~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #135
From
brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Tue, 10 Aug 2004 12:43:23 -0500
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #135
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (8/10/2004)
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--
(frequency of posts largely due to NY Times speedy archiving, so either
there is a longer period of time between a story and its
inaccessibility or the oftentimes interesting content may soon be
skipped).
* about the Venice Biennale idea of haunted art pavillion, cannot get
the thought of such an autonomous installation out of mind because of
the way of the world right now, and only partly unserious it would be
interesting to lobby for a free-speech space in the .US pavillion,
where visitors can become the artwork and have a webfeed in a blank
space that is the dwelling of the .US, with sensors or whatnot, maybe
just a pure reciever of information, an interface to the .US for better
and worse, a new type of high-tech art therapy for restoring a shared
sense and also, bringing the .US back into the shared context yet also
letting the raw emotion and also passion back into the ideas, the
shared dramas of life being experience simultaneously, differently. the
audiovisual image of grouops and individuals making a pilgrammage to a
pavillion, to be the artwork, to have a say, to be received, housed,
listened to, if scolding, if critical, if loving, if forgiving, if
sharing, if dreaming... it could be a great lesson of the role of
technology to also bring people closer together rather than to be a
distance always between the human-human connections that are largely
severed, in ways literal and less so, all barbaric in terms of what is
a larger potential. less about sensors even than that these might
actuate a situation, (lights, camareas, recordings) which could then
become a mediavault or media-capsule (as in, time-capsule) to be data
for burial of the year 2004 in terms of worldview. the ideas brought
into this context could be the artwork, facilitated by an
infrastructure which cherishes the ideas of free thought, expression,
liberty, belief, democracy, public representation, individual rights,
and also peace.
* curious if anyone has done 'circuit diagrams' or schematics with
needlepoint stitching (if it is called this, i am unsure of the exact
terminology). it would seem an ideal analogue for the ideas, as
breadboards (solderless, or perfboard, or solderable) are basically a
bunch of holes which are used to somehow tie together the components in
a circuit (stich), usually on the backend with solder or wire ties, or
etching of paths on PCBs (though this is more complex from what little
i know, such that printed circuitboards are 3D pathways for circuits,
and layered in a sandwich configuration where many layers of boards
overlap, up and down and across, to make very complex circuitry. this
would be like having many needlepoints atop one another which one
cannot see the designs in the middle). one of the most amazing graphic
design elements (to me) is seen in the chip logic and functionality,
that a chip's functions can be graphically represented, such as with
logic or other funcitons, as well as a larger circuit which either does
what the chip does in a different way/scale, or a something basic idea,
such as an innovation or hallmark in electronics design, or analog and
digital circuits and various processes, as a way of communicating these
advances in an artistic way, which, when stitched, could possibly
replicate circuit pathways. this idea is a smaller scale to the
outstanding larger weavings of W. Logan Fry, which when seen in person
has a vitality that speaks in a way a paper does not.
referencing: http://www.electronetwork.org/assemblage/zone2/wlf.htm
* maybe future anthropolists (or, maybe it is already happening) will
start using statistical analysis of old electromagnetic media (digital
materials) to provide extra dimensions of relationships between data,
history, and culture of a given time. for instance, with all of today's
lyrical music, what is being said during certain periods of time within
a culture, in relation to other types of information in the newspapers
and books being printed simultaenously. where does this analysis find
itself in a bell-curve of frequency (or its inverse) between certain
ideas and their placement in the informational-archaeological record
when not only data-mining but relating it across dimensional
striations. maybe future approaches will integrate language and media
and other analytical systems so that ontological, relational, spatial,
cultural, and other data sets can be fluidly navigated from one (venn)
contextual model to another, in order to conceptualize complex
interactions, behaviors, trends, and history itself. though then again,
maybe this is already happening, or it is not possible now.
* thanks to all who have been in contact about EM jewelry, and the EEI
project in general, it is exciting, encouraging, and inspiring. lots
more work to do...
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
Blackout fails to give power reform a jolt // political energy.*** free
day pass
<http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/08/08/blackout/>
'There is growing frustration among many power-industry officials and
watchdogs that, one year after the country's biggest blackout, electric
reliability rules are still voluntary...' .... '"[Reliability reform
is] a hostage," said Elizabeth Moler, a former chair of the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission and now an executive vice president at
Exelon Corp., one of the nation's largest electric power companies.' ..
'The energy bill has been stalled for years due to partisan battles
over issues such as drilling for oil in an Alaskan wildlife refuge and
regulation of carbon-dioxide emissions. And while Democrats in the
House and Senate have attempted to separate the reliability issue from
the massive energy bill, Republicans have refused to go along.' ....
'All in all, the industry appears to be on its best behavior,
executives, regulators and analysts said. Yet they worry that with each
passing day, some in corporate America are less likely to do the right
thing as the profit motive inevitably collides with the greater public
good.'
[em-related] 8 August 2004 editorial -- Intelligence reports we'd like
to read in the newspaper, see on TV, boggle at Drudge // incredible.
