tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36468276891935913582024-03-13T11:58:19.230+01:00Brainstorming IdeasQuestions, Answers, Tips, and Ideas on topics of your choice.Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-18435470728439578432012-08-04T02:35:00.006+02:002019-03-24T06:02:57.633+01:00Breaking Down The Bible. Genesis 6. The Sons of God and Noah’s Ark<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJNuxAs40bc/UBw6Ctvm2EI/AAAAAAAACpw/d2zyeNI-leM/s1600/Jacopo_Bassano_workshop_-_Animals_boarding_the_Noah's_Ark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Animals boarding the Noah's Ark (Jacopo Bassano workshop)" border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yJNuxAs40bc/UBw6Ctvm2EI/AAAAAAAACpw/d2zyeNI-leM/s400/Jacopo_Bassano_workshop_-_Animals_boarding_the_Noah's_Ark.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Animals boarding the Noah's Ark (Jacopo Bassano workshop)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is one of my favourite chapters of the Bible, and, from my point of view, one of the most enigmatic, too. If only someone had gone to the trouble of thinking about it carefully in the 2000 years that have passed since it was written.<br>
Almost every line poses mind-boggling questions.<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>1. And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,</strong></span><br>
<br>
Who were the mothers of these daughters?<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>2. That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.</strong></span> <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2012/08/genesis-6-sons-of-god-and-noahs-ark.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-89541095926186397872012-06-21T21:32:00.005+02:002018-07-16T02:09:07.310+02:00Brainstorming Ideas for a Thriller. Weird Crime Scene.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtg40AOMGsM/T-N1rG-mluI/AAAAAAAACW8/-g8CRa0g9cM/s1600/Crime+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Crime scene" border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtg40AOMGsM/T-N1rG-mluI/AAAAAAAACW8/-g8CRa0g9cM/s320/Crime+scene.jpg" width="295"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crime scene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For some unaccountable reason most visitors to my blog prefer to make queries through e-mail rather than use the comment feature. Anyway, one of the recurring themes I’m asked to pitch a few ideas for is unusual or weird crime scene. Guess what, I haven’t had to rack my brains too long: fact is stranger than fiction.<br>
<br>
The other day I came across one of the weirdest stories of crime scene investigation, either fictional or true, I’ve ever heard, read about or seen on TV. It could be made into a terrific thriller, I doubt I could have come up with anything that bizarrely grotesque.<br>
<br>
The story kicks off when a worried father goes over to his son’s place after he hasn’t heard from him for days and finds his son, 45, dead on the entrance hall floor stark naked. Police ruled out robbery since there was no evidence of forced entry, picked locks, or signs of struggle, no suspicious fingerprints, and nothing was missing. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2012/06/brainstorming-ideas-for-thriller-weird.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-14507003206353147522012-02-01T01:26:00.026+01:002019-03-24T05:29:35.005+01:00The Unsustainable World. Economic Meltdown.<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>‘These elites do not have a vision. They know only one word: more. They will continue to exploit the nation, the global economy and the ecosystem. And they will use their money to hide in gated compounds when it all implodes.’</strong> (Chris Hedges)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><br>
<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83lIlxToYtA/Ta3qBN5ZCtI/AAAAAAAABlY/jrp7B1gZAi4/s1600/Money-rolls1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Money. Rolling pound coins" border="0" height="260" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83lIlxToYtA/Ta3qBN5ZCtI/AAAAAAAABlY/jrp7B1gZAi4/s400/Money-rolls1.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Rolling pound coins</em></span><br>
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>(© 2019 LightColourShade)</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Any economic system eventually degenerates through unbridled greed and corruption. Modern economy is a giant global Ponzi scheme disguised with fancy terms and phoney financial structures (stock exchange, bonds, fiat money, shares, legal speculation like short-selling, swaps, deferred taxes, etc.) wrapped in convoluted equations, riding for a fall.<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2012/02/the-unsustainable-world-economic.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-33984410090266364032011-09-12T00:58:00.018+02:002019-03-24T05:55:18.230+01:00Breaking Down The Bible. Genesis 5 Generations of AdamThe fun thing about the Bible is that almost every chapter of it contains some kind of inconsistency or contradiction, and for 2000 years few believers have bothered to seriously question them. The book poses a myriad of questions, but answers very few, if any.<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;</strong></span><br>
<br>
I still wonder what kind of likeness we are talking about here — physical or spiritual. Sounds like some crazy alien boffin created biological machines simply because he could, just like we are pointlessly playing around with robots.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/09/breaking-down-bible-genesis-5.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-56547524742719980632011-08-31T01:40:00.005+02:002011-08-31T02:00:55.482+02:00Calculating the Approximate Date of the Apocalypse?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEK-s5tI2SM/Tl1z5B83q3I/AAAAAAAACE8/ayl5v8nmKU8/s1600/Impakt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Apocalypse — Impact" border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEK-s5tI2SM/Tl1z5B83q3I/AAAAAAAACE8/ayl5v8nmKU8/s320/Impakt.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Apocalypse — Impact.