~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #81

From human being <human@electronetwork.org>
Date Sun, 1 Feb 2004 18:55:51 -0600


===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #81
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (2/01/2004)

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--

Contributions for newsletter content requested-- for
example: if you do a search and see an image or paper
that is of general interest, please send it to me as it will
then add to the variability and dept of the newsletter.
Thanks to all present and future contributors. brian



===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------

CLIMATE COLLAPSE: The Pentagon's Weather Nightmare
The climate could change radically, and fast. That would
be the mother of all national security issues // via AE-L
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/ 
0,15114,582584,00.html>

	'The threat that has riveted their attention is this: Global warming,  
rather than causing gradual, centuries-spanning change, may be pushing  
the climate to a tipping point. Growing evidence suggests the  
ocean-atmosphere system that controls the world's climate can lurch  
from one state to another in less than a decade—like a canoe that's  
gradually tilted until suddenly it flips over. Scientists don't know  
how close the system is to a critical threshold. But abrupt climate  
change may well occur in the not-too-distant future. If it does, the  
need to rapidly adapt may overwhelm many societies—thereby upsetting  
the geopolitical balance of power.' ... 'Scientists aren't sure what  
caused the warming that triggered such collapses in the remote past.'  
[scenarios...] '... Nuclear arms proliferation is inevitable. Oil  
supplies are stretched thin as climate cooling drives up demand. Many  
countries seek to shore up their energy supplies with nuclear energy,  
accelerating nuclear proliferation.' ... 'The changes relentlessly  
hammer the world's "carrying capacity"—the natural resources, social  
organizations, and economic networks that support the population....'

Russia planning maneuvers of its nuclear forces next month // drudge
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/ 
30/international1332EST0582.DTL&type=printable>

	'Russia's nuclear forces reportedly are preparing their largest  
maneuvers in two decades, an exercise involving the test-firing of  
missiles and flights by dozens of bombers in a massive simulation of an  
all-out nuclear war.' ... 'President Vladimir Putin is expected to  
personally oversee the maneuvers, which are apparently aimed at  
demonstrating the revival of the nation's military might and come ahead  
of Russian elections in March.' ... 'Analysts describe [one maneuver..]  
as an imitation of a nuclear attack on the United States.'

Crystal ball starts fire at Okla. home
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/30/fire/>

Boondocks cartoon // related to television/mass media...
<http://images.ucomics.com/comics/bo/2004/bo040129.gif>

Clean energy and efficiency investments would create 3.3 million
jobs, says study // New Apollo Energy Project. via Energy Newsbriefs
<http://www.enn.com/news/2004-01-20/s_12200.asp>

	'An alliance of labor, environmental, civil rights, business, and  
political leaders in the United States have laid out a vision for a  
"New Apollo Project" to create 3.3 million new jobs and achieve energy  
independence in 10 years.' ... 'The alliance also announced that it has  
received support from 17 of America's largest labor unions — including  
the United Auto Workers, the Steelworkers, and Machinists
— as well as a broad cross section of the environmental movement,  
including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council  
(NRDC), the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Greenpeace.'

// an incredible column by writer Maureen Dowd: two
// especially interesting observations- the mention
// of David Kay (WMD) inspector comparing intelligence
// gathering/manipulation to Enron stock dealing. and,
// the symbolism of the dove given to the Pope by VP
// Cheney, in relation to infallibility. very potent...

Dump Cheney Now!
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/opinion/29DOWD.html>

[and] Scalia, use good judgment; bow out of Cheney case // cursor.org
<http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0104/29scalia.html>

[and] Ducking The Law // great. 28 US Code 455 in relation to Scalia
<http://tompaine.com/op_ads/opad2.cfm/ID/9866>

	'Some of the editorial boards urging Scalia to step aside:
	The New York Times   The Washington Post   The Los Angeles Times
	The Dallas Morning News   The Detroit Free Press   The Denver Post
	Newsday    The Tampa Tribune    The Columbus Dispatch
	The San Jose Mercury News     The Times Union (Albany, NY)
	The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)     The Reno Gazette-Journal
	The St. Petersburg Times ...'

