~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #154

From brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:53:21 -0600


===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #154
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (12/16/2004)

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--

A few thoughts... There is one overriding concern regarding the  
constant reference to a future nuclear terror attack. And it is curious  
to what degree the response has been reviewed for a new, non-cold-war  
context-- that is, retaliatory launch that volleys the other half of  
nucldear armageddon onto another location. What is the procedure,  
today, in the event of non-state-based nuclear attack? What are the  
rules and regulations a government will operate by, or would it in any  
way become a judgement call of the commander-in-chief whether or not to  
go nuke? For all the warnings it is wondered what if anything has  
changed in procedures and perspectives and judgments based on today's  
circumstances and challenges. If there is an asymmetrical war and  
nuclear weapons are used against a countery, what is going to prevent  
an automatic cascade of established policies from taking over in chaos  
of events and possibly making matters even worse? And what would happen  
if there was such an event, a nuclear detonation, how would democratic  
checks-and-balances insure that nuclear retaliation is not without  
public representation of all the issues involved?

An ironic move in the .US Bush administration regarding moving someone  
at the EPA (which has been de-scientized) into social security, while  
no mention is made of the dismantling of environmental policies, global  
warming problems, and others which have increased during their tenure,  
of course lauded by the press.

One aspect of .US policy that may go beyond the .US in current events  
is the tax code questions and reformation. It is wondered why senators  
and others are not bringing up the e-bay economy of home  
entrepreneurship and the new economics of small scale distribution and  
selling in micromarkets. The current tax-code is so obtuse that it  
seemingly prevents this type of exchange and if a new tax code were to  
help make it possible for more people to make more such transactions on  
their own, without the need for bureaucratic assistance, so that it is  
a simple system in which more persons could participate (and pay taxes  
and be safe in knowing they did so properly without arcane codes) -- it  
could help in small business development, online development, broadband  
(more people acessing high-speed services and providing these, etc.)  
and other innovations around the corner, the more development is  
spurred, or potentially so. Why is the issue of tax-reform not  
recontextualized in an internet-context in which the booming of  
business and economic (social, other) exchange is thriving? This is a  
position in which no one has a monopoly view and what may a flat- or  
other tax do that could help in such situations. Many might start more  
and diverse online ventures if it were easier to do, to provide a  
foundation for online-offline exchanges.

Also in this realm is the aspect of monopoly online, as many places  
have been consolidated where offline and online retailing are now  
intertwined and earlier days of pricing and different products are now  
solidified with big-box stores (offline) being represented by (net-box)  
retailers online, giant databases and e-commerce engine rooms. This new  
economic (social, political, cultural) infrastructure could help  
transform efficiencies through competition (for example) yet instead it  
seems to have become a supplement for existing practices which now are  
indistinguisable online or offline, as if a giant super-organism
of a meta big-box retail culture offline and the big-network retailing  
online.

In sum, what happens if a nuclear detonation occurs? How could tax code  
issues support online developments? And what's with all the network  
monopoly-culture?

===================================================
01) --top stories--
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FUNCTIONS FIND FORM - Radiant Walls // *** em-infra/arch. excellent.
http://www.harvard-magazine.com/issues/ma98/right.walls.html

	'Modern architects have subordinated infra structure to structure  
--even though the former often accounts for 30 to 35 percent of the  
cost of new construction.' .... 'This is problematic for architecture  
because infrastructure is becoming denser as technology evolves...'

// the central importance of fostering nuclear and intercultural  
diplomacy...

Coming geopolitical quakes // *** via drudgereport.com
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20041214-090259-5700r.htm

	'Among the most interesting and optimistic librettos in the game of  
nations is peace in the Middle East made possible by a deal with Iran.  
Keeping this kind of negotiation with the ayatollahs secret in the age  
of the Internet and 4 million bloggers taxes credulity. It would also  
take a Henry Kissinger or a Zbigniew Brzezinski to pull it off.  
However, if successful, it would look something like this:...'

Snapshot of an electron orbital // see image...
New technique could watch electrons' movements during chemical  
reactions.
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041213/full/041213-7.html

	'Chemistry is all about how electrons move around. Every reaction  
shifts fuzzy, quantum clouds of electrons from one place to another. So  
a technique unveiled today, which takes pictures of these clouds, could  
revolutionize our understanding of the molecules that surround us.'