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As the year 2012 draws on, a part of humanity brood over the Mayan calendar predictions that allegedly establish the year 2012 as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_Long_Count_calendar">Mesoamerican Long Count calendar</a>, which might refer to cataclysmic or transformative (if we’re lucky) events in the making. While I was wondering why this particular source of eschatological beliefs is such a hit among doomsday prophecies lovers since " Mainstream Mayanist scholars state that predictions of impending doom are not found in any of the extant classic Maya accounts, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar "ends" in 2012 misrepresents Maya history", it occurred to me that our good old Bible — as valid a source of historical events and past predictions as the Mayan calendar or any other mythology for that matter — could provide a way of calculating at least an approximate date of the Apocalypse whatever the word implies.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/08/calculating-approximate-date-of.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-54796930106468620492011-08-22T17:56:00.025+02:002014-12-21T04:30:32.413+01:00Should We Fear Aliens? Part III: Enlightenment.<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: large;">‘Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.’</span> (H. Wells. The war of the worlds.)</span><br>
<br>
Looks like I’m not <strong>Vox Clamantis In Deserto</strong> anymore. Well, there have been two of us supporting this contention: Stephen Hawking and me, although even his authority and expert opinion have apparently counted for little… until now.<br>
<br>
It turns out that NASA luminaries finally came to senses and took notice of concerns I expressed in my articles ;) about the dangers of contact with aliens, although gung-ho techno geeks usually dismiss my ideas as a hindrance to progress. I'm glad my hard work has borne fruit at last and my articles managed to make NASA boffins see the light. (Note that they didn't even bother to credit me ;)) It’s not really rocket science to come to this conclusion and elaborate the report — all it takes is common sense and high school level literacy.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/08/should-we-fear-aliens-part-iii.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-80970840817162995802011-08-12T02:02:00.021+02:002011-08-21T00:16:14.155+02:00The Unsustainable World. Nuclear Waste.<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-size: large;">"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."</span> (A. Einstein)</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5VKFN06J-Y/TkW17JVbiPI/AAAAAAAACDQ/2QidkKek2wo/s1600/200px-Radiation_warning_symbol_svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Radiation hazard sign" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5VKFN06J-Y/TkW17JVbiPI/AAAAAAAACDQ/2QidkKek2wo/s1600/200px-Radiation_warning_symbol_svg.png"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Radiation hazard sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Just as I suspected, nuclear fusion took place in at least two Fukushima reactors in the first few days after the earthquake. Tons of highly contaminated heavy water have been dumped into the ocean ever since, but surprisingly nobody seems to care. The entire zone has been rendered uninhabitable for thousands of years, and as heavy water spreads over an increasingly larger area marine life will probably gradually die out or mutate, consequently causing health problems in humans. <br>
<br>
The latest news is that now they are reopening the previously sealed 1st reactor in order to try to cool it and thus prevent the explosion, meaning that nuclear fusion is actually under way.<br>
<blockquote><em>‘Continuous exposure of cells to radiation can lead to all sorts of serious diseases, including, but not limited to, gene mutations, birth defects, cancer etc.<br>
There are standards for the maximum amount of caesium-137 that nuclear facilities may release to the air, and maximum levels for caesium-137 in drinking water. EPA also sets </em><em>risk-based</em><em> criteria for clean up of soil and groundwater at sites contaminated with caesium-137 that must be met before the site can be approved for public use.’ </em></blockquote>These "standards" are calculated and established at the levels that make it impossible to link people’s deaths caused by the toxins thirty years later to the contamination in question.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/08/unsustainable-world-nuclear-waste.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-1775511987165605182011-03-28T03:44:00.027+02:002011-11-13T13:15:55.974+01:00The Unsustainable World. Fukushima, Japan: An Announced Disaster.<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u>The truth most people prefer not to hear.</u></span><br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">"The world began without man, and it will end without him."</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">(Claude Lévi-Strauss Tristes Tropiques)</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br>
<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ddc4cwmS8LU/TY_l3aBEsKI/AAAAAAAABVo/Izd1DsClxQs/s640/Fukushima_I_by_Digital_Globe_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fukushima plant" border="0" height="372" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ddc4cwmS8LU/TY_l3aBEsKI/AAAAAAAABVo/Izd1DsClxQs/s1600/Fukushima_I_by_Digital_Globe_2.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Fukushima nuclear power plant after the tsunami. (by Digital Globe)</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There’s a whole host of reasons why this world has become unsustainable. Japanese nuclear disaster is a shining example of apocalyptic events that loom large over our future thanks to deep-rooted stupidity most modern human beings display. Let’s face it, we had it coming.<br>
<br>