(scroll)
<http://www.cryptome.org/>
// mixing chips. one of the first things in doing hands-on electronics
learning
// is to discover that despite the digital hype, analog is fundamental
to most
// everything and is not going away, ever, and is not second fiddle to
digital
// in terms of capability. it is like posing a question: choose either
'black
// and white' or a 'gray' view of the world. both exist, and both are
needed,
// and both are blended to various degrees in electronics, to the point
it is
// a philosophical question of how one defines what is digital, as
things said
// to be digital may actually be analog and vice-versa. for example, it
may be
// possible to make a LED 'digital clock' that is actually analog,
somehow. and
// aesthetics are often superficial, as with 'wristwatch faces' which
use the
// traditional 'wind-up' mechanism yet vibrate with a quartz crystal
which may
// still be analog (if remembering correctly) or a digital circuit
instead. a
// digital circuit can be defined as just turning off and on a switch,
manually.
// or it can be using a computer microprocessor. yet even then a
gradient exists
// between microprocessors and embedded processors and microcontrollers
which
// may more and more rely on analog aspects (of sensors, say, where
'on' and
// 'off' is not exactly high-fidelity of sense observation). the mixing
of the
// analog and digital would seem basic, after working through an
introduction
// to electronics- and it is why it would seem important for
evangelizations
// of 'digitalism' to be able to bring this thinking into the hardware,
as it
// is still very interesting and important to consider, yet highly
complex to
// make all encompassing statements about how simple everything is if
digital.
// only problem is that this is not realistic nor an accurate model of
reality.
// and it is also an opportunity to take a less literal appraoch to the
ideas,
// the more philosophical aspects by listening to the experts in EE and
other
// realms who know this stuff inside and out and are humble in their
knowledge
// as it is a shared enterprise in which open and shared learning is
valued.
// it is also why a sewing machine can be considered 'digital media'
just as
// the 'loom' is often referenced in early computing/programming. and
so too,
// the more analog (sublime) artforms and crafts, the traditional
technologies
// which still can engage analog-digital issues, and sometimes do,
which makes
// pottery and knitting as important as using a computer in exploring
the ideas
// about the internet, today's culture, knowledge, perception, and the
rest.
// the human body is both analog and digital in its electromagnetic
systems.
// if the passion for the ideas can transcend displinary niche-markets
there
// would seem to be a potential to bridge existing knowledge of the
same thing
// from many perspectives all at once to get a mixed fidelity:
analog+digital.
// ex. tried to reproduce a lost/stolen magnetic instrument using Hall
Sensors
// and ended up getting the digital sensors. when a magnet was nearby,
audio
// was just a 'click' sound as the circuit turned on and off. then
realize it
// was an on-and-off sensor, and not the analog one needed, the linear
sensor
// (or ratiometric, i think it is sometimes referred to)-- whereby the
sensor
// is taking readings throughout its encounter with the magnet in which
tones
// would vary (theremin-like, reading magnetic fields), not just
on-and-off.
// this is to say that both would are necessary, and it is very self
evident.
// e.g. digital 'off' (0) <---> analog 'inbetween' (N) <---> digital
'on' (1)
A Digital World With Analog as Its Workhorse // *** (3-valued logic
necessary).
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/09/technology/09texas.html>
'The challenge, though, for those designing digital products is that
no human experiences reality as a pattern of 1's and 0's. The natural
world is, in engineering terms, a thoroughly analog realm of endlessly
variable waves of sound and light, temperature and pressure
fluctuations, and shifting magnetic fields.' .. 'So it turns out the
digital revolution is driving strong demand for advances in analog
electronics,...' .... '"Most people think that the world has gone
digital and analog is old and not hip," said Gregg A. Lowe, the senior
vice president who oversees most of Texas Instruments' analog business.
"On average, there's probably 15 analog chips needed for every digital
processor you use."' .... 'Because digital technology is considered the
leading edge of electronics, new analog electronics engineers are hard
to find at universities. And because analog products are less
standardized, engineers who have worked with analog designs and
production processes at a particular company cannot easily transfer
their expertise.' .. '"It takes six to nine months for a college
graduate with training in digital engineering to be contributing to our
products," Mr. Lowe said. "In analog, we have to go to a few top
universities, get Ph.D.'s and train them for four years before they can
help us."'
[and, about TI, amazing offshoots...]
'Over the course of that decade, Texas Instruments sold its original
oil services unit to Halliburton ; its missiles and defense electronics
business to Raytheon ; its computer operations to Hewlett-Packard and
Acer; and the memory-chip business, which had at one time been its
biggest unit, to Micron Technology.'
// ... wonder if this means protecting SCADA which could potentially be
great.
// the Control System Security Center would be interesting to learn
more about.
// also, a smartgrid would need a built infrastructure that is also
different,
// such that they are fundamental components in energy
production/consumption.
Keeping The Lights On Aug. 9, 2004 // via wired.com
Power utilities have spent millions on business technology in the hope
that they can make last year's regional power outage the last of
its kind. Here's what they've done so far and what still needs doing.
