~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #73
From
human being <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Tue, 6 Jan 2004 22:26:01 -0600
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #73
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (1/06/2004)
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-- no comments.
the good, the bad, and the ugly... and then some...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
// it would be interesting to know how the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory
// Commission) is related to the current administratin's push to
// re-nuclearize the .US while having public insurance for any
// terrorist attacks and continually abismal security records
// that these regulators are also, apparently, in charge of.
// Mr. Dick Cheney, VP of the .US, is completely aligned with
// this industry, it is reflected in policy, and it would be
// of interest to know who runs this agency and their connections.
// meaning: the entire nuclear infrastructure is at risk, and all
// states are likely trying to work on these issues, so why is
// the only critical press on this lobbed at a political candidate?
// also, Sen. Leiberman, Bush, Cheney, all are connected with the
// .US energy task force, policies highly involved in the nuclear
// sector, insurance write-offs, and never-dealt-with Enron issues
// and instead are threatening criminal charges over this issue:
// ...that is, there is every reason to belive there are political
// motivations other than national security which are driving this,
// such as presidentail campaign seasons and industry 'pioneers'...
// while the .US public waits for .US energy task force documents
// after 3 years of secrecy of bilking billions in fraud schemes...
Nuke flap dogs Dean // highly-questionable regulatory release...
<http://news.bostonherald.com/national/
national.bg?articleid=409&format=text>
'said visible warnings on the records weren't heeded by Dean's office,
the Vermont secretary of state and the state archivist - making civil
or criminal charges a possibility.' .. '``If warranted, there is going
to be an investigation,'' Burnell said.' .. 'Dean has come under steady
fire for refusing to release many of the files from his 11 years as
Vermont governor until 2013.' ... 'The documents undercut Dean's
argument that files should remain private and have been used by his
competitors, most recently by U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman during a
debate in Iowa Sunday.'
// on the critical importance of nuclear diplomacy...
North Korea offers to halt nuclear facilities for war and peace
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4303054.html>
'Tuesday's developments come as a delegation of U.S. congressional
aides heads to North Korea to possibly tour the communist country's
disputed nuclear plant at Yongbyon. A South Korean Foreign Ministry
official said on condition of anonymity that they were to stay in the
North from Tuesday to Saturday.' ... 'On Tuesday, North Korea said it
was ``set to refrain from the testing and production of nuclear weapons
and stop even operating nuclear power industry for a peaceful purpose
as first-phase measures of the package solution."'
[and] India, Pakistan set to hold peace talks // nuclear neighbors...
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/06/peace_talks/>
'"There are no winners or losers," Pakistani President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf said later. "I think victory is for the world -- for all
those peace-loving people of the world. Victory is for all the people
of India and Pakistan."' ... 'The South Asian giants fought wars in
1948, 1965 and 1971 and have engaged in many more deadly skirmishes.
More than 1 million people are believed to have died during the 1947
partition of India and Pakistan after the subcontinent gained
independence from Britain.'
// a fascinating look into the lives and study of buildings,
// a lot is possible in this realm and 'daylighting' and other
// university laboratories (digital imaging, virtual reality,
// geographic data) explore areas- yet in the 1960s there was
// an idea by Nicolaus Negroponte (MIT Media Lab founder, also
// architect, possibly architecture dean there) wrote of using
// the then mainframe computers for calculating issues of that
// had some manual upper-limit to complexity, which for issues
// like 'solar' (active/passive) and shade/shadows/daylighting,
// can be a place to apply this, today supercomputers could do
// such work, if of value, informing of buildings with code. a
// building could also be designed 'inside-out' or to be reverse-
// engineered, to deal with such issues and also be site-specific.
// at least, this may have been questioned in Architecture Machine.
// today one could add all infrastructures and start to design in
// the many missing factors, so buildings relate to the world...