I’m at a loss to understand what kind of thinking process led Japanese luminaries to come up with the bright idea of constructing nuclear power plants in the most seismically active part of the planet. It was British and US companies who raised them, and they didn’t understand (or much more likely didn't give a damn about) the INSANITY of their decision, either. Why anyone in his right mind would slap the most destructive bomb on this planet to date right on the seashore that is at the highest risk to suffer from tsunamis and earthquakes flies in the face of common sense. Unless they (the boffins) aren’t, as I’ve always suspected, in their right mind. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/03/unsastainable-world-japan-announced.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-85559234210548562802011-02-26T21:02:00.012+01:002012-02-06T14:57:35.279+01:00What are the dangers of genetically modified viruses?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qoqxn1gNfqA/TWlYQgCbrHI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/H4T6XOWk3rQ/s1600/Rotavirus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin: 1em auto;"><img border="0" height="280" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qoqxn1gNfqA/TWlYQgCbrHI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/H4T6XOWk3rQ/s320/Rotavirus.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>A virus</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Most people never stop to consider the dangers of genetic engineering technique, they just expect it to make pretty babies, correct genetic diseases or create little-eating and fast growing cattle, but men in the street hardly ever take time to look into the technology itself. <br>
<br>
The bottom line is that external genetic material is introduced into the host cells (say, GM corn grain) by means of either specially crafted viruses, called viral vector, or bacteria like E-coli that assimilate well foreign DNA, carrying the genes in question precisely because virus has the ability to reproduce and invade other organisms (and bacteria multiply exponentially) — otherwise viruses would be useless. <br>
The increased virulence of E-coli epidemics (and infections in general) in the 20th century could have been caused by such specially crafted bacteria.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-are-dangers-of-genetically.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-87534917352166478782011-01-31T02:40:00.014+01:002011-02-09T02:32:44.047+01:00Forensic Psychology. Crime, Accident or Suicide?<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>"Now and then there is a person born,</strong></span><br>
<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>who is so unlucky that he runs into accidents</strong></span><br>
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>which started out to happen to somebody else"</strong></span> </span><br>
<span style="color: #ffd966;">(Don Marquis, life of mehitabel).</span><br>
<br>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TUYUDLXFyVI/AAAAAAAAAzA/Tyi1YddadtI/s1600/Criminal+investigation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">" border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TUYUDLXFyVI/AAAAAAAAAzA/Tyi1YddadtI/s320/Criminal+investigation.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Crime scene investigation</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><u>Brainstorming</u></strong> is about finding the answers to moot questions, as well as getting to the truth behind the appearance or finding logical explanations to situations that apparently make no sense. In short, thinking differently. <br>
<br>
The other day I heard about a case of a 19-year-old guy who got run over and killed by a lorry on his way home from a party in the small hours of the night. The driver admitted to having dragged the body for about 400 metres before he finally managed to brake to a screeching halt. At the trial the lorry driver claimed the boy came out of the blue, so that there was no time for him to react. The breath test ruled out drunken driving, but he did exceed the speed limit and the foglamps weren’t on. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2011/01/forensic-psychology-crime-accident-or.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-8184427041222008892010-11-05T12:00:00.008+01:002019-03-20T03:14:02.258+01:00Brain-twister. The answer.<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Looks like no-one has managed to crack <a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/07/1-15-5-12-8-10-4-9-11-6-16-2-14-3-13-7.html">the puzzle</a>, so I got down to work. It took me quite some time, mainly because I approached the task as if it were Riemannian geometry, but it turned out to be much simpler. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The first step is to rearrange the numbers to make 34 in each row, column and diagonal. You’ll see that numbers 1, 8 and 13, 7, 9, 2 stay put, while numbers 15, 5, 12, 10, 4, swapped places with numbers 11, 6, 16, 14, 3. So all you have to do is cut the square 1 along the red lines and switch pink and blue figures to form the square 2.</span><br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="height: 220px; width: 475px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" height="200" width="239">square 1 <br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height: 200px; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">1</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">15</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">5</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">12</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">8</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">10</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">4</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">9</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">11</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">6</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">16</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">2</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">14</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">3</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">13</span></td><td align="center" height="45" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="45"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">7</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td><td align="center" width="234">square 2<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="height: 200px; width: 