Jul 23 2011
You wanted it, you asked for it (whaddaya mean you didn’t?), and now you have the answer: Jurassic Park 4 is on the way. News from the mouth of Spielberg himself. Rumours that the raptors will be upgraded on a par with the above image were unconfirmed at the time of going to press.
Jul 23 2011
The bomb attack and shootings in Norway today are shocking but a reminder that we are far too quick to assign blame to an external threat. Twitter and some radio broadcasts were abuzz with speculation that there was some sort of Islamic or al-Qaeda involvement, perhaps understandable given recent arrests in the country but speculation that ultimately turned out to be far from the mark. Reuters even compiled a list of likely suspects, although it looks now as if the man responsible was Norwegian with no Islamist ties.
That the country was reportedly unprepared for a terrorist attack is a moot point. This is Norway, a country with one of the highest standards of living in the world and a country that has no real geo-political conflicts despite membership of NATO and some activity in Afghanistan and Libya. It is, many would say, a great place. The point is that someone who wants to cause havoc and death can and will find a way.
World leaders have issued very similar statements, condemning the attacks and expressing disgust (as they should). But statements like that aren’t going to solve anything or prevent similar attacks. The Norwegian prime minister put it best when he said:
Our answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of violence. At the same time we shouldn’t be naive, we should understand that violence can attack our society – we’ve seen that today.
We could all learn from that.
For some photos of the aftermath, visit Norway News.
Jun 26 2011
Oh the wonders of technology. This little beauty from VisualJunkie.no offers 1GB or 2GB of memory in handmade wooden USB sticks and would set you back about €50. I’m tempted…
Jun 26 2011
My last post was in February – bloody hell, where has the time gone? It was about that time that I began my own personal reboot, with a return to the Irish Examiner, this time as Chief Sub-Editor (I have my own business cards and everything, so it must be official). All is going well enough so far, although it means this blog will be steering clear of most media stuff to avoid any clashes of interest.
In the spirit of rebooting, here’s the Downfall take on DC Comics’ decision to restart every one of its titles.
So while I get this blog back on is feet (not to mention my history blog at Chronica Minora), connect with the Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.
Feb 06 2011
This is amazing. It’s a time lapse HD movie of a ruined chapel in Poland. Watch especially from about 1:25 on, where the HD makes it look like CGI.
Jan 30 2011
(Cross-post from Chronica Minora)
That is how Zahi Hawass, the secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, feels about the wanton destruction carried out by looters in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. If you haven’t read the story, here it is in Dr Hawass’ words:
As every one knows, the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, is naturally lit and due to the architectural style of it, there are glass windows on its roof. The criminals broke the glass windows and used ropes to get inside, there is a distance of four metres from the ceiling to the ground of the museum. The ten people broke in when I was at home and, although I desperately wanted to go to the museum, I could not leave my house due to the curfew. In the morning, as soon as I woke up, I went directly there… Luckily, the criminals who stole the jewellery from the gift shop did not know where the jewellery inside the museum is kept. They went into the Late Period gallery but, when they found no gold, they broke thirteen vitrines and threw the antiquities on the floor. Then the criminals went to the King Tutankhamun galleries. Thank God they opened only one case! The criminals found a statue of the king on a panther, broke it, and threw it on the floor.
But apart from damaging priceless artifacts – and for a rough list of what was damaged, see Eloquent Peasant – two mummies were destroyed and had their heads ripped off. The mummies, which have not yet been identified in the media, may have been those of Tutankhamun’s grandparents, and were among the best-preserved in the museum’s holdings.
It’s possible, based on what I’ve read on Twitter and elsewhere, that the plan was to sell these on the black market. The salaries of many Egyptians are so low, and unemployment is so high (these are some of the reasons people have been protesting for the last week) that it might be a temptation too far for some. That the would-be thieves came in through the roof suggests a certain element of organisation and planning, although nothing more has been said about them.
