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Sci-fi guru Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90

March 18, 2008 /

Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90.

Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30 a.m. local time after suffering breathing problems, aide Rohan De Silva said.

Full Story: MSNBC.

(Thanks Brenden).

Clarke’s three laws:

1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Joe Rogan on the isolation tank

March 18, 2008 /

One of the coolest things from the psychedelic movement of the 60’s that for some reason never really caught on with the mainstream is the isolation tank. It’s an amazing invention by the late, great psychonaut John Lilly. He was trying to find a way to isolate the mind and the thoughts to be completely independent of the distraction of normal sensory input from the body- like touch, sound, sight, etc.

The idea being that if you could get away from all of the normal, natural signals and distractions your mind could function on a much deeper level. What he came up with is a tank filled with water that’s heated to the same temperature as the surface of your skin, and it’s got 800lbs of Epsom salts in it, so that you float on the surface of the water. The water is heated to the same temperature as your skin, so when you lay in it after a while you can’t feel it. Your ears are under water so you don’t hear anything, and when you close the lid of the tank you’re in complete darkness. It’s a really freaky feeling, and at first it’s kind of hard to get comfortable. Your brain isn’t used to the experience, so it’ll start giving you ‘busy work’ – making you think that you’ve got to itch your nose, or move your arm or something, but if you can just breathe and relax you can get past this stage.
Once you learn to get comfortable it becomes amazing how clearly you can think and see things.

Full Story: Joe Rogan.

Develop Perfect Memory With the Memory Palace Technique

March 18, 2008 /

“The Memory Palace is one of the most powerful memory techniques I know. It’s not only effective, but also fun to use – and not hard to learn at all.

The Memory Palace has been used since ancient Rome, and is responsible for some quite incredible memory feats. Eight-time world memory champion Dominic O’Brien, for instance, was able to memorize 54 decks of cards in sequence (that’s 2808 cards), viewing each card only once. And there are countless other similar achievements attributed to people using the Memory Palace technique or variations of it. Even in fiction, there are several references to the technique. In Thomas Harris’ novel Hannibal, for example, serial killer Hannibal Lecter uses Memory Palaces to store amazingly vivid memories of years of intricate patient records (sadly, it was left off the movie).

Of course, most of us are not in Dominic’s memory championship line of business (or in Hannibal’s line of business for that matter). But still, the Memory Palace technique is amazingly effective in all kinds of endeavors, such as learning a foreign language, memorizing a presentation you’re about to deliver, preparing for exams and many others – even if all you want is to jog your memory.”

(via Litemind)

(Related: “The Art of Memory” via Renaissance Magazine. “The Art of Memory” by Edward Tanguay)

(A more occult/magickal look at “The Art of Memory” via The Society of Guardians)

Interview with inventor of organic electricity conductors in Wired

March 17, 2008 /

Wired: How did understanding the carbon molecule lead to connecting organic materials and electronics?

Inokuchi: Sixty years ago when I started studying carbon, there was very little data and few applications. What was known at the time was the structure of the molecule. You can get all the way down to just a few molecules of carbon and you find electrons that move freely.

The range for the carbon molecule is from graphite to benzene. These materials have several shared properties, and my belief that they must share more properties and with other materials made me look at properties of materials within the family of this material. This is a chemist’s thinking.

I did not start studying for electrical materials. I started out thinking about the properties of a material and knowing that it conducted heat and began looking for materials in the family that also conducted heat and electricity.

Full Story: Wired.

5 Floating Utopia and Ocean City Projects: From Seafaring Condos to Oceanic Micronations

March 16, 2008 /

The Celestopia Project

The Celestopia Project is a broad-scoped attempt at colonizing the Earth’s oceans one settlement at a time. According to one source, Celestopean Elemental Separators will (apparently) allow them to mine the ocean’s waters for not only ‘hydrogen and oxygen’ but also for ‘platinum and gold.’ Their more moderate homepage suggests they will use Thermal Energy Converters (OTECs) to harvest power from temperature differentials in the ocean. Life on these oceanic colonies will involve age-extending health practices and domed residences that will be resistant to the forces of nature. Each such floating city will be designed to house 5,000 to 10,000 people and these will slowly cover the surfaces of all of the Earth’s oceans.

Full Story: WebUrbanist.

Cobalt on Lost and apophenia

March 16, 2008 /

Cobalt connects Lost to, well, pretty much everything.

Full Story: Hatch 23.

Podcast round-up

March 16, 2008 /

GSPOT: Wes Unruh interviews Taylor Ellwood.

Phase II: Hypershielf Pt. 2.

GSPOT: Joseph Matheny and Chandra Shukla Interview Andrew Liles.

Viking Youth: Erik Davis on Scientology.

Viking Youth: The Knee Deep Slumber of the American Buffet.

Point of Inquiry: Norm Allen – African American Religiosity, Humanism, and Politics.

Point of Inquiry: Robert M. Price – The Paperback Apocalypse.

Adam Gorightly: Dr. Edgar Mitchell.

Adam Gorightly: Kentroversy Returns.

Occult of Personality: Bishop T Allen Greenfield on gnosticism.

Occult of Personality: Lon Milo Duquette.

The Cost of Superstition

March 15, 2008 /

“A word of warning to those who believe in lucky numbers, auspicious colors and star-crossed dates: Beware. The Ides of March are upon us. Only those familiar with history or William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” readily may recognize the reference to March 15, the day of Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C. The Roman calendar designated monthly Ides, or midpoint, days that fell either on the 13th or 15th day, depending on the month.

After Caesar’s untimely exit, superstitious Romans well may have avoided launching a business, marriage or other important venture on a date so cloaked in doom it eventually entered the lexicon as a metaphor for impending catastrophe. Despite vast advances in knowledge and technology over the last 2,000 years, it turns out people today aren’t so different from the ancients when it comes to superstition and the way it affects decision-making and the economy, according to new research.”

(via The Chicago Tribune)

Take lessons from Joe Rogan

March 15, 2008 /

I’m drunk, but Joe Rogan makes me giddy with glee.

I can’t find a embeddable video, and I am too lazy at this point to keep looking. But here is a gooder. Joe Rogan talking to the Holy Spirit. Worth a watch.

Joeshow – Episode 6: The Holy Hooker

Goal: Everyone out there with a webcam or video camera or whatever, start recording some shit, interviews, ideas, and just post it. Once I get my shit together, I’ll get some stuff together. I think Klint’s been kicking around the idea, too.

YAY REALITY!

Brian Jungen: Nike Shoes turn Mythical

March 14, 2008 /

Jungen1

“I am fascinated by Canadian sculptor Brian Jungen’s remarkable work, using Nike sneakers and human hair to create these stunning mythic masks (very reminiscent of Pacific Northwest Indian art). The black, white, and red Air Jordons share the same bold palette as many Native American artifacts. Jungen is particularly intriqued by the way meaning is layered when a familiar object is repositioned to evoke something entirely different. “

(via The Journal of Mythic Arts: News and Reviews. Brian Jungen’s work via the Catriona Jeffries Gallery)

 

 

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