200px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66; border-right-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">1</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff; border-left-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">11</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">6</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">16</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">8</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-left-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">14</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ff99ff; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">3</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66; border-left-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt; border-top-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">9</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #99ffcc; border-top-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">15</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #99ffcc; border-top-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">5</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #99ffcc; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-right-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">12</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66; border-left-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">2</span></td></tr>
<tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #99ffcc;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">10</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #99ffcc; border-right-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">4</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66; border-left-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1pt; border-top-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1pt;" width="49"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">13</span></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ffff66;" width="50"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">7</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-85385635868575576392010-10-29T02:12:00.025+02:002014-12-21T04:24:23.837+01:00Should we fear aliens? Part II: First Contact — Glad Hand.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TMoNqyDDywI/AAAAAAAAAx8/8oBcu1Zxtco/s1600/Physicist_Stephen_Hawking_in_Zero_Gravity_NASA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"><img alt="Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity NASA" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TMoNqyDDywI/AAAAAAAAAx8/8oBcu1Zxtco/s400/Physicist_Stephen_Hawking_in_Zero_Gravity_NASA.jpg" height="265" nx="true" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity (NASA)</span></em></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ffd966;"><strong>“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet.” “Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach. If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.”</strong> — </span><span style="color: #ffd966;">Stephen Hawking.</span></span> <br>
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Although I’ve already expatiated at length on the reasons why we <a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/06/should-we-fear-aliens.html">should fear aliens</a>, it turns out there’s yet another cause for alarm — our <strong>infinite fatuity and brainlessness.</strong> The other day I heard one of these stories on the news that make you wonder if it’s Orson-Wells’-recital-of–The-War-of-the-Worlds style hoax, or the powers that be are once again kidding the populace. In times of economic crisis, UN decided to splash out and assigned a Malaysian boffin to greet aliens on behalf of the entire humanity.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/10/stephen-hawking-we-only-have-to-look-at.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-73412883174958012302010-10-15T01:50:00.050+02:002014-12-21T04:17:28.049+01:00Does absolute Good and Evil exist?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><u>Musings on the nature of Absolute Good and Evil.</u></span><br>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">"Are there, infinitely varying with each individual, inbred forces of Good and Evil in all of us, deep down below the reach of mortal encouragement and mortal repression — hidden Good and hidden Evil, both alike at the mercy of the liberating opportunity and the sufficient temptation?" <span style="font-size: small;">— Wilkie Collins.</span></span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TLd8s1RXteI/AAAAAAAAAxM/OTn25FuwDOc/s1600/Satan_before_the_Lord,+Corrado+Giaquinto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Absolute Good and Evil. (Satan before the Lord, Corrado Giaquinto)" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TLd8s1RXteI/AAAAAAAAAxM/OTn25FuwDOc/s1600/Satan_before_the_Lord,+Corrado+Giaquinto.jpg" ex="true"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Absolute Good vs. Absolute Evil.</span></em><br>
<em><span style="font-size: small;">(Satan before the Lord, </span></em><br>
<em><span style="font-size: small;">Corrado Giaquinto.)</span></em></td></tr>
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<strong>“In religion, ethics, and philosophy, the phrase,</strong> <strong><u>Good and Evil</u> refers to the evaluation/judgement of objects, desires, and behaviours on a two-way scale, with one direction being morally positive</strong> <strong>("good"), and the other morally negative</strong> <strong>("evil").</strong> <span style="font-size: large;">"Good"</span><strong> is a broad concept but it typically deals with an association with</strong> <strong><u>life, continuity, happiness, and prosperity.</u></strong> <span style="font-size: large;">Evil</span><strong> is simply defined as <u>the opposite of Good</u>. Depending on the context, <u>good and evil</u> may represent personal judgments, societal norms, or</strong> <strong><u>claims of absolute value</u> related to <u>human nature</u> or to <u>transcendent religious</u> or <u>philosophical standards.”</u></strong> <em>(Based on Wikipedia definition)</em><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4nMcdQe7v0xVYMkcaeAshPzagMPt0Rc2e1cvLvVegjDH7s_yTx3xkF7ZxNV0qmL7cl24bJ-ASeutropif0wXxX3d7GJwDyBWqpwjguRWnTo47d2UwTBmg_hkpx0k9N19XrgOiDGkLrg/s1600/Emmanuel+Kant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Immanuel Kant" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4nMcdQe7v0xVYMkcaeAshPzagMPt0Rc2e1cvLvVegjDH7s_yTx3xkF7ZxNV0qmL7cl24bJ-ASeutropif0wXxX3d7GJwDyBWqpwjguRWnTo47d2UwTBmg_hkpx0k9N19XrgOiDGkLrg/s200/Emmanuel+Kant.jpg" ex="true" height="200" width="178"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Immanuel Kant</em></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66;"><span style="font-size: large;">“The only objects of practical reason are therefore those of <u>good and evil</u>. For by the former is meant an object necessarily desired according to a principle of reason; by the latter one necessarily shunned, also according to a principle of reason. “</span> — Immanuel Kant.</span></div>