// also, imagine sitting in a building 1000' up without any of
// these forces (fire, wind, weight) known in relation to one
// another, while the weatherpeople are given huge resources
// for simulations at supercomputers, while people are sitting
// in giant, enclosed filing-cabinets on EM life support systems
// without any of this being considered in its full consequence,
// and the state of 'architecture' is to just design an image
// that looks good from the outside, while such treachery lurks.
// -- and 'intelligent buildings' are going to be designed by...?
Reliving 9/11, With Fire as Teacher // EM architecture...
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/06/science/06FIRE.html>
'Sidestepping that emotion in favor of dispassionate analysis, dozens
of researchers like Mr. Maranghides are folding their data into a
series of advanced computer simulations in an effort to recreate the
destruction that was hidden within the twin towers on Sept. 11. They
are recreating, in a digital world, the shape and extent of the dark
holes gouged into the heart of the towers by the planes, the sweep of
the deadly fire from floor to floor, the spots where the heat weakened
the steel structure enough to set off a total collapse of each tower.'
... 'In some calculations, Dr. Sadek recreates building components with
such refinement that plates of steel just a quarter-inch thick are
divided into four or five layers, each followed separately as parts of
the steel are torn to pieces. Each plane's cargo, fuel tanks, engines,
landing gear and aluminum skin are rendered with full three-dimensional
fidelity. On the computer, time creeps forward in millionth-of-a-second
increments so that every detail of the collision can be captured.' ...
'The distances and the precise sizes of the windows are important
because they determine the flow of oxygen into the fire. To understand
just how intensely the fire burns, the researchers have mounted
temperature-sensitive thermocouples on four spindly columns in the room
and placed weight scales beneath the workstations to measure how the
blaze eats away at them. Devices in a huge duct outside the room — the
experiment takes place within a towering laboratory on the campus here
— gauge the amount of oxygen consumed by the fire.' ... '"No one has
yet put all this stuff together, where you have a detailed,
physics-based model of the fire, a detailed structural analysis, and
have them intimately coupled together," Dr. Baum said.'
// thought that Neil Postman wrote about 'media literacy' as have
// others before and after. yet it is not agreed this is what is
// being tapped in these situations, if there is not a nuts-and-
// bolts understanding of the basics, the underlying fundamentals
// of this unique age (electromagnetism, its relation to physics,
// to mathematics, programming, nature, philosophy, the arts) then
// all is put into an enigmatic 'new media' black box to then be
// theorized, which is where things are today with post doctorals
// and stuck in language insufficient to approach these issues of
// education in realistic terms to actual, in-depth experiences
// that are beyond mediation by users embedded inside technotopias.
Media Literacy Goes to School // close, but no (old media) cigar...
We've wired our classrooms. Now what? Media Literacy education is
needed, kindergarten through college. The question is what kind.
<http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_jenkins010204.asp>
'Ethical and social issues emerged organically from the task I set
them—rethinking what games could be. As I responded to them, I
introduced a vocabulary and framework for pushing those ideas to the
next level...' ... 'The problem of media power hasn't disappeared, but
it operates very differently in an age of participatory media. The new
media literacy education needs to be about empowerment and
responsibility.' ... 'The best media education programs today combine
media production and analysis—but it is striking how few of those
programs operate within mainstream schools.'
// here's one example of the paradigm of 'new media' literacy...
[and] 'Osama' tape tells Muslims to fight // 'media', war, oil...
<http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/
0,4057,8325176%255E1702,00.html>
'"We have to liberate the Islamic world from the military occupation
of the Crusaders by raising up the banner of jihad for God's sake," the
speaker said.' .. 'He called the Middle East issues part of a religious
and economic war, saying the "big powers" were trying to control the
region for its oil.' .. '"The occupation of Iraq is the beginning of
the full occupation of the other Gulf states. ... The Gulf is the key
for control of the world in the point of view of the big powers because
of the presence of the biggest deposits of oil."'
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
// feel good with new MRI brain massage technique...
Unique Type Of MRI Scan Shows Promise In Treating Bipolar Disorder
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040101091614.htm>
New Houston Mayor Pledges Pollution Cleanup // good to read...
