-FUPPETS- FOR READERS LI

51. Not the "Area" but the number. Years ago -FUPPETS- would never have imagined reaching that many. Hopefully the flow will continue until # 100. Did you know that the actual date of the end of the Maya calendar is June 5th 2012? The greedhead fux that seek to make money off of the blind idiots are telling everyone it will be in November. -FUPPETS- suspects it has something to do with money.

ESCAPE ROUTE: The Suprising Potential of a Prison Library - ( Avi Steinberg - The Boston Globe )

IS AMERICA A PLUTOCRACY? - ( Francis Fukuyama - The American Interest )

OPIUM WARS: A key step to securing peace will be to wean Afghan farmers off growing poppies - ( Robert Draper - National Geographic )

IRONY IS GOOD!: How Mao killed Chinese humor ... and how the Internet is slowly bringing it back again - ( Eric Abrahamsen - Foreign Policy )

THE APOSTATE: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology - ( Lawrence Wright - The New Yorker )

-FUPPETS- For Readers L : CRACKED.com edition

Ahh, the good people at CRACKED.com are one of -FUPPETS- favorites, and always good for a laugh. -FUPPETS- was always a huge fan of Cracked and Mad magazine, which warped minds in an oh-so-wonderful way. It is good to see that fuck-em-all spirit still alive on the metawebs. Here is a selection of articles from that site for your reading pleasure.

10 Creepy Plants That Shouldn't Exist

5 Hollywood Secrets That Explain Why So Many Movies Suck

6 Famous Artists You Didn't Know Were Perverts

5 Classic Board Games With Disturbing Origin Stories

8 Historic Symbols That Mean The Opposite of What You Think

-FUPPETS- For READERS XLIX: Vigilant Citizen Edition

-FUPPETS- has a soft spot for the Vigilant Citizen website. It is one of -FUPPETS- Favorites and always provides some very interesting food for the ol' grey matter. Here is a sampling of the essays/criticisms/articles available at their site. Vigilant Citizen's motto is "Symbols rule the world, not Words, not Laws." They understand that the people in power have only one goal for anything and everything they do. That goal is to STAY IN POWER, by any and all means available to the super-rich and super-powerful. If you do not understand this, or if you choose not to believe that the prime motivator of nearly everything in our human existence is that simple and basic, then you could benefit from a bit of an eye opening. With the ever increasing consolidation of all media markets, from print to film to radio to television to the Internet itself, the number of people who actually decide what most of us see/read/hear is ever shrinking. With such a monopoly comes a massive amount of power and influence. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. VIGILANT CITIZEN exists to help us fight back, at least in our own minds. From architecture, to media, to film analysis, here is a small sampling.

SINISTER SITES: The Denver International Airport

Mind Control Theories and Techniques Used By Mass Media

The 5 Most Sinister Corporate Logos

The Esoteric interpretation of Pinocchio

When insiders expose the ugly side of the entertainment industry

-FUPPETS- FOR READERS XLVIII

READ!!!!!

THE EDGE Asks Selected Contributors: The flat earth and geocentric world are examples of wrong scientific beliefs that were held for long periods. Can you name your favorite example and for extra credit why it was believed to be true? - ( The EDGE )


Inside the mind of Scientology's Messiah: Twenty-five years after his death, Michael Bywater revisits the sacred texts of the pulp science writer turned prophet L Ron Hubbard - ( Michael Bywater - New Humanist )


WORLD'S LARGEST NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY BUILT AT SOUTH POLE - ( LiveScience.com )


WHY DO WE HATE MODERN CLASSICAL MUSIC?: Avant garde art and architecture are loved, but in music we cling to the past. We're missing out. - ( Alex Ross - Guardian UK )

-FUPPETS- THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Leaks Don't Come Out of the Sky

"Is the WikiLeaks disclosure of Pentagon and State Department internal
documents dangerous, by reducing U.S. military and diplomatic effectiveness? Or
good, by pulling down the veil of secrecy around government? Obviously there are
arguments on both sides. Here's what struck me. Last week this New York Times page-one story reported the Obama administration "plans to further step up attacks on al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in the tribal areas of Pakistan."
Maybe that's a good idea; maybe it's not. But as an item of information, the Times story is far more explosive than anything in WikiLeaks disclosures so far, most of which contain trivia and statements of the obvious. The Times story tells al-Qaeda and Taliban factions in tribal Pakistan that raids and air strikes will increase. The story is a warning of something about to happen, rather than a retrospective on prior events. And the story is sourced to unnamed "administration officials." That is
-- the information was leaked by the White House or Pentagon.
Perhaps the purpose of the leak was to make the president sound tough at a time when his poll numbers are fluttering. Perhaps the purpose was to make the U.S. military sound powerful at a time when a $725 billion Pentagon budget request was awaiting approval in Congress. The purpose cannot have been to help American soldiers and air crew in the field. Their chances would be best if U.S. forces struck al-Qaeda and Taliban targets without warning, with nothing said by the White House or Pentagon until after the operation was over.
I don't question the Times' decision to run the story. What I question is White House and Defense Department officials denouncing Julian Assange when he publishes leaks that embarrass the powerful -- then merrily using leaks themselves when they think the powerful will benefit. If revealing government information is, on its face, an offense, White House and Pentagon officials who leak to reporters should be chased across the world and prosecuted just as vigorously as Assange.
Maybe the WikiLeaks idea is indeed wrong. But compared to White House and Pentagon officials who leak to the press when it suits them, isn't Assange -- who uses his name rather than hide behind anonymity -- the honest one? "

