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demi-shoggoth · 2 years

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2022 Reading Log, pt 1

Figured I’d keep this going...

001. Molecules by Theodore Gray, photos by Nick Mann. Starting off the new year with some chemistry, and by filling in a gap. I’ve read both Elements and Reactions by the same team of author and photographer, but had missed Molecules until now. This book discusses bond types, valence shells and nomenclature, among other chemistry topics, in an engaging and easy way, before moving on to a wide variety of interesting chemicals. Fibers, drugs and poisons, flavor molecules and dyes are all covered, among others. It’s a lot of fun, very pretty and informative, and it’s a good foot to start on. Incidentally, this is the book where the tumblr infamous “forbidden bath toy” of the pure sodium duck appears.

002. A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth by Henry Gee. This book was much weirder than I thought it was going to be. The format was what I was expecting—each chapter covers an era of geologic time and the evolutionary transitions that occurred during it. And the book does a good job of setting the context for major phases based on atmospheric and continental conditions. What’s odd is that the author makes very big claims without supporting them in any way (and there are plenty of citations for other claims). Some of these claims are merely old fashioned and not supported by modern evidence—that the sails of Dimetrodon and other stem-mammals were definitely thermoregulatory devices and that giant birds were the primary land predators of the Paleocene. Others are just bonkers, like the idea that pterosaurs were incompetent fliers that were torn apart by inclement weather during the separation of Pangaea, or that Neanderthals were subterranean humans who only emerged onto the surface to hunt (a comparison to Morlocks is specifically made). The last chapter, predicting what will happen in the post-human future, is at least acknowledged as speculation, first borrowing from After Man, and then declaring that the final phase of life on earth will be endosymbiotic superorganisms made from plant, fungal and animal cells in combination. A very peculiar book for what is supposed to be a general introduction to paleontology; not sure I can recommend it.

003. The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Henrik Drescher. Another monster book for children recommended to me by @abominationimperatrix , this is a global guide to various monsters around the world, rated on a scale of 1-5 for deadliness. The art style is bold and eccentric—think Quentin Blake off the shits—and the monsters covered are from a broad variety of sources, including a number I’d never heard of. The most over the top possible description of most monsters is the one pictured; the cover critter, for example, is apparently a rakshasa. What I found especially sophisticated is the afterword, which talks about how monsters are used by cultures around the world to enforce societal norms and illustrate taboos. Pretty heady stuff for a book aimed at the 6-10 set.

004. Turtles of the World by Jeffrey E. Lovich and Whit Gibbons. Following in the wake of Spiders of the World and Lizards of the World comes… turtles! Since there’s less turtles than there are spiders or lizards, this book actually manages to cover every genus, with photographs, information on distribution and natural history, and conservation status. If you like the previous two of the World books published by Princeton Press, this will also suit your fancy. There was one thing, however, which stood out to me as frustrating. The image captions only refer to the animals by common name, and the infobox refers to them only by scientific name. So only if the particular species is covered in the main text will you get an association of the two names and know exactly what organism the picture is of. Really grinds my gears, and prevents me from giving this my fullest recommendation.

005. Dinopedia by Darren Naish. This is a pocket-sized, A-Z guide to dinosaur biology. Three major themes run through it: coverage of most of the major clades, discussions of important dinosaur workers, and alternate hypotheses and controversies in dinosaur biology. Dinosaurs in culture take up a fourth place rank, with entries on Jurassic Park and the Zallinger mural in the Peabody Museum. I found this book highly enjoyable, but I wonder how well it would play with a reader who’s not already familiar with dinosaur phylogeny. Terms like Thyreophora and Ornithoscelida are thrown around casually, which might overwhelm people not accustomed to the terminology. Also it’s very clear that this is Darren Naish’s Dinopedia—the authorial voice is strong and he takes sides on controversies and public figures (at least usually; he amusingly says that his opinion on whether “thagomizer” is an appropriate term for stegosaur tail spikes or is too jokey is “the majority opinion, whatever that is”.)

#reading log #paleontology #dinosaurs #chemistry #molecules #monster book #turtles

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kaidemir · 4 years

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location: pangaea

status:closed | @bashianofonte

The two month waiting period had done him well to get adjusted to some things in Astoria. Like the neighborhoods and some of the local businesses. More importantly, some of their owners. So after he’d received his device and spent his day basking in the warmth of the sun near the seaport he made his way toward the brewery. It was a quaint establishment. He’d been to a few in his travels, with the tours of the process unique to each one and most with a small bar area attached. Kai was not there to check out the brewery, however, nor learn their process of brewing craft brews. He was there to end a nearly fifty year long game of hide and seek he was playing with someone he couldn’t ever seem to get out of his head. Oh, and how he had tried, more times than he would willingly admit.

“Hello dear,” he greeted the kind looking server when she dropped a menu in front of him. It had been a good day, and he was in a better than usual mood. Perfect time to see an old - he wasn’t quite sure what he’d label it. “I was actually hoping you had an Italian import or something similar.” The words dripped out of his mouth coated in honey and his eyes wandered away from her to a man just on the other side of the large room. Not just a man, a light and an anchor. A black hole at times or, perhaps, a magnet that constantly tugged at him regardless of where they were in the world. “Nevermind, love. I found the one I was looking for.” Kai flashed her a quick smile and made his way toward the dark haired owner. His eyes lit up at the sight of him. Much better in person than trapped in photos and memories that replayed in his mind like a bad film.

He moved to lean against the bar, his grin mellowing to a small smile. “Ciao Bashian.” A casual hello, as if he didn’t know the man for nearly three centuries. “You didn’t come looking this time.” He pointed out. A brief part of him wondered if that meant the other had moved on, finally became sick of him after all that time. “Thought to come see you and what the hype of this place is all about.” His hands moved and he did a small spin to accentuate his words. “I forgive you by the way. Did you miss me, habibi?” his words were light, but his expression was not. He searched his face with his eyes, taking in every inch and minute movement for a sign of what was to come next. Would he throw him out? Embrace him? If Kai’s heart could still beat, even for a minute, he was sure it would hit over a thousand strong flutters in that very moment.

#c: bashian fonte #bash 01

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multiverseforger · 3 years

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Ka-Zar is Kevin Reginald, Lord Plunder, born in Castle Plunder, Kentish Town, London, England. He is the eldest son of Lord Robert Plunder, the English nobleman who discovered the Savage Land. After his mother had died and his father was killed by the barbaric Man-Ape natives of the Savage Land, Plunder was found and raised by the sabertooth tiger Zabu, who possesses near-human intelligence thanks to a mutation caused by radioactive mists.[4] "Ka-Zar" means "Son of the Tiger" in the language of the Man-Apes. Ka-Zar and Zabu are constant partners. Ka-Zar became an expert hunter, trapper, and fisherman, living off the wild land.

In the Savage Land, some territories are populated by several human or humanoid tribes, and while most of them are on friendly terms with Ka-Zar, some of them consider him an outlander and an enemy. He acts more like an unofficial general protector, preventing outside commercial exploitation, such as poaching and mining, as well as enforcing peace between tribes and serving as goodwill ambassador to friendly visitors.

The original X-Men discovered the Savage Land, and Ka-Zar encountered them, battling Maa-Gor for the first time.[5] He then encountered Daredevil for the first time, and battled his brother Parnival, who had become the supervillain called the Plunderer.[6] He first battled Magneto's Savage Land Mutates alongside the X-Men.[7] He then encountered the Hulk for the first time, and battled Umbu the Unliving.[8] He was once 'tricked' into confronting Spider-Man after J. Jonah Jameson convinced him that Spider-Man was a menace when the wall-crawler's memory was erased and he was tricked into working with Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man's memory was restored during the fight, with Ka-Zar subsequently apologizing for the mistake and proclaiming Spider-Man as the most valiant opponent he had ever fought.[9] Ka-Zar then battled Kraven the Hunter for the first time.[10] Shortly after this encounter, Ka-Zar encounters Zaladane and Garokk for the first time.[11]

After the Savage Land became known to outsiders after the visit by the X-Men, many people began traveling to the territory. Ka-Zar has also become romantically involved with female visitors, the first being S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Barbara Morse (who later became the Avenger named Mockingbird).[12] He first battled A.I.M., and met the Man-Thing.[13] He then met Spider-Man once again, and battled the extraterrestrial Gog.[14] He next met the adventurer Shanna O'Hara,.[15] He battled Klaw, and visited other dimensions.[16] He and his allies faded mysteriously from that other dimension,[17] then teamed with the X-Men to battle Zaladane and a reborn Garokk.[18]

Ka-Zar, during a search for the lost Zabu, later discovered Pangaea, an ancient refuge created by the Atlanteans.[19] Ka-Zar and Shanna began to gradually fall in love.[20] He then battles Belasco for the first time.[21] After a meeting with A.I.M. spies disguised as scientists, Ka-Zar is shot in the head, but survives. He is flown to New York City, but escapes the plane at Kennedy Airport.[22] With no memory and no ability to speak, he wanders New York, saving lives and fighting crime. His memory returns and he encounters Kraven The Hunter again, who has been released from prison by an A.I.M. agent to capture him.[23] Saved by Shanna and Spider-Man, he is brought to the hospital where A.I.M. fakes his death in order to use him in a scheme.[24] Escaping with Spider-Man's aid, he and Shanna return to the Savage Land.[25] He later marries Shanna, who has taken the name Shanna the She-Devil.[26] During the ceremony, a war (incited by the machinations of Belasco) breaks out in Pangea, which ends when Ka-Zar and Shanna are banished.[27] His brother Parnival arrived in the Savage Land, searching for anti-metal Vibranium, and was apparently killed during his scheme (though much later turned up alive).[28] During this scheme, a Nuwali transport device is uncovered, and Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu are transported to the Nuwali planet. The Nuwali use human adrenalin to poison their rivals, and also reveal to Shanna that she is pregnant.[29]