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4066432>
Countries Undecided on How to Store Nuclear Waste
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=5T4MDGI4SWP44CRBAEKSFFA?type=ourWorldNews&s
toryID=4063283>
'Most high-level waste, the most dangerous kind, is spent fuel from
the over 400 nuclear power reactors in more than 30 countries. The
dismantling of nuclear weapons adds to the pile.' .. 'Even nuclear-free
states produce waste from industry, hospitals providing radiation
therapy and research centers.'
A Big Surprise:
Young Nerve Cells Can Rewind Their Developmental Clocks
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040102071103.htm>
'Scientists have identified a gene in the cerebral cortex that
apparently controls the developmental clock of embryonic nerve cells, a
finding that could open another door to tissue replacement therapy in
the central nervous system.'
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Mac Founders Push for New Ideas // exactly. computer as sugar water.
<http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,61799,00.html?tw=rss.TOP>
'"I'd be happy to do it for Apple," says Raskin. But "I don't think
there is anybody at Apple (today) who understands interfaces. Or if
there are people, they're certainly not allowed to do anything radical.
And we need a radical change in interfaces if we're going to move
ahead."' ... [and] ... '[Hertzfeld said] "I'm very proud of what we
accomplished with the Macintosh, but at the same time I'm disappointed
that the personal computer industry hasn't made more progress since
then. Personal computers are still way too frustrating and hard to
use."'
// extremely interesting position argued within a dogma of
// scientific inquiry, which bounds the reasoning such that
// 'science as a model' is unaddressed for its use of the very
// language (and equations, presented as dubious) for its own
// justification. again, reinforcing C.P. Snow's argument that
// there is a mathematical and literary confusion in culture,
// here reflected by 'social policy' and 'scientific proof',
// yet neither are sufficient (models) for dealing with the
// question, which is based on the assumption, beyond science,
// that, yes, we can shape (not predict) the world of 2100, and
// as human beings either we try to improve or we may devolve,
// based on the same values that may not have scientific but
// social values behind them. otherwise, entirely valid, while
// also demonstrating an upper-limit to science-as-discourse,
// as it is the equation dismissed, in its very reasoning, and
// as such, is not convincing yet this is also not science. it
// is also why, maybe technical education goes beyond technique,
// even if it is simply for common sense reasoning, that there
// may be some value that is not inherent in scientific value.
// science can also have a negative value, if one is stuck in
// a certain worldview and cannot work outside of its bounds.
// in architecture, for instance, the light of the sun is of
// high importance while artificial lighting is given little
// to no value in its equally many dimensions, values, as it
// is of another era in understanding 'light', 'shade', and
// 'shadow'. it is, in effect, still dealing in candelabras,
// while there are UV rays on the television (CRT) screens,
// various types of windows, projected light, spectrums that
// are written about, yet are not dealt with, not even a basic
// flashlight has any significance in the field, while a sun-
// dial is considered cutting edge these days, today, 2004 c.e.
// social policy = politics x global warming/aliens + bad-science.
// there is a book on exactly this subject, and it had a similar
// flaw in reasoning in 'literature' with evidentiary certitude
// about the dogmatic infallibility of the scientist as observer,
// versus the role of 'scientists' as social control mechanisms.
// also, regarding the main argument, while 'global warming' may
// be problematic, maybe the social policies are necessary to
// address, beyond scientific values- the health of society in
// terms of powerplant emissions, clogged freeways, pollution
// in the air and water, each of which does have scientific basis.
// if taken in terms of 'planning', design, architecture, realms
// which used to have some cultural value up until the 1950s, it
// would fall well within areas that can reasonable approach and
// address such diverse issues, in both mathetatics and language
// appropriate to circumstances, at local and other scales, and
// still do something- not ignoring the validity of argument...
// and yes, science- after the fact- does seem consensus based,
// in that scientists believe what is modeled as being science,
// and in essence, it would seem itself equally religiously so,
// if taking 'true belief' or even superior belief into account,
// verus C.P. Snow's position that it is resolution of cultures.