Gregg Easterbrook

MFAH Fine Arts Fridays - 12/17/2010

Fucking harpsichord. Man, I hate the plink-plonk sound of harpsichords. Thank goodness for Bartolomeo Cristofori and his development of the pianoforte. Without that we may never have escaped the mechanical sterile horror of that fucking instrument.

The contemporary instrument movement in some music circles asks that pieces of music be performed on instruments from the piece's time. Some see this as the "true" sound of Baroque music, and some see it as a neat experiment in sonic time travel. Others just find it a curiosity, like wash boards or rotary dial phones, neat as decoration but otherwise completely ignorable. This is how 90% of the attendees at last Friday's event at the MFAH seemed to find it. Christmas music is mostly kept in the background (thank Mario), but this was pure coma-inducing tempos and vaguely lyrical baroque melodies.

The MFAH always has members parties and this was one of a series called Fine Arts Fridays.
As a member I always go and get a kick out of it. I love being in any museum when it is normally closed, and as Homer Simpson said, "artists LOVE free food Marge! Look at Jasper Johns!..."

You go enough times and you start recognizing people. Some are high society, and some are artists hungry for some free fruit/cheese/drinks/art. I know I dig into it with pleasure. A man can make a meal out of crackers, brie, cheddar, Monterrey jack, Swiss, grapes (green and red), strawberries, wine, well drinks, sodas, etc. I have never seen bigger green grapes than the ones I ate Friday. That's classy produce. I did wonder if caterers have a pact of some sort that mandates they only ever serve brie, cheddar, Swiss, and Monterrey jack.

The newly finished Asian Art wing of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston was the centerpiece of this F.A.Friday. The permanent installation of the gunpowder painting commissioned by the MFAH from artist Cai Guo-Qiang of China. The room smelled slightly of gunpowder and sulfur and felt like walking directly into a classic brush and ink painting! Amazing! I have loved Japanese and Chinese scroll paintings for a long time.

Frankly though, the inclusion of just a few free standing works severely detracted from the artwork on the walls. I would have appreciated experiencing the gunpowder painting alone, just myself and the walls. Luckily the works are not permanently installed, unlike the gunpowder paintings. Perhaps the MFAH people may yet decide it is best to have it be an installation type space and not use it as a gallery display space. I hope they do, seeing as how the Cai Guo-Qiang artwork is supposed to be the showpiece of the Asian collection. It does the art a disservice to clutter it up with unrelated artworks. The work is beautiful.

The wings holding the arts if India and Korea were a bit at odds. The Korean side, while heavy on pottery, was sparse and disjointed as a collection of objects. The MFAH's holdings are not too large in the Korean arts. The Indian side though has so much beautiful gold work, intricate and sensual sculpture, and even carved ivory pieces. Quite a rich variety, and the Indians definitely know how to sculpt a curvy sexy lady!

The museum was not as packed as usual for these events but it being the holidays and the party season this is understandable. The people watching as always was superb. Hell, if you are a jewelry whore the jewelry watching is usually top notch as well. There was even jewelry laying on the sidewalk outside the doors. Oh, the riches! These events are always interesting for the way they bring and mix together people from very different walks of life.

The only requirement is to be a member of the MFAH. An individual membership costs around $50/year. That is a serious deal. Those fifty bucks get you unlimited entry to the museum, invitations to most MFAH parties and events, discounts at the MFAH gift shop, and free drinks, cheese, and fruit! Ha! Not bad at all.

RXTT

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLVII - Science Edition

47. The fifteenth prime number. The atomic number of silver. There is even a society devoted to exploring the preternatural appearance of the number 47 in all aspects of the Multi-verse.
-FUPPETS- loves science, but 47 articles is much too much. Here are just a few.


