Notes - physics / seemingly unreal

          Mid-afternoon, you just had lunch at Piada Street Italian and Carol is in Kroger’s on Mason-Montgomery Road for lunch meat (ham/turkey) and bakery bread. You are both pleased with the new toaster, a four slice Cuisinart CPT 180 model. – Amorella

         1603 hours. Amazing what toasters can do these days – this is probably the best toaster we have ever had. We lightly toasted a bagel and it was exactly that, lightly toasted with retained moisture, and quickly done also.

         You also placed the ten best physics breakthroughs on Facebook. Add them here as well as your comments.

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SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

12 December 2014 Last updated at 08:53 ET

Top 10 physics breakthroughs listed

Landing on a comet, nuclear fusion with lasers and a tractor beam are among the 10 physics breakthroughs of 2014, as chosen by a leading science magazine.

The Philae spacecraft's touchdown on comet 67P was named as the year's most significant advance by Physics World.

It was singled out for its "fundamental importance to space science".

The first detection of neutrino particles from the main reaction that powers the Sun and a new holographic memory device also made the shortlist.

Dr Hamish Johnston, editor of physicsworld.com, said: "As well as looking forward to the fascinating science... we also acknowledge the technological tour de force of chasing a comet for 10 years and then placing an advanced laboratory on its surface."

Philae landed on its quarry on 12 November: following a seven-hour descent to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Of the runners-up, Dr Johnston explained that each "represents an important step forward made by a team of creative and talented researchers". In no particular order, the nine other breakthroughs chosen by Physics World are:

Light on the cosmic web: (January): Researchers used the radiation emitted by a quasar as a "cosmic flashlight" to illuminate the hidden tendrils of dark matter that underlie the visible Universe.

Neutrinos from the sun: (August): The Borexino experiment in Italy detected neutrino particles from the main nuclear reaction that powers the Sun. The number of neutrinos it saw agrees with theories, suggesting we do understand what's going on inside our parent star.

Laser fusion milestone: (February): Scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California made a breakthrough in the long road to self-sustaining fusion when they managed to get more energy out of fusion reactions than was deposited in the fuel by NIF's powerful laser.

Acoustic tractor beam: (May): Once the preserve of science fiction, tractor beams are now a reality - at least in the lab. Physicists built a device that can pull objects by firing sound waves at them. The beam could have medical uses, such as manipulating objects within the body.

Supernovas in the lab: (June): The Vulcan Laser Facility in Oxfordshire was used to recreate miniature star explosions, offering a window into some of the most powerful and unpredictable events in the cosmos.

Electron magnetism: (June): Researchers in Israel were the first to measure the extremely weak magnetic interaction between two separate electron particles.

A better fibre for images: (March): Scientists in the US used a physical effect called Anderson Localisation to develop a better optical fibre for transmitting images.

Holographic memory: (February): American and Russian physicists built a new type of holographic memory device that stores data in the form of magnetic "bits".

Quantum compression: (September): The ability to compress quantum information was demonstrated for the first time by physicists in Canada and Japan.

From - http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30415007?

My FB comments: Most cool. Awesome to think on and to consider their uses. Helps make this a good Friday for me, and perhaps you too. After all, where would hope be without imagination?

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         You are at Hallmark at the VOA Centre. Carol is looking for Xmas present ‘sacks’ for the boys’ and Kim’s presents. No one had commented on your added FB article, but you do not expect many or any responses. – Amorella

         1653 hours. I put the science articles on my page for friends who may be interested. I love science. Who knows what can come from these and other breakthroughs; hopefully to help make human lives more interesting, socially positive and/or comfortable, healthier or just more challenging. I sit here in the lot and the sun is about five degrees above the horizon  -- at least it is not cloudy.

         Home, and no more errands for the day; dusk has settled into evening. Post. - Amorella

         Tonight you and Carol watched an episode of “Elementary” and “White Collar” as well as NBC News. You and Carol usually find something to chuckle about aloud while watching both shows – usually it is the wit and return wit of Sherlock and Dr. Joan Watson; and, with “White Collar” the smiles come from the jibes from Mozzie and Neal. – Amorella

         2149 hours. We do listen to the scripts.

         Do you hear my voice, orndorff? – Amorella

         2135 hours. This is unexpected. I remember the first time I thought I heard a quiet well metered voice in my head. It sounded like a soft-spoken human voice but it was from inside my head. My eardrums did not receive the sound. This was after dinner on an evening in the 1980’s and I was taking my daily walk on the sidewalks of our old neighborhood. The ‘voice’ appeared to say, “Who are you?” I did not know if it was a ‘real’ voice or not, but the question was a good one. After thinking about this for some time and with some consideration I felt I should first answer, “What are you?” That is, “What is a human being?” The voice was real enough to me that thirty some years later, today, I am still working on that question.