Aliens Cause Global Warming // SP = p x G.W./aliens + BS. via netime-l
<http://www.crichton-official.com/speeches/speeches_quote04.html>
' But the truth is that we now have a social policy supported
by the grossest of superstitions.' ... 'And so, in this elastic
anything-goes world where science-or non-science-is the hand maiden of
questionable public policy, we arrive at last at global warming. It is
not my purpose here to rehash the details of this most magnificent of
the demons haunting the world. I would just remind you of the
now-familiar pattern by which these things are established. Evidentiary
uncertainties are glossed over in the unseemly rush for an overarching
policy, and for grants to support the policy by delivering findings
that are desired by the patron. Next, the isolation of those scientists
who won't get with the program, and the characterization of those
scientists as outsiders and "skeptics" in quotation marks-suspect
individuals with suspect motives, industry flunkies, reactionaries, or
simply anti-environmental nutcases. In short order, debate ends, even
though prominent scientists are uncomfortable about how things are
being done.'
[in comparison, read the following work by Donald Geesaman...]
A/SCIENCE I
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=668>
A/SCIENCE II
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=766>
A/SCIENCE III
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=865>
A/SCIENCE IV
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=965>
A/SCIENCE V
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=1064>
A/SCIENCE VI
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=1162>
A/SCIENCE VII/IIV
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9412&L=design-l&F=&S=&P=1261>
[and also] "Advice to Science Students," 1974, Donald P. Geesaman,
Ph.D.., in Readings on Science, Technology and Purpose, prepared for
the 1982-83 Midcareer Seminar: Education for Reflective Leadership,
H.H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, pp.
xiv-xv, unpublished. excerpt from:
<http://strikingdistance.com/sd9701/c3ijan97/gsmith/gsmith1.html>
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
// saw these tree mounted game cameras in a cabela's catalog with
// motion sensors and this is the first mention seen in print...
// plus, ultra-primitive weaponry versus the electronic IT hunt...
Hunters in a Hurry Embrace Advanced Gadgets in the Field
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50725-2004Jan2.html>
'There is the $1,100 compound bow equipped with a fiber-optic sight,
the $300 laser range finder clipped to his belt, and a collapsible deer
blind, zipped into a bag that bumps against his waist as he walks...'
... 'Hunting has entered the 21st century laden with technology.
Gadgets such as hand-held global positioning system receivers,
remote-controlled duck decoys and night-vision goggles have become big
business for outdoor retailers. It also has raised questions about the
fairness of hunting with such equipment.' ... 'Some of the best-selling
new products are so-called game cameras, which allow hunters to scout
woods without leaving their house. Until just a few years ago, it was
common for hunters to spend days, if not weeks, looking for a deer
before they picked up their guns or bows. Now they can place a digital
camera, equipped with a thermal motion detector, on a tree they expect
to be passed by game. The hope is that the camera will capture images
of deer as they wander by.' .. 'The photos are stamped with dates and
times, saving hunters the trouble of staking out the woods themselves.
The photos and data can be uploaded to computers or used in
deer-hunting software programs designed to predict the best time and
place for a hunt. Last year, Cabela's, a popular outdoor retailer, had
just three models of game cameras in its catalogues. This year, game
cameras fill three pages.'
U.S. border closing plans revealed
Terror attack could force shutdown, documents show
<http://torontostar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/
Layout/
Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1073086208977&call_pageid=9683321884
92>
'The legislation, which took effect Dec. 12, requires trucking firms,
air cargo companies and railway shippers to submit electronic data
about their deliveries of food and beverage products before they can
enter the United States.'
Web service to pre-empt 'phishing' scams
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994531>
Apple's iTunes Music System `Cracked Wide Open' -Web Site
<http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/040106/0426000558_1.html>
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
// ~the great Asian oil game of the 21st century~ (4.50 barrel vs 30+)
Japan and China Battle for Russia's Oil and Gas // Siberian oil...