<http://www.informationweek.com/story/
showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ZEE3KDT0RCR20QSNDBCCKHQ?articleID=26806291>
'Utility officials, however, are cautiously confident that the
hundreds of millions of dollars they've spent to upgrade transmission
systems and the computers used to monitor and manage those systems will
prevent a massive blackout like the one that hit a year ago this week.
There's still work to be done in training, procedures, regulations, and
information systems, but the past year has seen the power industry use
business technology to tackle a key problem: getting the right
information flowing so that the juice keeps flowing, too.' ... 'The
North American Electric Reliability Council also has an ongoing program
to improve the system-control and data-acquisition systems and the
security that protects them. "We cover the control center to
substation, including relay computers, to protect against faults," says
Lou Leffler, manager of critical infrastructure protection at the
council. "Lately, we're looking at how we protect these relays that are
out there."' .... 'Energy are working to integrate their new
system-control and outage-management systems, which formerly had been
text-based, with detailed electronic maps.' .... 'As leaders of the
power industry look farther into the future, they envision something
called the Smart Grid, sort of a self-healing, intelligent network that
can anticipate problems and automatically make decisions in
milliseconds. Such a system, even after the technology is mastered,
likely would face years of regulatory debate and approvals, plus
massive investment to upgrade computers, software, and switching
systems.'
The Microbrick System // em-education-related... thanks *
<http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/txt/s1103762.htm>
Erratic 'superbolts' of lightning seen on Saturn
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996250>
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
// *** note statements on nuclear security in the article and the .US
corollary.
Japan's wobbly nuclear safety // does N.Korea also have natural
resource issue?
Japan's latest nuclear accident, which coincided with the anniversary of
the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, will further undermine the Japanese
public's already shaky confidence in the industry's safety record.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3548192.stm>
'Japan imported its first commercial nuclear power plant from the UK
in 1966, and completed its first indigenous reactors in 1970.' .. 'It
now has more than 50 in operation, which account for about 25% of its
electricity needs. In the US, in comparison, nuclear power provides
about 20% of the country's electricity.' .. 'While Japan holds a good
reputation for public safety, its nuclear industry has suffered several
setbacks in recent years...' .... 'Satoshi Fujino, public relations
officer at the CNIC, said the roots of the problems were two-fold:
inadequacy in government regulation and a culture within the industry's
management of covering up mistakes.'
[related] Japan Nuke Plant Accident Kills 4 People // non-radioactive
steam leak
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-japan-
nuclear-accident,0,4798356.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'The deaths in Mihama also come as Japan is bidding to host the
world's first large-scale nuclear fusion plant, the $12 billion
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER. But the
project's sponsors -- the European Union, the United States, Russia,
Japan, South Korea and China -- remain deadlocked over whether to build
the plant in Japan or France.'
[and] List of Recent Nuclear Accidents in Japan
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-japan-
nuclear-glance,0,4570785.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
[and] Israel Distributes Radiation Pills // (AP) reg.req.
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/709/4916975.html>
'Israeli soldiers began distributing radiation sickness pills Sunday
in towns near one of Israel's two nuclear reactors, as a precautionary
measure in case of radioactive leaks.' .... 'The pills are an iodine
compound that blocks absorption of radioactive material by shutting
down the thyroid gland.' .. 'The army statement made a point of
stressing the safeguards surrounding Israeli nuclear facilities.'
Mystery pain 'is all in the mind' // 'pain-in-the-brain' were lyrics i
think...
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3548050.stm>
What Dreams Are Made Of // via SciTech Daily Review. compiling and
runtime...
New technology is helping brain scientists unravel the mysteries of the
night.
Their work could show us all how to make the most of our time in bed
<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5569228/site/newsweek/>
<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5569244/site/newsweek/> (top dreams by gender)
<http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5569245/site/newsweek/>
'... Dreams have captivated thinkers since ancient times, but their
mystery is now closer than ever to resolution, thanks to new technology
that allows scientists to watch the sleeping brain at work. Although
there are still many more questions than answers, researchers are now
able to see how different parts of the brain work at night, and they're
figuring out how that division of labor influences our dreams...' ....
'The long-range goal of dream research is a comprehensive explanation
of the connections between sleeping and waking, a multidimensional
picture of consciousness and thought 24 hours a day.' .... '[... An]
active part of the brain in REM sleep is the anterior cingulate cortex,
which detects discrepancies. Eric Nofzinger, director of the Sleep
Neuroimaging Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,
thinks that could be why people often figure out thorny problems in
their dreams. "It's as if the brain surveys the internal milieu and
tries to figure out what it should be doing, and whether our actions
conflict with who we are," he says.' .... 'In general, more
introverted, psychologically oriented people naturally remember their
dreams. Practical, concrete thinkers probably won't...'
Defibrillators get less shocking // Medtronic...
Implant targets scar tissue to kick-start heart more gently.