[google] electron orbitals imagery
http://www.gly.uga.edu/schroeder/geol6550/electronshapes.gif
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/h3o2orb.html
<http://library.tedankara.k12.tr/chemistry/vol3/ 
Molecular%20geometry%20and%20hybridization/z94.htm>
http://images.google.com/images?q=electron+orbitals

ELECTRON ORBITALS // **
http://www.atomic-elements.info/orbital_configurations.htm

WHAT ARE ATOMS ?  
http://www.chemistry-school.info/ 
what_are_atoms.htm                                                       
                                     

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02-- electromagnetic health & safety
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[none]
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03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
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[none]
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04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------

Kafka and the Digital Person // ** on private dataspace...
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/12/the_digital_per.html

Tunable surfaces prevent Wi-Fi leaks // via engadget.com
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/14/tunable_surfaces/

IAEA Leader's Phone Tapped
U.S. Pores Over Transcripts to Try to Oust Nuclear Chief
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57928- 
2004Dec11.html?nav=rss_nation>

	'Although eavesdropping, even on allies, is considered a well-worn  
tool of national security and diplomacy, the efforts against ElBaradei  
demonstrate the lengths some within the administration are willing to  
go to replace a top international diplomat who questioned U.S.  
intelligence on Iraq and is now taking a cautious approach on Iran.'  
.... 'ElBaradei, 62, an  Egyptian diplomat who taught international law  
at New York University, is well-respected inside the United Nations,  
and many of the countries that sit on the IAEA board have asked him to  
stay for a third term beginning next summer.'

[see also] Diplomatic Impunity: Op/Ed-The Nation // context...
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2281&ncid=742&e=1&u=/ 
thenation/20041214/cm_thenation/132069>

	'"We believe [Saddam Hussein] has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear  
weapons," Dick Cheney said before the war's start. "I think Mr.  
ElBaradei, frankly, is wrong. And I think if you look at the track  
record of the IAEA in this kind of issue, especially where Iraq's  
concerned, they have consistently underestimated or missed what Saddam  
Hussein was doing."' .. 'To which ElBaradei replied : "I haven't seen  
anything on the ground at that time that supported Mr. Cheney's  
conclusion or statement, so I thought to myself, well, history is going  
to be the judge."'

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

A Magnetosphere of One's Own  // ***
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,66000,00.html

	'A group of scientists has built a $10 million device that mimics the  
magnetic fields surrounding the Earth and other planets. The scientists  
hope to use the device to understand how the Earth's protective  
magnetosphere works -- and possibly gain insights into how to make  
fusion a feasible energy source.'

More power to phone users // cmos. via engadget.com
<http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/ 
0,5936,11678935%255E953,00.html>

Bush makes surprise pick for Energy [Secretary]
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/ 
2002116414_cabinet11.html

[quote] Researchers Invent Energy-saving Computer Chip
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041208230144.htm

	'The invention employs a new method of processing digital data, known  
as analog decoding, which uses extremely low levels of power to execute  
its detection algorithm. The team's research shows no other reported  
chip uses a lower amount of energy consumed per decoded information  
bit.'

Save Up Your Energy Reserves For A Longer Life!
Research done in the last decade has suggested that limiting energy  
availability, for example, by dietary restriction, may extend the  
lifespan of different organisms. Now research from scientists at Elixir  
Pharmaceuticals provides a molecular sensor that supports this theory.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041203084728.htm

---------------------------------------------------
06-- Electromagnetic current & human affairs
---------------------------------------------------

Johari Digital // electrotherapy equipment...
http://www.joharielectrotherapy.com/index.html

	'When it comes to high quality medical products people all around the  
world depend on us. All electronic healthcare equipment are very simple  
to use and come with full instructions and pad placement charts. These  
products have been used for many years by professional athletes,         
  physiotherapists and chiropractors.'

Cuba threat over Christmas lights -- Cuba's most senior US diplomat
says he has been warned by the government of serious consequences
unless he takes down Christmas decorations in Havana.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4097367.stm

	'A large figure 75, is picked out in neon, inside a large circle.'

Two-thirds Of School-age Children Have An
Imaginary Companion By Age 7 // virtual relations...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206193849.htm
	
---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------

Computer system cost city millions // .DC.US EMT wireless
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20041214-122057-4906r.htm

Identifying Top Quality CD And DVD Media For Archiving
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041208201759.htm

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

Venn Diagram dot com // * create-a-Venn...
http://www.venndiagram.com/

[and] A Survey of Venn Diagrams // ***
http://www.theory.cs.uvic.ca/~cos/venn/
http://www.theory.cs.uvic.ca/~cos/venn/gifs/ph11circAllColorSm.gif

Lexar’s USB FlashCard // all-in-one. good idea...
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000020023447/

[and] MMCmicro, today’s other new flash memory card format
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000417023518/

Light clock promises finer time // *** how atomic clocks work...
'Today's atomic clocks are so accurate that they would lose a second
only after 30 million years. As impressive as this sounds, improving
time-based technologies like global positioning systems requires
more accurate clocks. Atomic clocks that use lightwaves instead of
microwaves could be a thousand times more precise. A prototype based
on a single strontium ion is a step toward redefining the second.'
<http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2004/121504/ 
Light_clock_promises_finer_time_121504.html>

	'The current definition of a second is the duration of 9,192,631,770  
oscillations of cesium atoms excited by microwaves.' .... 'The  
difference between the strontium frequency and the cesium frequency is  
the difference between 1 second and 13 and a half hours.' .... 'The  
strontium ion clock is potentially precise enough that it would be  
limited by the current definition of the second, said Margolis...'

