Posts by lforsley

Sprint's no better in the States!

I went through the same nonsense with Sprint! First, they conveniently forgot I'd cancelled not once, but twice, and then they kept billing me! I ended up paying at least 2 months beyond what I wanted to. My last bill was for $0.00. I'm sending a check for the amount to get them to finally CLOSE my account!

Terraforming the Amazon

I'm surprised this article is coming out now, as this has been known for over a decade beginning with ground penetrating radar identifying the "berms" along the Amazon, and teams digging into them finding what is now referred to at "terapreta", or a soil composed of pyrolytic carbon, fish bones, etc., that can double the agricultural yield. It is believed that the terapreta traps nutrients that would otherwise wash away, leaving traditionally bare-thin, acidic jungle soils. I would add to this, the likely microbial and fungal colonization of the same, likely resulting in nitrogen fixing bacteria as well.

Consequently, in 1491 (and a book on this subject by the same name) the Amazon may have supported 10 million people!

I am so pleased that "the register" has chosen to honour this series (note the British spelling, I'm not!: I'm a colonial from North America). Like many, I became acquainted with Dr. Who years after it aired. Strangely, my students (I taught at the University of Rochester in the 80's), petitioned for no class in the mid-afternoon. Why? They were watching Dr. Who!

Consequently, as has been noted for decades, your first Doctor, is often your favorite, as is mine: Baker!

Larry

P.S. My son and I loved to watch it together nearly 15 years ago. But, his mother didn't approve of the series. Not suprisingly, we're no longer married either :-)

Origin of the "spot on the Universe"

It is a belly button originating with the birth of the Universe. Can you imagine birth without a belly button, unless you're either a reptile or a bird? Since we've not found the shell (holographic universe boffins not withstanding), QED: belly button.

Regrettably, the limited amount of matter in the universe maybe nothing more than lint.

shortcut

It may be that the latest interpretation of the OPERA results, e.g., no superluminal neutrino velocity because no change in frequency misses the possibility of an interdimensional "shortcut", which may be related to neutrino oscillations as well. If so, then even before the LHC is generating sufficient collisions indicating extra-dimensions, the "walk across the Alps" will do the same. Randall, et al, will be pleased.