<http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040802/full/040802-17.html>
'More than 80% of patients fitted with defibrillators have already had
a heart attack. Heart attacks increase the risk of fibrillation because
they leave scars of dead tissue inside the heart, which have a higher
electrical resistance than the surrounding tissue. This allows rotating
electrical waves to develop around these areas, which disrupt the
heart's normal electrical activity. "They are like a tornado," says
Efimov.' .. 'Efimov has modelled these waves to come up with a gentler
way to restart the heart. By timing the shock so that it arrives just
as the wave is passing around the scar tissue, he says it is possible
to dislodge and quench the electrical tornado using only half a joule
of energy - so little that a patient would barely notice it.' .. 'The
approach works because scar tissue is more susceptible to electric
shocks, so a small pulse affects only the scar, not the surrounding
cells. If the electrical pulse is applied at just the right time, it
dislodges the wave from the scar tissue. Once freed into the
surrounding healthy tissue, the wave can no longer sustain itself and
dies away.'
3-D Irradiation Of Brain Cancer In Children Spares IQ,
Memory, Other Cognitive Functions // CRT
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040806095337.htm>
'CRT combines CAT scans and MRI to create pictures of the cancer that
a computer then turns into three-dimensional images of the tumor
exactly as it appears in the brain. These images are combined with
computer-controlled radiation beams and meticulous positioning of the
treatment table on which the patient lies. Radiation hits the tumor at
precisely calculated angles and depths matching the 3-D image of the
tumor, obliterating the cancer and sparing healthy tissue.'
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Chances of aliens finding Earth disappearing // *
<http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996255>
'Traditional television broadcast antennas put out one megawatt each,
and this radio-wave bubble now extends about 50 light years out from
the solar system.' .... '... More and more television is now delivered
by cable, with no radio-frequency leakage to space, and by
direct-broadcast satellites that put out just 20 watts per channel, all
efficiently directed straight down the intended areas on the Earth's
surface.' .. 'So from the point of view of being detected through such
inadvertent broadcasts, the longevity of humanity's detectability may
be just 100 years.'
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
// found a 'zon'-machine artiface for an exhibit via electronics
surplus and
// data-cable card readers can be found for less than 10.00 US, which
basically
// gives access to ID theft tools beyond the scope of the paper world,
and a
// glimpse into the cryptic realm of what is stored on such magnetic
stripes...
Stripe Snoop
Why Use it? - Why is Stripe Snoop important, and why should I want to
use it?
Answers lie within! // e-magcard-reader R&D tool... via cryptome.org
<http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/>
<http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html>
<http://stripesnoop.sourceforge.net/features.html>
'Database support to identify a card type and show information about
the contents of the card. Credit and banking cards, School IDs, Grocery
cards, Gift cards, and more are supported.'
A New Weapon in the Battle to Make a Convention Secure // underwater
sonar. NYC
<http://nytimes.com/2004/08/10/nyregion/10robot.html>
Holograms aid forgery detection
Crime fighters analyse signatures using third dimension.
<http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040809/full/040809-1.html>
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
Iraqi Oil Fields Not So Secure // less safe...
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/08/08/iraq/main634639.shtml>
'Fighting around the southern Iraq oil fields that U.S.-led forces had
previously thought were secure has driven out civilian firefighters
trying to put out the oil well blazes, the top firefighter said
Monday.' .... 'The Iraqi resistance in the oil fields challenges U.S.
claims that southern Iraq is quickly falling under allied control.'
.... 'Securing the Rumailah oil fields was one of the top priorities of
commanders of the invasion into Iraq; military planners want to use
Iraq's oil output to finance the rebuilding of the country.'
MALTA ‘has one of the highest electricity bills in the world’ // only
oil...
Malta Independent - St. Julians,Malta
ELECTRICITY Prices On The Rise
580 CFRA Radio - Ottawa,Ontario,Canada
ELECTRICITY prices ‘may leap by 50%’
The Times (subscription) - London,England,UK
10,000 lose electricity
Fayetteville Online - Fayetteville NC,USA
// the vulnerability of new powerplants in .IQ, i thought it was
reported,
// was that many rely on the oil pipelines in order to power the
generators.
// thus, if the pipelines are down or offline (as they often are) the
power-
// plants may be ready to provide power but cannot because of no fuel
to use.
// then again, if the infrastructure is brought under control this may
not be
// as much of an issue (in times of peace) though, still, the
diversification
// of supplies would seem very much in the common interest of any
country in
// the world as, with variable weather, there could be a huge heatwave
of an
// unprecedented length or intensity, and a too heavy reliance on one
type of
// fuel which could break the grid. whereas if solar and wind were
developed
// no one natural/artificial disaster could bring down the country's
power...
// (thought the Army Corp. of Engineers had done a lot of energy
efficiency
// trials and experiments, for multiple reasons (deployment, basing) so
it
// would also seem an opportunity for possible energy technology
transfer).
// note: of around 24 million people how many houses do not have
electricity?
// as in Hussein's reign it was said many were denied light and air
cooling...