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/03/business/worldbusiness/03asia.html>
'Both economies are hungry for raw materials, especially energy -
Japan because it has almost none of its own, China because its economic
boom has fast outstripped what once were adequate domestic supplies.
Both want to limit their dependence on oil from distant, politically
volatile regions like the Middle East. And both see an attractive
alternative in the little-tapped energy riches of the vast, vacant
Russian Far East.' ... 'With the choice Russia faces, the political and
economic dynamics of Northeast Asia stand to be profoundly shaped for
years to come.' ... 'Russia needs to develop oil exports to fulfill
President Putin's promise to double the size of the nation's economy in
this decade.'
Plasma Combustion Technology Could
Dramatically Improve Fuel Efficiency
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040102073036.htm>
'The technology, a plasma combustion technique that applies electrical
voltage to the gaseous-phase fuel stream prior to combustion-turning
the fuel into a plasma-has already produced excellent results with
propane.'
Renewable Energy A Smart Choice For Farmers And Ranchers
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040102073345.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Plug pulled on live website seen by millions // paypal rules...
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1115262,00.html>
'Jennicam was established, initially as a college project, to "provide
a window into a virtual human zoo," Ms Ringley wrote at the time. "I
keep JenniCam alive not because I want or need to be watched, but
because I simply don't mind being watched."'
EM-related quote, from: Rebranding Bush as man of peace
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1115313,00.html>
'Sources say Mr Blair's relationship with Mr Bush is so strong that an
informal weekly video conference has now become a regular fixture in
their diaries.'
French robot to dive Red Sea for crash black box
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04189305.htm>
[and] Black box from airliner that crashed
killing 148 cannot be recovered
<http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=478766>
// synopsis of interview: 'It's a Woodstock-Altamont transformation.'
Cybergreen. Bruce Sterling on media, design, fiction, and the future
<http://www.reason.com/0401/fe.mg.cybergreen.shtml>
'He named the movement the Viridian Greens because, as he puts it,
"there’s something electrical and unnatural about our tinge of green."
Sterling's rhetoric is not the renunciatory language of
back-to-the-land communal farmers or febrile eco-terrorists. We’ve made
this problem, Sterling tells us, and now it’s up to us to design our
way out of it -- not by denying ourselves modernity but by embracing a
more intelligent version of it.' ... 'Sterling is no one-note activist.
His mind buzzes with ideas about history, technology, art theory,
politics, global cultural trends, and more.' ... '... computation and
ubiquitous sensors and ubiquitous communication offer the opportunity
to reform the industrial base along cybernetic and post-industrial
lines. Should that be allowed to happen, it will bring a lot of
prosperity.' ... 'I want to testify to Congress, but I've done that. I
think it's an improvement over being condemned in Parliament: to be a
cyberpunk testifying in Congress. This guy is a science fiction writer,
and he's here before our panel. You want to be in a situation where you
can screw with their heads.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Just Like, Er, Words, Not, Um, Throwaways // speech-to-text...
<http://nytimes.com/2004/01/03/arts/03TANK.html>
// do not understand if they are streaming TV signals to cellphones
// or using broadcast TV signals and decoding these, on the phone.
// the latter seems feasible, the former seems a waste of cellspace,
// when the same channel content is in the air everywhere, already.
New Technology Brings TV to Cell Phones // via macsurfer.com
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=769&ncid=738&e=8&u=/
nm/20040103/music_nm/music_cellphones_dc>
Prius Hybrid, F-150 Get N. American Awards
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=reutersEdge&storyID=4070090>
'Toyota Motor Corp. has seen a similar sales boom for its redesigned
Prius, which is larger and more fuel efficient than the previous
version. The power system in the Prius, which uses an electric motor
and battery pack to conserve energy from the gasoline engine, will be
spread to a variety of Toyota models in the next few years, including
the Highlander sport utility vehicle.'