// timing standards at the end of the universe or end of the  
assemblyline

[related] Microchip Industry Strives To Perfect Its Timing
Time is money, especially to the semiconductor industry. Electronics  
manufacturers use extremely sophisticated equipment to churn out the  
latest microchips, but they have a timing problem. It's very difficult  
to get all the fabrication tools in a manufacturing line to agree on  
the time. Components within a single tool can disagree on the time by  
as much as two minutes, because of a lack of synchronization.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041208201703.htm

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

[non-em] 'Nano-needle' operates on cell
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4078125.stm

Cellphones spell the end for pocket TVs // DVB-H...
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6768

	'From 2006, mobile phones will be offering crisp, clear TV pictures.  
But the pictures will not be coming over the cellphone network - they  
will be sent from transmitters already used for TV broadcasts. And this  
means a completely new breed of phones will be necessary to pick them  
up.'

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

NAVY WANTS SHARKS' ELECTRIC SENSORS
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001256.html

India, Pak begin talks on nuclear confidence
<http://www.webindia123.com/news/ 
showdetails.asp?id=55003&n_date=20041214&cat=Asia>

	'The talks that started today between foreign ministry experts  of  
India  and  Pakistan  are  part of a  stalled  peace  process  re  
launched  by both India and Pakistan to solve  their  contentious  
issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.' .. 'Its   
believed that the two sides will discuss proposals aimed  at building  
mutual confidence about each other's nuclear arsenals to avoid any  
disastrous miscalculations and well as try to formalise an agreement to  
notify each other in advance of plans to  conduct missile tests-a  
practice they already follow informally.'

[quote] Battle for the future not over // em-related. via cursor.org
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41945

	'Consider Iran. Relying on reports from an exile group we once labeled  
terrorist, Powell has warned that Iran may be at work on a nuclear  
warhead for its Shahab-3 missile, which can reach Israel. The neocons  
and Sharonites have been howling for Bush to effect the nuclear  
castration of Iran by bombing now.' .. 'Yet, there is no evidence Iran  
is working on a warhead, or has built a bomb, or has the fissile  
material for a bomb or the operational facilities to create the  
weapons-grade uranium or plutonium needed for a bomb.' .. 'The heavy  
water plant at Arak that would produce plutonium does not come  
on-stream until 2014. And while Iran has apparently converted  
"yellowcake" to uranium hexaflouride, the first step in producing  
highly enriched uranium, there is no evidence Iran has constructed a  
cascade of thousands of centrifuges needed to extract critical U-235  
from U-238 and enrich it to 90 percent.' .. 'Thus, Iran has no nuclear  
arsenal. And as President Bush has yet to warn us to brace for the  
consequences of a U.S. strike, it would appear his near-term agenda  
does not include a Bush Doctrine preventive war on the mullahs' regime.'

In Case Of Terror, GPS Gets Lost
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/16/terror/main661425.shtml

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

Virtual island sells for $26,500 in cyber assets // Project Entropia
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6807

	'Castronova, at Indiana University in the US, says the amount of money  
paid is little when compared with the total amount of money already  
made through such games. "If you think Project Entropia is going to  
grow and be a very successful game, this could be a very profitable  
investment indeed," he told New Scientist.'

// gold and other metals are often referenced in economic reports
// whicih relate to the technology industry- for instance, as stated
// in the link below, gold is used for computer wiring and CPUs...

gold
http://www.atomic-elements.info/gold_goldoron_data.htm

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

godspeed you! black emperor:
album covers from: http://www.angels-gone.com/
http://www.angels-gone.com/bulb%20of%20hope.jpg
http://www.angels-gone.com/f_a_oo.jpg
<http://www.angels-gone.com/ 
lift%20yr%20skinny%20fists%20like%20antennas%20to%20heaven!.jpg>
// antennae to heaven!
http://www.angels-gone.com/skinny%20fists%20full%20cover.jpg
http://www.angels-gone.com/faulty%20schematics.jpg
http://www.angels-gone.com/he%20has%20left%20us.jpg
http://www.angels-gone.com/shalabi%20effect.jpg

Don't Get Your Wires Crossed // photography by Kate Iverson
http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=45825
<http://mnartists.org/uploads/users/user_6580/ 
e9fe0c97461ab37965ae016ccf9568b8/e9fe0c97461ab37965ae016ccf9568b8.jpg>
Hot, Hot, Hot
http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=45931

Interference // mixed media by Kate Iverson
http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=54720

Do It Electrically - Sign-Trade;
Electrical Prosperity Week, Paper, circa 1920, 34 inch.
http://www.p4a.com/itemsummary/19234.htm

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