         The pronoun ‘I’ is a misnomer in this context. From my inner perspective human beings are inner connected via heart and soul if not mind. We spring from the same physical earthy environment. We are connected physically through genealogy. We are all cousins in one degree or another. I am made of generations of ‘I’s’. We are not timeless but in context our species is much, much older than we are individually. This is not metaphysics. Blood is blood. This is true as long as our material species exists in time and space. The species has traits and behaviors that classify us (at least to ourselves). We have no choice but to develop the traits that allow our species to continue to survive. This is what I know about human beings and as such I know this about myself. I understand this better than I did thirty years ago. This is not about pride or humility it is about being, existing. (2223)

         Later, dude. Sleep well. Post. - Amorella

         2226 hours. I am surprised the time it took to write the above two paragraphs. It didn't seem any time at all yet. It took time -- 48 minutes. That seems unreal yet it is true.

          It was all in your head, boy. That should tell you something else about being human. - Amorella

Notes - nothing more

         Mid-morning, and it’s bright and sunny though cool. Carol is at her First Watch restaurant for breakfast and you are about to prepare to meet your friends for an early lunch. You both decided to take the new toaster back because of poor customer reviews on Amazon and to buy the one that has their best reviews. Hopefully the technician to ‘clean’ the car upholstery will come early afternoon and that will be settled.– Amorella

         The technician arrived before you left for lunch and the interior of the Toyota has been cleaned of any marks. Excellent work. You also had an excellent lunch at the Grand Oriental off Fields Ertel Road. Bud, Rich and Bill (his coworker) arrived. You had an egg roll and Szechuan chicken and you consider it the best tasting you have ever eaten. As usual you had great discussions on a variety of topics, and everyone else appeared to enjoy their food also. Once home and some general discussion you both headed to Target to return the toaster bought yesterday and are now at Macy’s in Kenwood to buy the new toaster you decided on. - Amorella

         On the way home you stopped and shared a tuna on bagel from Marx and bought six bagels for the freezer as well as two chocolate chip cookies. Once home some television before bed “Bones” “Major Crimes” and “Covert Affair” as well as NBC News. You are both ready for bed. That about covers it, boy. You feel you haven’t accomplished anything important but you enjoyed the day anyway. Isn’t that about right? – Amorella

         2222 hours. It is. Basically I’ve been taking a break from writing for about six weeks now.

         You are feeling bad because you don’t really feel guilty. – Amorella

         That’s about it. I am not a struggling writer. My story is personal and probably best served post mortem. I see a humor in completing it before, but again that’s personal.

         Nothing more; nothing less, at least tonight. Post. - Amorella

Notes - Macy's / favorite things / rattling

         Mid-morning. You are getting ready to go to a Macy’s sale – your first one in this lifetime. It only runs until eleven o’clock. The sale is partially on Presto griddles. Kim and Carol both would like new ones as the old ones recently bit the dust, so to speak. – Amorella

         0902 hours. I assume that by the time we arrive they will be gone, but who knows. Carol wants a new toaster also. Both are fine with me as if that makes any difference. Things get old and wear out after a couple of decades. I think Kim got her griddle (for eggs and pancakes) when she was at Miami before the turn of the century. As far as I know Carol did too. We don’t use them that often, mostly with company, or since the boys have wanted pancakes for breakfast. Shoot, the toaster could be from the eighties as far as I know. I use the microwave – nuking the bread or rolls into warmth rather than waste time waiting for a toaster to pop.

         Sales are exciting, boy. What if this were a new MacAir at half price? – Amorella

         0908 hours. I would have been there waiting since last night if that were the case. Indeed, that would be an awesome sale.

         Points of view. Post. - Amorella

         0945 hours. I didn’t have to go in and won’t have to unless Carol calls me to pick up what she buys while she continues shopping. There are cars here in the south Macy lot but it is not packed like I envisioned it would be.

