~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #143
From
brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Fri, 10 Sep 2004 19:20:37 -0500
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #143
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (9/10/2004)
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--
* this newsletter is being sent out as it is shorter than most and
any comments on what would be helpful in terms of modifications,
changes, persons who may want to do certain sections or the thing
in itself, such that the next newsletter may be compiled by a list
member, etc. -- anything would be great to consider as an option.
* one of the things i was going to mention was the idea of a 'topics'
newsletter, where one section became a distributed project and a
request for interesting web content/urls/news would be sent out to
all listmembers, to contribute an url of what they find of interest
for, say, an 'art and electromagnetism' issue, or 'health and EM', etc.
this could also be a structural issue, how to categorize information,
and a way to get a group of URLs by distributed effort, for the project
website, and to work together to create content that is shared and of
interest and informed by many perspectives (dozens, hopefully). so,
sharing this option as another way the newsletter could be explored
and tied-into more permanent content online websites and other works
of interest. in any case, that would be more of a compilation of list
contributions and would need to be experimented with to probably find
what works and does not work though it is an idea that interests.
* not sure if my response stifled further critiques and suggestions,
if i missed something or stopped something in its tracks by posting
more newsletters. it is somewhat an automatic thing so i am not sure
what to do as i am still unsure where EM begins and ends (one of the
best questions i've ever been asked, where does the spectrum begin
and end? (i have no idea, still, and have lately wondered if the
narrow (microwave) and long-wave frequencies may be a result of the
big bang (??, just speculating) and if the longest waves would be
some indication of the beginning of the creation of waves, like a
rock thrown in a pond, and the furthest wave being the first event.
maybe this is wrong, anyone with astronomy-background or physics
or anything else have any idea where EM begins and ends? mysterious.
* also, making a conscious effort to try to tighten the EM content to
more directly related content instead of tertiary information
(computing,
primarily) -though computing is related to economics and trends and
the basis for an EM-related economic status. so, oftentimes 'chip sales'
are an indicator of the economic future in many ways, as with oil, etc.
where to draw the line on what is relevant is only a guess and if any-
one has an idea of how to deal with certain specific content, or even
particularly redundant information, please share any and all ideas.
thanks. brian
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
THE WOMAN ALLERGIC TO ELECTRICITY
<http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/
tm_objectid=14608654&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=the-woman-
allergic-to-electricity-name_page.html>
Oil Sanctions Threatened -- The United States has submitted
a United Nations resolution threatening sanctions against
Sudan's oil exports if Khartoum does not stop abuses in Darfur.
<http://7am.com/cgi-bin/wires02.cgi?1000_2004090808.htm>
The resource curse // theory of development as hardware, software.
elections.
<http://afr.com/articles/2004/09/09/1094530761136.html>
'As the United States, the United Nations, and the Iraqi Governing
Council struggle to determine what form Iraq's next government should
take, there is one question that, more than any other, may prove
critical to the country's future: how to handle its vast oil wealth.
Oil riches are far from the blessing they are often assumed to be. In
fact, countries often end up poor precisely because they are oil
rich...' .... 'In fact, the 34 oil-rich countries share one striking
similarity: they have weak, or in some cases, nonexistent political and
economic institutions...' .... 'Can Iraq avoid the pitfalls that other
oil-rich countries have fallen into? The answer is yes...' ....
'Indeed, amid all the examples of countries undermined by their own
resource riches, two success stories stand out: Norway and Botswana...'
....
[quote] 'Oil tends to perpetuate the power imbalances by favouring
incumbents.'
Mayan Indians seize disputed Guatemalan dam -- Hundreds of Maya
Indians have seized control of Guatemala's largest dam and warned
Wednesday they would cut power supplies if they are not compensated
for land and lives lost in massacres when it was built.
<http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/09/08/guatemala.dam.reut/>
'"No new dams can be built until they right the wrongs done to the
people of Chixoy," protest leader Juan de Dios told Reuters. He said
the protestors would shut off the dam's main turbines unless the
government met with community leaders.'
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
Brain Damage Steals Dreams: Healthy but dreamless woman helps
researchers learn more about dreaming's generation and importance
<http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2004-09-10-2>
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Floppy Disk Becoming Relic of the Past // 8-inch floppy diskette!
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/tools/quotes/
newsarticle.asp?siteid=mktw&sid=609&guid=%7B2591A57E%2D8863%2D4904%2D94F
4%2D2B9E99537CCF%7D&symb=>
'...floppies have been around since the late 1970s. People are used to
them. They were the oldest form of removable storage still around.'
Australia, Japan work on near zero-emission coal-fired electricity plant
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/105716/1/
.html>
'The Australian Coal Association said the technology would involve the
capture and geological storage of carbon dioxide, the leading cause of
global warming, after substituting air with pure oxygen in the
generating process.'
The EcoBot II eats flies and digests them for power // see 'Read'
link...
<http://www.engadget.com/entry/2646532542131632/>
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
[empty]
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
SCIENTISTS trying to produce electricity from babool tree
Hindustan Times - New Delhi,India
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_993902,00040007.htm>
// some em-related headlines...