SpaceX launches the first commercial space capsule into orbit and returned it safely back to Earth - ( Tariq Malik - Space.com )

Black Holes and Warped Space Revealed by Powerful New Array of Radio Telescopes - ( Science Daily )

Theoretical Breakthrough: Generating Matter and Antimatter from Nothing - ( Science Daily )

A Science of Literature? Great idea, so long as we can get actual scientists involved - ( Chris Mooney - Science Progress )

Microbe finds Arsenic tasty, redefines life - ( Dennis Overbye - New York Times )

-FUPPETS- FOR READERS XLVI

At one point the United States of America had 46 states. There were less before that and more after. It seems to -FUPPETS- that many people automatically assume that the USA has reached a limit of some sort on allowable states as if the even number of 50 somehow confers finality. This is because people are stupid. It would not take much more to have the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico established as US states. They are all less remote than the state of Hawaii, and far more hospitable than Alaska. They are all US protectorates, or commonwealths, or colonies, or whatever, and the people born there are all citizens instantly with all rights granted to all US citizens. The US government already uses money to run the postal service, infrastructure, government, and military protection for these places. It would be little more than a formality to grant them full statehood, with representation in Congress in equal proportion to their population, just like all other states. Why has the US government not done this in the 60+ years since annexing Hawaii and Alaska? It is a very thorny question and the answers are likely not pretty. -FUPPETS- does not have them, only suspicions, and the knowledge that nothing is ever done, by governments nor by private enterprise, with anything other than the filthy lucre of money in mind. So keep your eyes open, your mind open, your ears open, ask the questions, especially the OBVIOUS ones, for those are the ones that they are hoping you never actually ask. You never know what will make that connection in your brain, allowing for insight and wisdom not gathered from the fucking TV news or the bullshit infotainment disguised as educational TV.


WHEN INSIDERS EXPOSE THE UGLY SIDE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY - ( Vigilant Citizen )


MUSIC AND SPEECH SHARE A CODE FOR COMMUNICATING SADNESS IN THE MINOR THIRD - ( Ferris Jabr - Scientific American )


COLONIAL STUDIES: Real ants offer no lessons in moral human conduct - ( Deborah M. Gordon - Boston Review )


BEN FRANKLIN ON AMERICAN HAPPINESS: A wise advisor for troubled times - ( Jerry Weinberger - City Journal )


THE VALLEY OF TABOOS: Daring to discuss Africa's indigenous beliefs - ( Johann Hari - Slate )

-FUPPETS- Science Digest

-FUPPETS- loves scientific endeavor. Humans have an innate need to explore, whether it be experiencing physical travel, or delving into what is unknown. Scientists use the empirical scientific method to answer questions about our world and ourselves. Science does not require "belief" in itself for it to work. The scientific method works even when the results are completely unexpected. These are the thrills of the researcher. It is in these unexpected surprises and setbacks that the light is shined on a dark corner of our knowledge.

The Nobel Foundation has announced the 2010 recipients for the Nobel Prize in Physics. Two Russian-born physicists, working at the University of Manchester, discovered/created a new form of carbon called GRAPHENE. Graphene is a two-dimensional "sheet" of carbon atoms. The chemical, physical, and electrical properties of this material are quite wild.

As a material it is completely new — not only the thinnest ever but also the strongest. As a conductor of electricity it performs as well as copper. As a conductor of heat it outperforms all other known materials. It is almost completely transparent, yet so dense that not even helium, the smallest gas atom, can pass through it. Carbon, the basis of all known life on earth, has surprised us once again. ( Associated Press )

It is amazing that us humans are capable of creating whole new substances, and that it seems the sky is the limit. Scientists will be researching the capabilities of graphene for decades.
Here are the two Nobel Prize winners, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov.

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLV

45. That is the number. Forty-five shots in the dark trying to shed some bit of light onto the brains of the inter-meta-net-web masses. -FUPPETS- does not do this for personal gain.
-FUPPETS- does this because the world is already full of idiots and does not need any more.
-FUPPETS- wants you to know someone cares, at least enough to tell you that you are getting stupid watching moronic shit on television and discussing the same moronic shit with the morons that you work with, leading to a slippery slope of stupidity from which it is hard to climb out of.
-FUPPETS- is looking out for your best interests.