         1022 hours. Carol called and I checked out the griddles, about half off so we bought two (one for Kim) and Carol decided she wanted a Shark floor steamer (for the kitchen, bathrooms and hallway) at thirty dollars off (daily special) so we brought those to the car and she headed back in. Amazing how this is. You see you are getting a deal (we saved over sixty dollars) and Carol will feel better about clean floors, especially in the kitchen because of Jadah and Spooky. The point is, why does the adrenalin start flowing? It is like we are Pavlov’s dogs. I don’t even care about these/ things but I found myself immediately excited that we saved some money. I mean if we hadn’t come in for the sale we would have saved a lot more. Personally, I can’t remember the last time I got pumped at a sale. Buying electronics or a car, yes, but not a sale. I really don’t think I have ever been to a sale at a clothing store like Macy’s before. I am surprised at myself but not disgusted because this is obviously a human trait, just not one I am presently used to outside of automobiles and electronics. (1035)

         When you were a boy an electric train served as the gadget; then a bike, then model car and airplane kits; from there planes with gas powered engines and guides and for flying in circles. Shortwave radios became an additional fascination. From there you graduated to a Crossman pellet air rifle and a twenty-two for target practice. Then, the added focus was motorbikes and motor scooters and they served until 1958 when you bought (out of your own savings), your stick, 1949, two-door Ford V8 with over ninety thousand miles on it. – Amorella

         1052 hours. Wow. The only thing you left out was my comfort blanket when I was three and four. I called it my “B” and I carried it around, almost like I do my MacAir today. Everyone has their favorite things. The most fun I ever had target practicing was with Dad’s Weatherby 300 magnum that was good for killing very large game.

         You are home and settling in before further errands and lunch. Post. - Amorella

         1255 hours. We are at Target at the VOA Centre before lunch at Smashburgers. I feel like this blog is becoming somewhat like Pepys Diary though on a much more common social scale in the great American Midwest. Mostly it is habit and in a sense showing why I am not writing much presently. There are too many distractions this time of year. Tomorrow Carol has her breakfast and taking Ann with her to First Watch. I have lunch at the Grand Oriental with Rich and Bud. It has quite good reviews and has been on Fields Ertel forever but we have never eaten at the place.

         Carol stopped at Target and bought the Black and Decker griddles there because they appear better than the Presto. You volunteered to return the others as Carol is about ‘shopped out’ for the day. This means another trip down to Macy’s at the Kenwood Town Centre. – Amorella

         1448 hours. We are at Kroger’s on Tylersville for a few odds and ends. It has been another busy day so far. The Honda finally turned over 69,000 miles. Carol asked me earlier today if I wanted another year of Motor Trend and I told her no. I think we are done with cars no matter what my fancy. We were talking about going to Washington again sometime. I love the Smithsonian, the city and the surrounds; maybe in the Spring for the Cherry Blossoms. We’ve seen most everything there is to see there at least once. We could stay at the Americana Hotel again. We love this inexpensive historical 1960’s motel only two blocks from The Underground (shopping, restaurants and the Crystal City Metro Station); our cup of tea plus free parking.

         2026 hours. We watched Monday night’s “Castle” then stopped shortly after. We had a light snack supper. Carol is upstairs thinking about bed as she has breakfast out in the morning. It is amazing how much different life is when you are doing things every day. I don’t know how people focus except when at whatever work they are doing at the time. I am going to bed at nine.

         You find there are not enough hours in the day caused by interruptions in thought or worse, no sustainable thought to begin with. – Amorella

         2035 hours. Life is a jangle of light, sound and speculation based on a code of terminal survival. That’s it for tonight. I like to hope life is more. Today, we were driving home on Tylersville Road and someone in front of us had a bumper sticker: “God is Pro Life”. How can someone make such a statement? I like to hope life is more. That’s all I can do. I would rather imagine that each light on a Christmas tree is as a universe where conscious life may flower and flourish for a time. That may be enough even without wonderment. Being. We are a segment of consciousness in the plural. This is a statement that makes sense (to me) even without hope.

         Rattling on again boy and in silence no less. Post, and let the night be. - Amorella

Notes - Irena Sendler / good work / busy afternoon

         Late morning. You are waiting on the furnace technician to come fix the heat pump, and also you are waiting for your hair cutting appointment with Mary Ann at Great Clips within a half hour or so. Jean N. L. of your high school class sent you a note:

** **

Irena Sendler (Sendlerowa)

Died: May 12, 2008 (aged 98)

Warsaw , Poland

During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive.

Irena smuggled Jewish infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried. She also carried a burlap sack in the back of her truck, for larger kids.

Irena kept a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.

During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants. Ultimately, she was caught, however, and the Nazis broke both of her legs and arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she had smuggled out of the ghetto in a glass jar that she buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and tried to reunite the family. Most had been gassed and the children she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.

In 2007 Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize.

She was not selected.

In MEMORIAM - 65 YEARS LATER

It is now more than 65 years since the Second World War in Europe ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, In memory of the six million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians and 1,900 Catholic priests who were

murdered, massacred.

Irena Sendler

1910-2008

** **

         She asked you to send this note on to others but you could not think on who. So, send it to those who will read and remember. Post. - Amorella

         1131 hours. I have done so, Amorella. But I do not know that these are the facts.

