~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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