[&] Cheney's Dark Dream for America // a perspective from Aljazeerah.
<http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2004%20opinions/Jan/ 
28%20o/Cheneys%20Dark%20Dream%20for%20America%20By%20Mike%20Whitney.htm>

	'Regardless of how we may feel about Cheney, he has certainly done his  
homework and is accomplishing his objectives at breakneck speed.  
Unfortunately, for the average American, Mr. Cheney's plan does not  
provide for the peaceful transition of power to a democratically  
elected member of a different party, like a democrat. In other words,  
we can be reasonably certain that Cheney has not put together this  
elaborate security apparatus at home, invaded two countries, and  
projected American power across the globe, only to hand over the  
"unfinished business" to a different administration.'

[and] Will Giuliani replace Cheney in '04?
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4065772/>

	'A well-placed source says that the president will "most likely" drop  
Dick Cheney from his re-election ticket...' ... '"The issue of Cheney's  
health will probably be given as the reason," says the insider....'

Cow Poetry // far side cartoon. thanks *
<http://www.uni-greifswald.de/~dt_phil/studenten/mienert/mienert- 
links1.htm>

---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------

EM-quote: Russian supply craft docks with space station // EMR
<http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2004/01/31/rtr1237084.html>

	'Among the items to be brought aboard were two dummies, shown wrapped  
in protective covering on Russian television and intended to simulate  
the effect of radiation on humans.'

Study Probes Cancer Risk of X-Rays, Scans // beware zealous dentistry
<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7828942.htm>

	'In the United States, doctors have urged caution about unnecessarily  
using the scans on children. Children are more sensitive to radiation  
and exposure is cumulative.'

Men's Tremor Called a New Disorder // related to autism in any way?
<http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny- 
hsnew283645464jan28,0,3904461.story?coll=ny-health-headlines>

	'Fragile X syndrome is caused when a person is born with the  
equivalent of a genetic stutter. One three-letter chemical chain on the  
X chromosome is repeated. People normally have anywhere between 5 and  
45 repeats of this chemical alphabet, CGG. People who are carriers have  
between 55 and 200 repeats. This is called a premutation. Full-blown  
Fragile X syndrome comes when people are born with more than 200  
repeats. Some patients have as many as 2,000 CGG repeats.' ... '... The  
gene plays a critical role in brain development and synaptic  
connections throughout life.'

Google date test 'nets US fugitive'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3445523.stm>

---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------

Judge Says Exxon Owes $6.75 Billion For Valdez
Appeal Promised as Suit Over '89 Spill Drags On
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58311-2004Jan28.html>


---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------

Spooks turn to hi-tech geography
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3430987.stm>

DHS unveils cybersecurity warning system
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/01/28/cybersecurity/ 
index.php?redirect=1075285691000>

	'The agency will also e-mail bulletins to subscribers summarizing  
software patches and workarounds, for technical audiences, and provide  
cybersecurity tips for nontechnical computer users.' ... 'Computer  
owners who secure their machines help ensure that those PCs could not  
be used in large-scale cyberattacks as "weapons against their country,"  
Yoran [director of NCSD] said.'

[and] FBI called in to track cyber bug // MyDoom virus...
<http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/ 
0,5744,8520936%255E2702,00.html>

A visit from the FBI // speaks to class on computer security. readme-
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/35175.html>

	'More and more, however, the viruses circulating on the Internet are  
quite purposeful in design. The goal is to install a Trojan on the  
unsuspecting user's machine that will then allow the bad guy to control  
the machine from afar, turning it into a Zombie machine under the  
control of another. All too often, this tactic is successful. Hundreds  
of thousands if not millions of machines are "owned" by someone other  
that the user sitting in front of the keyboard and monitor.' ... 'What  
surprised me, however, were how often Trojans are used to mess with the  
heads of the poor unsuspecting suckers who own the zombie machines. A  
favorite trick is to surreptitiously turn on the Webcam of an owned  
computer in order to watch the dupe at work, or watch what he's typing  
on screen. This part isn't surprising. But Dave had countless  
screenshots, captured from impounded machines or acquired online from  
hacker hangouts, where the script kiddie, after watching for a while,  
just can't help himself any longer, and starts to insult or mock or  
screw with the duped owner.' ... '... Viruses help spread Trojans, and  
Trojans are used to turn unsuspecting users' computers into spam  
factories, or hosts for phishing expeditions, and thus furthering the  
spread of all the elements in this process: viruses, Trojans, spam, and  
phishing. It's a vicious cycle, and unfortunately, it appears to be  
getting worse...' ... '...You know those signs you see on telephone  
poles that read "Make money! Work at home!"?...' ... 'Proof once again  
that social engineering, coupled with greed, is the easiest way to  
subvert any security.'

