~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #151
From
brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date
Thu, 25 Nov 2004 23:26:34 -0600
===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #151
===================================================
00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (11/25/2004)
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--
I saw the film "What the Bleep" recently, upon recommendation, which is
describe as being an independent film on quantum physics. It was very
worthwhile and is especially interesting to see the animations and the
unified view of the ideas explored, placed into a more traditional film
story where a person goes about their everyday life and serves as an
example for the principles and possibilities being discussed by those
interviewed, such as Fred Alan Wolf, in the film, co-author of Space,
Time, and Beyond.
It is a bit of a mish-mash of different approaches to the idea, some
work and some do not, which to me was reflected in the music which was
difficult to withstand, at times, along with one of the interviewees.
There are parts in which it simply is overstating the case, or it is
unclear what is being said, and 'proof' of the most extreme examples is
non-existent (such as a photograph being evidence of being in two
places at one time). Also, there is no strict adherance to the reality
of limitations and contigency in the ideas, so that 'anything goes',
even in a human-limited and specific context, which in the way it is
presented is simply false and absurd, by the standard of a physicist
who was interviewed. So, an aspect of fantasy and sci-fiction and
unreality and hype seems to take hold and 'make anything possible',
instead of 'anything is possible, within contextual limits', for
example. It is a very interesting film, very good to see, and people
seemed to enjoy it. This may be the flipside of the questions of the
nature of 'reality' as posed in the Matrix, very much the same though
with different approaches. Again, the animations make this film it is
an entertaining and educational overview, and is totally about
electromagnetic phenomenon; the brain storms were particularly
interesting. If anyone has seen the film it would be interesting to
hear of other experiences. brian
===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------
WT*DWK!? // what the BLEEP do we know? -- the movie
http://whatthebleep.com/
http://whatthebleep.com/animation/
http://whatthebleep.com/crystals/
[and] WT*DWK!? synopsis
http://whatthebleep.com/synopsis/
[and] Fred Alan Wolf // in WT*DWK!?
http://www.fredalanwolf.com/
http://whatthebleep.com/scientists/
Iranian Cinema: Before the Revolution
By: Shahin Parhami, December 1999 // *** insightful...
http://www.iranchamber.com/cinema/articles/
iranian_cinema_before_revolution1.php
<http://www.iranchamber.com/cinema/articles/
iranian_cinema_before_revolution1.php
>
[and] The Digital Revolution and The Future Cinema
Samira Makhmalbaf's Address at Cannes Festival, May 2000
http://www.iranchamber.com/cinema/articles/
digital_revolution_future_cinema.php
<http://www.iranchamber.com/cinema/articles/
digital_revolution_future_cinema.php>
---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------
Chernobyl 'caused Sweden cancers'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4028729.stm
Doctors' therapy 'slows ageing' // infrared...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4024919.stm
Repelling cosmic rays with magnetic bubbles
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996694
Laser Technique Used to Treat Bad Breath
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=570&ncid=753&e=8&u=/
nm/20041124/sc_nm/health_breath_dc>
---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------
Spaniards hammer out work stress
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4030795.stm
'For 40 euros ($52), they can pick up sledgehammers and bash away on
anything from cars and computers to mobile phones and even photos of
the boss.'
// picked up a used lithium-ion battery to plug into a
// solar circuit, which recharges a battery to drive an
// LED during nighttime (will be swapping three existing
// amber LEDs with one RGB LED which is animated). read
// about it, after getting it used at surplus, and was
// so freaked out about what sounded like a 'flamethrower'
// (if it gets oxygen, it will ignite) that i brought it
// to a battery recycler and use nickel metal-hydrides...
// the warnings for lithuim ion say keep it in a fire-proof
// enclosure, etc. as was a link in the last newsletter...
Exploding Cell Phones a Growing Problem // note: lithium-ion
batteries...
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=562&ncid=738&e=1&u=/
ap/20041124/ap_on_hi_te/exploding_phones>
'Some consumer advocates say the cause goes beyond bad batteries
making their way to the market. They point to the increasing pressure
on battery and phone makers to fit more capabilities into small
instruments.' .. '"If you're cramming more and more power in a small
space, what you're making is a small bomb," said Carl Hilliard,
president of the California-based Wireless Consumers Alliance, which
has been tracking incidents of cell phone fires and explosions.' ..
'Though legitimate batteries can go wrong, there is a greater chance
that poorly made, counterfeit ones will lack safety devices to detect
overheating or overcharging. The lithium-ion batteries found in most
cell phones can overheat if, for example, heat vents are covered.'
