~e; Electromagnetic News & Views #158

From brian carroll <human@electronetwork.org>
Date Mon, 10 Jan 2005 23:05:48 -0600


===================================================
Electromagnetic News & Views -- #158
===================================================

00) Electronetwork.org Commentary (01/10/2005)

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--

* there have been a lot of reports of animals having a built-in
early warning systems for the tsnumi and escaping the tidal waves
and helping others to do the same. (it reminds me of the older
elephant at the San Francisco zoo who will sway back and forth
while you sing or hum, while they also maintain eye contact).
the 'early warning system' that is validated by animals hearing
or other (sixth) 'sense', could also be related to beaching of
whales as another type of early warning system, that it may not
be different in severity nor future impact, and if what effects
them is enough to kill them en masse, maybe somethinig bad is
going on that impacts the entire system they are a part of, and
of any system shared with humans (for example, the foodchain).
maybe someday a newly enlightened approach to the balance of
living systems will be the rule. until then, i know there is
a wonderful elephant in SF that loves hearing music softly sung,
and will swing its trunk, sway on its feet, and look you in the
eyes with their big eyes the whole time. visit, sing if you can...


===================================================
01) --top stories--
---------------------------------------------------

// intergalactic electronic essay for lost tribemembers...

The critical delusion of the condition of digitisation
or the prosecution of sharing and seduction
:: Version 0.99 :: George N. Dafermos  // *** '10.0'
http://amsterdam.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0501/msg00009.html

	'The point in concern here is not, however, how to design, implement,  
and maintain online communities that will prove a good profit-making  
enterprise. What I'm concerned with, is, primarily, to show that the  
free universes in cyberspace that so many envisioned in the early days  
of the Internet, and which fueled so much (unfounded?) optimism during  
the early 90s tend to be substituted by private spheres, which, for one  
way or another, mainstream users demonstrably aggregate around. In the  
gaming alleys of cyberspace, as well as in the market cornucopias of  
friction-less hyper-capitalism and in the repugnant servers where the  
twisted and repulsive logic of spam finds economic justification and  
social legitimacy, the commodification of human relationships reigns.  
Is this what we dreamt of the Internet?' .... 'The radicalisation of  
the average user is here to stay...' .... '...The roofs all over the  
Western world are on fire with Wi-Fi antennas and hotspots. The time  
has come for a radical response, rather than a mere critique, to the  
development and use of technology-mediated networking...'

[quote] New York Times mulls charging Web readers
But it has no plans to do so right away
<http://www.computerworld.com/developmenttopics/websitemgmt/story/ 
0,10801,98808,00.html>

	'Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. was quoted in the article as saying:  
"It gets to the issue of how comfortable are we training a generation  
of readers to get quality information for free. That is troubling."'

Point and Click to the Pearly Gates -- In her book, The Pearly Gates of  
Cyberspace: A History of Space from Dante to the Internet, physicist  
and computer scientist Margaret Wertheim places cyberspace in its  
historical context and finds something deeply medieval about our  
technological advances...
http://www.shootthemessenger.com.au/u_apr_99/c_werth.htm

	'Through history... science gradually nudged the idea of spiritual  
space off the map of the universe. Despite the fact that theology had  
worked hand-in-hand with science over the centuries to develop our  
understanding of the universe, in our late 20th century thinking,  
through relativity and hyperspace theory, there is 'no place left for  
God to be', according to the new physics.' .. 'For Wertheim, that is  
why cyberspace is so important in the history of space; it has become  
the modern equivalent of medieval heavenly space. It is somewhere for  
the human understanding of "spirit" or "soul" to be. She writes that  
cyberspace is "a kind of electronic ~res ~cognitans (Descartes' idea of  
a realm within reality of thoughts, feelings and spiritual experience),  
a new space for the playing out of some of those immaterial aspects of  
humanity that have been denied a home in the purely physicalist world  
picture."'

[and] Space 1999
Chris Mitchell travels through heaven and hell with
Margaret Wertheim's The Pearly Gates Of Cyberspace
http://www.spikemagazine.com/0599pearlygates.htm

	'Wertheim argues that the scientific quest for a theory of everything  
will always fail precisely because it cannot account that which lies  
outside the realm of the physical.'

---------------------------------------------------
02-- electromagnetic health & safety
---------------------------------------------------

Sperm magnet to help infertile men
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6842

	'The sorter is based on the principle that sperm with the most  
negatively charged membranes have the least DNA damage. Aitken is not  
sure why this is the case, but he speculates that it may simply be that  
these sperm are more likely to have matured normally.'

