emotion in maps of the body - and
being furious with your boss? For the past decade, neuroscientist
Antonio Damasio has been weaving such strands together in his books,
the latest of which, Looking for Spinoza , was published in May.
<http://www.newscientist.com/opinion/
opinterview.jsp;jsessionid=LDGCFLGLABOL?id=ns24201>
[Question:] 'One of those points of consonance for you lies in
Spinoza's idea that "the human mind is the very idea or knowledge of
the human body". How does it relate to your ideas?' [Answer:] 'I too
believe that continuous signals from the body to the brain provide a
continuous backdrop for the mind. In fact, I doubt we could be
conscious in the usual sense of the term if we did not have a backdrop.
Body signalling is also the essential substrate for feelings. When we
have an emotion we alter the state of the body in a variety of ways,
and then we register the resulting changes in the brain's body maps and
feel the emotions. Emotions come first, feelings second.'
A 'brain charger': The ultimate PDA accessory? // via macsurfer.com
<http://news.com.com/2100-1121_3-5109628.html>
'Peeg, short for "personal electroencephalogram," is designed to
stimulate different types of brain waves by sending positive waves to
the wearer, said Joonon Moon, a director in the planning department at
Seoul-based DreamFree . Company literature says Peeg is the "world’s
best mobile digital brain charger."' ... 'The experience in some ways
is similar to taking a nap while playing a Kraftwerk album.'
Brain Scans Shed Light on Attention Disorder
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3865729§ion=news>
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Berlin to get trash cans that can talk // solar, glowing, talky
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2003/11/20/trash/>
'Starting next spring, the German capital's trash service will build
electronics into a handful of the city's 20,000 street-side
wastebaskets that will allow them to speak or sing to the public, a
spokesman said Thursday.'
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
New Cellphone Offers Big Shots Eavesdrop-Proof Call
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=2&u=/
nm/20031118/tc_nm/tech_cellphones_security_dc>
'Berlin-based Cryptophone, a unit of privately held GSMK, developed
the phone by inserting an encryption software inside a standard
handheld computer phone. This ensures that calls can only be decoded by
a similar handset or a computer running the software.'
Mobile users told to 'chase Bush' // vs. mobile 'bubble'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3280611.stm>
'"We have been described as a second generation smart mob. We are
encouraging people to use camera phones and send us e-mails with
photos," campaign co-organiser Richard Wild explained to BBC News
Online.' .. '"We are trying to spoil the PR, so we are not doing
anything directly, but encouraging people to protest by turning their
backs in press photos so they can't be used."' .. 'The campaign
organisers have also asked people to go into protest "exclusion zones"
to send SMS updates and on-location reports about his appearances, and
events at protests.' .. '"We want to show everyone in the world we are
doing this and we using the web channels to influence mainstream
channels as much as possible," said Mr Ireland.' .. 'All the messages
and pictures will be posted on the website as soon as they are
received.'
Who Else is Listening? // historic sweep article via TSCM-L...
by Bernard B. Spindel with Bill Davidson - Collier's, June 10, 1955
An Expert Wiretapper Talks About His Trade
<http://www.bugsweeps.com/info/colliers_6-10-55.html>
125 nabbed in cybercrime crackdown // fraud, hacking, spam
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2003/11/20/cyber/>
'"Online criminals assume that they can conduct their schemes with
impunity," Ashcroft said. "Operation Cyber Sweep is proving them wrong,
by piercing the criminals' cloak of anonymity and prosecuting them to
the fullest extent of the law."'
Bad radar prompts White House evacuation // electronic gremlins pop-up
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2003/11/20/evac/>
'Air Force fighter jets were scrambled and the White House was briefly
evacuated on Thursday after birds or possibly disturbances in the
atmosphere tripped radar that keeps watch on restricted air space
around the complex.'
European Cyber security agency is go // ENISA
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/34132.html>
Nigerian email conmen fall into their targets' net // via nettime-l
<http://money.guardian.co.uk/scamsandfraud/story/
0,13802,1086308,00.html>
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
MEGAWATT SOLID-STATE ELECTRONICS // (Powerchips?) thanks *
<http://www.darpa.mil/mto/hpss/1998mgwts.html>
'This paper reviews some of the key challenges in developing
solid-state electronics operating at power levels from approximately
0.1 to beyond 1 MW. Applications exist in this range of power for
military and commercial applications alike. The technology of great
interest is wide-band-gap semiconductors, particularly SiC, which is
well known for its superior electrical strength and thermal
conductivity compared to the traditional power semiconductor, Si. These
properties can be utilized to have significant benefits at both the
device and systems level.'
Magnetic Storm // website for NOVA TV program...