ARMY helps boost electricity to Iraqi grid
Army Public Affairs (press release) - USA
<http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=6240>
'“Electricity is an essential element of a safe and secure Iraq,”
Ogden said. “With electricity, medicines can be refrigerated, air
conditioners can cool homes and lights can remain on to protect homes
from darkness.”' .. 'Electricity production in the country averages
approximately 4,625 MW, a total that services an estimated 13.9 million
Iraqi homes.' .. 'The demand for electricity in Iraq continues to grow,
according to a fact sheet published by the Iraq Ministry of
Electricity.' .. '“With more than half a million new jobs created, new
industries and new factories coming on line and with the sale of
thousands of home appliances such as washing machines and air
conditioners, Iraq has experienced a rapid increase in electricity
demand,” the fact sheet reads. “The increase in demand is a good sign
of a thriving economy emerging from three decades of isolation.' ..
'“As demand increases, the Ministry of Electricity will continue to
increase the nation’s available power,” according to the sheet.'
Fuel Cell Compatibility Considered: Vendors team on standards effort
to promote alternative power sources for handheld devices. // via
engadget.com
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117295,00.asp>
Ukraine Launches New Atomic Reactor // (AP) reg.req.
<http://www.startribune.com/stories/709/4917237.html>
'Ukraine, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, launched a
new atomic reactor Sunday, and a second reactor is set to open later
this year, a news agency reported.' .... 'The European Union pledged to
finance safety upgrades at both reactors through an $83 million loan.
The money will be in addition to a $42 million program recently
approved by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for
the same purpose.' .. 'Ukraine has committed to modernizing its 13
operating nuclear reactors.'
// maybe the scientific value of the International Space Station effort
will be
// some advances in the understanding of radiation on lifeforms, how it
effects
// things and environments, and how it can be protected against, such
as with
// materials and medicines, for space weather or nuclear disaster/war
injuries.
// this is one of the areas of experiment that .RU is exploring up in
the ISS...
// note: there is almost an industrial-archaeological 'nuclear'
archaeology and
// excavation aspect when building construction; burial mounds of
nuclear waste.
Moscow's Nuclear Past Is Breeding Perils Today // urban radiation.
reg.req.
<http://nytimes.com/2004/08/10/international/europe/10radiation.html?hp>
'"They told me I could walk on the road," he recalled, nodding toward
a dirt track that descends to the Moscow River. "But they said I should
stay to the left. To the right is radiation."' .. 'Mr. Avram works
beside a disquieting legacy of the early years of the nuclear arms
race, a large radioactive waste site inside a city of 11 million
people.' .... 'It is a result of the peculiar history of a rushed
Soviet effort to tease secrets from the atom. Every country that has
had atomic programs has been left with the difficult task of recovering
the byproducts and waste. But the former Soviet Union, under orders
from Stalin, began extensive nuclear research inside its most populated
and central place, its capital....' .... 'Mr. Barinov said Radon
recovers and stores only low- and medium-level radioactive waste.
Becauseothe materials are not fissile, they are incapable of the chain
reaction leading to a nuclear explosion. Their danger lies in emission
of radiation.' .... 'Last fall, an entire building on the plant's
grounds was dismantled, carted away and entombed at Radon's dump.' ....
'... the broader problem of Russia's radiological inheritance is not
unique.'
Smart windows block heat not light
Coated glass reflects infrared rays on hot days.
<http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040809/full/040809-2.html>
'They say that the glass could be a huge money saver. As architects
use more and more glass in buildings, our offices are becoming
greenhouses and air-conditioning bills are soaring. But conventional
window tints are often unpopular because they block out both heat and
light.' .. 'At lower temperatures, the new coating allows through both
visible and infrared rays, just like normal glass. But once it heats up
above 29°C, its atomic structure changes and it begins to reflect heat.
This makes it more versatile than other coatings, which reflect heat
all the time.'
---------------------------------------------------
06-- Electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Stolen Xbox blamed as motive for mass murder // grand-theft-homicides.
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/08/xbox_murder_florida/>
// thought of internet access in low-income housing before, also, as
much of it
// is based in apartment dwellings (.US, at least) and thus either
through some
// sharing of computing resources or, in this case, a connection may
bring the
// job hunting, computer skills, community resources, to all of the
citizenry...
// a large role for 'community' organizing could also occur this way,
such that
// newsletters and the old BBS systems (e bulletin boards) could help
to bring
// together a shared-resource model, so that group developments can be
made in
// economical ways, and local workers can do the work (say, if twenty
people in
// a neighborhood need concrete work or roofing, they could get a group
bid for
// the project, which trains residents in the job skills as part of the
bid...)
// in this case, electronic-based community planning could be a
leveraging tool.
Program Aids Urban Poor In Accessing The Internet // great story. via
NewsScan.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50706-2004Aug8.html>
'In 2002, more than 75 percent of U.S. households with incomes of more
than $50,000 had Internet access, but the share was 38 percent for
those with household incomes of less than $30,000, according to a
survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.'