[and] The FBI's top 10 online security threats // MS Windows exploits.  
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39143773,00.htm>


---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------

// thought the 'oil ministry' was one of the first buildings
// to be burned to the ground, maybe it was another building...

Anti-war nations 'took bribes' before war began:
Investigation launched into claims that Saddam
Hussein used oil to win support around the world
<http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=485407>

// a strange reference to the 'pavlovian' behavior of oil-men.
// ie., the .US administration is composed of these 'oil-men'...

[and] AP: U.S. in No Rush to Privatize Iraq Oil // cursor.org
<http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/articlePrint.cfm?id=235634>

	'Iraqi opposition to privatization, together with the Oil Ministry's  
success in ratcheting up its production of crude - to more than 2.3  
million barrels a day from almost nothing last June, has eased the  
pressure for a radical restructuring of Iraq's most important  
industry.' ... 'Oil is Iraq's most valuable export, and Iraqis need to  
produce all they can of it to rebuild their country. Wars,  
mismanagement and 12 years of U.N. sanctions devastated the economy,  
and looters pillaged much of what was left after Saddam Hussein's  
ouster last April. Iraq, once home to the Arab world's largest middle  
class, now has no national phone network. Its hospitals lack medicines,  
and the capital, Baghdad, suffers lengthy power outages each day.' ...  
'Before and immediately after the war, some conservative American  
analysts and Bush administration members advocated privatization of the  
entire Iraqi oil industry. They argued that independent companies could  
run the industry more efficiently than any government and could better  
attract investment.'...'Newer oil fields in southern Iraq will take  
more time to develop, but they have enough potential to "make any oil  
man's mouth water," McKee said.'

Shell to build world's largest solar plant // strategic planning.
Site picked in Germany, where subsidies help industry //public-private
<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4006977/>

	'The plant’s 33,500 solar modules, with a total output capacity of  
five megawatts, will be erected on a former lignite mine ash deposit.'  
.. 'Solar power is supported by the German government though a law that  
guarantees above-market rates for electricity produced from renewable  
sources.'

The Price of Numbers: Industrialization of Ukraine // role of e-power
<http://econc10.bu.edu/economic_systems/economics/command%20econ/Other/ 
price_of_numbers.htm>


---------------------------------------------------
06-- electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------

'Geek' image an urban myth: The model web surfer
revealed by global survey... // World Internet Project
<http://www.silicon.com/networks/broadband/0,39024661,39117797,00.htm>

JACK PAAR 1918-2004 // rest in peace. so too, Captain Kangaroo.
TV host 'invented' talk shows: During Jack Paar's time as
host, The Tonight Show became the first TV entertainment
program to host political figures such as Kennedy and Nixon.
<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/7812351.htm>

	'...when his own network, NBC, tried to censor him, trimming a mildly  
off-color joke from one broadcast, he stormed off the set in  
midbroadcast...'

Row hits Cheney case judge
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1136020,00.html>

---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------

EM-related: The Reliable Source // ironic fuel efficiency standards...
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2653-2004Feb1.html>

	'* In last Sunday's classifieds we spied this ad: "TOYOTA '82 Starlet  
-- Once owned by former Secy of Defense, $1500/OBO."' ... 'And that  
raises the question: Which former defense secretary owned the  
less-than-regal (though dependable) Starlet, touted at the time as the  
most gas-miserly car on the market? Cap Weinberger ?Bob McNamara ?  
Two-time secretary Don Rumsfeld ?' ... 'The answer is . . . Dick Cheney  
. The anonymous seller wouldn't comment, but her "representative" says  
the current vice president -- who was SecDef under Bush 41 -- sold the  
Starlet in the early 1990s. Cheney apparently traded up from his 1965  
Volkswagen Beetle and used the Starlet as a starter car for his  
daughters, Mary and Liz . A Cheney aide said: "No word on whether that  
is a good thing or a bad thing for the potential buyer."'