         Later, boy. You have an appointment to attend to. - Amorella

         1454 hours. I checked the story (wwwDOTtruthorfiction) and it is factual. She was imprisoned and the Underground bribed a guard so she could escape. She stayed hidden until after the war.

         Mid-afternoon. You are perplexed as to why I would suggest you post the above on Irena Sendlerowa. You find it awkward to send on such things/announcements sent by other in good faith that you will continue them on to others (even when they prove to be true as this is). Why is that? – Amorella

         1523 hours. I think it is my reclusive nature. I do not wish to present myself as an obligation on anyone else. It makes me uncomfortable as if I were promoting or selling something. I am not a cheerleader for any cause. – rho

         Yet you write and publish books. – Amorella

         1526 hours. Fiction and book notes.

         It would seem that as you once thought I was an Angel you would have promoted G---D during those days in the late eighties. – Amorella

         1529 hours. It is blasphemous to me personally to think I should add a voice to the chorus. If G---D exists, G---D will do as G---D will do. Besides, the sense of speaking for G---D brings forth pride and arrogance (I would imagine) and I don’t need that kind of pride or arrogance. Basically, I don’t have it in my heart to speak for G---D. I really don’t. Life (being human) is humbling enough as is. Others will do as they wish but it is not my cup of tea.

         I always thought of teaching as a form of good works though I did it out of my passion for words, world literature and reasonable thinking. Oddly, I am a very private and quiet person by nature. I willingly gave up my inner privacy (my thoughts) in order to tell a good story. This was/is a lot to give up for someone like me but it is the only way I can direct myself to tell an imaginative story from my mind, heart, soul.

         It is not very good story. – Amorella

         It is honestly conceived and shared. In an hour I have to be at my eye appointment. I am tired.

         Post. - Amorella

         You had to call the furnace repairman back and this time he found the problem and is ordering the part that should be covered under warranty. After your eye exam, which you passed with no eye changes whatsoever; you and Carol went to Panera/Chipotle for supper. It has been another busy day. Tomorrow you have some shopping at Macy’s in the AM.

         2013 hours. We are both tired.  We spent part of the day working out Social Security/IRS problems – which we did complete. Still, it is hectic time consuming work together with telephone calls – one to Social Security had us waiting on the phone line for 58 minutes before a two minute response that turned out not to be adequate for our needs. We did get the problem resolved though, so that is the most important aspect.

         You took the time to drop the hint (again) that if you both ever bought another new car you should go back to the Honda because you (Carol) is much more comfortable driving the Honda than the Toyota. She did not deny the thought.

         2019 hours. Performance Honda in Fairfield is where we bought most of our Hondas and would have bought our Toyota if they had had the model and the deal. It turns out Performance recently bought Kings Honda, which is only three miles away so they are now more acceptable to work with if and when the time comes. What would be nice is that if the fuel prices stay down and the hybrids stall on sales. Maybe we might get a better deal, as well as a better price for our relatively clean, six cylinder 2005 Accord with less than 70,000 miles on it.

         The good that comes with these thoughts is that you are now thinking that maybe you’ll live long enough to buy another new car. Post. – Amorella

         2026 hours. I’m just tired of getting twenty miles to the gallon driving around town. I know the idea is not a rational one because with the fuel prices down it makes less difference that we are getting twenty. 

Notes - morning / afternoon

         Mid-morning. You have a few errands and household chores today. Last night Craig and Alta called from Tucson and said they were driving to Ohio to see his sister Kim and her husband before going on to Chicago to see Mary Ann, Eric and the boys over Christmas. As such you invited them to spend the night on the nineteenth, which they accepted. You are both looking forward to the visit. Also, last night you finished “Star Wars: The New Hope” and you both thoroughly enjoyed it. Now you have used the entire bit of operations of your relatively new television, sound bar, Blu Ray disc player, and the Netflix software. – Amorella

         0850 hours. The point with the media is that I have used all the operations and understand how to work and manipulate them. It has only taken me six months (joke). I am really impressed by the sound bar. When “Star Wars” is on the sound is so deep, like right out of the theatre, even the simulated surround sound is impressive. And, when ‘voice’ is ‘on’ it is much easier to understand the spoken word with background sounds and music. Who would have thought, not me. I will work on Grandma 8 today. It is good to needle my way back into the writing groove.