[excerpt] The Technological System, Jacques Ellul isbn 0-8264-9007-4
Technology as a Determining Factor, pp.58-59
'... it is the action of technology that devaluates the political
function, the role of the citizen and of the politician. The citizen is
grappling with problems that are mostly technological. For the things
the state has to decide on are most frequently technological (and more
and more seldom purely "political"). It is not the citizen who may
decide even the great aspects of an economic plan, for those aspects
really depend on data established by technicians. Those aspects are
located in a "bracket" that the technician fixes and they have
consequences that the citizen is incapable of evaluating..." .... "...
the politician's role is devaluated, a process also caused by the
technization of society. In point of fact, the politican exercises no
control in the multiplicity of services. [S|He] depends entirely on
three kinds of people: experts, technicians, and administrators
(themselves technicians, of organizing and implementing). These people
alone have the knowledge and the means of action. To be sure, the
politician does have a way out. [S|He] can stop being a politician in
the old sense of the term; [s|he] can specialize very rigorously in an
issue and become a technician in that issue. (Keeping in mind that
today one can no longer be a technician of economy, but only a small
part of economy!) ... 'Does that imply the emergence of a technocracy?
Absolutely not in the sense of a political power directly exercised by
technicians, and not in the sense of the technicians' desire to
exercise power. The latter aspect is practically without interest.
There are very few technicians who wish to have political power. {note:
circa 1977} As for the former aspect, it is still part of a traditional
analysis of the state: people see a technician sitting in the
government minister's chair. But under the influence of technology, it
is the entire state that is modified. One can say that there will soon
be no more (and indeed less and less) political power (with all its
contents: ideology, authority, the power of [wo|man] over [wo|man],
etc.). We are watching the birth of a technological state, which is
anything but a technocracy; this new state has chiefly technological
functions, a technological organization, and a rationalized system of
decision making.'
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Japan Deploys Solar Sail Film In Space // wow.
Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science succeeded in
deploying
a big thin film for solar sail in space for the first time in the world.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040810102738.htm>
'A solar sail is a spacecraft without a rocket engine. It is pushed
along directly by light particles from the Sun, reflecting off its
giant sails. Because it carries no fuel and keeps accelerating over
almost unlimited distances, it is the only technology now in existence
that can one day take us to the stars.'
Study Explains Spatial Orientation Differences Between Sexes;
Inner Ear Size May Be Determinant // ear design and 3D perception
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040805091122.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
// it is wondered if a society that develops through isolation and
alienation
// may play a contributing factor, in that the mind may not be as
stimulated to
// think - if thinking is unnecessary to participate in society. in an
extreme
// sense, it is wondered what the difference is between automatons and
humans,
// if what is expected of people is little less than quietly falling
into place
// in the realm of accepted ideas and thinking, and not vigorous
environments
// for using democratic socities and constitutional freedoms to openly
think.
Work 'may ward off Alzheimer's' // cognitive-activation...
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3548682.stm>
Science secret of grand masters revealed // not self-deception.
check&balance
Chess experts gain the edge over opponents by falsifying their own
ideas.
<http://www.nature.com/news/2004/040802/full/040802-19.html>
'She found that novices were more likely to convince themselves that
bad moves would work out in their favour, because they focused more on
the countermoves that would benefit their strategy while ignoring those
that led to the downfall of their cherished hypotheses.' ..
'Conversely, masters tended to correctly predict when the eventual
outcome of a move would weaken their position. "Grand masters think
about what their opponents will do much more," says Byrne. "They tend
to falsify their own hypotheses."' .. '"We probably all intuitively
know this is true," says Orr. "But it's never a bad thing to prove it
like this."'
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
// what about transparency in LCD screens, such that the first, second,
and
// even third layers could display different layers of information,
rather
// than just a shading effect (trick of the eye). if layers were
microthin,
// lines connecting them (with gradient and thinning) might also appear
3D.
// this approach seems possible, as used in disk/dye recording
technologies.
// wonder if a 'screen' could actually become a light-circuit, where
layers
// could be pathways for RGB information, tuning the light to a color
or a
// color algorithm, from layer A1 to Z2, etc. vs. digital smoke and
mirrors.
Sharp Ships 3D Monitor -- LL-151-3D LCD handles standard 2D as well;
requires careful positioning for 3D effects.
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117303,00.asp>
'According to Sharp, the LL-151-3D is the first stand-alone monitor
that can be used for both 3D and 2D work. Other companies offer
no-glasses 3D displays, but those products can't handle conventional 2D
imaging. You can switch the LL-151-3D between 3D and 2D modes using
either a hardware switch or, via USB, a software-based signal.' ....
'All 3D systems must send separate images to the viewer's left and
right eyes. Sharp gets around the need to use glasses, which filter one
eye's image from the other, through what is called a parallax barrier:
The monitor uses two LCD panels, one in front of the other. The front
panel displays the image. The back one angles the light coming from the
backlight, sending alternate columns to the left and right eyes. In 2D
mode, the rear panel simply shuts off so that all pixels are seen by
both eyes.'