STATE snaps electricity use record for seventh time this summer
San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco,CA,USA
CALIFORNIA electricity demand sets record
Contra Costa Times (subscription) - Contra Costa County,CA,USA
ELECTRICITY use sets record
North County Times - Escondido,CA,USA
ELECTRICITY haves and have-nots // (post-hurricane)
Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota,FL,USA
EIGHT People Arrested for Stealing Electricity
AllAfrica.com - Africa
TECHNOLOGY brings electricity to Iraq
Pentagram - Fort McNair,DC,USA
LANDFILL could become electricity source
Elizabethtown News Enterprise - Elizabethtown,KY,USA
TECHNOLOGY turns manure into electricity
Fort Morgan Times - Fort Morgan,CO,USA
---------------------------------------------------
06-- Electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
Minister wants people to ‘respect' electricity // theft of materials,
rural-e...
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/843120.cms>
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor will join hands in a bid to save
costs and create an international standard for the software
that operates a car's electronic systems. // JASPAR
<http://news.com.com/Toyota%2C+Nissan+unite+to+build+software+standard/
2100-1013-5359772.html?part=dtx&tag=ntop>
'"This will allow us to spend less on areas in which we don't need to
compete," a Nissan representative said.'
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
[em-related] Officials say replay is in sport's future // Capriati,
Williams
<http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen04/news/story?id=1877496>
'... the dramatic match that may move tennis toward a replay system.'
.... 'There are already three computerized systems in use that attempt
to do the job of lines judges. Auto-Ref, which employs eight
slow-motion cameras and advanced software, was used for the U.S. Open
qualifying tournament in a joint experiment with the USTA,
International Tennis Federation, the WTA Tour and ATP. Auto-Ref is an
animated video replay of all shots from various angles. The USA Network
uses the Hawkeye system and ESPN's Shot Spot won an Emmy for technology
last year.' .. 'Chris Watts, a virtual reality operator for Hawkeye --
in use for the second straight year -- said it was accurate to within
one-fifth of an inch. Which raises a serious question.' .. '"Until it's
perfect, it's not appropriate," Kantarian said, underlining the major
issue. "But that doesn't mean we're not pursuing better technology.
With the fast pace of today's game, that begs for technology."'
electrotextiles // 1st .pdf via electronics-qa list
<http://www1.dupont.com/dupontglobal/corp/documents/US/en_US/news/
releases/m
edia/pdf/smart_materials.pdf>
<http://www.swift-textile.com/>
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
Parallel Processing: Coming to a PC Near You // dual-core chips
<http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117701,00.asp>
'The company will focus on parallel processing with future products,
Otellini said. This will include multicore processors, virtualization
technology, and a continuation of Intel's hyperthreading technology, he
said.'
Intel Developer Forum: Think Infrastructure
<http://cio-today.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=26842>
Engineer Builds Robot That Walks on Water // via drudgereport.com
<http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040910/D850HEDO0.html>
[and] Nanorobotics Lab // microrobotics with photographs....
<http://www.me.cmu.edu/faculty1/sitti/nano/projects/waterstrider/>
<http://www.me.cmu.edu/faculty1/sitti/nano/projects/waterstrider/
waterstrider_dark.jpg>
<http://www.me.cmu.edu/faculty1/sitti/nano/projects/waterstrider/
waterstrider34.jpg>
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
// a very interesting journalistic case-study in that it repeats the
// problem it espouses uniquely exists by repeating the most damaging
// details of the article (the optimal missile system, when/where) in
// its reporting, so that no matter if the information is taken offline
// for reasons the reporter makes the case for, their own story also
// acts to perpetuate the problem said to exist, even exacerbates it.
// while it is not hard to find a webpage, it's probably easier to find
// a news article and a lot of 'sensational' reporting, to give details
// to make something more vividly understood, may be a security issue in
// league with the ones being reported on, if not even more severe. not
// to restrict freedom of the press, but also, to what ends/purpose?
// what are the risks versus the rewards? newspapers and television
// are rife with such lack of common sense in security reporting. as
// far as experience goes, there is basically no security reporting
// in the media, investigative reporting, it is through obscurity that
// the situation is deemed safe. which is not a great strategy, if to
// consider recent history, do not assume your enemy is so stupid...
// (see Iraq war, for instance, and the easy win and the long loss.).
// or 'terror prevention' by perception management, in certain cases
// (as with media reports and then sending police to protect buildings
// that were on 3 year old hit-lists). i.e. a false-sense of security.
CQ HOMELAND SECURITY - TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
Sept. 3, 2004 - 1:58 p.m. By Justin Rood, CQ Staff
Nuclear Terrorism Report Falls Through Cracks in Debate on
Classification
<http://cryptome.org/cq-nv-hit.htm>
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
Tech Job Rebound - Smoke and Mirrors: In typical doublespeak, even the
U.S. government agrees that tech jobs are not likely to stay onshore
despite the growth in demand. The U.S. Department of Labor says tec job
are expected to be among the fastest-growing occupations through 2012.
But it also says that jobs are likely to leave as fast as they appear.
<http://cio-today.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=26152>
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
[non-em] Chance for visitors to tell the Tate what that splodgy picture
means
Gallery opens dubious art of label writing to the public //
(interesting...)
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1298665,00.html>
Fraud Frond photos! // via engadget.com
<http://www.fraudfrond.com/>
<http://www.fraudfrond.com/photos.shtml>
'This website pays homage to the fake trees that disguise our cell
phone towers.' .... 'There are 130,000 cel towers in the USA alone. A
whopping 25% of these are "stealth" towers -- i.e. Lying Lumber -- so
that's over 32,000 fake trees.'
Deconstructing the telephone: Lego Phone // great.
<http://www.engadget.com/entry/0761112677822978/>
sonic circuits: creative uses of electricity
curated through our festival of the same name.
<http://www.soniccircuits.com>
<http://innova.mu/webradio.html>
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