Is the magnetic field protecting Earth from deadly radiation
about to reverse direction or even disappear?
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/>
Impact on Animals: Would a dramatic change in the Earth's magnetic
field affect creatures that rely on it during migration?
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/animals.html>
When Compasses Point South: As this time line shows, our planet's
magnetic shield has reversed its direction hundreds of times.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/timeline.html>
Gallery of Auroras: Auroras like those displayed here would be
visible every night of the year during a magnetic field reversal.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/aurora.html>
See a Reversal: Watch a simulated flip of the Earth's magnetic
field, from the first signs of instability to the final reversal.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/reversals.html>
Links to resources:
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/resources.html>
Teaching about the Earth's Magnetism in Earth Sciences Class
<http://www.phy6.org/earthmag/NSTA1C.htm>
GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetotactic bacteria...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&safe=off&q=magnetotactic+bacteria&spell=1>
GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetosomes...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&safe=off&q=magnetosomes&btnG=Google+Search>
Searched images for magnetosomes.
<http://images.google.com/images?q=magnetosomes&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-
8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>
Searched images for magnetotactic bacteria.
<http://images.google.com/
images?q=magnetotactic+bacteria&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>
Searched the web for geomagnetism.
<http://www.google.com/
search?q=geomagnetism&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&safe=off>
Living Lodestones: Biology of Sharks and Rays
<http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/s_lodestones.htm>
Searched the web for geomagnetism.
<http://www.google.com/
search?q=geomagnetism&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&safe=off>
Searched images for geomagnetism.
<http://images.google.com/images?q=geomagnetism&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-
8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>
---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Kasparov and Computer End 3-D Chess Series in Tie // a grandmaster...
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=1&u=/
nm/20031118/tc_nm/life_chess_dc>
'"Machines are getting better, but we humans are also learning," said
Kasparov, considered by chess experts to be the best player in the
history of the ancient game. "Today, I know much more about computers
than six years ago.'
UN: Nordic Nations Lead Digital Technology Access
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=2&u=/
nm/20031119/tc_nm/telecom_access_dc>
'The agency said what it dubs its Digital Access Index (DAI) was the
first such survey to take into account education levels and
affordability as well as the existence of infrastructure in determining
where countries stood in the rankings.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Life without wires // (bluefuturism). via NewsScan...
Technology analyst Bill Thompson contemplates a future without
wires, where you never have to plug in a new DVD player into
the TV or hook up a digital camera to your computer.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3226116.stm>
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
New Machine Can Detect Drugs Like Dogs // e-nose. via NewsScan...
<http://apnews.excite.com/article/20031120/D7UUEHBG0.html>
Chronological Methods 11 - Paleomagnetic and Archaeomagnetic Dating
<http://id-archserve.ucsb.edu/Anth3/Courseware/Chronology/
11_Paleomag_Archaeomag.html>
MAGNETISM and THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
<http://wrgis.wr.usgs.gov/docs/gump/zulanger/bayarea/mag_exercises.html>
Dating Exhibit: Archaeomagnetism
<http://www.mankato.msus.edu/emuseum/archaeology/dating/dat_mag.html>
'Magnetic information is also recorded in ferromagnetic elements in
baked clay which have kept their position on cooling from the last
firing of the clay. This means that baked clay, used for thousands of
years in the construction of hearths, ovens and kilns, contains a weak
but permanent magnetization which can be measured to determine the
magnetic intensity and declination at the time of its last cooling. The
thermoremnent magnetism (TRM) of baked clay is gained from the magnetic
properties of magnetite and hematite, iron-oxides that make up on the
average of 6-8% of the earth's crust. In raw clay magnetic particles of
these minerals are aligned to form magnetic domains, or crystals.' ..
'Before clay is baked these domains (which may be thought of as tiny
bar magnets) are orientated in random directions. They do, however,
tend to balance each other out magnetically by turning domains next to
them in opposing directions, thus, balancing out the magnetic effect of
the lump of clay. If the temperature is raised to over several hundred
degrees Celsius, the thermal agitation of the crystals allows some of
the domains to be aligned by the earth's magnetic field. When the clay
cools their directions remain fixed, and there is a weak permanent
magnetization in the same direction as the earth's field.'
Magnetism As The Wavelengths Of Matter Waves...
Does Frequency Squared Equal Matter?
<http://www.johnkharms.com/wave-magnet.htm>
'Abstract: 'This text proposes first of all a new picture of the well
known equation: wavelength x frequency = speed. In this outlook,
wavelength is equivalent to magnetism, frequency is equivalent to
electricity and speed is the speed of the outgoing wave. This is true
for both electromagnetic waves as well as matter. Magnetism or
wavelength is the primary focus of this text. In addition, a deeper
analysis of Planck and de Broglie's respective radiation and matter
equations are given. It is found that the inherent difference between
matter and radiation may be the squaring of frequency. Note also the
image in the text, provided to aid in the understanding of a somewhat
new outlook of electromagnetism. The probable consequences of this
model are discussed.'