WHY HAVE UFO's CHANGED SPEED OVER THE YEARS? - ( Martin S. Kottmeyer - The Philosophers Magazine )

LOST IN TRANSLATION: What do we lose when languages die? - ( Alex Rose - Obit Mag )

THE CRIMEWAVE THAT SHAMES THE WORLD: It's one of the last great taboos: the murder of at least 20,000 women a year in the name of 'honour'. Nor is the problem confined to the Middle East: the contagion is spreading rapidly - ( Robert Fisk - The Independent )

THE WEB IS DEAD: Long live the internet - ( Chris Anderson/Michael Wolff - Wired )

SARAH PALIN, THE FORCE & THE FURY: Even as Sarah Palin’s public voice grows louder, she has become increasingly secretive, walling herself off from old friends and associates, and attempting to enforce silence from those around her - ( Michael Joseph Gross - Vanity Fair )

REVALORIZING THE TRADES - ( Camille Paglia - The Chronicle Review )

TERRA INFIRMA: The rise and fall of quicksand - ( Daniel Engber - Slate )

AN AMORAL MANIFESTO (Part 1) - ( Joel Marks - Philosophy Now )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLIV

A recent poll of over 220,000 U.S. citizens revealed some startling ignorance. It seems that 1 in 5 respondents think President Barack Obama is a Muslim. This should not be too surprising, seeing as how almost 2 in 5 Americans are functionally illiterate. This should also be the biggest shame in our country, for our country was founded upon the idea that an educated populace was capable of self-determination. The inverse is that an uneducated populace is NOT capable and therefore needs to be led like a herd of sheep. There are many powerful and wealthy people, organizations and corporations in this country who actively seek a dumbed-down populace. It makes it easier for them to sell you shit you do not need or want. It makes it easier to distract the people from the true problems that they face. How can a dumb and ill-informed populace be expected to understand when their "highly educated leaders" are shoving their collective foot up their collective ass? It is a sad shame. Widespread literacy is ignored in favor of widespread wi-fi hot-spots and the easy availability of overpriced coffee. We have no one to blame for this but ourselves. We have allowed the assholes to make us fat, drunk, and stupid, and to quote Animal House, "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

EWWWWWWWWWW! : The surprising moral force of disgust - ( Drake Bennett - Boston Globe ) A MASTERPIECE OF NATURE: Why do humans look down on "ugly" animals? - ( Natalie Angier - The New York Times ) OUR NEANDERTHAL BRETHREN: Genome sequencing has revealed our common humanity - ( Michael Shermer - Scientific American ) YOU'RE DEAD, NOW WHAT? - ( Jacques Berlinerblau - The Chronicle of Higher Education ) HOW THE INTERNET IS ALTERING YOUR MIND - ( John Harris - The Guardian UK ) MYSTERY OF "BEER GOGGLES" SOLVED: We all know alcohol can change the way you look at that certain someone from across the bar. Find out why here. - ( Larry O'Hanlon - Discovery News ) WIDESPREAD PLASTIC DEBRIS FOUND IN THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN - ( Science Daily )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLIII

That is not the Lone Ranger above. It is Louis L'Amour, famed writer of western tales and all-around he-man. His own wide-ranging personal life could be made into dozens of films. Mr. L'Amour would have waged holy war against the decline of reading in the USA. While electronic readers saturate the media, the average person has actually dropped their amount of literature reading down to abysmal levels. While there are many various reasons for this, -FUPPETS- lays much of the blame on an education system that rewards rote memorization and the didactic study of "facts" instead of rewarding creative, critical thinking. This is the kind of education that many people truly need. They do not need to know the dates of historical events as much as they need to know the actual details of the history, the people who made it happen, and to think critically as to WHY these things happen. That question, "why?", is the one question that teachers seem to dread the most. That is pathetic, as that is the one question that they should be willing and ready to discuss with their students. It is a sad shame, for the human brain thrives on language. Travel is not the only way to expand one's mind and vocabulary. Books can do the very same thing, yet it seems like pundits are jumping on the ever-expanding bandwagon that books/literature is dead or dying. Only the foolhardy and ignorant would suggest this is a good thing. Luckily there are still people out there writing and thinking and trying to help us out. THE MARK OF A MASTERPIECE: The man who keeps finding famous fingerprints on uncelebrated works of art. - ( David Grann - The New Yorker ) When Jefferson changed "subjects" to "citizens." - ( Marc Kaufman - Washington Post ) IN DEFENSE OF THE MEMORY THEATER: Personal book collections are as important as books themselves - ( Nathan Schneider - Open Letters Monthly ) RENT A WHITE GUY: Confessions of a fake businessman in Beijing. - ( Mitch Moxley - The Atlantic ) THE REAL DEAL: Has "reality" TV led to an increased demand for documentaries? - ( John Bailey - Sydney Morning Herald )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLII

-FUPPETS- would like to share a couple of online resources for those who love to read. The first is a well-known site called Project Gutenberg. It aims to collect as many books and pieces of writing in the public domain as it can, and it succeeds quite admirably. There are so many old books, many of them out of print and very rare, available as text files, as word documents, or as a variety of E-Books, downloadable to whatever E-Book reader you may have. It is quite exhaustive and awesome. The other site -FUPPETS- wants you to check out is Knowledge Files. If you have a taste for the esoteric, the occult, the mysteries, etc., then you owe yourself a visit to this site, where rare books are available for download. The site also provides a forum on which one can discuss the books and ideas contained therein. Mr. MIMIC: The extraordinary gifts and fleeting legacy of Sammy Davis Jr. - ( John H. McWhorter - City Journal ) WORLD'S OLDEST LEATHER SHOE FOUND IN ARMENIA - ( Science Daily ) THE DUSTBIN OF ART HISTORY: Why is so much contemporary art awful? We’re living through the death throes of the modernist project — and this isn’t the first time that greatness has collapsed into decadence - ( Ben Lewis - Prospect Magazine ) HOLY TERROR: The Rise of the Order of Assassins - ( Jefferson Grey - HistoryNet.com ) GLOOM MERCHANT: To be truly happy we must be pessimistic. - ( Roger Scruton - New Humanist ) SLOW DOWN, ROBERT JOHNSON!: Have we been hearing him at the wrong speed? - ( Soundcheck - WNYC.org )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XLI

-FUPPETS- just cannot get enough information/data/input. It is never enough. Knowledge is a powerful thing. A little of it can go to one's head, causing a rigidity in thinking where a person feels that since they know something about a specific topic, that means they know something about every topic. That is just not so. A lot of knowledge usually results in a person understanding exactly how little they do know and how much is still out there left to learn! It is a strange paradox. The powers that be just love to feed their subservient sheep just enough knowledge to crystallize their brains, but not enough for them to develop a skeptical world-view capable of critical thinking. This makes the sheep easy to control, for they will not question anything, since they think they know everything already. It is the oldest trick in the book, used by organized cults (currently referred to as "religions", "political parties", "public schools", etc.) throughout human existence, in order to control their subjects. There is only one way to fight this tyranny, and that is through the constant and steady input of new thoughts and ideas and words into your brainwashed head. This is not always an easy and pleasant thing, although the results often are. One has to be open to ideas which seem to counter one's own. One has to develop a critical mind. These are the true hallmarks of a HUMAN BEING. -FUPPETS- wishes you luck. CLIMATEGATE: How the science of global warming was compromised. - ( Alex Bojanowski - Spiegel Online ) THE NEW WAR BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION: The new war pits those who argue that science and "moderate" forms of religion are compatible worldviews against those who think they are not. - ( Mano Singham - The Chronicle of Higher Education ) HOW CHILDHOOD HAS EVOLVED: The notion that the first three years of childhood deeply shape the remainder of life is seductive, but, is it true? - ( Melvin Konner - The Chronicle of Higher Education ) BLACK, BROWN, & BEIGE: Duke Ellington's music and race in America. - ( Claudia Roth Pierpont - The New Yorker ) WHALING THE OLD WAY - ( James Williford - Humanities ) ARE U.S. MUSEUMS HEIST-PROOF? - ( Jacqueline Trescott & Dan Zak - Washington Post ) BABYLON & BEYOND: Baghdad mosque breaks with Islamic tradition to display religious paintings. - ( Usama Redha & Meris Lutz - The Los Angeles Times )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XL

-FUPPETS- has always had issues with the limited time allowed for the digestion of all the amazing things that are written by people. When you add to this the amount of new scientific research that is published in any given month, it really helps point out the dilemma faced by one who above all seeks to read as much as possible about everything. One life-time is no enough. We must all do what we can to absorb as much as possible in the limited time we have. It may seem overwhelming to cram so much information in your brain but believe -FUPPETS- when -FUPPETS- says your mind can take it. Don't wimp out. Start off with the following essays and articles here in the 40th edition of -FUPPETS- For Readers. MIND CONTROL THEORIES & TECHNIQUES USED BY MASS MEDIA: Mass media is the most powerful tool used by the ruling class to manipulate the masses. It shapes and molds opinions and attitudes and defines what is normal and acceptable. This article looks at the workings of mass media through the theories of its major thinkers, its power structure and the techniques it uses, in order to understand its true role in society. - ( The Vigilant Citizen )