// two things: seeing how new EM technologies evolve and refine over
time it is
// reminsicent of the 'classical orders' in western classical
architecture, when
// doric, ionic, tuscan, corinthian, composite, and others advanced in
certain
// areas while using a similar development platform for ordering
information. it
// may be a fuzzy comparison to make, yet if one looks at security
cameras, they
// oftentimes have the same big-old case/shell and remote control
movement yet
// the software and data processing and chipsets likely are
enhancements that
// are far beyond what previously existed. so too, with garage door
openers and
// other media that may find an advance in sensor technology become
commonplace
// as part of the new standards as they develop over a period of
decades (in the
// speed of technology-time, it is speculated). secondly, automotive
electronics
// are utterly fascinating (at least to me) because much of it involves
sensors-
// and sensor-development and the car is a microcosm of a dwelling, in
the sense
// of an inhabited space that has some machine functions and similar
qualities
// (Virilio makes this connection more vividly) -- the car has an
electrical
// nervous system/spinal cord, computers (a brain), and increasing
sensory
// awareness to the point that transporation engineers goal is robotic
car
// highways (robot chauffers through embedded infrastructural
intelligence).
// yet to look at the automotive artifacts, which are difficult to find
(at
// least in my brief attempts. was unable to get permission to
photograph a
// series of sensors at a convention because of suspician about
intentions)
// all that could be seen is what looks like some pieces of plastic
puzzle
// shapes that fit into a sensory system platform. if there is a two-way
// (or dual-use) street to cultural development, than maybe what
happens in
// automotive sensors may make its way into houses and human's
developments
// (health and welfare, and sensors to help achieve these) -- and vice
versa.
// the clear-line is hard to see between 'sensors' as a technology and
as a
// cultural phenonemon and the various techniques to apply them in
action.
// fwiw: online surplus store sells air bag sensors (1 usd) for
hobbyists.
Eye robot: Start-up offers vision to machines -- Some work to bring
eyesight
to blind people. Canesta works to bring it to cars and automatic doors.
<http://news.com.com/Eye+robot%3A+Start-up+offers+vision+to+machines/
2100-7337-5302640.html?part=dtx&tag=ntop>
'The Equinox chip "can recognize the contours of a human versus leaves
or a squirrel," Spare said.' .. 'The company's technology is part of a
growing market for sensor technology, which advocates say can help
devices better gather information about animal behavior, activity
inside buildings or movements on a battlefield.' .... 'Eye-tracking
systems that figure out if a driver is tired or even intoxicated will
start to come out next year for the trucking industry, according to
Richard Lind, director of advanced engineering at Delphi.' .... 'The
Equinox chip essentially combines a 4,096 pixel image sensor--which
captures a two-dimensional map of a scene--with an infrared sensor,
which determines depth and distance.'
Heart, Human Body Inspires New Microtechnology System
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040804083534.htm>
'A successful new "desorption" technology using branching
microchannels, which takes its inspiration from the human circulatory
system, was described this week at a professional conference and cited
as a significant step towards the creation of man-portable cooling
systems that may find important uses in the military, fire fighting and
elsewhere.'
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
// this is not sent for glorifying the detritus of partisan
campaigning, instead
// it documents a series of connections that are irrefutable about the
current
// situations which have yet to be addressed and are critical to oil,
war, EM...
[em-related] Kerry-Edwards 2004 Releases Bush-Cheney Ad Fact Check:
"Ownership"
<http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=133-08092004>
Nuclear Watchdogs Verify Uranium in Iraq // why are no .UN inspections
allowed?
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-un-nuclear-
agency-iraq,0,341891.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'The U.N. Security Council has put off a decision on the return of
U.N. weapons inspectors under pressure from the United States.' ..
'IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei described the mission
completed Saturday as "a good first step," adding in a statement that
he hoped his weapons inspectors could also soon return to Iraq and
complete their mission.'
[em-quote] Italy Threatened in Purported Statement
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-al-qaida-
italy,0,7177243.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
'Such claims and counterclaims illustrate the difficulties of
determining the authenticity of Web threats or whether those who post
them have any ability to carry them out.'
// whatever the truth of the nuclear situation, it would be greatly
beneficial
// if talk of 'war' is being replaced by acts of diplomacy - and that
this is
// a standard or basis for nuclear diplomacy in a world that direly
needs it.
Bush: US Won't Go It Alone On Iran // (or, there's no choice anymore...)
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/27/world/main632202.shtml>
// it would seem that diplomatic realms can take such challenges and
shape
// what may be opposing views into some shared agreement. what if, if
even
// things are not ideal, 'the threat' of use and abuse of nuclear
weaponry
// could be managed in such a situation through a treaty which limits
or is
// able to put in some kind of structure to mediate serious ongoing
disputes,
// so that there are no surprises in the realm of things nuclear: good
for all
// in terms of chaotic consequences if itchy ideology triggers nuclear
finger.
// what if, say, there was a 'show your cards' treaty in the
middle-east with
// regard to nuclear capabilities, such that the reorganization can
become the
// basis for a world treaty of nuclear state-to-state stabilization, as
with
// the innovative and necessary nuclear diplomacies that .PK and .IN
foster...
// as is a potential with North Korea, maybe a historic treaty could be
part
// of a larger design to stabilize nuclear relations around the world,
with
// existing nuclear powers brokering a shared peace with the new
situation,
// as with major mediators beyond the .US and .EU, such as .RU and .CN,
etc.
