Posts
I like Science Fiction. If I read fiction that is the most common kind, although I have been reading a lot of funny fantasy, like Christopher Moore. But in movies and TV I often see the science get screwed up by the writers for no good reason. A science adviser for a movie said in an interview that the story is always first. Still, sometimes it would not take a big change to get the science right too.
It is OK to have transporters and light sabers, as long as you don't try to explain them. It is just the future.
On Star Trek TNG there was a scene where a phaser rifle was tested and found to produce 1.05 megajoules per second. (First, rifle refers to spiral grooves in the barrel to produce spin on the projectile, but that could be an archaic word, so I don't mind.) But Joule is unit of energy. Joules per second is power, and it has a name: Watts.
A movie is coming out called Transcendence, where the character's mind is uploaded into a computer. (The older Lawn Mower Man movies had a related idea.) When I say this is impossible, people usually say, "Not yet!" but we are so far from it that it is like if an ancient Greek philosopher noticed sparks after rubbing a cat's fur, and then predicted cell phones.
We don't know how memory works.
We don't fully understand why we sleep.
We don't understand synesthesia, hallucinations, epilepsy, and many other brain problems.
We do know that small amounts of hormones and other chemicals can have drastic effects on personality and brain function. We don't understand how, in most cases.
The biggest problem: Getting the information out of the brain. Scientists put sensors on the outside of the head and measure minute electrical fields. The resolution is not good. As well as we understand the brain, it would require microscopic resolution just to map out the dendrites and connections in the brain, and even that does not seem to be enough to describe the function.
We understand everything about how a computer works. Yet nobody can put a grid of sensors on the outside of a computer and extract the information inside. All the data and address lines' leaked signals would mix into a total mess. It would be like taking all the letters (or even words, or even sentences) on the pages of a book and dumping them in a bucket. The plot is lost.
When English majors write about science for the media, they leave out details.
In stories about reconstructing dreams from brain waves, they leave out the detail that this required hours of monitoring the subjects brain waves while the subject saw thousands of images, and that the information gained would not work for anyone but that subject, and success probably would degrade with time as the subject's brain and memories changed.
I wish science fiction would let the advisers suggest ways to slightly modify the story to make the science right, because people think they are learning science.
Windows and Netgear Rant
Geek alert! Normal people should not read this rant.
Windows is always such fun to use. Hours of fun. On a Mac you could only have a few minutes of fun. Netgear is extra special fun.
I am trying to configure a Netgear print server. I downloaded and installed the utility from Netgear.
The Print Server Setup Wizard shows no servers.
I clicked Help. Windows Help says I don't have the right program to read help files in this format. It gives me a link to get the viewer from MS.
I went to the page, giving me a choice of operating systems and 32 or 64 bit. I knew and chose the 32 bit. It said I had to validate my Windows before I could download the file.
I downloaded it, with a dialog asking me if I really wanted to download it, and another asking me if I wanted to run it. It installed. It gave me a validation code. I pasted the code on the web site so I could download the Help reader. There were 2 versions, with x64 after one and x86 after the other, and 32 bit is not in either name. I got the correct version (with more security questions) and it installed.
I went back to the Netgear program and pressed Help, and I got one page of text. Under the Contents tab there are 6 links to the pages. (So the special format is likely HTML.) It said the print server had two options, to list only new servers, or all. No. It has no options.
Back to Netgear, to get the latest version. I have to register to download it, and there is a place to rate the NETGEAR Instalation. How would I know this if I am just downloading the program, and I can't get the program until I leave this screen?
The new program has to restart to uninstall the old version. It seems to be working. It tells me to connect it to the network now.
I get a list of programs, and at the top is the IPsetup program.
It now asks me for the default name of this print server. It is on the bottom. I have to pull out the printer and disconnect it to read that. I reconnect the device to the network, and type in the information including IP gateway, subnet, etc. Press OK. Wait. It says it can't connect, and I should be sure it is on the same subnet as the computer. It is. None of the Netgear apps can find it.
I read online that the default IP is xxx.xxx.xxx.150. I have tried it before, and got no response. Just for fun, I ping it again, and it is alive. I put it in the web browser, and I get a configuration screen! Now I can set the IP to what I want. What changed?
Now I can try to configure the router in my computer room to pass the IP from my wireless Verizon network into my room network so I can print from my laptop. Enough ranting for now.
Windows is always such fun to use. Hours of fun. On a Mac you could only have a few minutes of fun. Netgear is extra special fun.
I am trying to configure a Netgear print server. I downloaded and installed the utility from Netgear.
The Print Server Setup Wizard shows no servers.
I clicked Help. Windows Help says I don't have the right program to read help files in this format. It gives me a link to get the viewer from MS.
I went to the page, giving me a choice of operating systems and 32 or 64 bit. I knew and chose the 32 bit. It said I had to validate my Windows before I could download the file.
I downloaded it, with a dialog asking me if I really wanted to download it, and another asking me if I wanted to run it. It installed. It gave me a validation code. I pasted the code on the web site so I could download the Help reader. There were 2 versions, with x64 after one and x86 after the other, and 32 bit is not in either name. I got the correct version (with more security questions) and it installed.
I went back to the Netgear program and pressed Help, and I got one page of text. Under the Contents tab there are 6 links to the pages. (So the special format is likely HTML.) It said the print server had two options, to list only new servers, or all. No. It has no options.