Mars Exploration Rover Mission - Raw Images // via drudgereport.com
<http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html>
[and] Rover yields 3-D, 360-degree view of Mars
<http://salon.com/tech/wire/2004/01/06/rover/>
The purpose of Mobile Bristol is to provide an experimental
test-bed for technology and user value research
in pervasive mobile media. // thanks *
<http://www.mobilebristol.co.uk/flash.html>
[and] Urban Tapestries // EM-architectures. thanks *
<http://www.proboscis.org.uk/urbantapestries/prototype.html>
EM-related quote from: The New Queen
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/06/opinion/06TUE3.html>
'A steel-hulled behemoth, the Queen Mary 2 is the largest passenger
ship of any type ever built and will be capable of crossing the North
Atlantic at a brisk 30 knots an hour, regardless of the weather. Triple
the size of the Titanic, the Queen Mary 2 weighs about 150,000 tons,
rises 23 stories high and generates enough power for a city of 300,000.'
Plane Lands Safely Following Terror Scare
Woman's Jacket Sparked Suspicion // via drudgereport.com
<http://www.nbc4.com/news/2744727/detail.html>
'The coat turned out to be a motorcycle jacket that works like an
electric blanket, and the woman was booked onto a later flight, WLWT
reported.'
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
National Conference of Virtual Instruments,
Embedded Systems & Robotics, March 1-5, 2004
<http://sensorstechnology.tripod.com/NCVER-2004.pdf>
Eyes on the road -- not on the screen // the state of California
As of Thursday, state law bars watching TV while driving. // gizmodo
<http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/new_laws/story/8021182p-
8957372c.html>
Dead comet spawned New Year meteors
<http://www.nature.com/nsu/031229/031229-5.html>
[and] Meteorite hits Iran
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/
newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=431728§ion=news>
[and] Hundreds see fireballs fall from sky in Spain
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/space/2335356>
Lord of the Nano-Rings May Hold Key to I.T.
<http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=22944>
'Cobalt nano-rings that can store magnetic information at room
temperature "are essentially tiny magnets with a north and south pole,
just like the magnets you played with as a kid," said Wei, who has
persuaded his nano-rings to assemble themselves.' .. '"The
nano-particles link up when they are brought close together," Wei told
NewsFactor. "Normally, you might expect these to form chains, but under
the right conditions, the particles will assemble into rings instead."'
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
// the digital kiosk for burning music CDs makes a lot of sense,
// given that buying an album for 3 songs is uneconomical, plus
// the ability of having these in archival format (CDs/DVDs) for
// storage versus having to do this with downloaded music files.
// if one could bring in a datalist, such as on a flash-drive, it
// would speed up the process, such as with an ISBN# for music, or
// some database for each song ever made, then to burn in-store...
// what would be nice, also, is to order a rare-movie on DVD to
// be picked up after burning, for rental use, as movie rental
// stores have a limited selection (by store size) and old films
// could generate revenues, and the DVDs could be re-used or sold.
Visions of '04 start at the digital kiosk // via macsurfer.com
<http://www.detnews.com/2004/technology/0401/03/technology-25198.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
'I don't know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but
World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.' Albert Einstein
Israel Seeks More Submarines for 'Strategic Depth'
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=5T4MDGI4SWP44CRBAEKSFFA?type=ourWorldNews&s
toryID=4064062>
'Above all is the idea that Israel, widely believed to have nuclear
weapons, would use the sea for striking back in the event -- however
unlikely -- that bases on land are overrun in a war.' ... 'According to
security sources, the German-made Dolphins go as far as North Africa
and the Gulf to monitor enemy capabilities. Analysts believe they
carry nuclear missiles for any "second-strike" retaliation.'
Video Game War for U.S. 'Digital Divison' in Iraq // FBCB2...
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=569&ncid=738&e=7&u=/
nm/20040104/tc_nm/iraq_technology_dc>
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary of Defense
Meeting of the DoD Advisory Group on Electron Devices
AGENCY: Advisory Group on Electron Devices,
Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice.