COMETARY DUST FOUND IN ANTARCTICA - ( Science Daily ) How English erased its roots to become the global tongue of the 21st century. - ( Robert McCrum - Guardian UK ) NO SUCH THING AS SILENCE: John Cage's 4'33" - ( Nikil Saval - The New Statesman ) SOUL TALK: No self-respecting professor of philosophy wants to discuss the soul in class. It reeks of old-time theology, or, worse, New Age quantum treacle. But make no mistake, our students are very interested in the soul. In fact, that is the main reason many of us won't raise the soul issue in our classes: The bizarre, speculative, spooky metaphysics that pours out of students, once the box has been opened, is truly chaotic and depressing. - ( Stephen T. Asma - Chronicle Review ) PANDORA'S BRIEFCASE: It was a dazzling feat of wartime espionage. But does it argue for or against spying? - ( Malcolm Gladwell - The New Yorker ) WHY I HATE 3-D (AND YOU SHOULD TOO): I'm not opposed to 3-D as an option. I'm opposed to it as a way of life. - ( Roger Ebert - Newsweek )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XXXIX - RUDY RUCKER

Welcome to the 39th edition of -FUPPETS- For Readers. The dude above, a cyberpunk bad-ass named Rudy Rucker , may look like a congenial, affable guy, but in his head a shit-storm of FREAKOUT is constantly whirlpooling about. If you want to explore this regulated chaos, then you should head to your favorite book store or library and grab a copy of any of these titles. SOFTWARE - WETWARE - FREEWARE - REALWARE - THE HOLLOW EARTH - THE HACKER & THE ANTS - GNARL - AS ABOVE, SO BELOW: A NOVEL OF PETER BRUEGEL - POSTSINGULAR - HYLOZOIC They will surely have you laughing at the same time as they blow your puny little mind away. Rudy Rucker's stories gnaw at the brain, for they are not only hard sci-fi in which topics such as virtual reality, consciousness, human evolution, cybernetics, and such are explored. They are also often hilarious, scary, and overwhelming in their scope. He has also written historical fiction, fantasy titles, as well as a wide range of non-fiction books. Check it out. You will not be disappointed. The video below is a long lecture given at a symposium in Japan by Rudy Rucker describing life processes as a gnarly computation. RUDY RUCKER - What is Life?

From the great website The EDGE, here is a short essay by Rudy Rucker. The EDGE puts forth interesting questions and asks some of the great minds of our time in all sorts of disciplines to answer the questions. The topic for this essay was "What is your most dangerous idea?" The ideas discussed below form much of the basis for Mr. Rucker's last two sci-fi novels, Postsingular and Hylozoic. Mind is a universally distributed quality Panpsychism. Each object has a mind. Stars, hills, chairs, rocks, scraps of paper, flakes of skin, molecules — each of them possesses the same inner glow as a human, each of them has singular inner experiences and sensations. I'm quite comfortable with the notion that everything is a computation. But what to do about my sense that there's something numinous about my inner experience? Panpsychism represents a non-anthropocentric way out: mind is a universally distributed quality. Yes, the workings of a human brain are a deterministic computation that could be emulated by any universal computer. And, yes, I sense more to my mental phenomena than the rule-bound exfoliation of reactions to inputs: this residue is the inner light, the raw sensation of existence. But, no, that inner glow is not the exclusive birthright of humans, nor is it solely limited to biological organisms. Note that panpsychism needn't say that universe is just one mind. We can also say that each object has an individual mind. One way to visualize the distinction between the many minds and the one mind is to think of the world as a stained glass window with light shining through each pane. The world's physical structures break the undivided cosmic mind into a myriad of small minds, one in each object. The minds of panpsychism can exist at various levels. As well as having its own individuality, a person's mind would also be, for instance, a hive mind based upon the minds of the body's cells and the minds of the body's elementary particles. Do the panpsychic minds have any physical correlates? On the one hand, it could be that the mind is some substance that accumulates near ordinary matter — dark matter or dark energy are good candidates. On the other hand, mind might simply be matter viewed in a special fashion: matter experienced from the inside. Let me mention three specific physical correlates that have been proposed for the mind. Some have argued that the experience of mind results when a superposed quantum state collapses into a pure state. It's an alluring metaphor, but as a universal automatist, I'm of the opinion that quantum mechanics is a stop-gap theory, destined to give way to a fully deterministic theory based upon some digital precursor of spacetime. David Skrbina, author of the clear and comprehensive book Panpsychism in the West, suggests that we might think of a physical system as determining a moving point in a multi-dimensional phase space that has an axis for each of the system's measurable properties. He feels this dynamic point represents the sense of unity characteristic of a mind. As a variation on this theme, let me point out that, from the universal automatist standpoint, every physical system can be thought of as embodying a computation. And the majority of non-simple systems embody universal computations, capable of emulating any other system at all. It could be that having a mind is in some sense equivalent to being capable of universal computation. A side-remark. Even such very simple systems as a single electron may in fact be capable of universal computation, if supplied with a steady stream of structured input. Think of an electron in an oscillating field; and by analogy think of a person listening to music or reading an essay. Might panpsychism be a distinction without a difference? Suppose we identify the numinous mind with quantum collapse, with chaotic dynamics, or with universal computation. What is added by claiming that these aspects of reality are like minds? I think empathy can supply an experiential confirmation of panpsychism's reality. Just as I'm sure that I myself have a mind, I can come to believe the same of another human with whom I'm in contact — whether face to face or via their creative work. And with a bit of effort, I can identify with objects as well; I can see the objects in the room around me as glowing with inner light. This is a pleasant sensation; one feels less alone. Could there ever be a critical experiment to test if panpsychism is really true? Suppose that telepathy were to become possible, perhaps by entangling a person's mental states with another system's states. And then suppose that instead of telepathically contacting another person, I were to contact a rock. At this point panpsychism would be proved. I still haven't said anything about why panpsychism is a dangerous idea. Panpsychism, like other forms of higher consciousness, is dangerous to business as usual. If my old car has the same kind of mind as a new one, I'm less impelled to help the economy by buying a new vehicle. If the rocks and plants on my property have minds, I feel more respect for them in their natural state. If I feel myself among friends in the universe, I'm less likely to overwork myself to earn more cash. If my body will have a mind even after I'm dead, then death matters less to me, and it's harder for the government to cow me into submission.