Back to Netgear, to get the latest version. I have to register to download it, and there is a place to rate the NETGEAR Instalation. How would I know this if I am just downloading the program, and I can't get the program until I leave this screen?
The new program has to restart to uninstall the old version. It seems to be working. It tells me to connect it to the network now.
I get a list of programs, and at the top is the IPsetup program.
It now asks me for the default name of this print server. It is on the bottom. I have to pull out the printer and disconnect it to read that. I reconnect the device to the network, and type in the information including IP gateway, subnet, etc. Press OK. Wait. It says it can't connect, and I should be sure it is on the same subnet as the computer. It is. None of the Netgear apps can find it.
I read online that the default IP is xxx.xxx.xxx.150. I have tried it before, and got no response. Just for fun, I ping it again, and it is alive. I put it in the web browser, and I get a configuration screen! Now I can set the IP to what I want. What changed?
Now I can try to configure the router in my computer room to pass the IP from my wireless Verizon network into my room network so I can print from my laptop. Enough ranting for now.
FIOS Review
A few months ago I switched from Comcast cable to Verizon FIOS.
Comcast service was not bad, but their prices kept rising as various promotional periods expired. At the end it was $151 for phone, Internet, and premium TV, no pay channels.
What put it over for me was when I found out they were supporters of the Heartland Institute, who said, "[Ted Kaczynski, the Unibomber] believes in global warming. Do you?" I don't have a problem with people who disagree with me until they start acting like that.
About that time, a door-to-door rep from Verizon came around. I knew that the pricing he gave me was the same as online, so I signed up. I am sure he got a commission out of it. I don't remember the details of the price quote. The deal was different if you want a no-contract plan. They give you some free installation and a little off each month if you commit to 2 years. That is fair enough when you look at the equipment they put in.
The Price
But beware the monthly price quote: It does not include the DVR, but just a simple set-top box. It also is based on a basic set of channels, and you will have to pay for the Premium package. My bill is now $134. It is cheaper but not by much.
The Service
Internet speed is somewhat faster according to tests but I don't see much difference on web pages loading. Maybe I got used to it, but mostly I think the delays are on the server end, especially with ads loading. Maybe it is my aging computers. I do see better performance on streaming video, but I don't do that often.
TV reception is much better. I used to have DirecTV, and I would lose reception five minutes before a bad storm, as the first heavy rain blocked the signal. It usually cleared up as the storm arrived. With Comcast, I would lose quality of signal at random times, usually at the punch line of a joke. It happened almost every day, for a minute or two. I could have called for service, but it would have been ok when they came. With FIOS, I never have a bad signal.
Phone service is odd. There is a delay when you pick up the phone to dial, and you must always dial the area code, even for local calls. They brag about their sound quality, but I guess you have to be talking to another FIOS user, because I have not heard any change. I only have it because the bundle price makes it cheaper to have it than not have it. The phone is unplugged from the election season.
Installation
Verizon called and texted to confirm the appointment, and he arrived on time. It took less time than planned, and he did more than I expected. He added an outlet upstairs. I had to pay for installation but the set-top box is free. It can play shows recorded on the DVR. He tied in the phone service to the home phone wiring. (With Comcast, I had to plug the phone into their box.)
He attached a box to the outside of the house. He drilled a hole and installed a box on the inside. That box is plugged into an AC outlet. It has a backup battery for short outages.
He laid the fiber optic cable on the ground to the pole, and he said they would come out to bury it "next week."
Later that week, someone came and checked for buried utilities, and marked the ground with spray paint. The contractor that buried the cable came a little over a week later, and they did install a cable in the ground. The machine cuts a groove and puts the cable in it. They ran the cable through my neighbor's yard at the back, and left pieces of root sticking up. I could have called, but it took less time to fix it than to wait on hold. The path of the cable is no longer visible.
They did not connect the new cable, and the original fiber optic cable was still on the ground for another week. I called and the next day a supervisor came out and took care of it. He also (at my request) removed the old land-line phone wire that ran across my yard. It was a very long run, and it was attached to a tree. This will make it easier to trim branches.
Altogether it was more trouble than cable or satellite, but not that bad.
A DirecTV sales guy in Best Buy suggested another way to save money: Just get Internet from cable or FIOS, and get TV from them. Skip the phone and use the cell. I may do that later.
Comcast service was not bad, but their prices kept rising as various promotional periods expired. At the end it was $151 for phone, Internet, and premium TV, no pay channels.
What put it over for me was when I found out they were supporters of the Heartland Institute, who said, "[Ted Kaczynski, the Unibomber] believes in global warming. Do you?" I don't have a problem with people who disagree with me until they start acting like that.
About that time, a door-to-door rep from Verizon came around. I knew that the pricing he gave me was the same as online, so I signed up. I am sure he got a commission out of it. I don't remember the details of the price quote. The deal was different if you want a no-contract plan. They give you some free installation and a little off each month if you commit to 2 years. That is fair enough when you look at the equipment they put in.
The Price
But beware the monthly price quote: It does not include the DVR, but just a simple set-top box. It also is based on a basic set of channels, and you will have to pay for the Premium package. My bill is now $134. It is cheaper but not by much.
The Service
Internet speed is somewhat faster according to tests but I don't see much difference on web pages loading. Maybe I got used to it, but mostly I think the delays are on the server end, especially with ads loading. Maybe it is my aging computers. I do see better performance on streaming video, but I don't do that often.