---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------
// had always imagined they had this on audiovisual data too,
// such as VCRs or DVDs for production. and it is curious how
// so much media can be used without major EM trailblazing...
Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track Documents //
drudge
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1093&u=/pcworld/118664
'Next time you make a printout from your color laser printer, shine an
[blue] LED flashlight beam on it and examine it closely with a
magnifying glass. You might be able to see the small, scattered yellow
dots printer there that could be used to trace the document back to
you.'
HK probes Falun Gong 'hacking' // sat-hack
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4034209.stm
Java bug could hit PC operating systems // dual-OS
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996724
"Spies Like Us" (PRI - Public Radio International)
(This American Life - Act 4 - begins at 46:33) // ***
http://www.thislife.org/ra/278.ram
---------------------------------------------------
05-- electromagnetic power & energy
---------------------------------------------------
Experiment Confirms Existence Of New Electronic State In Superconductors
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041117003519.htm
'Although other experiments have indicated that odd-parity pairing was
involved, Liu’s experiment provides the first definitive proof of this
new type of pairing.'
PowerFilm Rollable Solar Powered Battery Chargers // via engadget.com
http://www.iowathinfilm.com/products/rollableseries/index.html
// it is possible that innovations in energy policies could
// create some buffer for transitioning, instead of purely
// rapid growth (speed), such that climate change treaties
// and others may slow down overheating development, enough
// to reconfigure approaches based on total cost and long-
// term needs (clean air, water, sustainability, planning).
// places that are already developed, if held in a steady-
// state, unchanged, are probably as unhealthy as the newer
// versions, as the world is rapidly changing itself with
// respect to a common context for energy supplies, demand.
// to not change and be ready to change core energy systems
// could effect other areas, such as business feasibility...
Tension rises as China scours the globe for energy // ** via
drudgereport.com
<http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/11/19/
wchina19.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/11/19/ixworld.html>
'The two {.CN & .JP} are also set to clash over Russia's oil wealth.'
Date Set for Auction Of Russian Oil Giant // Dec. 19th
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63721-2004Nov19.html
'William F. Browder, head of Hermitage Capital Management, an
investment firm here, said there was still a chance that the auction
could be abandoned and the company saved, but only if Khodorkovsky
forfeited his personal ownership stake, which was once valued at $10
billion.'
Iran halts uranium enrichment programme
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996698
// is the everyday EM environment capable of bit-flipping data?
Atom flip energy measured
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/111704/
Atom_flip_energy_measured_Brief_111704.html>
---------------------------------------------------
06-- Electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------
MR WU'S ROBOT REVOLUTION // .CN farmer/inventor. *** via gizmodo.com
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13251033,00.html
'All of Mr Wu's inventions are fashioned out of welded-together metal,
duct tape and second-hand batteries.' .. 'Although a man of few words,
the farmer will admit that his ultimate robot is a virtual human.'
Reality TV Show to Name Israeli Ambassador // Hashagrir...
<http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-israel-the-
ambassador,0,5229534.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines>
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------
Homing pigeons reveal true magnetism
Iron crystals in their beaks give birds a nose for north.
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041122/full/041122-7.html
---------------------------------------------------
08-- electromagnetic matter & information
---------------------------------------------------
Fibers mix light and electricity -- If you can make computer chips that
channel light, why not fiber optics that control electricity? By making
optical fiber with metal wires in it, researchers have built a
photodetector in a fiber. The advance opens the way to optoelectronic
devices that can be woven into projector screens, fences and car
windshields. // next: light transistor.
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/111704/
Fibers_mix_light_and_electricity_111704.html>
Nanotubes tune in light -- Antennas are little more than long, thin
metal rods. As molecular-scale metallic cylinders, carbon nanotubes
should work as antennas as well. But because the signals an antenna
receives consist of wavelengths that are close to the antenna's length,
nanotubes should receive and transmit lightwaves rather than radio
waves. Researchers have shown that this is the case, opening the way
for new types of communications equipment and solar cells.
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/111704/
Nanotubes_tune_in_light_111704.html>
'Carbon nanotubes, which are rolled-up sheets of carbon atoms that
can be smaller than a nanometer in diameter, can act as antennas,
but instead of transmitting and receiving radio waves, which are at the
longest end of the electromagnetic spectrum, antennas of their size
pick up the nanoscale wavelengths of visible light. A nanometer is one
millionth of a millimeter. In contrast, radio wave wavelengths
are measured in meters.' .... 'Because the frequency of visible
lightwaves is so fast, oscillations in the electric current produced by
visible light antennas are too quick to be measured using today's
electronics.'