Ka-Zar has teamed up with several of Marvel's heroes. The X-Men are recurrent visitors to the Savage Land and Ka-Zar has been a frequent ally, helping the mutant team defeat both inside and outside menaces such as Sauron and Magneto. He has met Spider-Man on several occasions, one of which involved stopping Stegron the Dinosaur Man from invading New York City with Savage Land dinosaurs. Ka-Zar has also assisted the Avengers in their attempt to repel the space conqueror Terminus, but while they rescued many natives, they were unable to prevent the destruction of the Savage Land. Ka-Zar was rescued by the Avengers, but left the Savage Land for the civilized world.[30] Together, he and Shanna had a son named Matthew. The territory was later reconstructed by the High Evolutionary using Garokk, and Ka-Zar and Shanna returned with their newborn and resumed their previous roles.[31]

Ka-Zar and Shanna separated for a time,[32] but got back together before long. Ka-Zar fought and defeated Thanos in one of his many attempts to end life, and later sought the help of investigator Jessica Jones for assistance locating Zabu.[33]

Shanna and Ka-Zar find Skrulls mining the rare metal vibranium in the Savage Land. Soon afterward as part of the Secret Invasion storyline, a Skrull ship crashes in the Savage Land releasing earlier versions of modern superheroes (who claim to be the originals replaced by Skrulls for some time), and who have escaped. Shanna and Ka-Zar soon learn, however, that these are simply more Skrulls in disguise. Spider-Man soon encounters Ka-Zar, Shanna, Zabu, and some of the natives accusing them of being Skrulls. Just then, the Captain America from the ship attacked thinking the same for Spider-Man. Ka-Zar, Shanna, and Zabu help Spider-Man fight the Captain America from the ship until he is hit by a dart that causes him to regress to a Skrull named Pitt'o Nili, who is killed by Shanna while still believing himself to be Captain America due to the extensive mind conditioning carried out on him.[34] He then later goes with the rest of the Avengers to New York City to help them fight off the Skrull invasion while Shanna stays behind with Zabu to fight off anymore Skrulls left in the Savage Land.[35]

Ka-Zar later meets Reptil when he and Tigra have rescued Moon-Boy. After reuniting Moon-Boy with Devil Dinosaur, Ka-Zar tells Reptil that he will help him find his parents.[36]

Ka-Zar and Shanna later encounter the return of the Ethereals and end up fighting them when it comes to the Ethereals wanting the tribes of the Savage Land to be united with them.[37]

He later teams with Skaar to protect the Savage Land from outside forces.[38]

Ka-Zar later appears as a member of the Agents of Wakanda.[39]

During "The War of the Realms" storyline, Ka-Zar picks up Gorilla-Man from the Wundagore Zoo in Transia, who was discussing with Ursa Major about an undercover operation he is running for Black Panther, and takes him to Avengers Mountain. Ka-Zar and Gorilla Man are then seen inside Roxxon's secret base in Antarctica, fighting the company's Berserkers alongside Blade.[40]

During the "Empyre" storyline, Ka-Zar is unable to reach Shanna the She-Devil. Black Panther instructs Brother Voodoo to take Ka-Zar, Zabu, Black Knight, and Scarlet Witch with him to investigate. They arrive to find a slain Tyrannosaurus as Scarlet Witch senses they are surrounded. The group is attacked by the Cotati and they fight them until the Cotati Ventri unleash Man-Thing who they have under their control. As Ventri states that the Savage Land and the world will be theirs, Ka-Zar is shocked to find that the Cotati have gained control of Shanna.[41] Due to her connection with the Savage Land's lifeforce which the Cotati took advantage of, Shanna tries to get Ka-Zar to join them as Matthew states to Black Knight that they have to do something. Doctor Voodoo used a trick to do a mental trick. Scarlet Witch does the same as she tries to free Shanna from the Cotati's control. To assist her, Scarlet Witch brings Ka-Zar into Shanna's mind where he learns that some creatures in the Savage Land are dying and trees are falling. As Matthew and Black Knight fight the Cotati, a Doctor Voodoo-controlled Man-Thing fights the Cotati's control and defeats Ventri. When Ka-Zar frees Shanna from the Cotati's control, he is stabbed by a Cotati using Black Knight's Ebony Blade.[42] As Scarlet Witch and Doctor Voodoo work to extract Ka-Zar's soul, Shanna the She-Devil uses the same waters that revived him in order to heal Ka-Zar. It works as Ka-Zar turns the tide on the Cotati invaders where dinosaurs show up to help.

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a-c-franklin-blog · 4 years

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Leap!

(Chronologically)

“—asked for this—”

“Look out!” he called. They both hit the water with a ringing smack.

She came up spluttering. “…And now we’re in the ocean. Did you take us all the way to Pangaea?”

“I can fix this! I swear! Oh…”

“What?”

“It’s not water—”

***

“—go!”

“Where are we?”

“How should I know?”

“What do you mean ‘how should I know’? You sent us here!”

“Excuse me? I’m not the one that started this—”

The thud cut her off mid-rant.

He cleared his throat nervously. “Uh…did you hear that?”

She snorted. “You know what? It’s probably a dinosaur. I say, let it eat us! I never—"

***

“—know what’s wrong.”

It was silent as he worked on the device. At least at first.

She glanced around uneasily. “We’re getting looks.”

His attention remained fixed on the device. “So what? Just give me a minute to properly set—”

She grabbed for it in a panic. “We don’t have a minute.”

“Wha—stop touching it! I almost—”

“We don’t have a minute. Go now. Go, go—”

***

The two of them stared at the skyscraper deficient landscape for a long moment in disbelief.

“You and your stupid ideas,” she grumbled.

“I swear it’s not my fault!”

“What did you do? Where are we?”

His expression brightened. “Oh. Oh! I can fix this, I—"

***

“It’s a time machine!”

“Are you crazy?”

He grinned. “Relax. I don’t expect it to work.”

She set her elbow on her desk, eyeing the device in his hands. “Mmhm.”

“Want to give it a try anyway?”

“Better make it quick. I have a meeting in an hour.”

“’Quick.’ Ha.”

“Shut up and use the thing already.”

With a shrug, he pressed a sequence of buttons on the small device. With a bang, they were gone.

***

“—proof.”

“…Are we…this is my lab. Oh, yes! Yes, thank God!”

“Uh….”

She held her dripping hair away from her face to scowl at him. “What now?”

“It’s completely fried.”

“Good.”

#short fiction #scifi #time travel #humour

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 5 years

Video

youtube

Preparing for a lunar spacewalk Developing the safest and most efficient way to return to the Moon starts on Earth. European astronauts and spacewalk experts are preparing for the future of Moon exploration with electronic aids, upgraded geological tools from the Apollo era and improved scientific protocols. In November, ESA conducted a moonwalk simulation in Lanzarote, Spain as part of Pangaea-X, a test campaign that brought together space exploration, high-tech survey equipment and geology. Wearing a bulky spacesuit in an alien environment is one of the constraints humans will have to deal with on the Moon. The new operational concepts and equipment prototypes being tested take into account the limited movement these spacesuits allow. Communication between the scientists and astronauts is also a key part in enhancing the efficiency of future expeditions to the Moon. The scientists at ground control used an innovative tool called the Electronic Field Book that shows all relevant data in one place and includes voice chat. The communications tool is an all-in-one, easy-to-use and plug-and-play device. These Pangaea-X dry-runs are testing the waters for future exploration with a space gateway, from which a lunar spacewalk coordinator could guide astronauts on the Moon in cooperation with a planetary geologist in mission control on Earth.

#space #science #human spaceflight #ESA

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edshelf · 6 years

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edshelf Weekly - Science Apps

As mobile devices and apps become more sophisticated, their usefulness to science lessons expand as well. Here are some teacher-recommended mobile apps that have aided science teachers in their instruction.

FEATURED TOOL

Lab4Physics - Use the built-in sensors of your mobile device as a portable physics measurement lab tool. FREEMIUM

NOVA Elements - Learn the periodic table of elements with this interactive table, game, and two-hour NOVA program. FREE

Weather by Tinybop - Explore the elements that make up the weather - such as heat, water, and air - in this interactive weather simulation. PAID

Alchemie Connections - Play a series of challenging puzzles with stars and constellations to learn more about astronomy. PAID

pangaea - Watch the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea and the positions of the continents over the last 200 million years on a 3D globe. PAID

Want more? Check out these shelves of tools created by members like you.

Science Tools - Curated by technology educator and instructional designer Andrea Meyers.

Interactive Simulations - Curated by teachnology integration specialist Jennifer Hettler.