Quite apart from attempting to steal some of the most priceless treasures any civilisation has produced, the desecration of the dead is something I find particularly horrifying. Whether it was Carter hacking up Tutankhamum in order to remove him from the coffin, or this atrocity, the destruction of a corpse is just unforgivable. I accept that removing the bodies from their original context in their tombs was, in itself, disturbing the dead, but as it was for their long-term preservation and safeguarding it was clearly for the best. What happened in the Cairo museum was mindless vandalism and cruelty, depriving not only the dead of their dignity but future generations of the chance to learn of and see these historical figures first-hand.
Perhaps part of my disgust is that mummification keeps the bodies so close to the state in which they were in at death. I think this adds to the horror of what happened, because these criminals destroyed two bodies which were clearly identifiable. I can only wonder at the inner workings of whoever could bring themselves to do this. Like Dr Hawass, my blood too is boiling. When I heard that the museum had been broken in to and mummies beheaded, my heart skipped a few beats. I have loved Egyptian history for as long as I can remember, and I am passionate about the preservation of all history. It is all part of human civilisation, and if we don’t remember and treasure what has gone before, what is the point of going forward?
Dr Hawass’ statement, which had to be faxed to Italy to be put online, as the Egyptian government has shut down the internet there, also mentions that stores of antiquities at various other dig sites have been looted. We can only hope that some of these can be recovered, but history teaches us that they may be gone unless turned in or otherwise stumbled across. In Cairo, Egyptian citizens mindful of their magnificent heritage surrounded the museum to keep looters out until the army could take control of the building. I am unsure what is happening at other sites.
While I know there are those who believe Dr Hawass to be more intent on grandstanding and seeking publicity, the fact remains that he is a master of his field and that his passion for antiquities sparks something in everyone who hears him. I met him once, very briefly, when he gave a guest lecture in UCC. I still have my lecture notes with his autograph, “Zahi”, scrawled across them. His enthusiasm for Egyptian archaeology and heritage was infectious, and so I know that his distress at what has happened is all the more intense.
“My heart is broken and my blood is boiling”. These words sum up the feelings of anyone who loves history and who shares the horror at the events of this week.
I’m also watching Egyptology News for updates on the situation.
UPDATE: 30/1/2011, 21.23: KV64 has more on the damage.
Jan 27 2011
This Tamil film, Robot, is not only the most expensive film ever made in India, but surely also a candidate for the greatest WTFness in science-fiction history. Below are the highlights, as culled and overdubbed by a Russian gent, Teztigo. Part one is fairly sedate but reasonably easy to follow. Part two is sheer chaos and doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the first half of the movie. But do yourself a favour and watch it!
Jan 27 2011
At least, that’s according to an American research team. What’s particularly interesting is that they’ve factored in the economic impact, so it’s not just a case of “we have the technology, this is how fast we can deploy it” but also “this is how it can work feasibly”.
To quote the CNet article:
the world’s energy could be originated from 50 percent wind, 40 percent solar, 4 percent geothermal, 4 percent hydroelectric, and 2 percent wave and tidal power
Their suggestions read like science fiction, or at least the sort of science fiction imagined by people like me, born in the 1980s. Public transport running on hydrogen fuel cells. Airplanes powered by liquid hydrogen. That this sort of stuff is relatively feasible is still amazing to me and gives me some small hope that we may not blow the planet half to hell before my (as yet unconceived) children grow up. Although, as the article makes clear, it all hinges on the development and deployment of effective long-range energy networks.
Click here for a presentation of parts of the report. The full report is here and here. For more of Candace Lombardi’s work, go here.
Jan 23 2011
CNET has an interesting slideshow up documenting the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. There’s about 100 years worth of material in the vast collection, although it’s not open to the public. Presumably that’s why CNET put the picture collection together; there doesn’t seem to be any story to go with it. A word to the wise, though, if you’re against collecting dead animals for science, you might want to give this one a miss.