How to make a gigapixel picture // ***
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4022149.stm
Eric Paulos, the Playful Roboticist // RFID & Digital Patina. thanks*
http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=41485&ref=4429890
---------------------------------------------------
09-- electromagnetic trends & inventions
---------------------------------------------------
Parthian Battery (Ancient Iranians, The Inventors of Battery) //
amazing!
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/parthian_battery.php
'The little Parthian jar found in ancient Western Iranian territories
of Greater Iran (now Iraq), suggests that Volta didn't invent the
battery, but reinvented it. The jar was first described by German
archaeologist Wilhelm Konig in 1938. The jar was found in Khujut Rabu
just outside modern Baghdad and is composed of a clay jar with a
stopper made of asphalt. Sticking through the asphalt is an iron rod
surrounded by a copper cylinder. When filled with vinegar - orany other
electrolytic solution - the jar produces about 1.5 to 2.0 volts.' ..
'The jars are believed to be about 2000 years old from the Parthian
period (The third Iranian dynasty ruled roughly 248 BCE to 28 April CE
224),...'
Epson's Electronic Ink + RFID = 21st Century Price Tags
<http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets//epsons-electronic-ink-rfid-
21st-century-price-tags-026090.php>
Life-changing video format gets last rites // VideoHomeSystem/VHS ->DVD
<http://www.reuters.co.uk/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=6885439§ion=news>
Futuristic 'Smart' Yarns On The Horizon // carbon-nanotube (CNTs)
yarn...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041119015107.htm
'Synthetically-made CNTs have a range of unique physical properties –
including the ability to conduct electricity and heat – which provide
them with the potential to be used in the manufacture of materials with
a diverse range of applications.' ... '...the ability to incorporate
electronic sensors and actuators into CNT yarn also makes it a
potentially valuable addition to the range of specialist materials now
being used in medical and military applications.'
---------------------------------------------------
10-- electromagnetic weaponry & warfare
---------------------------------------------------
Gadhafi Claims Miniscule Reward for Giving up Pursuit of WMD // ***
http://www.truthnews.net/daily/2004110207.htm
'Since Libya was not rewarded, Mr. Gadhafi warned, other countries
like North Korea and Iran would not be inclined to follow Libya's
example and dismantle their own weapons programs. He said he had
already had talks to this effect with officials from the two countries.'
Powell: U.S. Open to Eventually Restoring Ties with Iran // nuclear
diplomacy.
<http://www.reuters.com/
newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6900998>
'Outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell signaled on Tuesday
Washington was open to one day re-establishing diplomatic ties with
Iran after the countries held their most sustained, high-level contact
in years.'
N.Korea Wants Urgent Atom Talks, UN Tells Yonhap
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=2&u=/
nm/20041125/ts_nm/korea_north_dc>
[headline] 'Pakistan wants peace,' Aziz says // nuclear diplomacy.
// increased trade, biz.dev., etc., benefits of (nuclear) peace?
[related] Indian cos. seek business with Pakistan // IT powerhouses
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/
apasia_story.asp?category=1104&slug=India%20Pakistan%20Business>
---------------------------------------------------
11-- electromagnetic business & economics
---------------------------------------------------
China to allow foreign investment in TV industry
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-11/19/content_2237868.htm
---------------------------------------------------
12-- electromagnetic artworks & artifacts
---------------------------------------------------
Japanese Product Design Database // via gizmodo.com
http://my.reset.jp/~inu/ProductsDataBase/index2.htm
Terrific MAD Maps
http://www-structure.llnl.gov/Xray/tutorial/Maps/madmaps.htm
http://www-structure.llnl.gov/Xray/tutorial/Maps/arg_map_bonds.GIF
http://www-structure.llnl.gov/ttfc/density_94.GIF
MoLGraph // molecular graphics
http://wwwchem.leidenuniv.nl/metprot/armand/pict.html
Art Worship -- The newly re-opened MoMA is a cathedral to Blue State
values. But is it worth the $20 fee? // tangential yet relevant...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6559282/site/newsweek/
'The guy standing in front of New York’s Museum of Modern Art wearing
an oversized $20 bill was protesting the newly renovated museum’s
astounding $20 admission fee. He complained that the fee was elitist
and would prevent millions of Americans from enjoying the cultural
riches inside. But like most guys wearing oversized $20 bills, he
missed the point. This museum’s cultural riches are for elites only.
The rest of the country? Let them get cable.'
Connected - painting by Sally Grayson
http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=53469
In many directions
http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=44365
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* please forward to your friends and colleagues *
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