Enjoy these great tools for educators and students! Looking for previous issues of the edshelf Weekly? All are available online.

Want a fresh copy of the edshelf Weekly newsletter in your inbox too? Sign up with edshelf today!

- Mike Lee, Co-founder of edshelf

#education #edtech #edshelf #edshelf weekly #science #science apps #science mobile apps #physics apps #chemistry apps #STEM apps

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bk-lostintranslation · 4 years

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ESSAY: Globalization - Limits & Liminality as Explored in “Paprika”

Kon’s animated film Paprika, through symbolic and stylized means, serves as a critical frame for the phenomenon of globalization.

X-Posted at Pangaea Journal

Inspired by Yasutaka Tsutsui’s titular novel, Paprika begins much in the same fashion as it ends: in medias res, with a phantasmagorical montage of cultural iconography, quirky characters and surreal scenery interwoven at a frenzied pace, each scene jumping into the next with a fluidity that coalesces time and space itself into a distinctly Einsteinian continuum. Audiences are left dazed, disoriented, yet intrigued: there is no way to know whether the introductory sequence is chronicling a dream, or reality, or a freakish blend of both. This destabilizing visual narrative is fairly typical of Satoshi Kon’s craft, yet what calls for critical focus is the unique symbolism underpinning his work. Beneath its rich and densely-layered imagery, the film tackles a number of pertinent issues: from whether multimedia has warped from a benign platform into the jealous architect of our desires; to the tragic dissolution of individual ideas and complex cultures into a miasma of grotesque transnationalism; to whether the weakening friction-of-distance within a digitized world has brought us closer together, or merely distorted the very axes upon which time-space functions and is perceived. Indeed, at its crux, the film embraces a broad spectrum of issues uniquely linked to globalization, all while invoking relevant aspects of human fallacy and social degradation.

Central to Paprika, from the beginning, is its clear disdain for the linearity and two-dimensionalism of traditional narrative. Instead, like a hallucination, there appear to be no distinguishable boundaries between characters or places, no fixed destinations or rational coordinates. The most vivid example is the introductory sequence, where the eponymous protagonist, Paprika, leaps winsomely out of a man’s dreams and into the physical world: flitting from brightly-lit billboards as static eye-candy to a well-meaning sentry spying through computer screens to a godlike specter freezing busy traffic with a snap of her fingers to an ordinary girl chomping hamburgers at a diner to a stylized decal on a boy’s T-shirt to a motorcyclist careening through late-night streets (0:06:12-0:07:49).

Space and time are rendered meaningless – or, rather, are reshaped into something entirely novel and surreal. As Paprika navigates through a complex and dynamic mediascape, she effectively embodies the spilling-over of the virtual into the physical world – and, more significantly, of both the subtle and blatant permeation of media-based globalization in every step of our lives. Indeed, with its alternately fascinating and disturbing chaos of imagery, the very premise of Paprika blurs the boundaries between the inner and outer-worlds, conveying through both symbolic and subtextual allusions the phenomenon of globalization run riot – a dreamscape that unfolds with the benign promise of forging new connections, only to seep past the barriers of reality and engulf and reshape the world to the imperatives of dystopian homogeneity at best, and the subjugation and disintegration of individual autonomy at worst.

It can be argued, of course, that it is hypocritical for animation – in many ways the nexus of metamedia in its most intrinsically illusory form – to lambaste globalization. The media pivots on globalization in all its multifaceted vagaries, and vice versa. Renowned social theorist Marshall McLuhan, who coined the phrase ‘the global village’ in his groundbreaking work The Medium is the Message, was one of the first to point out that the form of a medium implants itself inextricably into whatever message it conveys in a synergistic relationship: “All media work us over completely. They are so pervasive in their personal, political, economic, aesthetic, psychological, moral, ethical, and social consequences that they leave no part of us untouched, unaffected, unaltered (26).” That the media and the phenomenon of globalization go hand-in-hand, shaping and influencing one another, therefore goes without saying. However, what the imagery of Paprika draws attention to is how the multiplicity of media leads to unpredictable consequences and vicissitudes – which are not always quantifiable or even tangible. Much in the same way technology and global interconnectivity have narrowed – at times even erased – the demarcations of time and space, so too have they led to paradigm shifts of what it means to belong to a static, physical place as a cultural and individual identifier.

Globalization is often defined as fundamentally kaleidoscopic, with a dizzying mobility of ideological, economic, physical and cultural interchanges across a rhizomatous network – but one that is increasingly powered by its own unstable energies and its own besieged and untidy logic. Of particular interest is the ‘disembodied’ component of globalization, where the flow of information and capital is increasingly encoded and abstract, and thus increasingly more likely to permeate local spaces that may not always be open to such profound transformation, imposition and redefinition. In their work, The Quantum Society, Zohar and Marshall liken the chaotic, fractal nature of the modern world to quantum reality, stating that it

…has the potential to be both particle-like and wave-like. Particles are individuals, located and measurable in space and time. Waves are ‘nonlocal,’ they are spread out across all of space and time, and their instantaneous effects are everywhere. Waves extend themselves in every direction at once, they overlap and combine with other waves to form new realities, new emergent wholes (326).

Unarguably, the focal point in Paprika is globalization as a catalyst of “new realities.” But while these can be captivating and edifying, allowing us to create or explore new identities, or to grow more closely tethered together, they can also represent the sinister infiltration of exploitative elements within our most intimate lives. This is made chillingly evident through the plot of the film, which centers on the theft of the DC Mini – a futuristic device that allows two people to share the same dream. While intended as a tool to help treat patients’ latent neuroses and deep-seated pathologies, the film makes clear that, if misused, this prototype can not only allow an intruder to access and influence another’s dreams, but can unleash the collective dream-world into the sphere of reality itself. The DC Mini, on its own, would function as a tepid metaphor for the symbiotic dance between globalization and technology. But following its theft, the resultant chaos it invokes sets the riveting, psychedelic stage upon which the inner-world of dreams erupts out into mundane reality, a fantastical convergence that not only threatens the safety of the entire city, but also denies each citizen their own private realm of dreams, within which they have the freedom to nurture a true inner-self. As Dr. Chiba – the no-nonsense alter-ego of our dreamscape superheroine Paprika – remarks: the victims of the abused DC Mini have become mere “empty shells, invaded by collective dreams… Every dream [the stolen DC Mini] came into contact with was eaten up into one huge delusion.” The scene is made particularly memorable by its vivid visual symbolism: two droplets of rainwater on a car window merging into one, highlighting the irresistible flow between not only dreams and reality, but the liminality of globalization as a fluid force that cannot be bound by temporal or spatial delineations (0:52:12-0:52:37).

It is precisely this unpredictable fluidity that runs rampant across real-life Tokyo in the film, wreaking havoc in its wake. Of particular interest is the gorgeous riot of imagery employed to represent the collective ‘delusion:’ the recurring motif of a parade, in all its clamorous splendor, that unfurls through the city streets, infusing spectators with its own peculiar brand of madness. For its eye-popping and mind-bending details alone, the sequence warrants close examination. But accompanying the visual feast is the nightmarish gamut of cultural, technological, social and historical commentary embedded within its imagery. To the cheerful proclamations of, “It’s showtime!” a procession of Japanese salarymen leap with suicidal serenity off of rooftops; below, the bodies of drunkenly-staggering bar-hoppers morph into unbalanced musical instruments, while families frolicking through the parade transform into rotund golden Maneki-neko to disturbing chants of, “The dreams will grow and grow! Let’s grow the tree that blooms money!” Here, in a scathing political lampoon, politicians wrestle one another in their eagerness to climb to the top of a parade-float; there, a row of schoolgirls in sailor uniforms, with cellphones for heads, lift their skirts for the eager gazes of equally cellphone-headed males.

Satoshi Kon does not bother with coy subtext; he announces the mind-degenerating effects of globalization on both dramatic and symbolic planes: a parade that swells into disorder and eventual destruction, headed by a clutter of sentient refrigerators, televisions, microwave ovens, vacuum cleaners, deck tapes and automobiles. Traditional Japanese kitsch competes with lurid Americana; cultural symbols like Godzilla and the Statue of Liberty waltz alongside such religious icons as the Virgin Mary, Vishnu and the Buddha, while disembodied torii arches and airplanes soar overhead to the discordant serenade of money toads and durama dolls. The effect is at once hypnotic and horrific; the vortex of collective dreams lures in countless spellbound bystanders, transforming them into just another mindless facet of the parade, from a robot to a toy to a centerpiece on a parade-palanquin. Witnessing the furor, one character dazedly asks, “Am I still dreaming?” and is informed, “Yes. The whole world is” (1:11:09-1:12:42)

In her book, Girlhood and the Plastic Image, Heather Warren-Crow remarks that Paprika “…proffers a visual theory of media convergence as not only an issue of technology, but also one of globalization… [Its] vision of media convergence is one in which boundaries between cultures, technologies, commodities and people are horrifyingly permeable… While our supergirl is eventually able to stop the parade… these multiple transgressions cause mass confusion, madness, injury and death (83).” If this seems a dark denouncement of globalization, one cannot deny that it is in many respects fitting. With the vanishing delineations between nations, cultures, ideas and people arises the phenomenon of “cultural odorlessness,” or mukokuseki. The term was first applied to rapid social transformations in Koichi Iwabuchi’s book Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism, although the phenomena can just as readily be applied to postmodernity in all its miscellaneous facets (28). While globalization has engendered new intimacies and easier connections (on the surface), this overwhelming grid of interconnected information has simultaneously become a web trapping human beings inside it. Individuality – on a national, local, or personal scale – has been pushed aside in favor of a real and virtual superhighway powered by pitiless self-commodification and voracious consumership, within which the cultivation of a true self no longer holds meaning. One particular scene in the film captures this with wistful succinctness. As a weary Dr. Chiba gazes out of the window of her office, her livelier alter-ego Paprika (real or imagined) appears superimposed before her reflection. “You look tired,” Paprika says, “Want me to look in on your dreams?” to which Chiba replies, “I haven’t been seeing any of my own lately.” Against Paprika’s winsome overtones, her own demeanor strikes a chord that is dismal in its flatness. Although Chiba’s profession is to dive through the colorful welter of others’ dreams, it is her grasp of her own self that proves the ultimate fatality in this venture (0:24:10-0:24:23).