Northern Lights appear over Scotland // images. via drudgereport
A solar storm has hit Earth's outer defences, generating
colourful northern lights in Scotland.
<http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_840473.html>
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
Peering into visual future with OLEDs // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/11/19/hln.wired.oleds/index.html>
'The key is a luminous screen that has no back light, and is therefore
capable of more vibrant colors while burning less power. It uses a
process called electroluminescence, which also means the image doesn't
lose quality when viewed from an angle.'
Smaller Computer Chips Built Using DNA as Template // bio.transistors
<http://nytimes.com/2003/11/21/science/21DNA.html>
'The scientists ... coated the DNA with gold, producing a simple
electronic device consisting of the nanotube connected to gold wires at
each end. Current through the nanotube could be switched on or off by
applying an electric field — the definition of a transistor.'
Robot does the work of a pharmacist in record time
<http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-11-21-robot-
pharmacist_x.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
EM-QUOTE from: US's 'Iron Hammer' Code Name
1st Used by Nazis // via syndicate
<http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3845697>
'The U.S. military's code name for a crackdown on resistance in Iraq
was also used by the Nazis for an aborted operation to damage the
Soviet power grid during World War II.' ... '"Eisenhammer," the German
for "iron hammer," was a Luftwaffe code name for a plan to destroy
Soviet generating plants in the Moscow and Gorky areas in 1943,
according to Universal Lexikon on the www.infobitte.de Web site.'
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
China to promote own alternative to DVDs // Enhanced Versatile Disk
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2003/11/18/evds/>
'Seeking to compete on its own terms in the lucrative entertainment
industry, China announced a government-funded project Tuesday to
promote an alternative to DVDs and "attack the market share" of the
global video format.' ... 'On the surface, it would seem that EVD's
international impact could be huge, because China makes about 60
percent of the world's DVD players, said Vamsi Sistla, senior analyst
with Allied Business Intelligence, an Oyster Bay, N.Y.-based research
firm.' .. 'But there is no guarantee that standards bodies and
Hollywood will endorse EVD, meaning that EVD machines for the
forseeable future will need to also play DVDs -- thereby forcing
Chinese manufacturers to keep paying DVD royalties, Sistla said.' ..
'Also, while EVD is designed to be better than DVD at recording and
showing finer-quality images for high-definition TVs, the HDTV market
remains small -- and already is the focus of competing standards, such
as Blu-Ray and HD DVD-9, developed by leading electronics companies in
Japan, Korea and Europe.'
Report: Tech Employment Dips, But Rate Slowing // via macsurfer.com
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&ncid=581&e=3&u=/
nm/20031119/tc_nm/tech_jobs_dc>
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
Libeskind's hotmail inbox
<http://www.spa.uk.net/hotmail.htm>
Ultrasound Call for Entries
Deadline: December 15th, 2003
<http://www.thething.it/ultrasound>
THE POIETIC GENERATOR
Real-time collective graphic interaction on the Internet Mbone
Art & science research on real-time collective phenomena
<http://poietic-generator.net/>
FILE ELECTRONIC LANGUAGE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
Launches its 2003 edition book bilingual : "NOVAS MiDIAS/NEW MEDIAS"
<http://www.file.org.br>
<http://www.file.org.br/file2003/english/file_livro.htm>
Hey, That Big Computer Is Really a Great Actor // interesting...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/20/arts/theater/20TECH.html>
'Mr. Dresser's stab at the experiment is a strange hybrid, a mix of an
art installation, a morality play and a computer game. Each solo
audience member enters a booth where a run-of-the-mill office is set
up; it quickly becomes apparent that he or she has just taken a new
job. The new boss, a smarmy, disembodied voice, congratulates the
hireling over an intercom. Then a colleague, slightly frantic and
unhappy, calls on the telephone to inform the participant that the boss
is corrupt. A secretary with a sexy voice interrupts several times by
intercom, delivering mixed messages about the other characters.' ..
'Before long the audience member is caught in a spiraling moral
dilemma, wondering whether to believe one character or another about a
possible scandal. The tension builds until the theatergoer must make a
pivotal decision about whom to trust, based solely on the voices and
what appears on the computer screen. "I'm just trying to spread a
little bit of discomfort, because I don't think there is enough of that
in the world," Mr. Dresser said, chuckling.' .. 'The other five plays
also take place in small booths that are sets...'
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