Zebrafish May Hold Key To Understanding Human Nerve Cell Development
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050106115015.htm

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Your Home
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/voc/

---------------------------------------------------
03-- electromagnetic trash & treasure
---------------------------------------------------

PC recycling coalition formed // via macsurfer.com // ***
EBAY SPEARHEADS NEW PROGRAM TO PROMOTE PROPER DISPOSAL OF E-WASTE
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/10589788.htm

	'Disposing of old computers has become a huge problem for the computer  
industry, and it is causing problems in the environment. Some companies  
ship boatloads of old computers to Asia, where the PCs are taken apart  
for their lead, gold and other valuable metals. The plastic is  
sometimes burned, and the whole process can dump harmful chemicals such  
as lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and toxic fumes into the air and  
water.'

[and] Rethink Initiative // ***
Reuse, Donate or Recycle Computers & Electronics
http://www.ebay.com/rethink/

	'The Rethink Initiative brings together industry, government and  
environmental organizations to offer a fresh perspective and new  
answers to the challenge of e-waste.' .. 'On this site you can find  
information, tools and solutions that make it easy – and even  
profitable – to find new users for idle computers and electronics, and  
responsibly recycle unwanted products.'

---------------------------------------------------
04-- electromagnetic security & surveillance
---------------------------------------------------

// John Bolton is out of the .US administration, unless VP Cheney puts
// him on his staff, says this article. The nuclear flashpoints of the
// last few years in North Korea and Iran were interfaced by Mr. Bolton.

Rice drops hardliner who scorned Britain's stance on Iran // ***
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/09/ 
wbolt09.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/09/ixworld.html>

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

The Dynamo in the Cornfield -- To understand our planet's magnetic  
field, Wisconsin scientists are studying a ball of molten metal
http://www.sciencenewsdaily.org/story-2575.html

New 'Pure Light' Technology Makes Computer Screens, Cell Phone
Displays More Power Efficient // *** (anti-laser contacts?)
http://www.sciencenewsdaily.org/story-2576.html

	'Residual light is reflected and recycled, rather than absorbed and  
wasted as in current systems.'

Power reforms need rational planning // .CN powerplants. (what %  
nuclear?)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/06/content_2422144.htm
	
	'The central government's warning against excessive investment is  
badly needed.' .. 'On the one hand, the massive construction of power  
plants could result in huge environmental costs.' .... 'Conversely,  
such rapid investment creates risks of oversupply in the near future.'

[headline] Day one at the Detroit auto show
Big Three focus on new products, alternative fuel sources
<http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7BFE22EC1D-AB30-400A- 
82C8-86DC521FAD52%7D&siteid=google&dist=google>

Hydrated Electrons Can Take More Than One Guise
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050110091053.htm

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

Internal U.N. Audits Ignite Debate // oil-for-food. drudgereport.com
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050109/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ 
oil_for_food_investigation_15>

U.S. standards of media decency puzzle Europeans // ***
<http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041229/ 
ENTERTAINMENT/112290020/-1/ARTSANDLIVING>

Use of Global Positioning System increases on farms // ***.US  
(+RemoteSensing)
<http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2005/01/02/features/ 
doc41d8bb1ea1c51654778283.txt>

	'Experts estimate that up to 15 percent of farmers now have GPS  
precision-controlled tractors or combines, which first began hitting  
the fields in the late 1990s.' .... 'For some, like John Ikerd, the  
farm technology boom doesn't look like a good omen for the future of  
small-time farming...'

[quote] The Secret Lives of Just About Everybody
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/11/health/psychology/11secr.html

	'"I think what people are doing on the Internet now," she said, "has  
deep psychological meaning in terms of how they're using identities to  
express problems and potentially solve them in what is a relatively  
consequence-free zone."'

---------------------------------------------------
07-- electromagnetic transport & communication
---------------------------------------------------

[quote] Barrett: One chip to rule the radio waves
<http://news.com.com/Barrett+One+chip+to+rule+the+radio+waves/2100- 
1006_3-5517035.html?tag=nl>
	
	'The number of radio capabilities in devices will begin to increase  
soon, [Intel's] Barrett predicted. Within a year or two, notebooks will  
be able to connect through WiMax, a wireless data technology with a  
long signal range. WiMax will add around $100 to $200 to the cost of a  
laptop, but give notebooks a wireless range in kilometers.  
UltraWideBand, a short range radio for sending large files like video,  
will also be integrated into devices, he said.'