         Later, dude. – Amorella

         No exercises so far today but you did have an hour nap and a warm bath to help your arthritis. Almost time for suggesting lunch – either home made veggie soup or left over Papa John’s pizza. - Amorella    

         You had left over pizza while watching last night’s “Mentalist” then you mowed the lawn accept for the southwest corner which Carol is presently mowing. Looking over Grandma Eight you realized you have been working on it, so when time, continue away. Later. – Amorella

         Left over veggie soup for supper – very satisfying. Earlier after taking the lawn mower for it two year reconditioning you stopped at Wendy’s and while Carol had a regular Coke you had a large vanilla frosty which you have recently acquired a once a month taste for. Mostly your evening is over. – Amorella

         2021 hours. I am tired as is Carol. We watched some another show or two along with NBC News and I am ready to go to bed early or least listen to some earphone music before bed after I check my email.

         Post, orndorff. Tomorrow someone is coming to check the heat pump that does not seem to be working well (it is usually checked in the Spring) and you have your yearly eye exam in the late afternoon. Thursday a technician is finally coming to clean the Toyota interior of unknown stains. You also have lunch with Bud and Rich on Thursday. A new place is now in order, as your China City Buffett supposedly had a fire a month or two ago. – Amorella

Notes - on consciousness and the heart / Brothers 8 completed /

         Moving quickly towards dusk. You and Carol just returned from an early supper at Cracker Barrel; she had the trout and you the Sunday chicken. Before that you both watched most of the original Star Wars on Blu Ray and are enjoying it very much. The last time you saw the original together was in during its opening week in 1977. You are both impressed with Sony’s visuals and sound bar system. You had both forgotten fun little parts as the film progresses. Like Carol says, “They don’t make movies like this anymore.” – Amorella

         1657 hours. They don’t. There is a good mix of light humor stringing through the film – George Lucas in his youth. Earlier I was reading the newest Discover and discovered an article that I feel is quite significant. At first I found myself somewhat depressed by the implication, but as I have imagination, I have hope that science can take consciousness only so far. Here is the article.

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“The Brain’s Consciousness Kill Switch”

Researchers are able to turn consciousness on and off.

By Christie Aschwanden

In July, researchers reported a strange discovery that helped unlock one of the great mysteries of the mind: consciousness. Mohamad Koubeissi, a neurologist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and colleagues were trying to identify seizure sources in an epileptic patient’s brain by electrically stimulating different regions. To the researchers’ surprise, the patient temporarily lost consciousness when they stimulated an area of the brain called the claustrum, located just below the cortex (the outer layer of the brain).

“It was striking,” Koubeissi says. “All cognition and awareness appeared to become paralyzed, with a complete return to the baseline once we turned the stimulation off.” He repeated the experiment at least 10 times, with the same result.

The finding is the first to support a theory proposed by DNA co-discoverer Francis Crick shortly before the neuroscientist’s death in 2004. He and colleague Christof Koch hypothesized that the claustrum is a “conductor of consciousness” that integrates our internal and external perceptions into coherent thoughts and ideas. If the claustrum’s role in consciousness is confirmed by other studies, it could lead to new ways to induce consciousness into people trapped in comas or persistent vegetative states.

From – Discover, Christie Aschwanden, “The Brain’s Kill Switch”, p. 69, January/February 2015

** **

         1736 hours. So, my assumption is that if the person is physically dead, then she or he has no sense of consciousness. If this is so then consciousness is solely a functioning agent for survival.

         This is not including the heartansoulanmind aspect, boy. In here, they are not the same thing as consciousness itself. The sensing the circadian rhythm is a form of consciousness, is it not? - Amorella

         1744 hours. I agree they are not the same thing but without consciousness how would the heartansoulanmind have access?

         They would appear not have any, at least the mind would not. In the Merlyn books it is suggested that the heart or spirit might make interpretations of consciousness on its own. – Amorella

         1749 hours. I will have to think on this some more. Later.

         Post, Amorella

         Evening. Carol is talking on the phone with her sister, Linda. You just completed ‘Brothers Eight’ but you should check the names of the grandchildren to make sure the names are correct. Later, dude. Post. – Amorella

         1853 hours. I feel better working on chapter eight. I still have a few things to straighten up in chapter seven. I’ll do that after eight is completed.

         As your daughter says, “Whatever works.” - Amorella

Notes - no matter

         Late morning. Southwest Ohio has another rainy day.

         Evening. Time for bed, boy. You had a relaxing catch-up day and you are feeling much better. You still have some stories to tell. Everyone learns something every day of her or his life, and you are no exception. No one is exception, not even the Piper. That’s a rule. The Living have a tendency to think the economy runs the world; but first and foremost it is learning that allows the Living to think. – Amorella

         2247 hours. I’m not sure this is coming through my fingertips correctly.

         No matter. Post. - Amorella