50 degrees North,1 degree West

H.M.S Warrior
"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).

This ones for you:

Cisco

Google

Yahoo

Microsoft

(Thanks Channel 4 for the 'TankMan') 

Gravitational lensing

 

The NASA Hubble telescope has captured probably one of the best images demonstrating the gravitational lensing effect.

What happens is that the light behind a supermassive object such as a cluster of galaxies or a black hole is bent by the force of gravity as it travels past that object giving a  repeated (due to the different paths to the viewer the light can take) and distorted (lensing arc)images.A mere seven billion light years away there a cluster of galaxies designated SDSS J1004+4112.Behind this cluster of galaxies at a distance of ten billion light years is a quasar(the brightest objects in the universe,which are found near the edge of the observable universe) .From the viewpoint of the Hubble telescope the light is bent so much that there are 5 images of the same quasar and several images of the same galaxy.Deflection of light by gravity was predicted by Einstiens Theory of general relativity

(Hat tip to http://hubblesite.org)

Black Holes -the award winning website

Just found this award winning website by an astronomer Roeland van der marel  regarding Black holes  -well worth a visit,check it out!  Here is  the link:http://hubblesite.org/discoveries/black_holes/

They wouldn’t belive us!

'

Just imagine that these events were to become known to the enemy!

And were being exploited by them! In all probability,such propaganda would be ineffective simply because those hearing and reading it would not be prepared to belive it. '

(The reichskommisar for the Ostland to the Reichminister for occupied Eastern territories-18th June,1943.)

Schaeffer in his book 'What ever happened to the Human race ?' says Cultures can be judged in many ways,but eventually every nation in every age must be judged by this test:How did it treat People ?

The dominant worldview of the west does not acknowledge any judgement of its culture,except the fleeting judgement of the moment,morals are relative and personal.Where has the judge gone?

What basis for human dignity and worth do we have,when our culture is increasingly based on Humanist principles?

These principles are defined as : 'Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities— particularly rationality, common history, experience, and belief.'(definition from Wikipedia)

This sounds great,our culture' defines what is right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities',but if morality is no longer absolute it must be personal, then who decides what those human qualities are?Is it the 51% vote,with an increasing vulnerability to utilitarianism and manipulation that decides or an authoritarian elite?

Humanism, both religious and secular has no adequate ground for morality or judging.

Bruce Cockburn rightly sings 'The trouble with normal is it always gets worse'What is deemed 'bad' today becomes tomorrows new 'good'.The heart of Humanism is described by H.J.Blackham:

On Humanist assumptions,life leads to nothing,and every pretence that it does not is a deceit.If there is a bridge over a gorge which spans only half the distance and ends in mid-air,and if the bridge is crowded with human beings pressing on,one after the other they fall into the abyss.The bridge leads nowhere,and those who are pressing forward to cross it are going nowhere….It does not matter where they think they are going,what preparations for the journey they have made,how much they may be enjoying it all.The objection merely points out objectivity that such a situation is a model of futility.'

From a Christian view point Human Life is precious -If we don't stand for this -what will we stand for ?

Why is more interesting than How

(Number 2 son Liam )

Why have I started this Blog?Like the majority of weblogs it is narcissistic in nature, reflecting the things I am interested in.Of course the great thing about blogging is the potential for dialogue -so I am not completely caught up with my own thoughts, hopefully.At this early stage in my blog journey a prime reason for posting is making itself known.Right about now we need flashback music coupled with a far off look in our hero's eyes (who says our thought forms are not effected by the media).

28 years ago I became a Christian in a church which is Charismatic in style, popular culture would label it as 'happy clappy' as opposed to 'smells and bells'.This little church was full of loving people and still has a great and good effect on the community it is part off.

No church structure is perfect(by church structure I mean the way it is run, its mission, the importance it gives to specific areas of the Christian life)the saying goes: if you find a perfect church don't join it …your ruin it!Over time I began to feel a tension between my experience of church and ideas I was reading, mainly gleaned from Schaeffer,Os Guiness,C.S.Lewis amongst others.The cause of this tension is becoming one of the main 'why's' in my reasons to blog.The danger with any church group is that it becomes a caricature (a cartoon) of the beauty that should be reflected. The bread and butter of political cartoonist is to pick a characteristic of there subject and enlarge it with respect to all the other features, so it could be Prince Charles Ears for instance.This is what has happened to many Charismatic styled churches.