<http://cryptome.org/dod010504.txt>
'The AGED meeting will be limited to review of research and
development programs which the Military Departments propose to initiate
with industry, universities or in their laboratories. The agenda for
this meeting will include programs on Radiation Hardened Devices,
Microwave Tubes, Displays and Lasers.'
Russian Military Radios Index // via E-Q&A @ vk2tips.com list...
<http://www.armyradio.com/Default.htm?http&&&www.armyradio.com/publish/
Articles/William_Howard_Russian/Introduction.htm>
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11-- electromagnetic business & economics
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HP Counts on the Popularity of the 12c // Q & A. via macsurfer.com
<http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-
calc3jan03,1,2977792.story?coll=la-home-business>
IDC: Semiconductor market to grow 18% in 2004
<http://www.computerworld.com/hardwaretopics/hardware/story/
0,10801,88745,00.html>
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12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
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RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE 2004
third call for abstracts deadline 2 february 2004
THEME: What is the role of the artefact in art and design research?
<http://www.herts.ac.uk/artdes/research/res2prac/confhome.htm>
<http://www.herts.ac.uk/artdes/research/res2prac/abstract.htm>
'Practitioners, theorists, critics and audiences all agree that the
artefact (including objects, images, sounds, performances, etc.) has a
vital role in the subject area of art and design. It is therefore no
surprise that researchers also claim that artefacts have a similarly
vital role in the development and communication of knowledge in the
subject. But how do artefacts do that? How are artefacts used as part
of the research process and what do they contribute in comparison with
words and thoughts, etc? How does one communicate using artefacts and
what kind of communication is facilitated that would be more difficult
or impossible using other means? How much knowledge do we gain from the
interpretation of artefacts from other cultures or historical periods,
compared with the amount that is projected onto it from the culture in
which they are interpreted? What is the role of the artefact in art and
design research?'
Freedom Tower Engineer Wants Turbines To Double as Prayer Wheels
Wind and a Prayer // oh my. most basic techno-religious utopianism...
// and as said-- ... the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
<http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0401/ebaard.php>
'The designer of the wind turbines that will occupy the top of the
"Freedom Tower" wants the rotors to serve as prayer wheels, cycling
through mantras of peace.' ... 'The turbines are to produce a fifth of
the electricity needed by the building. "They are simple generators,
but they can be somehow linked with the memorial. People could even put
prayers on the propellers," Battle says. A reflection of mourning,
forgiveness, and hope open to all faiths and ethical traditions would
give real meaning to the skyscraper's somewhat stilted name.' ... 'Of
course, the prayer wheels would be an unorthodox interpretation of an
ancient practice. Such wheels, or mani, are usually vertical, while the
turbines would be horizontal. Nor are they usually as hard to see as
what Battle proposes. "But the intention is a large part of the
process, so if your intention is genuine, then the slight variations in
the execution of the device are less important," says Ganden Thurman,
director of special projects at Tibet House.' ... 'The antenna will
likely bring the entire structure to 2,000 feet, the limit imposed by
the Federal Aviation Administration, Lewis said. It needs to be that
high to widen the television broadcast area. Even PBS has joined this
cause, because the poor can't afford cable educational programs. But at
the 1,776-foot mark the materials used to build the spire will change,
and it will be illuminated. "The 1,776-foot mark will definitely be
acknowledged. The bottom part of the antenna will be like the Statue of
Liberty's torch and the upper part like the flame," he said.'
switch media: first call for papers – conference: "the impact of
digital media in southeast asia" – Chiang Mai; 23rd-25th April 2004
<http://switchmedia.culturebase.org>
'"The impact of digital media in Southeast Asia" is an art and
technology conference which aims to look for an alternative perspective
of technology in Asia, by bringing together artists, cultural & media
activists and academics from different fields from Asian Pacific and
the world to discuss and explore digital media, their impact and models
for cultural expression in Southeast Asia.'
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