Indeed, it has often been argued that as both the physical and disembodied aspects of globalization grow increasingly more pervasive, so too do diverse organs of surveillance – from institutionalized dogmas meant to restrict personal development by branding it as outdated or subversive, to internal and external disciplinary structures meant to monitor and subjugate a person’s ‘inner-self:’ the very stuff of his or her dreams. Such themes, while hardly novel, are nonetheless relevant, tethered as they are to such iconic works as George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish, both of which – through literal and metaphorical means – examine societies wherein people are subject to relentless government scrutiny, mind-policing and the absolute denial and denigration of privacy. Foucault’s work, in particular, is useful for deconstructing social mechanisms. Utilizing a genealogical historical lens, Foucault traces the slow and oppressive transformation – as opposed to ‘evolution’, a phrase often touted by proponents of liberal reform – of the Western penal system. His main focus is to illustrate how, despite our self-congratulatory complacence at moving away from the barbaric model of medieval punishment, in favor of gentler and more civilized modes of discipline, we have in fact simply transferred the imperatives of controlling human beings – be they deviants or conformists – from their bodies to their souls. As Foucault states, “Physical pain, the pain of the body itself, is no longer the constituent element of the penalty. From being an art of unbearable sensations punishment has become an economy of suspended rights,” thus intimating that the organs of institutional control have not grown less harsh or restrictive, but simply less overt (11).

Certainly, by relying on a framework of internal rather than external constraints, it has become possible to erode the very modicum of individuality, reducing human beings to what Foucault describes as “docile” bodies complicit in their own exploitation. Foucault lays the blame for this phenomenon on a capitalist system whose economic and political trajectory has led society to a place of commodification and classification (“governmentality”), where the complexities of dynamic individuals are pared down into reductionist categories of ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable.’ According to Foucault, surveillance and regimentation as a means of producing compliant individuals is the crux of modern economies, to the point where society has transformed into an industrial panopticon – a nightmarish perversion of Jeremy Bentham’s original ideal. As such, whether individuals live as offenders within a prison, or as free citizens, is irrelevant. The scant difference in both their constraints is measured by mere degrees (102-128).

In Paprika, these issues are not explicitly announced, but are instead woven through the story’s fabric in an alternately lulling and disquieting fashion. Noteworthy scenes – such as where Paprika, a captive chimera with butterfly-wings, is pinned to a table while a man literally peels away her skin to paw rapaciously at the prone body of Dr. Chiba, nestled pupae-like within, to the moment where Detective Toshimi Konakawa, harried by recurring nightmares, bittersweetly comes to terms with boyhood dreams he had suppressed in order to survive by the dictum of a cold and prescriptive adult world – are all reminders that it is our inviolate inner-space that makes us uniquely human. To allow it to be invaded, subjugated and erased is to reduce ourselves to passive automatons, our every desire governed, our every choice predetermined. In Paprika, this knowledge blossoms only when each character delves deep into themselves, to find at their core the dream-child that remains untouched by reality’s smothering hold, and to discover within that dream-child both untapped softness and strength. “She’s become true to herself, hasn’t she?” Paprika playfully remarks of the somber Dr. Chiba, when the latter finally comes to terms with her repressed affection for the bumbling genius Tokita (1:15:42).

For Paprika, it is evident that social or technological transformations cannot be powered by the erosion of individual dreams. To do so is to condemn the world to an eldritch darkness sustained only by greed. The film’s penultimate scene, where the egomaniacal chairman – the true thief of the DC Mini – looms as a monstrous giant over the despoiled city, proclaiming, “I am perfect! I can control dreams and even death!” could almost serve as the critical foreshadowing of globalization taken to its bleakest conclusion: the desecration of nature and humanity alike by a self-serving force that, in its thirst for absolute control, will cancel out the very diversity of dreams that once made globalization possible. It is only when Paprika – fusing with Dr. Chiba and Tokita – reemerges in the form of a baby to battle the chairman, is equilibrium restored. “Light and dark. Reality and dreams. Life and death. Man and woman. Then you add the missing spice [Paprika],” she recites, as if listing ingredients to a recipe (1:19:50-1:20:32). Yet, in keeping with theme of liminality and indeterminacy, the key to vanquishing the chairman is not in these binary oppositions, but in their capacity to combine together and shape the world into more than one thing at once. As Paprika swallows the chairman whole, reversing the shadowy post-apocalyptic city to its original state, battle-scarred but still intact, the audience is reminded of fluidity of the quantum world. Life and death, dreams and reality, destruction and rebirth, all coalesce within an ever-transforming continuum.

So too, as the film’s open-ended yet distinctly uplifting ending makes clear, is the process of globalization inherently free-flowing and malleable in its interaction with its environment. Rather than focusing on the split between globalization as a force of cultural erasure versus a celebration of differences, the film highlights the alternately delicate or brutal negotiations between the two: a friction that is necessary to keep the phenomenon in flux. Zygmunt Bauman’s book and selfsame concept of Liquid Modernity proves especially useful here, in that in order to comprehend the mutable nature of the modern world, it is necessary to look beyond traditional models and regimented perceptions. As he makes clear:

Ours is … an individualized, privatized version of modernity, with the burden of pattern-weaving and the responsibility for failure falling primarily on the individual’s shoulders… The patterns of dependency and interaction … are now malleable… but like all fluids they do not keep their shape for long. Shaping them is easier than keeping them in shape. Solids are cast once and for all. Keeping fluids in shape requires a lot of attention, constant vigilance and perpetual effort – and even then the success of the effort is anything but a foregone conclusion (8).

Of course, the exchange of images and ideas across a would-be deterritorialized realm does not mean that the myriad components within must lose their separate identities. Rather, those identities become more essential than ever, bringing with them their own consequences and questions – all of which must be understood through the dynamic lens of globalization, until we come to understand not only the frailties of the social order, but how they can improved, in order to make connections both genuine and mutually-beneficial for a polyphonic future. The answers lie not within the inherently-shifting structure of globalization, but rather in its creative use. In the film’s final segment, where Detective Toshimi Konakawa purchases tickets to the movie, Dreaming Kids, after decades of stultifying self-repression, speaks of the capacity of globalized multitudes to enthuse as well as to ensnare the individual’s dreams. Globalization does not exist in a vacuum; even as it threatens to engulf nations, localities and persons into a bilious swamp of depersonalized shells, so too can it be transformed by the nature of the worlds it encounters. The change is double-edged and double-sided; the effect is a living, breathing bricolage that grows and alters as we do – and how we do.

That said, it is evident that Satoshi Kon’s message is not one of a facile globalized utopia. Rather, it is about the dangers of losing ourselves within such a seductive phenomenon, whose effects can too easily be maneuvered toward mass surveillance and subjugation. For Paprika, the cross-flow of cultures, ideas, commodities and people is illustrated as an unceasing process, but one that we ourselves are responsible for shaping. If done right, there is the tantalizing promise of a happier, freer life, within which globalization may enhance rather than exploit our dreams. But if done wrong, Kon’s narrative is bleakly apocalyptic – a world fallen victim to a hostile and all-pervasive force that gnaws away its very humanity. While the film’s content-driven, as opposed to structural, formula can be mystifying and overly-abstract at times, there is no denying its visual ingenuity: a multimedia extravaganza that beautifully translates the welter of dreams into reality. With its alternately fascinating and disturbing chaos of imagery, Paprika blurs the boundaries between the inner and outer-worlds, conveying through symbolic and subtextual allusions the phenomenon of globalization run riot – a dreamscape that yields both brighter possibilities and special connections if we do not allow it to diminish us, yet also a sinister agency of mass domination and dystopian homogeneity if we fail to put it in its proper place.

Works Cited

Bauman, Zygmunt. Liquid Modernity. Cambridge, UK, Polity Press, 2015.

Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. New York, NY, Random House LLC, 1977.

Iwabuchi, Koichi. Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism. Durham, Duke University Press, 2007.

Kon, Satoshi, director. Paprika. Madhouse Studios, 2006.

MacLuhan, Marshall. The Medium is the Message. Corte Madera, Gingko Pr., 2005.