[and] Iran Seeks Support on Nuclear Technology -- AP Newsbreak: Iran
Wants Europe's Leading Powers to Support Its Right to Nuclear
Technology // ***
<http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040809_957.html>
'The Iranian list, presented during talks in Paris, includes demands
that the three European powers: {1} Support Iran's insistence its
nuclear program have access to "advanced technology, including those
with dual use," which is equipment and know-how that has both peaceful
and weapons applications. {2} "Remove impediments" sales restrictions
imposed by nuclear supplier nations preventing Iran access to such
technology. {3} Give assurances they will stick by any commitment to
Iran even if faced with "legal (or) political ... limitations," an
apparent allusion to potential Security Council sanctions.' {4} Agree
to sell Iran conventional weapons. {5} Commit to push "rigorously and
systematically" for a non-nuclear Middle East and to "provide security
assurances" against a nuclear attack on Iran, both allusions to Israel,
which is believed to have nuclear arms and which destroyed Iraq's
nuclear reactor in a 1981 airstrike to prevent it from making atomic
arms.'
Peru: Stolen Nukes Can't Make Dirty Bomb-- Peru Official Says Stolen
Nuke Devices Don't Have Enough Radioactive Material for 'Dirty Bomb'
<http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20040809_989.html>
'Montoya said the measuring devices were stolen from a Lima warehouse.
Shaped like two cylinders separated by a u-clamp, the 14 inch by 8 inch
contraptions can be attached to tubes and small tanks.' .. 'The devices
are used to measure density flows of slurry being pumped from mines to
determine how much of the liquefied ore is being processed and ensure
pumps are not overloaded.'
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
// saw a quote speculating 50 was expected to be the new 30 by an
analyst...
[headline] Oil prices near $45 a barrel on Iraqi supply concerns
[headline] New York crude breaks above 45 dollars a barrel
[and] Iraq Oil Production Stops // 8/9/2004
<http://7am.com/cgi-bin/wires02.cgi?1000_2004080905.htm>
Ontario power supplies up 7 per cent since blackout
BULGARIA to Boost Electricity Exports
Novinite - Bulgaria
GRID managers call for electricity conservation
San Jose Mercury News (subscription) - San Jose,CA,USA
ELECTRICITY grid not up to snuff
London Free Press - London,Ontario,Canada
MULTI-PRONGED Plan For Producing 300 MW Electricity
Pakistan News Service - Lahore,Pakistan
Tethering vs. Tying // very interesting.
<http://features.engadget.com/entry/0130461947181247/>
// it is curious if part of the 'irrational exhuberance' of internet
companies
// may have something to do with the tangibility or intangibility of
being able
// to model a company outside of its financial aspects but to relate to
its
// basis as an infrastructure-- to objectivify it in space/time/place,
and to
// be able to gauge, based on a personal sense, what it may develop as
or into
// and whether or not the decisions are making fit the mental model one
has of
// what the internet-based company is or isn't perceived to be good at
doing,
// not only superficially, but also in relation to the issues its faces
as an
// industry rapidly changing and evolving in time, as with computing in
general.
// curious how a company such as 'google' is visualized in terms of
what it does
// and what technologies it depends on for its success, and if it is an
entirely
// new category, and if the philosophy of the company indicates where
it's going
// to go as with R&D at Bell Labs and Microsoft, or what the dreams are
made of.
// that is, do people need to rationalize the internet to rationalize
google?
// and if so, what if this modeling is not yet possible due to
limitations in
// perception of what the internet actually is, as an entity, in which
to work.
Seeing Google With the Eyes of Forrest Gump // also very interesting.
reg.req.
<http://nytimes.com/2004/08/10/technology/10google.html>
'"It's a continuous cycle that never stops," said Rod Fadem, a
stockbroker at Stifel Nicolaus & Company in St. Louis, who has been in
the business since 1960. "Every decade produces these companies that
everyone goes nuts over. The price goes up, up, up, up, but then the
price starts to fall, and everything goes to hell."'
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
Lightning Takes a Holiday // thanks * for letting me know of this years
ago.
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64495,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4>
'Created as a permanent land-art installation by sculptor Walter De
Maria, The Lightning Field uses 38,000 pounds of steel to lure
lightning strikes.' .... 'No one has yet observed a lightning strike
arc from pole to pole. But on rare occasions, when strong electrical
current is present, the tips of the poles glow with a hot ionized gas
known as St. Elmo's fire.'
[and] The Lightning Field by Walter De Maria - Overview
<http://www.lightningfield.org/#overview>
'A work of Land Art situated in a remote area of the high desert of
southwestern New Mexico, The Lightning Field is comprised of 400
polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array measuring one
mile by one kilometer. The poles, two inches in diameter and averaging
20 feet by 7 1/2 inches in height, are spaced 220 feet apart and have
solid pointed tips that define a horizontal plane. Since it is intended
that visitors experience The Lightning Field alone or with a small
group of people over an extended period of time, Dia provides simple
accommodations for up to six people for overnight visits during the
months of May through October.'
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