-FUPPETS- FOR READERS XXXVII

Did you know that you are a spoiled bastard? Did you ever stop to think how fucking lucky you are to live somewhere where you can access not only the internet, but books and history and writing from all parts of the world? This is not the truth for everyone. In many parts of the world information, literature, and history are determined solely by what a government wishes it's people to know. For all the faults of the so-called "Western World," it is still a very open world, one which allows it's citizenry to read and learn and experience the wisdom of the ages through books. Look at George Orwell up above. That bad-ass is getting a samurai sword ready so he can disembowel the fucks in the Arab world, North Korea, and China that still, in the year 2010, continue to ban the dissemination of his anti-totalitarian, anti-fascist, anti-authoritarian masterpiece ANIMAL FARM. Amazing how much these assholes fear a "simple" book, huh? Does that not make you understand the power of words? Can you not see how important it is to not only read all the time, but to ensure that others are able to do so as well? -FUPPETS- thinks that the best psy-ops project ever would be to print cheap copies of Animal Farm in Korean, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, etc., and airdrop the things like they used to do with propaganda leaflets in WWII. Sure those bastard governments would be able to round up many of the copies, but enough would survive and be hidden away to cause a great disturbance in the minds of the oppressed people of the world. -FUPPETS- would also like to ensure Animal Farm is required reading in USA schools, both at a young age, and then again in high school when the deeper heavy themes can be more generously explored. People everywhere need to wake the fuck up. Tyranny exists because we let it. Information is the weapon to fight it. ANIMAL FARM: Still outlawed by regimes around the world, Animal Farm has always been political dynamite – so much so, it was nearly never published. Christopher Hitchens on George Orwell's timeless, transcendent 'fairy story' - ( Christopher Hitchens - Guardian UK ) The SIMPLICITY MOVEMENT asks for, well, simplicity, if you are rich enough to afford it. - ( Charlotte Allen - In Character ) PRESIDENTIAL READING: For Obama and past presidents, the books they read shape policies and perceptions - ( Tevi Troy - Washington Post ) After 70 years in a bank vault, Paris art dealer Ambroise Vollard's collection goes on sale. - ( Michael Posner - The Globe & Mail ) McLaren & Meyer & Rotten & Vicious & Me: Roger Ebert recalls Russ Meyer's request to have him write a Sex Pistols movie back in 1977. - ( Roger Ebert - Chicago Sun-Times ) UP FROM SLAVERY: There's no such thing as a Golden Age of lost liberty. - ( David Boaz - Reason )

-FUPPETS- For Readers XXXVI - Science Compendium

-FUPPETS- likes to aim your mind's-eye squarely in the direction of interesting scientific discovery. With the world's supply of top-shelf researchers at such a high number, it is surely a steady stream of new science being discussed on a daily basis. Remember, for every question answered, at least ten questions appear. This is the way of the Multiverse. With this in mind, here are some of the latest scientific endeavours that -FUPPETS- is keeping an eye on.

