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It gets stranger. Eta carinae is also an ultraviolet laser.

It will be interesting to see whether such phenomena are actually found.

Some scientists have theorized that quasars are *not* distant galaxies, but stars with a peculiar lens-effect that causes a very large perceived red shift.

Part of the problem with the idea that the red shift is a doppler effect is that the observed quasars are apparently all in a relatively spherical arrangement about the Earth, thus implying that the Earth must be the center of the observed universe.

It could be that this is just an artifact of observation: we see the quasars as equidistant from Earth because we are perceiving them from Earth. But it is very strange and implies a problem with the theory.

A paper on this subject is available.

Blind faith [is bad], definitely. [but] ... what is demonstrably bad about believing in some kind of higher power?

I'm tempted to take the Socratic method and ask: "what's so bad about blind faith?"
From there, I'd ask what the difference is between "faith in some kind of higher power" and "blind faith".
The latter question is a strawman argument, of course: there (presumably) being no evidence for a higher power, one believes in such only by virtue of "blind faith".

The stronger answer, though, is that the great miracles of the modern world -- technology, sciences (including economics, the study of which can allow people to interact peacefully even if they have widely conflicting beliefs) -- all depend on the Scientific Method, as put together by William of Ockham, Fracis Bacon, and elucidated more precisely by Karl Popper.

Basically, if you train yourself to truly believe only that for which you have experimental evidence (and you're always willing to drop those beliefs in the face of new, contradictory evidence), then you have a shot at really understanding How the World Works, and I assert that humanity's best chance for survival is by really understanding How the World Works. Richard Feynman is quite eloquent in describing this in his various books and lectures.

Faith in any kind of supra-natural "stuff" -- pixies, god(s), you name it -- foils that wonderful, scientific-method, mental training. And it's not that a good scientist can't have any kind of blind faith; just that, like driving a car with the parking brake on, the latter impedes the former, which succeeds only to the degree that it overpowers the dampening effect.

Interesting, read section 3, "Meteor Streaks"

When was the last time you saw an invisible laser.. lasers are in the visible light spectrum

I'm not a physicist, but I've seen lots of inivisble lasers (okay, not the beam itself, but you know...). Lasers in both the infrared and ultraviolet regions are commonplace. Google for "infrared laser" or "ultraviolet laser" and you'll find many, many examples of each.

I suppose you could make some sort of argument that the L in LASER if for "light," and that IR and UV somehow aren't light because we can't see them. But insects and perhaps some animals can see in those regions, so it'd be a difficult position to defend. Both IR and UV are called "light" in general use. Additionally, there's no significant physical difference between a visible light laser and a UV or IR laser. And scientists now use the term "laser" even where most people would agree that the electromagnetic energy in question falls outside the part of the spectrum that we tend to think of as "light," e.g. x-ray lasers and microwave lasers.

Here you go...

the apparent superluminal expansion is explained neatly away by the fact that the jet of the quasars are pointed right at us.

One would immediately have to ask how come so very many of them turn out to be aimed right at us, given 360x360 degrees for them to "choose" from? <python>Are these quasars all French, to fart in our general direction like that?</python> However, it turns out that even if this grossly unlikely coincidence is true, we face yet other problems. Some of these quasars are so bright (if the deduced brightness is correct and I bet it ain't) that there's not enough room around the quasar to squeeze out anything like that many photons, to say nothing of any putative mechanism for producing so much light. Here is another attempt at explanation to chew on. There are a few serious alternatives around, hinting that a real problem exists. Don't confuse "unorthodox" with "wrong". You can't use orthodox authority to defend orthodox dogma, that's a tautology! (-:

(quoting article) Arp drew attention to quasars interlinking with galaxies.

You may not like what Arp has to say, but Arp only drew attention to this phenomenon, he didn't invent it, and he's not been alone. It is one of several sticks in the spokes of cosmological orthodoxy, and as long as we resolutely hold to only building on that orthodoxy, never daring to step outside its holy tenets, for just so long we'll be scientifically stalled. Arp has some wild and untamed theories, and I don't think they're going to turn out to be anything like as correct as he evidently hopes, but several of his observations are valuable pointers away from some of our current dead ends.

Oh come now. I will point to this link instead of retyping the same data, but this is all well known now. I've seen the Glaspie tape, and leaving it out of your previous chronology was either a mistake or biased apologism on your part.

Your case would be stronger if you included the data that does not perfectly fit your views. You sound like you are just parroting the American Spectator.