Warren-Crow, Heather. Girlhood and the Plastic Image. Lebanon, University Press of New England, 2014.

Zohar, Danah, and I. N. Marshall. The Quantum Society: Mind, Physics and a New Social Vision. New York, Morrow, 1994.

#essay #review #academic writing #paprika #satoshi kon #japan #globalization #anime #published

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2whatcom-blog · 5 years

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A Geological “Orrery” Might Reveal Planetary Dynamics in Deep Time

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory includes a few dozen small buildings nestled amongst pine bushes within the Palisades, 15 miles north of Manhattan. On the second flooring of the observatory's geoscience constructing, the cabinets lining Columbia College paleontologist Paul Olsen's labyrinthine workplace sag underneath the load of a whole bunch of books about dinosaurs: The Dinosaur Information E-book, The Final Dinosaur, Dinosauri In Italia. Olsen has been finding out them since he was a young person. His first paleontological achievement got here whereas he was nonetheless in highschool. Nearly single-handedly, Olsen satisfied the Nixon administration to designate a web site the place dinosaur footprints had been found as a Nationwide Pure Landmark. Now a professor with a shock of white hair and a mustache he strokes absently when contemplating the right way to clarify a posh level, Olsen leads the way in which previous towering racks of geological samples to a nook of a cavernous walk-in fridge. Right here, graduate pupil Sean Kinney unpacks slim cardboard packing containers to disclose a group of stone cylinders, every about three toes lengthy and 4 inches in diameter. They're delicately layered: some are cadet grey and marbled with white bands, whereas others are shades of caramel and auburn. These are sediment cores. Drilled from historic lake beds, every three-foot section represents about 5 millennia of Earth's historical past. Along with a whole bunch of others like them, they make up the "Geological Orrery." Olsen is fond of claiming geologists take a look at the rock report to find issues concerning the Earth we can not study some other method. With the orrery, he makes use of sedimentary information to reckon the orbital positions of the Earth and different planets greater than 200 million years in the past. The strategy is unprecedented: counterintuitively, Olsen digs all the way down to lookup. "In the case of the Earth's history, you need a lot of observations to see what the patterns are before you can derive a hypothesis," Olsen says. "The world's too complicated to derive a hypothesis from a series of assumptions and deduce what it must be. And with complex dynamical systems like the solar system, you can't. There is no analytical solution to the solar system problem, period. You need empirical information." Olsen printed the orrery's preliminary results--some 24 million years' price of empirical data--in Proceedings of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences in January. An orrery, like many scientific devices invented in the course of the Enlightenment, is an try to constrain a dynamic nook of the universe--in this case, the photo voltaic system--in an orderly mannequin. Orreries characterize the solar and planets with globes and clockwork mechanisms; the primary fashionable one was constructed for Charles Boyle, the Fourth Earl of Orrery, in 1704. Olsen's Geological Orrery eschews clockwork. As a substitute, it depends on the speed at which sediment amassed in historic lakes and rivers. Locked into the rock report, these layers of sediment present clues concerning the Earth's local weather historical past, which in flip proof the planet's orbital variations over tens of millions of years. The query of the place the planets had been a whole bunch of tens of millions of years in the past is couched in one other: are the orbits of the planets secure? Eighteenth-century orreries presumed they had been, whilst Isaac Newton realized that in a system of greater than two orbiting our bodies, the gravitational interactions between them would ship them careening aside or tumbling into each other. For his half, Newton declared the photo voltaic system's obvious invariability was proof divine creator was tweaking the planetary motions, as if winding a watch. Preferring to reside on a planet that might placidly orbit the solar forevermore, astronomers spent the following two centuries searching for an analytical proof that might reveal the photo voltaic system was secure. However the proof was unattainable: the photo voltaic system is chaotic. The chaos happens over immense timescales and is attributable to the buildup of slight gravitational sights between the planets. Jupiter tugs at Mercury; the moon is quietly divorcing the Earth. The planetary orbits "wobble and wander," says PNAS examine co-author Jessica Whiteside, a molecular paleontologist on the College of Southampton. Consequently, astronomers can precisely estimate the relative positions of the planets solely to about 60 million years ago--anything past that and an excessive amount of chaos builds up, obfuscating the deeper previous. However hidden in that chaos can also be an answer to discovering out the place the planets as soon as had been. The Earth's orbit shifts between a number of states--more round or elliptical, with better or lesser axial tilt and precession--across millennia. The cycles between round and elliptical orbits, known as orbital eccentricity, change the Earth's proximity to the solar over a interval of about 400,000 years. This influences local weather, a phenomenon referred to as Milankovitch cycles (after the astronomer who first proposed it). The local weather fluctuations prompted ice sheets to encroach or recede and lakes to fill or dry up. This reality is essential to the Geological Orrery. Geologists Jim Hays, John Imbrie and Nicholas Shackleton confirmed Milankovitch's idea in 1976 in a seminal paper that proclaimed the cycles the "pacemaker" of Earth's ice ages, and Olsen and different geologists set to work attempting to raised perceive them. "By the late eighties, it seemed like if you could get the whole record in core it would be an opportunity to see what the pattern was really like at the largest scale," Olsen says. With Dennis Kent, a geologist at Lamont-Doherty and Rutgers, he started drilling sediment cores within the Newark Basin in northern New Jersey. The Basin was fashioned when the supercontinent Pangaea started to tear aside in the course of the Late Triassic, about 220 million years in the past. (Considerably conveniently, the Lamont-Doherty Observatory is located on the Basin's northern finish.) In 1996, Olsen and Kent confirmed Milankovitch cycles had been affecting local weather in Pangaea's tropics in the course of the Late Triassic. They discovered proof of a number of patterns: a 20,000-year precession cycle and 100,000-year, 400,000-year, and 2-million-year orbital eccentricity cycles. The seed of an concept was planted: What if they might use the identical method to disclose historic planetary dynamics? At Columbia for an astrobiology assembly, Olsen strides rapidly alongside one hallway after one other, trying to find the stairway that may take him to the highest flooring. He is working late. One other scientist calls out to him from his workplace, they usually greet each other excitedly, the assembly quickly forgotten. "Do you know who this is?" says Olsen. "This is Jim Applegate, who designed the Digital Orrery!" The pair fall right into a dialog concerning the precession of the equinoxes: this, apparently, is how planetary scientists catch up. Applegate, an astrophysicist, was a part of a staff of scientists led by Gerald Jay Sussman that constructed a pc within the 1980s that might precisely predict planetary dynamics. Sussman is a Brooklyn-born polymath who has studied synthetic intelligence at MIT for half a century. In 1983, he took a sabbatical and "announced his intention to be an astronomer for a year," says Applegate, who was then a postdoc at Caltech. "He wanted to build a special-purpose computer to integrate the solar system for a billion years." That pc grew to become the Digital Orrery. It included a separate processor for the solar and every of the planetary our bodies. In 1988, Sussman used it to disclose that Pluto's orbit was irregular. The next 12 months, French astronomer Jacques Laskar, the PNAS paper's second writer, numerically decided that the Earth's orbit was chaotic, too. This has vital implications: say you measure the present place of the Earth in its journey across the solar, and also you're off by simply 15 meters--or about 0.0000012 %. Laskar confirmed that even an error as slight as this precludes the power to foretell the place the Earth might be in 100 million years. "We used the most precise model that we could make for planetary motion, taking into account all the planets, the minor planets, general relativity, everything," Laskar says. "But even by doing that, we will never be able to compute a solution beyond 60 million years." There isn't any analytical resolution to the photo voltaic system downside: you want empirical data. As he continued to investigate the sediment cores from the Newark Basin, "it became very obvious that there was a 1.75-million-year cycle," Olsen says. This cycle was the results of the Earth's sluggish gravitational waltz with Mars. Laskar had predicted it, however no one had ever seen proof of the cycle within the rock report earlier than. By 1999, Olsen and Kent had been in a position to present that the Earth-Mars cycle had shifted over time, and at the moment has a interval of two.Four million years. "I got quite a bit of pushback on that," Olsen says. He's aware of criticism. His concepts are formidable, and geologists usually disagree on the constancy of the rock report, which is "riddled with unconformities," he says. Doable unconformities embody lacking rock layers or adjustments within the charge at which sediment was deposited. Modifications within the sedimentation charge will distort how time is represented within the report, says Frits Hilgen, a geoscientist at Utrecht College who was not concerned within the Orrery examine. This presents potential pitfalls for the Geological Orrery. It depends on an entire sedimentary report: if there are invisible gaps in it, it is going to hopelessly throw off the timing, and the entire endeavor might collapse. Plus, there isn't any solution to know for certain if such gaps exist just by wanting on the rock report in anybody place. Olsen knew he needed to provide you with a solution to corroborate the proof within the Newark Basin for the orrery to have any probability at success. "So, we decided on checking by another coring experiment," he says. "That was the Colorado Plateau." An enormous desert crisscrossed with canyons and dotted with mountain ranges thrust up as a continental plate crumpled 250 million years in the past, the Colorado Plateau straddles the 4 Corners area of the Southwest and contains numerous geological wonders. The sediment cores Olsen and Kent extracted from it in 2013 had been drilled in Arizona. Kent, who's an skilled in paleomagnetism--the department of geophysics that research the Earth's historic magnetic field--says the sediment there had the potential to corroborate the Newark Basin rock report. Large volcanoes pummeled the encircling terrain tens of millions of years in the past. Amongst this panorama had been hint quantities of magnetic hematite particles that offered Olsen and Kent with an important corroborative clue. The Earth's magnetic area sporadically flips, Kent explains, and people reversals are recorded within the magnetic particles within the sediment. "They become almost like a bar code," he says. "The sequence is quite distinctive when we have a good time record." If geologists can match that sample to sedimentary information in broadly dispersed locations, they will verify the rocks are of the identical age--and importantly, decide whether or not the report in a single location (for instance, again in Newark) has any gaps. When Olsen and Kent in contrast the Colorado Plateau cores to the Newark Basin cores, they matched.* Whereas on sabbatical in 2018--ostensibly taken to jot down a e-book about dinosaur footprints--Olsen says he grew to become concerned about refining the core knowledge, and he realized he might examine the 100,000-year cycles towards for much longer ones. "It gets very granular," he says, however explains it anyway: each planet wobbles on its axis like a spinning high, a phenomenon known as the precession of perihelion. Every planet's precession is barely different--20,000 years right here, 25,700 years there--but collectively, the cycles might be used to examine towards those Olsen had discovered within the sediment cores. When he in contrast the celestial wobble cycles and geological cycles, they had been a near-perfect match. Olsen pauses, savoring the punchline he is about to ship. "Normally what I would have done in the past, is I would have declared victory!" he says. However Olsen realized that he might go a step additional and examine the 100,000-year Milankovitch cycles towards longer ones, just like the Earth-Mars cycle. He did so, they usually matched. That "is basically impossible, unless the data are an accurate representation of the cycles," Olsen says. Olsen despatched the outcomes to Laskar. "That was terrifying," he says. After Laskar learn it, they spoke. Laskar thought the info was "too good," says Olsen. He suspected Olsen might have tuned his knowledge utilizing Laskar's celestial predictions, however after Laskar checked the info himself, he obtained the identical outcomes. The 20,000-year celestial cycles had been successfully embedded within the 100,000-year Milankovitch cycles, which had been themselves embedded within the Earth-Mars cycle. The orrery labored. Paul Olsen stands close to a core drilling web site in Arizona's Petrified Forest Nationwide Park. Credit score: Kevin Krajick Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory The Geological Orrery is at the moment a proof of idea: it reveals Earth's local weather historical past from 199 million to 223 million years in the past, Olsen says, and derives planetary dynamics from that knowledge. "This is the first time that there is a solid landmark in Earth history when what would otherwise be indeterminable astronomical parameters are known," says Whiteside. Along with planetary dynamics, the orrery might assist reveal the timing of occasions corresponding to mass extinctions or monitor adjustments in carbon dioxide concentrations over time and present how they interacted with Milankovitch cycles to have an effect on local weather. And the orrery has simply barely begun to plumb the accessible sediment information. "Amazingly, geology has provided us with three billion years' worth of paleoclimate change records in the sediment record," says Linda Hinnov, a paleoclimatologist at George Mason College who was not concerned within the examine. That knowledge might present the astronomical parameters to raised predict the place the local weather is at the moment headed, she says. Olsen says he doesn't take into account the orrery to be a fruits of many years of labor a lot as the start of a brand new chapter in geophysical sciences. "I see it more or less as a continuation of a process," he says. "And I think that one can and should always project forward." He emphasizes the previous couple of phrases, his voice rising to underscore their significance. The PNAS paper concludes by presenting an formidable plan to journey even additional again in time, past the final 300 million years. That can require extra drilling, and the scope of the mission might in the end outlive Olsen's time on the observatory. In geological time, his career--like any human life--is an eyeblink. Saddled with that ephemerality, making sense of a whole bunch of tens of millions of years of chaotic planetary dynamics appears daunting. To Olsen, it is exhilarating. "The most exciting part of this is there's nothing you can do with modern astronomy or math that can tell you what planetary motions were actually like hundreds of millions of years ago," Olsen says. However the sedimentary information are there, ready to disclose their secrets and techniques. *Editor's Be aware (4/10/19): This paragraph was edited after posting. It initially referred to bentonite and zircon crystals offering the proof and the magnetic area reversals being recorded in zircon crystals. Read the full article