Scientists have discovered the first animals that live without oxygen. Deep under the Mediterranean Sea, small animals have been discovered that live their entire lives without oxygen and surrounded by 'poisonous' sulphides. The above image is of one such multi-cellular organism, the only one found so far that exists without mitochondria which uses oxygen to process energy sources. ( Science Daily )

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Scientists create world's smallest micro-laser. (Click the image above for a larger version.) "It's 30 micrometers long -- that's 30 millionths of a meter -- eight micrometers high and has a wavelength of 200 micrometers. This makes the laser considerably smaller than the wavelength of the light it emits -- a scientific first. After all, lasers normally can't be smaller than their wavelength, the reason being that in conventional lasers light waves cause an optic resonator to oscillate -- much like acoustic waves do to the soundbox of a guitar. In doing so, the light waves basically "travel" back and forth between two mirrors. The principle only works if the mirrors are larger than the wavelength of the laser. Consequently, normal lasers are limited in terms of their size. Other researchers have endeavored to push the boundaries; "But by developing a completely new laser concept we were able to go quite a way below the limit," says Christoph Walther." - ( Science Daily )

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SLIDESHOW: A Cretaceous Menagerie Preserved in Amber. Man, this is some cool shit. As mentioned previously on -FUPPETS- , an amazing amber deposit has been found in Ethiopia which contains animals, plants, fungi, and insects from the Cretaceous period. The link above will take you to a slide show of some of the amazing finds trapped in amber tens of millions of years old. - ( Science Now )

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Cold Atoms and Nano-Tubes Come Together in Atomic "Black Hole". The image above is an artist's representation of a newly discovered phenomenon. "Physicists at Harvard University have found that a high-voltage nanotube can cause cold atoms to spiral inward under dramatic acceleration before disintegrating violently. Their experiments, the first to demonstrate something akin to a black hole at atomic scale, are described in the current issue of the journal Physical Review Letters. "On a scale of nanometers, we create an inexorable and destructive pull similar to what black holes exert on matter at cosmic scales," says Lene Vestergaard Hau, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics at Harvard. "As importantly for scientists, this is the first merging of cold-atom and nanoscale science, and it opens the door to a new generation of cold atom experiments and nanoscale devices." - ( Science Daily )

Friends of -FUPPETS- Taking Cares Biz-Nazz

-FUPPETS- is quite fortunate to have connections out in the metaverse with creative, intelligent, and downright kick-ass people. Without people such as these life would not be as enjoyable, nor would it rock as much as it does.

One of -FUPPETS- Favorites, the blog Trapper Jenn M.D., is currently in the process of posting what will amount to a magnificent set of reviews for nearly every item in the Sonic Youth discography, and you know how -FUPPETS- feels about the -FUPPETS- House Band. Trapper Jenn M.D. writer JennTheBenn, author of No Set List: Pieces of a Sonic Life, has just posted the introduction to this amazing set of reviews, which she has been promising for a while now. -FUPPETS- cannot wait.

In other news, a newly added -FUPPETS- Favorite, Annet's Playground, is constantly updating and adding beautiful artwork, including sketches, photographs, drawings, sculpture, etc. The blog's writer, Anneke Caramin, is also the artist behind much of the artwork featured in Annet's Playground. It is definitely worth a weekly visit, for she is a bad-ass. Of course, she is also a huge Sonic Youth fanatic. -FUPPETS- would not have it any other way.

To celebrate these labors of love, -FUPPETS- brings you a clip of Beavis & Butthead making fun of Sonic Youth's video for the song BULL IN THE HEATHER.

-FUPPETS- For Readers XXXV

Ahhh, we have reached yet another round of the inter-meta-web-net's most gloriously anticipated -FUPPETS- screed. It is time once again for -FUPPETS- For Readers. The human brain is capable of so much, yet, like any engine, it is only as powerful as the fuel fed into it. If you go on choosing to insert mindless pablum into your brain, you will eventually find only mindless pablum coming out of your mouth. Have you ever listened to someone spouting off the most inane blather and felt your mind atrophy just because you had the misfortune of having to be near enough to hear the stupidity? That is exactly the reaction you should have when faced with the constant shit-barrage extruding from your television, radio, and computer. Stupid In = Stupid Out. Is that what you want for yourself? To be one of those people that everyone automatically tunes out because nothing of worth ever comes out of your idiot mouth?

-FUPPETS- hopes not.

Astronomers Confirm Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Accelerating Cosmic Expansion - ( Science Daily ) JOHN POLKINGHORNE'S UNSEEN REALITIES: Physicist John Polkinghorne surprised many in 1979 by deciding to become an Anglican priest. - ( In Character ) DO MOVIE CRITICS MATTER?: Armond White spoke at the NY Film Critics Circle banquet in January. Stars like Meryl Streep, George Clooney, and Kathryn Bigelow were there. The response? Stony silence - ( Armond White - First Things ) THE THRILL OF SCIENCE, TAMED BY AGENDAS: Is there any serious science left at the science museums? - ( Edward Rothstein - The New York Times ) CHOPIN'S 'SOUL & HEART' - ( Byron Janis - The Wall Street Journal ) IN SEARCH OF CONFUCIOUS: Envisioning an Abstraction Who Was Also a Man - ( Holland Cotter - The New York Times )