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The big question is whether there is absolute Good and Evil, although it’s part of a bigger question — if so why? Whetstone for human spirit? For the thrill of it? Is it a <strong><u>local phenomenon</u></strong> or it’s <strong>valid for the rest of the universe(s)?</strong> But that’s like asking WHY God exists. Makes the mind boggle. I’m afraid we’ll have to settle for the answer <span style="font-size: large;">'</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because He Does'</span> in the foreseeable future.</span><br>
</div><a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/10/does-absolute-good-and-evil-exist.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-689414705546746132010-08-25T02:17:00.010+02:002010-12-25T19:03:08.934+01:00The greatest con artist ever?<span style="color: #ffcc66;"><span style="font-size: large;">'In fact, to gull a fool seems to me an exploit worthy of a witty man.'</span> — Giacomo Casanova.</span><br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/THRcSJ82pAI/AAAAAAAAAvM/2NQLhWBzH1Y/s1600/Teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Teacher" border="0" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/THRcSJ82pAI/AAAAAAAAAvM/2NQLhWBzH1Y/s320/Teacher.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">A Teacher</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> You can’t deny it takes a special talent to pull off a brilliant swindle. Believe it or not, but the following story really happened. To me it qualifies as one of the best scams of all times. This masterpiece of swiz took place in a remote village somewhere in the Far East in the late seventies. <br>
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One day the village school decided it was high time to give their pupils some fancy education, which came down to teaching them foreign languages. <br>
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For now unknown reasons they picked French, but the snag was that their chances of finding a French teacher in such a wilderness were as slim as of spotting a kangaroo in their local forest. <br>
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Unbelievably, though, they were in luck — a recently recruited history teacher happened to know some French, or so he claimed, and was happy to double as a French coach.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/08/greatest-con-artist-ever.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-29387284933086272652010-08-20T01:17:00.016+02:002019-03-24T05:51:19.715+01:00Breaking down the Bible Genesis, 4 The First Mourning.<br><br>
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<span style="background-color: #f1c232; color: black;"><strong>Genesis 4:3</strong></span><br>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;"> 'And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.'</span> <br>
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<strong><span style="background-color: #f1c232; color: black;">Genesis 4:4</span></strong><br>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">'And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:'</span> <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/08/breaking-down-bible-genesis-4.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-75216790309387696112010-08-11T02:02:00.014+02:002011-01-08T01:16:02.749+01:00Can you trust organic food?<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">We are what we eat.</span><br>
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The answer is — can you trust humankind? Nothing created or done by these devil incarnates, aka humans, is 100% trustworthy, since human nature usually perverts everything. (Of course, I mean humanity in general, not all the individuals it’s made up of). <br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TGHmqDPq77I/AAAAAAAAArw/39t29Fzle_A/s1600/Pepperseggplants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Organic products" border="0" height="400" mx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TGHmqDPq77I/AAAAAAAAArw/39t29Fzle_A/s400/Pepperseggplants.jpg" width="381"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Organic products</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can’t possibly check whether, say, organic grains have been mixed with non-organic ones, or the organic seal is fake, just as you can never be sure where your conventional food comes from — they might use local packing for Chinese etc foodstuffs, they might be genetically modified, or grown near a nuclear cemetery etc, etc.</div>It’s an uphill battle.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/08/can-you-trust-organic-food.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-39308756656907154352010-08-04T01:26:00.017+02:002010-11-24T18:13:27.740+01:00How to lose weight (about 10 kilos) in five days?Turns out it’s pretty simple, besides it won’t cost you a penny (no pills, no specific treatment or fancy therapies), but there’s a downside — it’s a bit tough. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"> All you have to do is <span style="font-size: large;">move house</span> ....all by yourself, providing of course it’s no less than about 1 km (the upper limit is up to you) away from you actual abode. Literally. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em>That's how full your trolleys should look</em></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TFij_BEx2RI/AAAAAAAAAqo/Qz1XLZdwUYo/s1600/removals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lose weight doing removals" border="0" bx="true" height="187" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TFij_BEx2RI/AAAAAAAAAqo/Qz1XLZdwUYo/s400/removals.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Which means doing it without removals van, or any external help, just with a <span style="font-size: large;">wheel barrow, supermarket trolley</span> or, if you prefer the hardest way, any <span style="font-size: large;">board with wheels</span>. Mind that first you have to take your things down from at least <span style="font-size: large;">the third floor</span> and then probably drag it all up to at least <span style="font-size: large;">the second floor <span style="font-size: small;">without using the</span> </span><strong>lift</strong>. Granted, you probably won’t be able to handle things like fridges, cookers or wardrobes, but the rest is within your reach. <br />