The 1980 Gallup poll on religion said:'We are having a revival of feelings but not of the knowledge of God. The church today is more guided by feelings than by convictions. We value enthusiasm more than informed commitment.'The emphasis on feelings and emotional strokes fills the gap that anti-intellectualism has left behind.Without going into why this emphasis has occurred I will detail just two aspects of what anti-intellectualism has done to the church, there are others.The most apparent danger that this overemphasis has created is a weakened spiritual discernment.1 John 4 V 1 'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God..'

The basis of discernment according to scripture is a statement of content-we are looking for the a belief that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. We are not directed to judge what is told to us by the emotional impact it gives. This lack of discernment means we will unthinkingly accept further distortions to scripture, if the source of the distortion presses the right emotional buttons.

Another result of anti-intellectualism is the presence of a secular/sacred divide where there should be none. This is most easily seen when a Christian talks about full time ministry. The idea of full time ministry is an error. If Jesus is Lord of the Christian then he is Lord of the whole of that Christians life not just the Sunday and midweek moments.

Every Christian is in full-time ministry in the job/study or what ever else it is they do with there lives.This sacred /secular divide has caused the church to withdraw from the world to be concerned with only 'Spiritual' matters yet every part of a Christians life is Spiritual according to Scripture. When and if you ever step inside a Christian bookshop look out for the Christian books concerning Politics or art or technology or Science or philosophy or cosmology ..you get the picture. I have been in a few Christian bookshops and I have never seen books concerning Christianity and History for instance or whatever it is. No wonder so many Christian teenagers cannot hold onto there faith when they start to study at University, they have no answers to competing ideologies as they have never been exposed to them.

Festus to the apostle Paul:” Your great learning is driving you mad." Acts 26:24.

Islamic violence will Kofi Annan respond ?

There is an organisation called Christian solidarity international whose aim is to defend the rights of people to belive what they want, where they want.

This is enbodied in article 10 of the universal declaration of human rights,it states :

'Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. '

Recently this organisation sent a letter to Kofi Annan (Secretary general of the united nations) detailing the rise of Islamic violence towards those of other beliefs,

Heres the Christian solidarity international press release:

CSI Deplores Wave of Islamic Violence against Freedom of Expression Islamic States Urged to End Religious IntoleranceChristian Solidarity International (CSI) deplores the continuing use of violence and threats of violence in Islamic states, especially last weekend’s demonstrations for the restriction of freedom of opinion and expression regarding Islam as a religion and political ideology. We are particularly dismayed at the murder of Catholic priest Fr. Andrea Santoro in the Turkish city of Trabzon by a youth shouting “Allahu akhbar”, the stoning by Muslim mobs of St. Maroun Church in Beirut, the arrest in Amman of Jordanian newspaper editor Jihad Momani, and the burning of Western embassy buildings. The role of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), representing 57 Muslim states in creating a climate for violent confrontation and press censorship is a cause of deep concern. The OIC set the stage for demonstrations against free speech at its extraordinary summit in Mecca in early December 2005. The Muslim heads of state resolved to pressure, through a program of Joint Islamic Action, international institutions to criminalize insults of Islam and its founder, Mohammed. The summit’s final resolution referred specifically to the satirical caricatures of Mohammed published last September in Denmark, which were used as a pretext for the violent demonstrations. On the 4th of February – the day the mob violence commenced – the OIC described publication of the caricatures as acts of “blasphemy”. Blasphemy is punishable by death, according to Shariah law. The OIC’s understanding of freedom is enshrined in its 1990 Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam. This Islamic charter subordinates international norms for human rights to discriminatory Shariah law. Political repression, religious discrimination and the publication of anti-Jewish and anti-Christian literature are widespread phenomena within OIC member states, especially in its Arab heartland. Last weekend’s demonstrations have the hallmarks of an OIC power-play aimed at imposing censorship on public discussion of Islam. CSI urges the OIC and member states to desist from fanning the flames of religious intolerance. We also call on the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Mohammed Tantawi, and the Supreme Leader of Shiite Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to create conditions for genuine, non-violent dialogue with the non-Muslim world by affirming unconditional support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, which provides for freedom of expression, religion and conscience for all of mankind, regardless of race, creed or gender. Finally, CSI urges Western governments and civil society, especially the media, to resist the OIC’s efforts to manipulate and censor public discussion about Islam and the Islamic world.