TV reception is much better. I used to have DirecTV, and I would lose reception five minutes before a bad storm, as the first heavy rain blocked the signal. It usually cleared up as the storm arrived. With Comcast, I would lose quality of signal at random times, usually at the punch line of a joke. It happened almost every day, for a minute or two. I could have called for service, but it would have been ok when they came. With FIOS, I never have a bad signal.
Phone service is odd. There is a delay when you pick up the phone to dial, and you must always dial the area code, even for local calls. They brag about their sound quality, but I guess you have to be talking to another FIOS user, because I have not heard any change. I only have it because the bundle price makes it cheaper to have it than not have it. The phone is unplugged from the election season.
Installation
Verizon called and texted to confirm the appointment, and he arrived on time. It took less time than planned, and he did more than I expected. He added an outlet upstairs. I had to pay for installation but the set-top box is free. It can play shows recorded on the DVR. He tied in the phone service to the home phone wiring. (With Comcast, I had to plug the phone into their box.)
He attached a box to the outside of the house. He drilled a hole and installed a box on the inside. That box is plugged into an AC outlet. It has a backup battery for short outages.
 |
| Outside FIOS box |
 |
| Inside FIOS box |
Later that week, someone came and checked for buried utilities, and marked the ground with spray paint. The contractor that buried the cable came a little over a week later, and they did install a cable in the ground. The machine cuts a groove and puts the cable in it. They ran the cable through my neighbor's yard at the back, and left pieces of root sticking up. I could have called, but it took less time to fix it than to wait on hold. The path of the cable is no longer visible.
They did not connect the new cable, and the original fiber optic cable was still on the ground for another week. I called and the next day a supervisor came out and took care of it. He also (at my request) removed the old land-line phone wire that ran across my yard. It was a very long run, and it was attached to a tree. This will make it easier to trim branches.
Altogether it was more trouble than cable or satellite, but not that bad.
A DirecTV sales guy in Best Buy suggested another way to save money: Just get Internet from cable or FIOS, and get TV from them. Skip the phone and use the cell. I may do that later.
Bradbury
When Ray Bradbury died, the library set up a table with his books. I picked up one I did not remember, and I found several stories I had not read, and many I read so long ago they were still like new. The book is "The Toynbee Covector" and it was one of his last books of mostly new stories, although he reworked some old material into new books. Most people know of Ray Bradbury as a "science fiction" author. In many cases, they are thinking "only a science fiction author." This book has only one story that is science fiction. There are several mild horror stories, a few that are not normal everyday life, but not sciency, and many that are funny.
In all of them, there is poetry. There are tiny phrases that say pages. "His smile was the alcoholic's smile. He was drunk on himself." In another story, a great old man tells a bored twelve year old boy that he has "The Desperate Empties". There is no way to make movies and TV out of his stories, because they are more like poetry. He even published a book of poetry, but I loaned it and lost it. Give Bradbury a chance. I like science fiction, but this is much more.
In all of them, there is poetry. There are tiny phrases that say pages. "His smile was the alcoholic's smile. He was drunk on himself." In another story, a great old man tells a bored twelve year old boy that he has "The Desperate Empties". There is no way to make movies and TV out of his stories, because they are more like poetry. He even published a book of poetry, but I loaned it and lost it. Give Bradbury a chance. I like science fiction, but this is much more.
Job Hunting
Way back in 2007, we took a great vacation to NYC. The day I got back to work, I lost my job to a "reduction in force". It made me wonder if I had to have, on average, a dull life: Every good time balanced by a bad time. So I got severance, and unemployment, and in September of 2008 I lowered my aim, and decided to do anything for $10 an hour. I quickly found a job in retail, and I found I enjoyed helping customers, solving their problems, explaining technology. Almost every customer would say something like, "I don't know anything about all this stuff." I explained it to them in terms they could understand, and they liked it. The pay was nothing compared to the old job, but I had a purpose. In June 2012, the store was closed.
I am back to looking for a job, and I don't want a job just for the money. I want to be part of something. I want to be treated like I am useful, both to the customer and my employer. Instead, I see ads for jobs I am not quite qualified for, or with companies whose sole purpose is to please stockholders. "Do as you're told, and you get a paycheck."
I believe if you do right by employees, they will do right by customers, and the money will come. I am influenced in these ideas by Guy Kawasaki and Gary Sinek. Sinek's Start With Why book and website talk about why Apple is so successful with a cult following. Remember the "Think Different" campaign? What does that have to do with selling computers? If you start with why, people will follow you.
I would love to work at a non-profit like Venture Richmond. I can do so many things including databases, web design, IT, repairs, and photography. I may be hoping for too much.
That is the big downer of looking for a job. If you told me I had to walk 100 miles to get a job, I would put on my shoes. Make it a 1000 miles, and I would mutter something and start walking. But a job search is not a long, hard walk, but like a maze, and there may not be any exit. The only exit may be into retail, working with kids and crazy hours.
So I go on putting in applications and waiting for a new home, trying to keep myself sane. I'll rant more soon about how I screwed up and got into this hole.
I am back to looking for a job, and I don't want a job just for the money. I want to be part of something. I want to be treated like I am useful, both to the customer and my employer. Instead, I see ads for jobs I am not quite qualified for, or with companies whose sole purpose is to please stockholders. "Do as you're told, and you get a paycheck."
