David Cranmer's Blog, page 9
October 16, 2017
Never-Before-Seen Event: 'Kilonova'
The Verge: "For the first time, astronomers detect gravitational waves from two neutron stars colliding." Wow! Incredible news and this comes a mere two years after gravitational waves were first detected confirming a prediction by Einstein. In addition:
In the wake of the collision, the churning residue forged gold, silver, platinum and a smattering of other heavy elements such as uranium.What a time to be involved in science, or, like me, a dedicated aficionado. Fantasy: to have witnessed this mind-blowing neutron 'duel' from a protective distance, maybe aboard the TARDIS. A cosmic spectacle for which the words stellar and awesome were invented.
The Naked Time (1967)
On a dying planet, the Enterprise crew discovers a research team frozen dead in bizarre positions: one member was fully clothed taking a shower and another sits at a control panel like nothing was amiss. Mr Spock and Lt. Tormolen split up to investigate when Tormolen is unknowingly contaminated by a red liquid and then by domino effect inflicts the rest of the crew. Soon, because no one is at the helm, the ship's orbit is compromised and the Enterprise begins to plunge toward the planet. McCoy eventually saves the day with a vaccine and Spock proposes an untested theory of time and antimatter. With options depleted, they time travel for the first time going back before the events that nearly crippled them.Easily one of the ten best episodes of the original series because of the crew 'drunk' and behaving widely erratic with Mr Sulu imagining himself a swashbuckler, Riley locking himself in engineering and promoting himself to captain, and Nurse Chapel professing her love for Spock. As a kid, this episode along with "Shore Leave" were my favorites because of the out of their element detours. And I had such a kick watching The Naked Time" again, I'm going to add more time tripping adventures to the Cranmer queue. Slingshotting next with "Tomorrow is Yesterday" when the crew finds themselves in that strange era known as the 1960's.
October 15, 2017
Voices of the Dead: In Memories and Literary Prose
When the family reserve has been let down by the indie publishing, I go back to the daily security grind which takes me here and there, until the coffers are no longer on life support. So, there I was, at 4:30 a.m., shuffling into the Holiday Inn dining nook in Warrenton, Virginia—preparing my bolstering dose of English breakfast tea—when I noticed the woman I had exchanged pleasantries with the previous morning was unhinged. "Be careful out there," she warned. "There's been a murder at the CVS and the police told us to lock the doors. So, if you go out, you’ll have to knock or call to get back in." That deposited an image of me...*For more, and I certainly hope I've stoked your interest, please click here for the rest of my article.
Who Was Mata Hari?
Exotic dancing and espionage are the twin peaks that come to mind when the name Mata Hari is mentioned. But what is her full, true story? Lost to time and blurred in key passages, for sure. Fact and fiction began cross-pollinating quite early, furthered in great part by her own exaggerations in efforts to hype her lascivious career. Journalists lapped it up for purple prose lines like, “so feline, extremely feminine, majestically tragic, the thousand curves and movements of her body trembling in a thousand rhythms.” Today's Hollywood publicists have nothing on Ms. Hari when it comes to self-promotion and aggrandizement. She discovered early in her stage career that the more outlandish a rumor reported by the press, the more people paid to see her dance.
My full article can be found at Macmillan's Criminal Element.
My full article can be found at Macmillan's Criminal Element.
The Abyss by Oliver Sacks
Saturday's used bookstore haul included The Best American Science Writing 2008 edited by Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind. First article I read was "The Abyss" by Oliver Sacks that spotlighted Clive Wearing who has chronic anterograde and retrograde amnesia. He only retains memories from anywhere from seven to thirty seconds. In a journal he attempted to keep, he would repeatedly write entries like “I am awake” or “I am conscious” over and over again. Damn, can you imagine being trapped in that loop? And yet, he can play the piano with little issue and remembers his wife's face. I recommended the read or this video I found on YouTube. Fascinating, thought-provoking.
October 13, 2017
Talking About Death...
When the family reserve has been let down by the indie publishing, I go back to the daily security grind which takes me here and there, until the coffers are no longer on life support. So, there I was, at 4:30 a.m., shuffling into the Holiday Inn dining nook in Warrenton, Virginia—preparing my bolstering dose of English breakfast tea—when I noticed the woman I had exchanged pleasantries with the previous morning was unhinged. "Be careful out there," she warned. "There's been a murder at the CVS and the police told us to lock the doors. So, if you go out, you’ll have to knock or call to get back in." That deposited an image of me...*For more, and I certainly hope I've stoked your interest, please click here for the rest of my article.