#2what.com #cycles #earth’s #olsen #orrery #planetary #sediment

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barksinthewoods · 5 years

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19W06

Happy birthday, E. I hope I'll be able to address you by a more proper name sooner than later. It was nice to be able to get a few side items resolved and tacked on during the free time. I should make a point to see about getting it uniquely set for mobile devices - I assume that it looks terrible on any given phone and I need to address that. Honestly, the most excitement I've had in the past week came in the arcade visit, with the theme of Tsum. The new volume was available for purchase and I reached the finall class ranking. At first, the actual capsule balls were fully opaque and now they're not. I think I have now come to fully understand why. It's so easy to keep pumping money in when the tantalizing goal is within visible reach. Home sessions for songs were generally much better this week. What's interesting is that I had about as good of a day as any other when I had a free day and little sleep beforehand. I thought my mental state would have been more of a hinderance with that factor at hand.

plasma disconnection 51.05 C 2574.F 949.676.485.165.691 0164 2521 1625 055.13 2019-02-02T20:34:01:329Z 0/4 00.89+ 0045+ 26+7-27+4-10+ 0006- 2018-04-07T20:35:42:605Z gray flower 47.21 C 1859.F 657.545.409.165.572 0232 1969 2019-02-02T20:36:37:833Z 0/11 01.47- 0058- wonder bullfighter 63.84 B 1453.F 512.429.153.8.104 0143 1138 2019-02-02T20:39:38:250Z 0/18 02.59- 0059- 幻月夜 73.18 A 1247.P 486.275.56.12.41 0122 0852 2019-02-02T20:42:35:874Z 6/6 01.70- 0029- time to eye 50.37 C 1931.F 695.541.359.163.562 0090 1917 1168 064.12 2019-02-02T20:45:04:097Z 0/10 05.19+ 0199+ 147+95-60-23+23+ 0020- 2017-01-15T20:35:42:612Z pcm 42.00 D 2117.F 731.655.596.269.986 0102 2520 2019-02-02T20:48:17:513Z 0/6 00.60- 0030- soliton beam 56.64 B 1970.F 710.550.328.67.290 0408 1739 2019-02-02T20:51:00:154Z 0/13 01.78- 0062- dornwald junge 55.91 B 2092.F 726.640.382.16.195 0144 1871 1871 0 2019-02-02T20:53:53:617Z 0/1 solid state squad 58.10 B 2454.F 907.640.332.105.402 0387 2112 2019-02-02T20:58:15:602Z 0/15 00.78- 0033- solider's waltz 65.84 B 1804.F 709.386.161.31.196 0099 1370 2019-02-02T21:01:17:121Z 0/17 00.11- 0003- the world of cyber 47.81 C 2314.F 815.684.546.188.575 0100 2420 2019-02-03T20:34:37:371Z 0/4 03.62- 0175- move me 77.36 A 1374.P 550.274.41.6.31 0214 0888 2019-02-03T20:37:16:787Z 11/11 00.56- 0010- nstepmixture 67.46 A 0564.P 204.156.50.1.16 0168 0418 2019-02-03T20:39:36:027Z 9/9 01.08- 0009- preta 49.49 C 2036.F 716.604.379.61.507 0287 2057 1782 015.43 2019-02-03T20:43:14:323Z 0/1 x aria 46.38 C 2715.F 964.787.658.233.842 0057 2927 2019-02-03T20:47:19:410Z 0/6 03.78- 0221- pistoram 34.41 D 2063.F 704.655.883.376.1313 0089 2998 2019-02-03T20:50:16:011Z 0/11 01.62- 0097- 白露の風 65.67 B 1991.F 775.441.114.59.233 0169 1516 0951 059.41 2019-02-03T20:53:25:234Z 0/6 00.07+ 0002+ 16-34+55-14+15- 0080+ 2018-08-12T20:53:11:112Z あなた 53.16 C 2405.F 866.673.525.58.377 0195 2262 2195 003.05 2019-02-03T20:56:33:803Z 0/8 02.67+ 0121+ 56+9+8+58-143- 0088+ 2015-12-13T00:43:00:451Z unquenchable 36.65 D 1927.F 677.573.730.286.1176 0062 2629 2036 029.12 2019-02-03T20:59:19:299Z 0/3 01.62+ 0085+ 54+23-16-15+48+ 0001+ 2017-05-06T20:46:55:181Z chronos 37.48 D 1692.F 581.530.552.281.903 0039 2257 1359 066.44 2019-02-03T21:01:51:811Z 0/7 00.86+ 0039+ 28+17-12+2-16- 0020- 2016-01-30T20:52:06:857Z effloresce 73.67 A 1217.P 467.283.50.4.38 0100 0826 2019-02-04T20:37:37:965Z 8/8 03.45- 0057- treasure x star 59.59 B 2118.F 794.530.259.87.311 0094 1777 1021 074.04 2019-02-04T20:39:55:653Z 0/14 01.04+ 0037+ 5+27+4-1+83- 0021+ 2015-02-06T19:37:22:374Z the story begins 48.94 C 1938.F 673.592.439.144.460 0165 1980 2019-02-04T20:42:37:405Z 0/14 02.53- 0100- pentagram 39.98 D 2366.F 821.724.788.339.991 0276 2959 1946 052.05 2019-02-04T20:45:28:469Z 0/8 03.84+ 0227+ 97+33+81-20-128- 0132+ 2016-12-26T02:17:31:476Z programmed sun xac 68.87 A 1522.F 547.428.112.5.36 0463 1105 2019-02-04T20:48:13:197Z 1/12 03.26- 0072- brave you 45.27 C 1877.F 674.529.439.136.660 0064 2073 1193 073.76 2019-02-04T20:50:53:524Z 0/1 恋はどう？モロ波動OK 50.62 C 1866.F 612.642.367.96.418 0049 1843 2019-02-04T20:54:29:083Z 0/2 00.49- 0018- uncle arabian 2197 40.85 D 1795.F 612.571.536.223.759 0053 2197 1473 049.15 2019-02-04T20:57:02:741Z 0/4 00.52+ 0023+ 24+25-24-16+71+ 0011+ 2018-10-18T20:40:16:575Z far east nightbird 60.85 B 2244.F 824.596.248.63.283 0083 1844 2019-02-04T20:59:32:725Z 0/22 01.95- 0072- starmine 65.84 B 1517.F 588.341.165.8.93 0124 1152 2019-02-04T21:01:46:909Z 0/9 00.91- 0021- pangaea 57.82 B 2403.F 859.685.367.71.255 0147 2078 2019-02-05T20:26:50:647Z 0/14 01.44- 0060- dolls wish 40.53 D 1349.F 463.423.411.201.571 0059 1664 2019-02-05T20:29:10:249Z 0/5 00.78- 0026- †渚の小悪魔† 43.56 D 1956.F 690.576.529.161.731 0130 2245 2084 007.72 2019-02-05T20:31:47:655Z 0/14 01.60+ 0072+ 29+14+37-7-9+ 0005+ 2018-10-18T20:43:03:800Z 10.april 75.88 A 1595.F 615.365.65.3.6 0345 1051 2019-02-05T20:35:03:231Z 7/7 05.09- 0107- 2 tribe 4 k 60.60 B 1973.F 735.503.266.48.223 0201 1628 2019-02-05T20:37:33:175Z 