Standards effort could improve USB flash drives // U3 platform...
<http://news.com.com/Standards+effort+could+improve+USB+flash+drives/ 
2100-1041_3-5517439.html?tag=nl>

Sensor glitch caused failure of huge rocket
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6863

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

SanDisk Demonstrates Highly Innovative SD Memory Card
with Built-in USB Connectivity // via gizmodo.com
<http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/accessories/ 
sandisk_demonstrates_highly_innovative_sd_memory_card_with_builtin_usb_c 
onnectivity.php>

Novel Zigzag Shape Gives Sensors Magnetic Appeal
http://www.sciencenewsdaily.org/story-2572.html

Samsung Develops Eight-Die Multi-Chip Tech
<http://www.newsfactor.com/hardware/story.xhtml?story_title=Samsung- 
Develops-Eight-Die-Multi-Chip-Tech&story_id=29608&category=hardware>

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

Next-generation steel by magnetic field processing -- New products made  
of stronger components that are lighter in weight, more energy  
efficient and have an extended use life may be possible through a  
technology that can alter the characteristics of steel and other  
materials.
http://www.sciencenewsdaily.org/story-2592.html

Macworld '05: A New Direction? // interesting...
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2005/ 
tc20050110_9739_tc024.htm

// have wanted to experiment with cross-stitching an integrated circuit
// chip's function diagram from the Master IC Cookbook among other ideas
// (such as types of transistors as symbols, and circuits, themselves),
// it seems that the sewing machine below could make fast work of it...

BROTHER Innov-ís 4000D // new sewing media... via gizmodo.com
http://www.brothersews.com/html/dispatcher.do?%3CINNOVIS_4000D%3E
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/clothing/index.php#ces- 
showfloor-brother-innovis-4000d-029249

	'The Innov-is 4000D converts any image file into an embroidered  
pattern—even directly from USB flash drives.'

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

Officials: U.S. submarine hit undersea mountain // head-on @ 35mph...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/10/nuclear.submarine.update/

Aviators Beware: Lasers About 
http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,66218,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5

	'The U.S. Navy expects to roll out a detection device early this year  
for military use. It can be mounted to a plane's bulkhead and will  
alert a flight crew if their plane is being tracked by a laser. Under  
development for 2 1/2 years, the laser event recorder uses software  
algorithms to measure a laser's intensity and compute whether it could  
hurt a crew's eyes.'

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

Are we doomed? // ** free day-pass...
Jared Diamond, author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" and "Collapse," says  
that if America doesn't change its ways it'll go the way of the dodo   
-- no matter what Bill Gates, George Bush or Michael Crichton says.
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2005/01/08/jared_diamond/index.html

Houses built by robot? If scientist gets his way // via archnewsnow.com
<http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/printedition/la-re- 
lew2jan02,1,701750.story?ctrack=1&cset=true>

We're Creative Commonists, Bill  --When Bill Gates calls those in favor  
of copyright reform communists, the Microsoft chief's comments provoke  
a tongue-in-cheek embrace of the insult and some awesome logos for a  
growing movement. By Katie Dean.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,66209,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

Fans thinking of iPod more as a handheld computer or PDA // **  
macsurfer.com
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050111wo63.htm

	'People are obviously beginning to see past the iPod as just a music  
player and taking the first steps toward thinking about it as a  
general-purpose handheld computer or PDA.'

Carbon trading grows into new year // Kyoto carbon market...
Volume rises as price falls in first week of EU trading scheme.
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050103/full/050103-11.html

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

// saw graphs of 100 artists similarly marked (artsjournal.com)
// and was surprised by the ranking. there is a caveat in this
// approach, where in terms of electromagnetism Jasper Johns work
// may someday be considered in a different light/context than
// the overriding/underwritten perspectives currently approved,
// in terms of their significance to a conceptual advancement...

The Life Cycles of Modern Artists // *** essay...
http://www.mnartists.org/article.do?rid=56843

Vapors - Edge of the World Series // beginning of the universe...
http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?rid=56683

giant boulder in road with e-pole // drudgereport.com, what a photo!
<http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20050110/ 
capt.cadd10101102308.topix_california_storm_cadd101.jpg>

---------------------------------------------------
* please forward to your friends and colleagues *
---------------------------------------------------
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