I believe if you do right by employees, they will do right by customers, and the money will come. I am influenced in these ideas by Guy Kawasaki and Gary Sinek. Sinek's Start With Why book and website talk about why Apple is so successful with a cult following. Remember the "Think Different" campaign? What does that have to do with selling computers? If you start with why, people will follow you.
I would love to work at a non-profit like Venture Richmond. I can do so many things including databases, web design, IT, repairs, and photography. I may be hoping for too much.
That is the big downer of looking for a job. If you told me I had to walk 100 miles to get a job, I would put on my shoes. Make it a 1000 miles, and I would mutter something and start walking. But a job search is not a long, hard walk, but like a maze, and there may not be any exit. The only exit may be into retail, working with kids and crazy hours.
So I go on putting in applications and waiting for a new home, trying to keep myself sane. I'll rant more soon about how I screwed up and got into this hole.
For the fourth time, I have been laid off. I have not quit a job since 1980, and that was part time at Pier 1. Polycolor closed. Lanman closed. SGS had a layoff, and there have been more since then. Now Best Buy is closing my store.
I hate looking for a job. First there is the constant rejection. Then there is the uncertainty about the company; Are they a good place to work? These days almost every job posting requires a college degree and experience. I could go to college, and in 3 years, I would have the degree, but not the experience. Even if I did, what subject? And there is a lot of age discrimination.
So I guess I will go to every local business and try to apply. I would rather be out of retail because of the hours and black Friday, but I like helping people. I would enjoy educating older people on technology. Sometimes it is frustrating, like when he lady said, "How would I know what my password is?"
I have to go to work now.
I hate looking for a job. First there is the constant rejection. Then there is the uncertainty about the company; Are they a good place to work? These days almost every job posting requires a college degree and experience. I could go to college, and in 3 years, I would have the degree, but not the experience. Even if I did, what subject? And there is a lot of age discrimination.
So I guess I will go to every local business and try to apply. I would rather be out of retail because of the hours and black Friday, but I like helping people. I would enjoy educating older people on technology. Sometimes it is frustrating, like when he lady said, "How would I know what my password is?"
I have to go to work now.
Skip a year
So I did not blog all of 2010. Facebook takes the place of blogs. The two companies have a rivalry going. Facebook thinks it can replace Google: You will just ask your friends for info. Right. And they will look it up on Google or Wikipedia.
Codes
Geeky note: Do you sometimes see text that does not display correctly, like "&qte" or "�£10"? Do you ever see text that does not flow correctly? It is crazy that after all these years, the codes used for characters are still not standardized. Actually they are but some programs do not follow the standard. The characters you see on your screen are really numbers.
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/html/ascii_table_lookup.htm
They date to the time of teletype machines. The number 65 is shown as "A". Yet the new line code is different on different kinds of computers. On Windows it is 10, 13, meaning "linefeed, carriage return". That means, go down a line, and go back to the beginning of the line. On Macs, they just use 13, and on Unix, they just use 10.
There are several sets of characters for the numbers from 128 to 255, but since they differ, in web pages they use special code sequences:
http://www.webmonkey.com/reference/Special_Characters
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/html/ascii_table_lookup.htm
They date to the time of teletype machines. The number 65 is shown as "A". Yet the new line code is different on different kinds of computers. On Windows it is 10, 13, meaning "linefeed, carriage return". That means, go down a line, and go back to the beginning of the line. On Macs, they just use 13, and on Unix, they just use 10.
There are several sets of characters for the numbers from 128 to 255, but since they differ, in web pages they use special code sequences:
http://www.webmonkey.com/reference/Special_Characters
Photography
I began photography when I was taking art in 8th grade.It was not part of the course. I just thought it would be nice to compose a picture and be done with it in a fraction of a second. I mostly drew straight reality. Sometimes a friend asks about tips for composition. There are some "rules" but I have my own way of looking at it.
1. Never center the subject. Unless you want to center it. Sometimes the symmetry is the point. But if there is even a little asymmetry, move to that side.
2. The rule of thirds: Make a grid of three sections vertical and three horizontal. Put major lines such as the horizon, on the grid and subject on an intersection. It works, but it can fail if your subject is not objects but large features.
3. My rule: Try to forget where you are. Only see through the viewfinder. You will find your eye moving to one edge. Move the camera until your eye stays in the frame. If you want to see something to the side, the composition is not best. It takes time to get good at this.
I have a pair of pictures taken at the same time that show how delicate all this is. I stood in the same spot, and the pictures are only slightly different, yet one is better.
1. Never center the subject. Unless you want to center it. Sometimes the symmetry is the point. But if there is even a little asymmetry, move to that side.
2. The rule of thirds: Make a grid of three sections vertical and three horizontal. Put major lines such as the horizon, on the grid and subject on an intersection. It works, but it can fail if your subject is not objects but large features.
3. My rule: Try to forget where you are. Only see through the viewfinder. You will find your eye moving to one edge. Move the camera until your eye stays in the frame. If you want to see something to the side, the composition is not best. It takes time to get good at this.
I have a pair of pictures taken at the same time that show how delicate all this is. I stood in the same spot, and the pictures are only slightly different, yet one is better.
A job
I now have a job. I am working retail. I am on the floor at Best Buy. I am quickly becoming the guy to go to with questions, like, "What cable should I use for this?" or "How can I do this?" I like these questions. I would rather help people with small problems than to buy a big expensive item. I do whatever the customer needs, of course.