0/17 03.29- 0107- 凛として咲く花の如くB 66.01 B 2400.F 913.574.216.40.200 0163 1818 1766 002.94 2019-02-05T20:43:03:646Z 0/1 01.51+ 0055+ 40+25-14-9+16- 0051+ 2018-08-09T02:41:02:868Z smb3 stage bgm 82.32 AA 0973.P 408.157.22.1.6 0285 0591 2019-02-05T20:45:43:719Z 8/8 01.18- 0014- super rush 35.63 D 2053.F 686.681.746.352.1218 0041 2881 1719 067.59 2019-02-05T20:48:28:974Z 0/4 02.12+ 0122+ 47+28+31-45-155- 0002+ 2019-01-21T20:41:23:053Z quick master 74.77 A 0498.P 186.126.20.0.1 0272 0333 2019-02-05T20:50:25:943Z 9/9 07.51- 0050- soda ocean 72.82 A 2135.P 828.479.125.14.52 0223 1466 2019-02-05T20:53:41:734Z 8/10 00.51- 0015- higher 63.36 B 0792.P 264.264.91.2.12 0165 0625 2019-02-05T20:58:58:335Z 12/12 16.16- 0202- elysian forest 58.91 B 2313.F 832.649.316.56.221 0075 1963 1504 030.51 2019-02-05T21:02:12:518Z 0/6 00.03+ 0001+ 16+31-19-16+1- 0040- 2016-01-13T19:44:07:130Z sandstorm 38.17 D 1636.F 552.532.559.208.692 0051 2143 2019-02-07T20:31:25:731Z 0/7 01.49- 0064- hype the core 45.54 C 1704.F 552.600.525.50.371 0089 1871 2019-02-07T20:33:50:457Z 0/12 06.57- 0246- 時架け 39.93 D 1982.F 672.638.640.257.855 0113 2482 1969 026.05 2019-02-07T20:38:04:842Z 0/1 illumiscape 31.64 E 1544.F 516.512.698.385.1094 0102 2440 2019-02-07T20:42:43:628Z 0/5 04.28- 0209- texture 65.19 B 1253.P 481.291.147.15.70 0113 0961 2019-02-07T20:45:59:538Z 15/15 03.38- 0065- magic draining light 42.10 D 1386.F 483.420.422.160.574 0147 1646 2019-02-07T20:49:15:505Z 0/4 03.55- 0117- ピアノ協奏曲第１番蠍火 45.71 C 1683.F 564.555.389.117.522 0174 1841 2019-02-07T20:52:13:633Z 0/15 03.53- 0130- 天上のポリスルイン 47.01 C 2186.F 770.646.528.164.627 0088 2325 1788 030.03 2019-02-07T20:56:24:234Z 0/8 01.18+ 0055+ 15+25+15-23-67- 0012- 2017-01-12T20:25:30:578Z わらべじゃんぷ 52.87 C 2232.F 806.620.397.117.430 0105 2111 2019-02-07T20:59:48:249Z 0/17 02.42- 0102- lucy 59.44 B 1915.F 716.483.205.116.387 0132 1611 2019-02-07T21:02:34:210Z 0/16 04.03- 0130- the least 100 seconds 40.46 D 1645.F 569.507.539.208.700 0047 2033 2019-02-08T20:32:43:964Z 0/16 01.21- 0049- snowland 47.51 C 2273.F 793.687.552.171.605 0154 2392 2019-02-08T20:35:46:596Z 0/4 00.50- 0024- time from nostalgia 37.65 D 1795.F 618.559.583.349.1111 0027 2384 2019-02-08T20:39:35:980Z 0/9 02.16- 0103- anchor 34.32 D 1814.F 597.620.761.361.1146 0039 2643 1830 044.42 2019-02-08T20:42:21:235Z 0/1 lack o clock 78.64 AA 1565.P 640.285.46.5.34 0207 0995 0365 172.60 2019-02-08T20:46:01:029Z 5/5 00.40+ 0008+ 17+26-1+2-5+ 0039- 2017-07-20T03:56:15:495Z romancing saga 3 b1 41.30 D 1708.F 590.528.496.218.742 0037 2068 1382 049.63 2019-02-08T20:48:37:068Z 0/6 00.36+ 0015+ 14-43+8+31-54- 0002- 2017-02-05T19:29:25:371Z ΕΛΠΙΣ 32.21 E 1545.F 522.501.755.416.1179 0093 2398 2019-02-08T20:51:36:683Z 0/12 03.25- 0156- 反逆のパルスィ 42.25 D 2605.F 883.839.755.312.1049 0139 3083 2019-02-08T20:54:49:531Z 0/19 03.02- 0186- dr. genesis 50.60 C 1781.F 639.503.404.88.385 0081 1760 2019-02-08T20:58:18:163Z 0/5 01.90- 0067- xepher 48.97 C 1901.F 664.573.440.124.499 0119 1941 2019-02-08T21:00:56:331Z 0/13 02.76- 0107-

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multiverseforger · 4 years

Text

see Ka-Zar (David Rand).

Kevin Plunder is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The second character to bear the Ka-Zar name, he was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #10 (March 1965).[1]

Ka-Zar

Kevin Plunder as the second Ka-Zar with his Smilodon Zabu.

Art by Mike Mayhew.

Publication informationPublisherMarvel ComicsFirst appearanceThe X-Men #10 (March 1965)Created byStan Lee

Jack KirbyIn-story informationAlter egoKevin PlunderSpeciesHumanTeam affiliationsAgents of WakandaPartnershipsZabu

Shanna the She-DevilNotable aliasesLord of the Hidden JungleAbilitiesGreat hunter, trapper, fisherman, forager, and survivalist

Enhanced physical attributes

Carries various weapons

Ability to communicate with some animals

Publication history

Fictional character biographyEdit

Ka-Zar later meets Reptil when he and Tigra have rescued Moon-Boy. After reuniting Moon-Boy with Devil Dinosaur, Ka-Zar tells Reptil that he will help him find his parents.[36]

Ka-Zar and Shanna later encounter the return of the Ethereals and end up fighting them when it comes to the Ethereals wanting the tribes of the Savage Land to be united with them.[37]

He later teams with Skaar to protect the Savage Land from outside forces.[38]

Ka-Zar later appears as a member of the Agents of Wakanda.[39]

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dancewithmeplano · 6 years

Text

RA News : The Hottest in Digital dance music

Friday, 03 November 2017

The EP originally came out on Daniel Bell’s Elevate tag in 1996.

Thursday, 02 November 2017

The Brainfeeder manager has shared a video for “Post Requisite.”

Beatrice Dillon, Ben UFO and Karen Gwyer are one of the artists that will unite Joe Seaton in the weekend-long event.

As well as the title track, which featured on the duo’s current record, the 12-inch includes two previously unreleased cuts.

It spans 14 tracks and are available to buy using cryptocurrency.

The nourish

#102889

FringeWorthy, that aims to be a house for experimental bass, has its very first event lined up in The Black Box on Thursday, November 17th.