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Another absolute must is that it should be done in a <span style="font-size: large;">hurry</span>, so push your cart, supermarket trolley or whatever as fast as your fitness will let you and make about <span style="font-size: large;">40 trips</span> each day. <strong>And don’t you dare stop to rest during the trips or have full meals in these five days.</strong> <br />
Afterwards stick to a low-salt low-fat balanced diet to keep your so effortfully sculpted figure. <br />
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Trust me, it works. I know it for fact — the other day a friend of mine said no way she was paying removals company that much just to move her junk several streets away, in addition her car had just broken down, so she did it her way, that is, by hand. I have to mention, though, that she lives in a small town with no much traffic, I’m not sure you could pull it off in cities like New York or London. <br />
A week later we could hardly believe our eyes when we saw her. <br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The moral of the story — sometimes stinginess really pays off.</span><br />
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<strong>Warning: don’t try this method if you have some medical condition! </strong><br />
<strong>Consult your doctor first.</strong><br />
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<hr style="color: #134f5c; height: 1px; width: 300px;" /><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(You can ask your questions, submit answers and vote on the answers you think are the best in the </span><a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/#Sign In to Post Questions,">Get Answers </a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">gadget below the posts. Just sign in first with GFC (the 'Follow' button) right above the gadget.)</span> </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-75497739339115348692010-07-31T01:23:00.012+02:002010-11-17T22:44:05.389+01:00Great figures in opera? All gone.In Memoriam Cesare Siepi.I’m kind of getting off the track here, but the other day I was having a casual conversation with a couple of friends on great opera singers of all times inspired by the recent death of <span style="font-size: large;">Cesare Siepi</span> which eventually ended in reflections on the demise of great figures in opera. Although with some delay I’d like to pay tribute to one of my favourite bass-baritones, because I owe moments of elevated joy to artists like him.<br>
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<strong>What can you say when a genius dies?</strong><br>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">Bewail not life with its exhausting breath,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">What’s life and death? But moan about the flame,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">That over the whole creation blazed, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">And parts into the night, weeping as it fades.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">A. Fet <span style="font-size: small;">(copyright © 2010 by Brainstorming Ideas)</span></span></div><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TFMdU270eWI/AAAAAAAAAp4/hshZUDfV4TQ/s1600/Cesare_Siepi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cesare Siepi" border="0" bx="true" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TFMdU270eWI/AAAAAAAAAp4/hshZUDfV4TQ/s640/Cesare_Siepi.jpg" width="395"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Cesare Siepi</span></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-figures-in-opera-all-gone.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-27974279735255588552010-07-21T00:44:00.015+02:002019-01-05T02:50:22.986+01:00Brain-twister with answer.<table align="left" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: auto 6.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0pt 0cm 0pt; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: margin; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; mso-table-left: left; mso-table-lspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-rspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-top: 3.5pt;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 1cm; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 1</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 15</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 5</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 12 </span></span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 1cm; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 8</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 10</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 4</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 9</span></span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 1cm; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 11</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> 6</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 16</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 2</span></span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 1cm; mso-height-rule: exactly; mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 14</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 3</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 13</span></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-left: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-right: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; border-top: #f0f0f0 1pt solid; height: 1cm; mso-border-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: grey; mso-border-left-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor: grey; mso-border-right-themecolor: grey; mso-border-themecolor: grey; mso-border-top-alt: solid grey .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: grey; mso-height-rule: exactly; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0pt; padding-right: 0pt; padding-top: 0cm; width: 1cm;" width="38"><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> 7</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A brain-teasing question this time. A 13-year old boy challenged us to an apparently simple riddle. I suspect he just couldn’t find the answer. Much to my shame, I’ll have to rack my brain for quite some time — I’ve never been on good terms with numbers.<br />
