Thursday, February 4, 2016

 

As much as I love the desert (with ocean included nearby of course) I am fortunate to have an old and very pleasant memory of the forest. I spent much of my childhood discovering the “magic” of a forest particularly when my mother took my brother Peter and me to Yosemite for our annual camp out and hike. The above picture, though fanciful, reminds me of that magic. Yet it is not so fanciful at all really. Recent research by a German forest ranger has pretty much verified the research of decades ago suggesting that the forests of the world communicated with each other by a network of fungi and were capable of a degree of “awareness” that seemed magical. This concept was central to the movie Avatar and is now being investigated with greater interest than ever before. It too is part of “The Great Mystery” and the science behind it just makes it so much the more magical.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/world/europe/german-forest-ranger-finds-that-trees-have-social-networks-too.html?_r=1

The forest is the home for so many colorful creatures too, check out this Azalea Lace Bug!





It’s also the home of the grizzly bear – yes, that’s a real paw!



The bear is tranquilized to be tagged in order to track their movements because they too are in danger of habitat destruction. We must protect our life partners on this planet – tracking their movements, not unlike with the whales, allows us to understand their ability to cope with changes mitigated by we humans.

I would like to introduce you to Sabrina Pasterski, an MIT graduate student that is considered the next candidate for the accolade “The Great Physicist”. Her mathematical genius is truly extraordinary and deserves to be watched as she helps color the gray of ignorance – there is such magic everywhere in the Universe to be discovered and enjoyed. 




Perhaps this is what she looks like in full color?




Staying with science a bit longer, here’s an interesting article about a possible other means of genetic transfer than that limited to our current concepts originated by Watson and Crick in the 50’s. Smacks of Lamarckism but WE MUST keep all avenues open for new knowledge, without that we stagnate.




It appears that this post will be pretty much science oriented. My recent trip to The US and the political craziness really soured me on the mass intellect of the American people – REALLY? TRUMP a contender! That’s even more ludicrous than Reagan or George W. Bush. Sooo, I am going to stay on the science track and enjoy all the really good stuff that is also part of our reality. Not denying the seriousness of the matter but leaving it in the hands of those devoted to the task of fighting The Matrix – including my son Zack – I honor you dude! “Feel the Bern”

I will add just one other thing – or let The Great Scientist Carl Sagan say it for me more eloquently:




I have a special place in my heart for Dr. Sagan. When I started this NGO I sent him a personal letter describing what I had in mind to do with the information I was to disseminate. I told him I was going to present the softer more personal side of science in my presentations. I also asked him to come to dinner if ever in Mendocino County and told him that my wife (Dana Crumb) was an extraordinary cook. Damned if he didn’t reply with a hand written personal letter of encouragement and apology for being to busy to attend what he knew what be a delightful evening. It really hurt when he died so young.

OK back to “the cool stuff”! Yet another ancient ruin has been found in Turkey. Gobekli Tepe is the latest of a number of very ancient ruins (10,000 BPE) unearthed in the past few decades in that area of the world. This “complex is made up of a number of separate but adjacent “temples” with sophisticated carvings and structure. Once again indicating a much, much more ancient history of our species as a sentient and aware organism.




What is this now? A design created on a dry lake bed with all lines EXACTLY 3” deep and 10” wide and EXACTLY straight. The whole compromising a length of 13 MILES? No tire tracks, back hoe tracks etc. One day not there, the next day there! Some of you will recognize it.



And a smaller but significant find regarding our species ancient capacity to find and then develop nutrient resources to insure our evolution.





Some cool stuff in space too – big surprise:

Gravity waves – colossal perturbations in space creating giant waves (Tsunamis) of gravity rolling and flowing through the universe have been more clearly verified. Oh man, anyone who does not include these in their vision of the universe is just not exercising their gift of imagination and wonder.




And then there is this! An object in space that is 570 billion times brighter than the SUN!! That is so cool. What is it? Are there more? How far away? Who’s in charge here? Whose on first?




Just some cool pics:



My daughter Kersti, third from left, and friends from an article in Sacramento’s Delta Living Magazine. If they were a “girlband” (their term) what do you think would be a good name?



Had he known?



Nice whale pic

I am back in Mexico again and starting my tracking season as soon as the winds die down a bit. Anyone wishing to contribute please do: checks can be sent to MioSah, C/O Susan Janssen, 20 Highland Court, Ukiah, CA, 95482 or donate online at https://www.gofundme.com/6j0prg.

I am working diligently (but not particularly hard) on improving my physical being. I’ve gained some weight and muscle and my coordination is for the most part returning. Not the same old Urmas but clearly recognizable. With the sensitive and loving attention of my family back in The States, my attitude is also improving. I am really looking forward to being with The Whale People again – HooHah!