It is had to believe how shy I was when I was in my teens. Now I go up to people every chance I get. I saw a guy at the park Sunday looking at the map, and I asked him if he knew where he was. He did not. I showed him how to get back to his car.
I was at Dunn's BBQ last week, and a guy had too much to carry to his car. I got up and carried a bag for him. He was surprised. He said, "I know I am in Virginia now!" I don't know what he means. I don't see a lot of that kind of thing, but I am helping people at every chance now. It takes so little to help. Hold a door for someone, offer to lift something, or carry a bag to the car. If someone is having car trouble, offer them a jumpstart, or to call for help for them.
It is had to believe how shy I was when I was in my teens. Now I go up to people every chance I get. I saw a guy at the park Sunday looking at the map, and I asked him if he knew where he was. He did not. I showed him how to get back to his car.
I was at Dunn's BBQ last week, and a guy had too much to carry to his car. I got up and carried a bag for him. He was surprised. He said, "I know I am in Virginia now!" I don't know what he means. I don't see a lot of that kind of thing, but I am helping people at every chance now. It takes so little to help. Hold a door for someone, offer to lift something, or carry a bag to the car. If someone is having car trouble, offer them a jumpstart, or to call for help for them.
Green Light for Green Light, not Blue
I had not replaced my Edison style incandescent light bulbs. The CFL bulbs were too blue, and they can disrupt your sleep cycle. Your melatonin is disrupted by light that is more blue than yellow. Google it.
Then I found a bulb with light the same color as incandescent bulbs. They are made by N-Vision, and sold at Home Depot. In Virginia the CFL bulbs sold at Home Depot are subsidized by the power company. They have 3 colors: Daylight, Bright White, and Soft White. This is misleading.
Science: The color temperature is a number that describes the color of light. It is based on the fact that as things get hotter, they glow, and the peak wavelength gets bluer with higher temperature. An object with no color of its own to distort the radiated light is called a black body radiator.
Normal incandescent bulbs produce light with a color temperature of around 3500° K. That means that a black body at a temperature of 3500° K (That is Celcius degrees but based on absolute zero) would make light with a similar proportion of wavelengths and therefore color.
The N-Vision bulbs are made to produce light at three different color temperatures. The Daylight type is around 5500°K (similar to noon sunlight), and the Soft White is at around 3500°K. The Bright White is around 4200°K.
So now my home is filled with these bulbs, saving lost of energy this summer. That is Green, the common term for ecologically friendly. The light is not green, nor blue, but slightly orange.
Then I found a bulb with light the same color as incandescent bulbs. They are made by N-Vision, and sold at Home Depot. In Virginia the CFL bulbs sold at Home Depot are subsidized by the power company. They have 3 colors: Daylight, Bright White, and Soft White. This is misleading.
Science: The color temperature is a number that describes the color of light. It is based on the fact that as things get hotter, they glow, and the peak wavelength gets bluer with higher temperature. An object with no color of its own to distort the radiated light is called a black body radiator.
Normal incandescent bulbs produce light with a color temperature of around 3500° K. That means that a black body at a temperature of 3500° K (That is Celcius degrees but based on absolute zero) would make light with a similar proportion of wavelengths and therefore color.
The N-Vision bulbs are made to produce light at three different color temperatures. The Daylight type is around 5500°K (similar to noon sunlight), and the Soft White is at around 3500°K. The Bright White is around 4200°K.
So now my home is filled with these bulbs, saving lost of energy this summer. That is Green, the common term for ecologically friendly. The light is not green, nor blue, but slightly orange.
Clouds
The clouds we see are only the visible portion of much larger convection currents. It is like seeing a person's smiling head on the beach. You know there is a body under the sand. With clouds, the part we see is the part that has cooled to below the dew point. The cooling comes when the air rises to a higher altitude, at a lower pressure. The flat bottom to most clouds is that altitude where pressure is reduced, therefore temperature is reduced to the dew point. If the air is below the dew point all the way to the ground, we have fog.
Love
Spoiler alert: If you are a hopeless romantic, or even a hopeful romantic, don't read this. I will expose the biochemical basis of love.
Sometimes you will see stories on popular media that say sex is pleasurable because it causes a release of dopamine in the brain. (That is not quite the right description. The dopamine release is the same as pleasure. It is like saying a building is tall because it has a lot of height.) They are only seeing a part of the story. Orgasm also causes the release of oxytocin (not to be confused with Oxycontin, a brand of time release oxycodone, a powerful pain reliever). Oxytocin is also released with nursing, intercourse, childbirth, and even hugging and touching.
Oxitocin has effects on the brain, causing feelings of trust, generosity, and bonding. In other words, love. The term "making love" is literally true! "Afterglow" may be the effect of oxitocin. If one partner withholds sex as a punishment, that could be very bad for the relationship. It might be better to have more sex.
For lots of technical details, and references, go to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin
or, the June 2008 issue of Scientific American.
Sometimes you will see stories on popular media that say sex is pleasurable because it causes a release of dopamine in the brain. (That is not quite the right description. The dopamine release is the same as pleasure. It is like saying a building is tall because it has a lot of height.) They are only seeing a part of the story. Orgasm also causes the release of oxytocin (not to be confused with Oxycontin, a brand of time release oxycodone, a powerful pain reliever). Oxytocin is also released with nursing, intercourse, childbirth, and even hugging and touching.