Anyway, can you beat us to it?<br />
<br />
Here goes the puzzle:<br />
<br />
Cut this square in four parts and rearrange it so that the sum of the numbers in each column, each row and each diagonal equals 34.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-56018756516908520942010-07-14T02:24:00.017+02:002014-06-01T04:24:28.161+02:00What are the dangers of nanotechnology?<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ffcc66;">"Science is an edged tool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingers" — <span style="font-size: small;">Arthur Eddington.</span></span></span><br>
<br>
Most scientists will harangue us about the highly acclaimed newfangled panacea — “<strong><span style="font-size: large;">nanotech</span></strong>”, that is basically controlling matter or building machines which could re-order matter on a molecular and atomic scale. It usually deals with 1 to 100 nanometre structures. The concept was first used by <strong><u>Richard Feynman</u></strong> to describe the possibility of manipulating individual atoms and molecules using a set of precise tools, which in plain language means we could take the building blocks of matter and create literally anything. That of course after we had got around certain problems, such as gravity losing ground to surface tension and van der Waals attraction, etc. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-are-dangers-of-nanotechnology.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-75788688734257084252010-06-27T01:38:00.020+02:002019-03-24T05:41:52.144+01:00Breaking down the Bible. Genesis, 3 The Fall.<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><em>“I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modelled after our own — a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty." — Albert Einstein.</em></span><br>
<br>
This is a crucial event in the book and history of mankind, because this is the point where all our misfortunes began... <br>
<div style="border: currentColor;">
Despite the fact that it should be taken as an allegory, something terrible must have happened. We became weak slavish mortals; lost all privileges and were ousted from the paradise. </div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TCaGheRARtI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/eFc9XHL1tIE/s1600/the+fall+from+grace" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Fall" border="0" height="297" ru="true" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4lPm2NTF7y0/TCaGheRARtI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/eFc9XHL1tIE/s640/the+fall+from+grace" width="640"></a></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; text-align: center;">
<em>The Fall. </em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em><br></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em>(Capella Sistina. Michelangelo)</em></div>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/06/genesis-3.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-71476268192593947092010-05-12T14:35:00.035+02:002019-03-22T03:37:46.109+01:00String Theory — The Music of The Spheres? M-theory (Superstring theory) and Brane cosmology.<div style="text-align: center;">
<div align="left">
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><u>String theory simplified and poeticised.</u></span></div>
<div align="left">
<br></div>
<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;"><u>Wünschelrute</u><br>
Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen <br>
Die da träumen fort und fort, <br>
Und die Welt hebt an zu singen, <br>
Triffst du nur das Zauberwort.</span><br>
<span style="color: #ffcc66;">(<em>Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff)</em></span> <br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;"><u>Magic wand</u><br>
Sleeps a song inside all things<br>
Dreaming in the spellbound world, <br>
That will waken up to sing, </span><br>
<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">If <span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">you sound the magic word.</span></span><br>
<br>
<span style="color: #ffcc66;"><em>(Proverbs. Sentence poem by Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff)</em></span><span style="color: #ffcc66;"><em><br></em></span><br>
<span style="color: #ffcc66;"><em><span style="color: #cc9933;"><em>Please don't copy without permission. Copyright © 2010 Brainstorming Ideas.)</em></span></em></span><br></div>
<br>
<strong><u>String theory — science or philosophy?</u></strong> <br>
This theory especially appeals to me because it’s based on a very musical idea — strings, and <span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">‘music’</span>, as <span style="color: #ffcc66;">Nietzsche</span> put it, <span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">‘is the true Idea of the World’</span> or in other words <span style="color: #ffcc66;"><span style="font-size: large;">‘world is materialised music’</span> (Schopenhauer). </span><br>
<br>
<div style="border: currentColor;">
This is what string theory is all about: the <strong>electrons</strong>, <strong>quarks</strong> and other particles are <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1-dimensional oscillating "strings"</span></strong>, possessing only the dimension of length. Their vibration determines the particles' <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">flavour (</span><u>quantum number</u> </strong>of an<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>elementary particle, which describes values of conserved quantities in the dynamics of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_system">quantum system</a><span style="font-family: "verdana";">)</span>, <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>charge</strong></span>, <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">mass</span></strong> and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>spin</strong></span>. In addition, the superstring theory claims that a "<strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">supersymmetry</span></strong>" exists between <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bosons</span></strong> and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>fermions</strong></span> — <strong>force carriers</strong> and <strong>matter</strong>. But probably its most mind-boggling peculiarity is that such theory requires the existence of several extra unobservable dimensions — <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">M-theory</span></strong>, for instance, puts forward <strong><u>eleven-dimensional space-time</u></strong>.<br>