We blew the roof off!

Here is a picture of my favourite building located in Pompey.
Its called the Garrison church -apart from how great it looks, the eagle eyed might notice theres no roof! Apparently the Nazis thought that the presence of a roof might pose a threat to there camapign for European domination,so they removed it one night.
The garrison church is quite new being built in 1214 and probably is one of the first hospitals anywhere-then known as The Domus Dei (Gods house).Nothing to do with the da vinci code -Except if you look at it sideways and squint there appears for a fleeting moment the image of a blurry church with no roof-could be a message ?

Solar Prominences!

 

We are at solar minimum right now-meaning that during the roughly 11 year cycle, the number of sun spots is at its lowest.The prominences are not related to sunspot activity.They occurr at the surface of the sun (Corona).The prominences are made up of relativly cool (10,000 Celseus) plasma, the prominent arch structure they have is supported by magnetic fields. The image here was taken by Greg Piepol of Rockville,Maryland.Source: http://www.spaceweather.com

One in a million!

I’ve been reading the book  ‘Life’s Solution’ by Simon Conway Morris.In it he discusses the efficiency of the genetic code in relation to minimising the damage an error during transcription and translation would have on an individual organism.(Transcription is the process whereby the genetic information stored in DNA is copied across to RNA. Once the information is in the form of RNA the process of translation occurs, this involves decoding of the RNA to produce a polypeptide chain of amino acids-The primary structure of Protein).

Nucleotide bases read by the translation process code each of the 20 left handed amino acids used in nature. The nucleotide bases are read in groups of 3 known as triplets. There are 4 possible bases from which to make up the triplets, reading them as a combination of 3 bases gives a possible combination of 64 available triplets. There is a high degree of redundancy (the same end is arrived at via different means), Such that some amino acids are coded for by as many as 6 different codon’s. This redundancy minimises the amount of damage having the wrong amino acid in a protein might mean.

The amazing, yet generally unappreciated feature of the genetic code that both we, the wood that makes up your table, the bacterium in your gut and the humble nematode munching on the compost heap share, is that when a single (point) mutation happens the difference between the intended (correct) amino acid and the actual amino acid coded for due to error, is usually relatively harmless. The key characteristic of the amino acids with redundancy is hydrophobicity (amino acids repelled by water). This is because the 3-D shape of the final protein is partly dependant on the forces of water attraction and repulsion.3-D shape is important in the same way that the shape of a key and the lock it opens are vital for a functioning lock Protiens interact and form structures based on there shape.

Stephen J. Freeland and Laurence D. Hurst used computer simulations to look at exactly how efficient the genetic code is in relation to what might have been?

Freeland and Lawrence had to place within there computer program all the nuances seen in nature such as the observed increase in relative frequency of mutations due to mistakes seen at the third position of the triplet mRNA during translation. Mistakes occur frequently at this position due to a weak-binding affinity between mRNA and tRNA   dubbed a ‘wobble’ by DNA’s co discoverer Francis Crick.

Codon’s which code for the same amino acid due to redundancy of the should usually differ by there last letters (third base) so the common mistakes generated by weak binding at the third base in a codon generate a (wobble). So mistakes at the third position in a codon often give the same amino acid as was initially intended.Freeland and Lawrence randomised the genetic code leading to a massive number of alternate possible codes, one in a hundred million  then compared the efficiency in terms of redundancy .They produced the bell curve with almost all there computer generate codes being in the bell –when comparing the efficiency of the bell curve codes with  the code we have within us they found our natural code was far far more efficient .

Freeland and Lawrence tell it like this ‘…the natural genetic code shows evidence of optimisation, two orders of magnitude higher than has been suggested previously…..under our model, of 1 million random variant codes produced ,only 1 better …than the natural code –our genetic code is quite literally 1 in a million !’

I guess I find it hard to reconcile this statement with the preverbal  visually impaired watchmaker.