Iraqi council bans Al-Jazeera from offices
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/31/al_jazeera/>

Russia chides BBC's 'repentance'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3445689.stm>

	'Mr Lesin, quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency, said that  
"traditionally, the BBC has been an example of true media  
independence".' ... '"Such statements painfully resemble those of  
Soviet writers responding to the criticisms of the Communist Party  
during the years of Soviet stagnation," Mr Lesin said.'

How Routing Algorithms Work
<http://computer.howstuffworks.com/routing-algorithm.htm>

	'Think you know how routers work? These devices use intricate
formulas to figure out exactly where to send a packet and how to get it  
there. Learn all about routing algorithms.'


---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------

Badge controls displays // wi-fi + sensors = smartspaces (xerox-parc?)
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/012804/ 
Badge_controls_displays_012804.html>

	'Rooms and public spaces that sense human presence, notice where  
attention is focused, and recognize gestures and spoken commands  
promise to make interacting with computers as natural as interacting  
with people.'

BBC reporter in weapons probe resigns // WMD info...
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/30/bbc3/>

	'Besides Gilligan, the BBC's two top officials -- BBC chairman Gavyn  
Davies and director general Greg Dyke -- also have resigned; the BBC  
apologized to the government after the inquiry.'

---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------

// wonder if this will have any solid-state applications, have
// read of relays that work similarly, with optical sensors...

New Conductor Guides Data Along the Fiber Optic Route
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/technology/circuits/29next.html>

	'The wires are meant not for the long hauls of conventional fiber  
optic cables that run between cities and under oceans, Dr. Mazur said,  
but for distances measured at most at an inch or so. For instance, they  
might be used as practical low-loss interfaces between optical fiber  
and the devices that process optical and electronic signals, making  
more compact, faster processors possible.' ... 'The nanowires take  
advantage of their evanescent fields to couple light from one wire to  
another. Instead of having lengths of fiber that must be near one  
another for the signal to transfer, as in conventional fiber optics,  
light easily hops from one nanowire to another, a useful property in  
the future fabrication of multiplexers, demultiplexers and other  
devices like splitters, Dr. Mazur said.'

Intelligent screwdriver // programmable macros. via gizmodo.net
<http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/000599.html>

---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------

// guessing that 'command wire' is electrical wire which could
// be activated by a switch, to send electricity to detonate, in
// addition to the use of other (remotely controlled) switches...
// it would seem common sense that radiowave surges could be sent
// out around a vehicle, to induce current and explode devices
// instead of just jamming them, in certain ranges of frequency.
// such that it becomes an extension of an EM armor or shield.

How roadside bombs have become the Iraqi guerrillas' most
dangerous weapon // solar panel bomb (!) via cursor.org
<http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=484773>

	'It is the bomb beside or under the road which has turned out to be  
the most dangerous weapon facing the US army in Iraq. It usually  
consists of heavy artillery shells detonated either by a command wire  
or from longer range by a remote switch such as a mobile phone or a car  
door opener. Combat engineers from the 82nd Airborne Division based  
near Fallujah had no warning before they came to Iraq last August that  
they would be responsible for the deadly task of searching roads for  
improvised bombs. "I never heard of this type of bomb until I came to  
Iraq," said Private Aaron Brown, a combat engineer in forward  
operational base Volturno outside Fallujah.' *** 'The most ingenious so  
far was a solar panel, which when the dirt covering it was brushed  
aside by a US soldier looking for a bomb, would be exposed to the  
light, complete an electrical circuit and detonate the explosives.'

// oddly enough, a story hits the news aboout this exact subject:

[and] Road Bomb 'Jammers' Being Used in Iraq // warning siren?
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-us-iraq- 
jammers,0,585748.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>

	'The jammers work by preventing a remotely transmitted signal -- say,  
rigged from a cell phone -- from detonating an explosive when the  
bomber presses the button. Depending on the distance, power and design  
of the jammer, some might prevent the bomb from going off. Others might  
instead set it off before or after the convoy passes -- potentially  
wreaking havoc on bystanders.' ... 'Some work by transmitting on  
frequencies that bombers are known to use. Guerrillas frequently rig  
remote-controlled detonators out of garage door openers, car alarm  
remotes or cellular phones, Atkinson said.' ... 'Others, called barrage  
jammers, put out signals on a wide range of frequencies, he said. These  
will knock cellular phones and CB radios off the air in a given area.'  
... 'Both kinds can cause a premature or late detonation of a bomb, or  
prevent it from going off entirely.'