#102897

The Irish celebrity sifts through dozens of current vinyl releases by the likes of DJ Python, Batu and Machine Woman.

#102863

Inspired by Drexciya, Gesloten Cirkel and Unit Moebius attribute in this rampant hour-long session for Cultivated Sound.

#102887

The Romanian minimal DJ is reserved for a secretly situated, all-night party next Friday.

#102883

Finn Johannsen confronts the fetishisation of DJs enjoying uncommon, obscure vinyl in this blog post.

Wednesday, 01 November 2017

The nourish

#102765

He’ll start out in Brooklyn’s Good Room following Friday–at which Antenes and Pessimist are also charged–until hitting Seattle, Richmond, Minneapolis, Detroit and Pittsburgh over the next eight days.

#102882

The shop will observe its new 1165 Myrtle Avenue place and one-year anniversary with the launch of an EP from Byron the Aquarius, and an in-store gathering this Saturday.

#102848

Frank Wiedemann will signify the duo during a three-night North American conduct.

#102879

The inimitable performance sampler just got a lot more powerful.

#102860

Three events have been scheduled between March and August, starting with a four-day session at the Swiss Alps including Optimo, Pangaea, Saoirse and more.

#102787

An hour techno and electro gems from one of the finest in the sport.

#102871

Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Pete Tong are one of the acts interviewed for its DJsounds movie that delves into the turbulent lifestyle of specialist DJs.

#102867

Tiga, Ryan Hemsworth, Roni Size, DJ Tennis and Claude VonStroke are all charged for the St. Cloud festival, running from February 2nd through 5th.

#102844

The dark techno producer leaves his Windy City debut following Friday, topping the bill in Obscure’s yearlong anniversary party.

#102836

Nine gigs have been verified for the Berlin techno celebrity, beginning with one tonight in São Paulo.

#102864

The 19th edition of this experimental audio event will run from January 26th through February 4th following year.

#102862

The Detroit artist that began it all will touch down at Space 2 on Saturday, December 2nd.

Tuesday, 31 October 2017

The vinyl-only launch is available today via London’s Low Business shop before a larger issue weekly.

Councilman Rafael Espinal, who’s led the charge against the 1926 law, ” wrote the bill that passed today.

Max D’s tag will put a two-track EP out of Selway and his duo with Andrea Taverna, Seltav.

The retrospective includes the 3 original records in the UK electro tag and also a previously unreleased track.

The Icelandic artist’s latest record is out November 24th.

Tessela and Truss’s next launch lands on XL Recordings on November 24th.

The nourish

#102858

The London duo will spend just two months on the road at the beginning of next calendar year, headlining clubs at Barcelona, Edinburgh, Berlin and a lot more besides.

#102856

The Scottish team’s LP can be heard in full before its official launch this week.

#102819

Classic, elegant and dubby house and techno from long-time French producer Bruno Gauthier under a new title.

#102839

The new program gives Bandcamp sellers access to real-time stats, as well as messaging and sales fulfilment, on their mobile devices.

#102834

Serge Devant is also on the bill for a party at TBA place, presented by local promoter Teksupport.

#102835

Armand Jakobsson, AKA Rimbaudian, discusses the lo-fi scene by which he’s associated, the origin of his DJ Seinfeld alias and his very first gig with Groove.

#102833

Decibel has put together a playlist of otherworldly highlights from the black metal nearby spin-off genre.

#102832

Fatima Al Qadiri and Pan Daijing will perform AV shows on Thursday, November 23rd in Bristol’s former IMAX theatre; GAS plays the next evening. Bristol Women In Music will also host a day of discussions Tuesday, November 14th.

Friday, 27 October 2017

Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show will premiere the tune.

The 50,000 square foot center, set to start in January 2018, could fabricate nine million records a year.

The nourish

#102789

The most current Vinyl Factory transmission contains New York’s Paul Raffaele plumbing the depths of George Duke’s diverse 1970s catalogue.

#102795

She’ll play in Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Miami and New York, as well as a series of dates from Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia.

#102792

The Dublab manager and Pharaohs member just dropped a full scale cassette, Transformative Nature, on Geographic North. Listen to this record, that skirts from ambient to Balearic into shoegaze, in complete.

#102790

The Diynamic Music manager invites Hot As 82 and Âme to connect him in LA and NYC on a fall tour that swings through South America, Mexico and the United States.

#102767

The Indianapolis-based selector formerly known as DJ Shiva, that mixed a current podcast, will headline an event in Lakewood following month that also contains Washington DC’s Juana and Cleveland duo Heathen.

#102770

Before she embarks on a tour of Australia, the Brooklyn-based producer and Mutual Dreaming mastermind will play live in Marble Bar on Saturday, November 11th.

The post RA News : The Hottest in Digital dance music appeared first on dance withme plano.

from dance withme plano http://www.dancewithmeplano.com/ra-news-the-hottest-in-digital-dance-music/

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datawiresolutions · 7 years

Text

No Space for a TV Wall Mount? Try One of These 5 Creative Solutions

By Pangaea, Houzz

It can be a challenge to find the right spot for the television in today’s open-plan homes, lofts, and rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. In these cases, putting the TV against a wall can mean your seating will have its back to the rest of the room. Or it can mean you have big problems deciding whether to situate furniture to face the TV or face the view.

What if you could just get away from the wall and place your TV out in the middle of the room? Well you can! There are just a few essential elements to doing this successfully and having it look like it was meant to be.

Elad Gonen, original photo on Houzz

Here are the three essential elements to float your TV away from the wall.

1. Hide the back of the TV with cabinetry.

2. Place all your components inside the cabinet.

3. Use a power strip inside the cabinet so all cables and cords are contained inside the cabinet. You will then only need to deal with a single power cord emerging from the cabinet.

The cabinet in the photo above fits the bill. It’s beautiful on all sides and offers plenty of room for components, cables, a power strip and cords. By keeping it no taller than is necessary it defines the TV and dining areas without dividing the room.

Tip: Floor-mounted electrical outlets are your friend. If you are installing a new outlet, place it right under the cabinet, and allow space under the cabinet for the plugs because they will stick up from the outlet a couple inches. Create an access panel in the bottom of the cabinet so you can reach the plug.

Related: Hide Your Cords With a New Media Cabinet

Ome.co.il, original photo on Houzz

In a living room like this, with floor-to-ceiling windows all the way around, walls for the TV are hard to come by. They’ve built a box to house the TV which matches the cabinet below. They are close enough to a wall to possibly have a wall outlet to plug into, but with all of those windows, they may have used a floor plug.

Hiding the back of the TV makes seeing it from outside no worse than seeing the backs of chairs or other furniture. Again, it is essential that your cabinet has room to house the components and their cables.

Tip: If you don’t want to see all of the extra components — DVD player, cable boxes, and so on — keep the doors of the cabinet opaque. You can install a device called an “IR repeater” under the TV screen for each item you need to run with a remote. The IR repeater is very tiny so you can mount a few of them under the TV screen to run multiple components.

Susan Diana Harris Interior Design, original photo on Houzz

A TV holder like the one in this photo hides the back of the TV and is nice looking from behind. It will not hide all of the cables, so I would recommend this type when you have just a minimum number of components. I would be tempted to place a box on the base of this that housed the components and their cables with a power strip inside. It is ideal to have no more than one power cord emerging from your cabinet.

Tip: If you cannot install a floor-mounted electrical outlet, then use the best cable cover you can get to hide the cord and make it lie flat on the floor as it runs to your wall outlet. Remember you are using a power strip inside your cabinet so you only have to hide one cord. I’ll say more about this later.

Related: Leather Sectional Sofas to Watch TV From

Sam Crawford Architects, original photo on Houzz

I realize this TV is not in the middle of a room, but it sure could be. This TV cabinet has a motorized lift inside so you can raise the TV up to watch, then …

Sam Crawford Architects, original photo on Houzz

… lower it so the whole thing is hidden the rest of the time. I don’t know why I didn’t find scads of photos of these on Houzz, because I think they are the best thing since sliced bread! You can buy the motorized lifts separately and install them in any cabinet with enough space.

Since the TV needs to descend into the cabinet, and you’ll also need some room for the motor, I would use a longer cabinet so that the components can be placed to either side of the TV instead of below it.

Hoedemaker Pfeiffer, original photo on Houzz

People have been using motorized lifts in TV cabinets at the foot of a bed for years now. Look closely, and you can see the panel on the top of the cabinet where the TV comes up. The only difference in floating the cabinet in the main living area is that you can’t hide the cord under a bed.

Hiding the cord cover: If you can’t find a cord cover that matches your floor, here’s an idea. Self-adhesive contact paper comes in woodgrain and a multitude of colors. Buy contact paper that matches your floor as closely as possible and use it to wrap the cable cover. If you have carpeting, the cable covers are made of fabric with Velcro strips running the length of both sides. Make one out of wool or heavy felt to match your carpet as closely as possible.

I know some people don’t like to see cord covers, but ask yourself what bothers you more: a cord cover, sitting with your back to the room, or facing the wall instead of the view?

The post No Space for a TV Wall Mount? Try One of These 5 Creative Solutions appeared first on Electronic House.

from Data Wire Solutions News Feed http://ift.tt/2uPIp2c

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