Oxitocin has effects on the brain, causing feelings of trust, generosity, and bonding. In other words, love. The term "making love" is literally true! "Afterglow" may be the effect of oxitocin. If one partner withholds sex as a punishment, that could be very bad for the relationship. It might be better to have more sex.
For lots of technical details, and references, go to Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin
or, the June 2008 issue of Scientific American.
Leap of faith
Today is Leap day, February 29 of a leap year. That is an odd name for it, since we do not leap over it as we usually do. It should be called "sit day"?
But why do we do it?
The actual length of the year from one vernal equinox to the next is 365.2424 days. If we use 365 days a year, in 100 years we are behind by 24 days. So the seasons creep forward. Spring comes later. It does not come out even.
So every 4 years we add a day. That averages to 365.25 days.
That is close, but not perfect. So we add a new rule: Every century we skip the leap year. So, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. That brings the average to 365.24. That is closer.
Every 400 years, (when the century is divisible by 400) we skip skipping the leap year. 2000 was a leap year. That adds in 1 day every 400 years, bringing the average to 356.2425. That is pretty close.
There is a proposal to put in a leap year in the year 4000, but it is not official, and there is little urgency to the idea.
Changes in the Earth's orbit and day length can make these adjustments tricky. About every 18 months, we have a leap second: We add 1 second to keep the stars lined up better.
With all of this, the location of the stars in the sky as the years go by will still drift a lot.
Why is it that the calendar is adjusted for the seasons, but not the stars? To keep Easter near the Vernal Equinox. That is the "faith" part of my title.
Take a look at the extensive article on Wikipedia on this subject. There is much more.
But why do we do it?
The actual length of the year from one vernal equinox to the next is 365.2424 days. If we use 365 days a year, in 100 years we are behind by 24 days. So the seasons creep forward. Spring comes later. It does not come out even.
So every 4 years we add a day. That averages to 365.25 days.
That is close, but not perfect. So we add a new rule: Every century we skip the leap year. So, 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years. That brings the average to 365.24. That is closer.
Every 400 years, (when the century is divisible by 400) we skip skipping the leap year. 2000 was a leap year. That adds in 1 day every 400 years, bringing the average to 356.2425. That is pretty close.
There is a proposal to put in a leap year in the year 4000, but it is not official, and there is little urgency to the idea.
Changes in the Earth's orbit and day length can make these adjustments tricky. About every 18 months, we have a leap second: We add 1 second to keep the stars lined up better.
With all of this, the location of the stars in the sky as the years go by will still drift a lot.
Why is it that the calendar is adjusted for the seasons, but not the stars? To keep Easter near the Vernal Equinox. That is the "faith" part of my title.
Take a look at the extensive article on Wikipedia on this subject. There is much more.
Symantics
I once heard an anecdote about a hotel guest and a porter with a spare key. The porter was at the wrong door with the key, and he said, "a key?". The guest pointed at the correct door and said, "Aquí!". This went on for a while. The point of this silly bilingual pun is that words are simple symbols. They have no meaning except the meaning we assign.
There are many web sites that will tell you that Aspartame (Nutrisweet) is "poison". High fructose corn syrup is also "poison". The meaning most of us have for poison is something that if consumed in sufficient quantities will cause death. Obviously billions of people each day drink these two ingredients. (I mean billions. Think of all the people around the world. It seems like a reasonable guess.) I have never heard of one person dying from either of these.
I think the meaning of poison may be the problem. If a poison is a substance that causes negative health impact, maybe we could agree. There is some evidence that both Aspartame and high fructose corn syrup cause some problems in some people. I don't know a better word, but poison is not right. Toxin may be closer, but it is still synonymous with poison to most people.
So when people try to sound an alarm that things are bad for us, they should avoid poison or toxin and simply say what the effects are. Otherwise most people will ignore them.
There are many web sites that will tell you that Aspartame (Nutrisweet) is "poison". High fructose corn syrup is also "poison". The meaning most of us have for poison is something that if consumed in sufficient quantities will cause death. Obviously billions of people each day drink these two ingredients. (I mean billions. Think of all the people around the world. It seems like a reasonable guess.) I have never heard of one person dying from either of these.
I think the meaning of poison may be the problem. If a poison is a substance that causes negative health impact, maybe we could agree. There is some evidence that both Aspartame and high fructose corn syrup cause some problems in some people. I don't know a better word, but poison is not right. Toxin may be closer, but it is still synonymous with poison to most people.
So when people try to sound an alarm that things are bad for us, they should avoid poison or toxin and simply say what the effects are. Otherwise most people will ignore them.
Image
It looks like the battle of the Hi-def disc is nearly over. Blu-ray is the probable winner.
I always knew it would win. The name is cool. Just imagine your choice: Blu-ray or HD-DVD. You want a new cool technology. HD-DVD is too many letters, hard to say, and sounds like DVD, the old technology. In reality the two are very similar, but the marketing makes the difference.
The same is true for presidential candidates. I suspect Obama will win the Democratic nomination. The choice is between a young articulate black man and an older white woman. I think most people will go for Obama. I does not matter what they say. I don't think people care much about words. They react at a deeper level. That is why the taller candidate usually wins. I suspect the one who talks faster and more clearly may have an advantage too.
The problem is that we are electing a manager, not a host.
I always knew it would win. The name is cool. Just imagine your choice: Blu-ray or HD-DVD. You want a new cool technology. HD-DVD is too many letters, hard to say, and sounds like DVD, the old technology. In reality the two are very similar, but the marketing makes the difference.