Nuke Info Leaked
<http://7am.com/cgi-bin/wires02.cgi?1000_2004013005.htm>

[and] Pakistan removes top nuclear scientist
<http://salon.com/news/wire/2004/01/31/pakistan/>

	'The statement also reiterated that the nuclear program was only  
intended to deter Pakistan's enemies and "it would never be in the  
national interest to share this technology in whatever form with any  
other country."'

Even Cheney, Bush's alter ego, seems slightly softer on Iraq  weapons
<http://www.boston.com/dailynews/031/wash/ 
Even_Cheney_Bush_s_alter_ego_s:.shtml>

Now even Bush admits WMD doubts
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1135880,00.html>

[and] Bush OK's Independent Probe of Prewar Intelligence
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A1723-2004Jan31>

	'President Bush has agreed to support an independent inquiry into the  
prewar intelligence that he used to assert that Saddam Hussein was  
stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, Republican and congressional  
sources said today.'

---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------

Strike sends copper soaring
<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040131/ 
RCOMX31/TPBusiness/MoneyMarkets>

[and] Copper - Mining Porphyry Deposits
or: Red Giants to Arizona to Your Pocket
<http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~wegryn/White_Mtns_trip.html>

	'Copper is a nice, shiny, copper-colored metal.  It is nice because it  
is very electrically and thermally conductive, ductile and malleable,  
and resistant to corrosion.  Because of these properties, it is one of  
the more useful elements, as opposed to, say, yttrium, or rhenium, or  
those boring non-descript rare earth elements.  Copper is ideal for use  
in electrical devices, and indeed, at present over 75% of all copper is  
used in electronics and electrical applications.' ... 'All the copper  
in the world was created in the advanced nuclear burning stages of red  
giant stars billions of years ago.'

// relates to nickel metal hidride (NIMH) rechargeable batteries...

[and] Strike shuts down nickel producer
Falconbridge Ontario nickel site produces 5 percent of world's supply.
<http://money.cnn.com/2004/02/01/news/international/ 
bc.minerals.falconbridge.reut/>

	'Nickel is a key ingredient in stainless steel.' ... 'Smaller  
quantities of copper, cobalt and precious metals, which are mined as  
by-products of nickel, will also be lost.'

Russia retools laws to build IT industry
Like India and China before it, Russia is revamping national policies
to expand its presence in the global information technology industry.
<http://news.com.com/2100-1028-5150536.html>

	'The country has a long history in mathematics and computer science.  
The scientific institutes created in the Soviet era are also strong in  
basic science. Unlike with their western counterparts, profit wasn't an  
issue back then, so the institutes were free to explore any area that  
seemed interesting.'

U.S. Tech Workers Help Companies Export Their Jobs
<http://www.reuters.com/ 
newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=YL2TRETMZZ1IMCRBAEZSFEY?type=ourWorldNews&s 
toryID=4238946>

The Human Cost Of The Computer Age // via science for people list
<http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=10&ItemID=4911>


---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------

A How-To Guide for Hackers // hardwarez. (EM education, too)
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,62089,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4>

	'[T]he book... certainly will inspire curious kids, adults who never  
hacked anything in their lives and seasoned tinkerers alike to break  
open a few plastic cases and alter their toys in ways the manufacturers  
probably never intended.' ... 'And apart from being a manual on how to  
have big fun without ever having to leave the house, Hardware Hacking  
also provides an inside look at hackers' real motivations -- that  
compulsive need to learn by doing and tinker with everything that can  
possibly be tinkered with.'

Monuments for V. Tatlin, 1964 / Monumentos para V. Tatlin
<http://www.proa.org/exhibicion/flavin/salas/flavin-02.html>

Flavin // fluorescent light sculptures...
<http://www.artpublic.ch/flavin10.html>
<http://www.diabeacon.org/exhibs_b/flavin/index.html>


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