The US goverment purposely demonized Reagan's former bosom-buddy Saddam Hussein (which was easy, he's pretty demonic after all) and refused to allow him any options that would preserve his sovereignty and also prevent American invasion. He's just a ugly, pathetic little whipping boy for the US like Noriega was; so, what purpose does toying with him serve?

I continue to believe that US attacks on Iraq are driven by economic and political issues in the USA. You haven't shown me any explanations that are more likely.

Similarly, I've heard, but I can't find a reference now (I think it may have been on a history of science list or something), that many physics labs had working microwave ovens as early as 1935, and while cooking wasn't what it was supposed to be used for, it was... :-)

The LASER was indeed not realized before the 1950-ties, but you can find many folks who worked on early LASERs that will tell you that Einstein really did most of the work a lot earlier. It was his ideas.

Uruk is a city in Iraq.

Remember that this is based on observations of Quasars. There are several alternative theories to explain the apparent red shift of Quasars. Here's one of them.

These theories claim that Quasars are much closer and less bright than currently assumed. Needless to say, if any of these alternative theories are correct the speed of light may not need any adjustments, after all.

And, right now, there are no guns on Mars to force explorers away.

Oh I beg to differ!

Lasers ain't natural. If you find lasers, you find life.

Not so - there are natural lasers; all you need are the right conditions.
Examples from space: ultraviolet lasers, Microwave lasers (masers) and near infrared lasers.

Lasers ain't natural. If you find lasers, you find life.

Not so - there are natural lasers; all you need are the right conditions.
Examples from space: ultraviolet lasers, Microwave lasers (masers) and near infrared lasers.

--

Hal Clement is the name that Harry Stubbs uses when he writes Science Fiction. When he does astronomical artwork, he uses the name of George Richards. He is a member of First Fandom, meaning he predates almost all of us as a Science Fiction Fan, and was a Pilot during World War II. I have had the priveledge to have Hal/Harry/George as a guest at the Science Fiction convention that I helped to create and run, CANCON.

If you ever get a chance to meet him, please make the effort to do so, because he is a wonderful person to chat with, in addition to be a great writer, famous fan and talented artist.
ttyl

Farrell

It is really telling that the Creation company, which runs for-profit Science Fiction and Star Trek Conventions is involved this these people. I remember my first and only Creation Con back in the Early '80s...back then Fan run cons where charging $20 for a weekend membership, and it cost me $25 for one day at the Creation Con. Creation Cons are consistantly over priced, have crappy programming and driven up the speaker's fee s for guests so much that the average convention cannot afford guests. Thankfully, SF Book oriented conventions never really became a target for Creation...we still have good, inexpensive conventions for people who enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy Books!
ttyl
Farrell J. McGovern
Founder, CAN-CON Ottawa, Canada (That is the same places a OLS)

• Vibration: You're going to have to insulate the smeg out of the equipment
• Batteries: R/C planes use a bunch of battery juice as it is. Adding a `fly by camera' interface would probably double the battery requirements.
• Flying: Unless you're going to put in four cameras (along with instruments (altitude, artificial horizon, pitch/yaw/roll rate, etc)), you're going to have a cast iron bitch of a time controlling the beast. Think about how much information it takes for a real pilot in a real plane to fly - 360 degree vision, a dozen instruments, and his sense of equlibrium(sp?). To duplicate that in a {quarter|fith|tenth} scale model that flys at a simulated speed of 1000 mph (200 mph ground speed in a fifth-scale model) would be very, very expensive and very difficult to control. Not only that, but you'd likely need a friend watching the plane to tell you when it was about to pancake into the runway...

Here's the review. Standard review for culture so bad it presents nothing interesting to talk about: the reviewer tells a story about himself instead. Cruel, but not rising to OldManMurray's subterranean level by any means.

and here's the response. Standard response from an "artist" who uses his wit (well, half of it) to cover up genuinely hurt feelings. Sort of sad.

-jpowers

The photos are Here

Here's a time magazine article,an interview , his bio.



Bad Command Or File Name

Damn... this is for real! http://www.achilles.net/~dextr a/spako/spidergod.html

Or we can go a little further back to one of the foundations behind many laws. The Code of Hammurabi, its full text in English, or its foundations, Babylonian law.

109. If conspirators meet in the house of a tavern-keeper, and these conspirators are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put to death.
Granted, Yahoo might consider that a little harsh.