</div><a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/05/string-theory-music-of-spheres.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-43212029061277432952010-05-05T23:30:00.026+02:002019-03-22T02:58:21.447+01:00Quantum Entanglement Questions. Quantum Weirdness.<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">'We must be clear that when it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry.' — </span><span style="color: #cc9933;">N. Bohr.</span><br>
<br>
What I most love of quantum mechanics is that it is <strong>nondeterministic</strong>, which means that it’s generally doesn’t predict the outcome of any <strong>measurement</strong> with certainty. Instead, it just provides the <u>probabilities of the outcomes</u>, so that ‘measurements of a certain property done on two apparently identical systems can give different answers’ — to put it simply, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">the Truth is unfathomable</span>. That’s how I’ve always perceived the universe and therefore life: <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">governed by the <u>uncertain definition</u> inherent in its very core.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><u>Quantum entanglement</u></strong></span>, also called <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>the quantum non-local connection</u></span></strong>, is a property of a quantum mechanical state of a system of two or more objects in which their <b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">quantum states</span></u></b> are linked together so that to describe one object you have to take into account its counterpart — even if they’re <b>spatially</b> separated.<br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/05/quantum-entanglement-questions-quantum.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-69420449818501159852010-04-24T02:01:00.033+02:002019-03-13T03:12:51.513+01:00Hawking Radiation and Black Hole Evaporation.<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><u>Bekenstein-Hawking radiation questions.</u></span><br>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about nature...' </span><em><span style="color: #ffd966;">"The philosophy of Niels Bohr" by Aage Petersen.</span></em><br>
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<u><strong>How does Hawking Radiation work?</strong></u><br>
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In 1974, <strong><u>Stephen Hawking</u></strong> set forth a theory that due to quantum effects black holes should emit a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><u>thermal radiation</u></strong></span> with a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><u>black body spectrum</u></strong></span>. Actually, he drew on two soviet scientists’ work who claimed that rotating black holes should create and emit particles according to the <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>quantum mechanical uncertainty principle</u></span></strong>. That means that black holes can lose mass and, if they spew out more matter than they gain, they might shrink, evaporate and eventually vanish. <br>
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This analysis is allegedly the first serious shot at a possible theory of <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong><u>quantum gravity</u></strong></span>, but there’s a catch — the existence of Hawking radiation hasn’t been proved so far. NASA launched a satellite to search for the expected gamma-ray flashes from the evaporating primordial black holes, and CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is bent on creating micro black holes in order to observe their evaporation, or that’s the part they let us in on. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-on-earth-is-hawking-radiation.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646827689193591358.post-7732344912640604792010-04-06T01:54:00.027+02:002019-03-13T02:34:13.665+01:00Casimir effect, vacuum fluctuations and zero-point energy.<span style="color: #ff6e66; font-size: large;">Or what I make of it.</span><br>
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<span style="color: #ffcc66; font-size: large;">'Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.' <span style="font-size: small;">— </span></span><span style="color: #ffcc66;">Albert Einstein.</span><br>
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It turns out a great number of science lovers seek simple explanation of abstruse scientific topics rather than techno-babble and a pile of mind-bending equations. As one great physicist said, if you can’t break a complex scientific question down so that even your granddad understands it, you yourself don’t understand it.<br>
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First, to put it simply, <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>classical mechanics</u></span></strong> deals with macroscopic objects, that is, things visible to the naked eye, while <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>quantum mechanics</u></span></strong> deals with the <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>wave-particle duality of atoms and molecules</u></span></strong>. That said, according to quantum field theory (quantum description of a physical field), the Casimir effect is a physical force produced by <strong><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>quantised field</u></span></strong>. <br>
<a href="http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com/2010/04/casimir-effect.html#more"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">For more stuff go to http://bsimeltingpot.blogspot.com</div>Stellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704814568338085726noreply@blogger.com4