The same is true for presidential candidates. I suspect Obama will win the Democratic nomination. The choice is between a young articulate black man and an older white woman. I think most people will go for Obama. I does not matter what they say. I don't think people care much about words. They react at a deeper level. That is why the taller candidate usually wins. I suspect the one who talks faster and more clearly may have an advantage too.
The problem is that we are electing a manager, not a host.
Goodbye 100 Watt Bulbs
The energy bill just passed bans sale of 100W bulbs in 2012. Assuming this is a good idea, why wait?
Is it a good idea? They say that these bulbs save energy, and thereby reduce carbon emissions. Maybe.
If you use a bulb in the winter, the heat produced helps keep your house warm. If your house is heated with oil or gas, things get complicated. If you use fewer watts of electricity, you will have to use more oil to keep the house warm. So far, you might assume we are still equal overall, but in my state 38% of electricity is made by nuclear power, with no carbon emissions. So in the winter, with oil heat, you may be doing the environment a favor by using incandescent lights (if they are used indoors. Outdoor Christmas light displays waste power.)
But...
In the summer, the situation is opposite. If you air conditioner has an EER of 8, it takes 40 Watts of power to remove the heat made by a 100 Watt bulb.
There is also the question of how much of your electricity is made by carbon burning, and how much power is lost in transmission.
It is not as simple as it looks.
Other important things could be done. Set national standards for building codes that mandate a certain level of insulation.
Is it a good idea? They say that these bulbs save energy, and thereby reduce carbon emissions. Maybe.
If you use a bulb in the winter, the heat produced helps keep your house warm. If your house is heated with oil or gas, things get complicated. If you use fewer watts of electricity, you will have to use more oil to keep the house warm. So far, you might assume we are still equal overall, but in my state 38% of electricity is made by nuclear power, with no carbon emissions. So in the winter, with oil heat, you may be doing the environment a favor by using incandescent lights (if they are used indoors. Outdoor Christmas light displays waste power.)
But...
In the summer, the situation is opposite. If you air conditioner has an EER of 8, it takes 40 Watts of power to remove the heat made by a 100 Watt bulb.
There is also the question of how much of your electricity is made by carbon burning, and how much power is lost in transmission.
It is not as simple as it looks.
Other important things could be done. Set national standards for building codes that mandate a certain level of insulation.
Global Warming
It seems to be quite fashionable to say that human-caused rises in greenhouse gases is causing global warming. (obviously there is global warming. The only question is the causes.) Take a look at this link. It is not so certain that we did it. It explains the science very thoroughly, and the conclusions are not too bad.
I am confused by the supposed consensus of scientists who agree with the pessimistic view. But then before Einstein, the Ether was a "scientific fact." (It had to be real, because light was a wave, and a wave had to be waving in some medium. The ether was the medium, but it was massless and undetectable.)
PS: I found out that Junkscience .com is a deceptive, politically conservative site. Read this criticism:
http://skepdic.com/refuge/junkscience.html
It seems like the future is never as bad or good as the predictions. (Where is my flying car?) I bet we will get by.
The total warming since measurements have been attempted is thought to be about 0.6 degrees Centigrade. At least half of the estimated temperature increment occurred before 1950, prior to significant change in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Assuming the unlikely case that all the natural drivers of planetary temperature change ceased to operate at the time of measured atmospheric change then a 30% increment in atmospheric carbon dioxide caused about one-third of one degree temperature increment since and thus provides empirical support for less than one degree increment due to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
I am confused by the supposed consensus of scientists who agree with the pessimistic view. But then before Einstein, the Ether was a "scientific fact." (It had to be real, because light was a wave, and a wave had to be waving in some medium. The ether was the medium, but it was massless and undetectable.)
PS: I found out that Junkscience .com is a deceptive, politically conservative site. Read this criticism:
http://skepdic.com/refuge/junkscience.html
It seems like the future is never as bad or good as the predictions. (Where is my flying car?) I bet we will get by.
Anything for a buck
Anything legal for 6 minutes for a buck. I will take any job for $10 an hour.
The worst part is trying to find something to apply for, and sitting here alone all day. I can't go hang around with people who are working. And I need to study for some certifications. I am almost certifiable, but not in a good way. I am not going "postal" but I am a bit depressed by it all.
The worst part is trying to find something to apply for, and sitting here alone all day. I can't go hang around with people who are working. And I need to study for some certifications. I am almost certifiable, but not in a good way. I am not going "postal" but I am a bit depressed by it all.
Digital
There are some people who do strange things to increase the quality of their sound or picture. There are $300 HDMI cables. Some people use a black marker around the edge of their CD's. They just don't get it. Digital technology is based on numbers, encoded in binary form, on and off. The great thing about binary is that there is no gray area. The signal is above a high threshold, it is a 1. If it is below a low threshold, it is a 0. It is not the same threshold. For example, in the system known as TTL, a 1 is above 2V, and a 0 is below .8V. There is a gap between these, and that prevents errors. So a bit of noise on a signal will not be able to cause a bit to switch.
If you want to test this, you must use scientific methods. People tend to see and hear what they expect. You need to have someone else switch the signal. It would be best if they did not know what you are doing, so they could not be able to inadvertently tip you off.
If you want to test this, you must use scientific methods. People tend to see and hear what they expect. You need to have someone else switch the signal. It would be best if they did not know what you are doing, so they could not be able to inadvertently tip you off.
North vs. South
There is a stereotype that New York City is unfriendly and rude. It is not. It is efficient. There is less idle polite chatter, but people are friendly and helpful. They are also in a hurry. There is a correlation between a city's population and the average walking speed on its sidewalks.
(New York Times, Feb. 29, 1976, p. 46)
I visited New York City last summer, and Columbus, Mississippi last week. I found people friendly in both. I did notice that people seemed more willing to talk in the south. They just seemed less inclined to end a conversation. If you want to talk, they will listen.
(New York Times, Feb. 29, 1976, p. 46)
I visited New York City last summer, and Columbus, Mississippi last week. I found people friendly in both. I did notice that people seemed more willing to talk in the south. They just seemed less inclined to end a conversation. If you want to talk, they will listen.
Web bugs
After all these years, the Internet is still a mess. For example, search for "smoke rings" and you might get several types of results. Some are for the meaning "daydreams" and others are about vortex rings. Some search engines try to help resolve the categories on the side, but the real solution is to have the site label its content with some kind of codes based on the subject. It sounds like a huge, dificult project to create such a subject code, but it already exists: The Dewey Decimal System. Most libraries in the US use it. It is copyrighted by Online Computer Library Center. There are other systems, and it is not important which one is used, but some system could be used to help people classify the information in their sites. In many cases, multiple codes would be used. It can be as simple as a standard tag: . Search engines would use the DDC tag number to split search results to help the user get to the kind of results he is looking for.
Another annoying detail on the web is that the autofill feature of some browsers can't understand some forms. The problem is that the forms do not use consistent names for the form fields. Somebody please standardize this! And allow the autofill to work with the pop-up for State.
Another annoying detail on the web is that the autofill feature of some browsers can't understand some forms. The problem is that the forms do not use consistent names for the form fields. Somebody please standardize this! And allow the autofill to work with the pop-up for State.
Mensa
I still don't have a job, so I went looking for some mental stimulation. I found the Mensa workout, a set of 30 questions to be done in 30 minutes. As usual with Mensa quizes, the math questions were pretty easy, and the word problems are hard. I guess that is just my kind of intelligence, but I really think math is more useful than being able to unscramble letters of a word. The funny thng about it was on the scoring page. It said, "That is a very good score, you would have a good chance of passing the Mensa test." I am happy to hear that, but notice that this is a grammatical error called a comma splice, two sentences are connected by a comma. A semicolon is the correct punctuation, or a period and two separate sentences.
I have never been interested in Mensa because I have met one person who was a member, and she was an insufferable snob about it. I hope I have met many members, but they don't brag about it.
Apparently they get together and play games. You could say that smart people like to play games, but maybe people who like to play games get smart.
I am not talking about video games, even the new IQ booster games like Brain Age. I have heard that users of these games did not improve their scores on other similar games, which suggests that users are not improving their brain function, but just getting good at specific game tasks. So playing Sudoku may not help you in your daily life unless you do it professionally. It might be better to learn Poker.
I don't know if games will make you smarter, but my brain could use some stimulation. I can't watch TV like I did when I was working. At the end of a long day, some mindless entertainment is a good thing. Now I need more. I am looking for a chat room for smart people, or games for smart people.
Trivial Pursuit is not for smart people. It is for Liberal Arts majors. They ask, "What was the name of Earnest Hemingway's favorite cat?" and then in the "science and technology" category, they ask, "What did King Gillette invent?" Can you guess? (What a name. I have heard dogs called Prince, but never a kid named King. Queen Latifah's real name is Dana Elaine Owens.) (Whoopee Goldberg's real name is Karen Johnson. Some people need a stage name.)
Enough. I am going to go for a walk and photograph hairy caterpillars.
I have never been interested in Mensa because I have met one person who was a member, and she was an insufferable snob about it. I hope I have met many members, but they don't brag about it.
Apparently they get together and play games. You could say that smart people like to play games, but maybe people who like to play games get smart.
I am not talking about video games, even the new IQ booster games like Brain Age. I have heard that users of these games did not improve their scores on other similar games, which suggests that users are not improving their brain function, but just getting good at specific game tasks. So playing Sudoku may not help you in your daily life unless you do it professionally. It might be better to learn Poker.
I don't know if games will make you smarter, but my brain could use some stimulation. I can't watch TV like I did when I was working. At the end of a long day, some mindless entertainment is a good thing. Now I need more. I am looking for a chat room for smart people, or games for smart people.
Trivial Pursuit is not for smart people. It is for Liberal Arts majors. They ask, "What was the name of Earnest Hemingway's favorite cat?" and then in the "science and technology" category, they ask, "What did King Gillette invent?" Can you guess? (What a name. I have heard dogs called Prince, but never a kid named King. Queen Latifah's real name is Dana Elaine Owens.) (Whoopee Goldberg's real name is Karen Johnson. Some people need a stage name.)
Enough. I am going to go for a walk and photograph hairy caterpillars.
Mystery Rocks
No, that is not a sentence. I still have no job, so I have no excuse to keep me from getting some exercise. One day I found these odd rocks in the woods, where some gravel had been dumped.
They are roughly conical, but some have a more triangular shape, but one side is rounded. When broken, it is not crystalline, but a fine grain. It looks like quartz, but it can be scratched with a sharp knife. It will burn, but not melt. There is no smell when it burns, but there is a black soot above the flame. See more pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/durvin/sets/72157601824875474/
What are they?
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