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Evolution...,
Vagabond...,
I.Q Tests...,
Art Exhibit...,
Other...,
Call for Entry... ,
Evolution can be viewed as the orbits of energetic non-equlibrium thermodnamic systems about their various attractors. The peculiar geometries of Wada basins, the Verhulst process... lead to interesting times unanticipated by classical thermodynamics - self-ordering, oscillatory approach to equilibrium, recursive geometries... Take a bunch of diverse stuff, add energy, mix well, watch the homogeneous mass spontaneously unmix into something more complex. Fiat lux.
The mechanism of immortality has been well-characterized. It is embodied in a single enzyme, telomerase, which rebuilds the non-information bearing repetitive seqeuences (telomers) which constitute the distal ends of all chromosomes. Chromosome reproduction is like playing a tape - the leaders don't participate. In the absense of telomerase, chromosome telomers progressively shorten with each reproduction. Eventually the information bearing DNA becomes eroded, and the cell/organism dies.
Immortal mammalian cells - blood stem cells, spermatogonia - express teomerase. Most somatic cells do not. To create a potentially immortal dog or human, one need only genetically engineer the natural expression of telomerase in all body cells.
We will do it, and in the surprisingly proximal future. The One True Church - all of them - will scream their public indignation, and privately purchase the technology for their privileged administrators.
Alan "Uncle Al" Schwartz
uncleal0@ix.netcom.com ("zero" before "@")
http://www.netprophet.co.nz/uncleal/
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" The Net!
(naughty beyond measure; funny beyond endurance)
Not bad, literate, and worth reading. Surf over and download before it is expunged by the forces of Righteousness and Propriety.
Alan "Uncle Al" Schwartz
I completely agree with you but the point of these tests, as I see it, is to get a picture about tested persons - surely not to get the complete picture. Perhaps they are useful for the army and maybe a little for the school system but they aren't what they could be.
They don't help our community - they don't help individuals. Only individuals can make our world better. More then this kind of test, I'd say there should be tests to find the creativity of a person.
I'm aware that making this kind of test can be very difficult if not impossible but the school system should work in this way.
I believe IQ isn't as important (sure it helps) as creativity. Your example perfectly describes what I mean. Even if that fellow could give an answer to everything he wasn't able to create anything - that's what counts, isn't it?
Bojan Dobrecevic
bojan.dobrecevic@public1.noprmd.mail.si
www.neosoft.com/~bigeasy/iw/
*****
The best known "club of intelligent people" is MENSA. In the region where I live, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, it is not represented. Nobody speaks about it. And people no longer speak about IQ in this part of Europe -- except for the members of the so-called "Church of Scientology." This "science-fiction religion" was created in 1950 in the United States by Lafayette Ron Hubbard (don't confuse it with the "Scientist Church" which is not the same thing). The Scientologists believe intelligence, happiness, etc., can be measured with numbers. A very strange perversion.
I think really intelligent people don't even think about expressing intelligence and happiness with numbers.
A la prochaine.
Ludwin Fischer
fischerl@iprolink.ch
http://w3.iprolink.ch/CyberGeneva/cybgen
*****
I must be
smarter than you
Says so right here,
I have a higher IQ.
That makes me
clearly the best.
The proof is on
a standardized test.
Still with all your
documented faults,
I can't understand your
lucky financial results.
Just goes to show you
can be as smart as me
but success in life
comes with no guarantee.
Does not matter if
you won an award
can't trade it off
for room and board.
London Calling's Pixel and Paper Gallery continues its exhibition of my woodcuts WM
http://www.demon.co.uk/london-calling/artgal.html
Dear William,
I was moved very much by the art on your site. I think I got your
address originally from the Cybrary. I think we are both listed there in
the _links_ section.
We are pleased to announce that "Auschwitz-Birkenau", a collection of photographs, is being hosted by the Cybrary of The Holocaust. http://www.remember.org
It can also be reached through IDEA, an e-journal of articles, stories and reviews dedicated to discussion and exploration of psychosocial aspects of cults, totalism, autocracy, war, genocide and holocaust http://homepage.interaccess.com/~ajacobs/
Krysia Jacobs
Alan Jacobs
ajacobs@interaccess.com
Previous Communication Pages showed that people like to write to Vagabond and I concluded that a Call for Entry would be a success. So I can't explain to myself why it was such a flop. Not only was no reader attracted by the offer of a free book in exchange for a slightly longer letter, but, this Call for Entry resulted in fewer letters than usual!
Perhaps some readers will share their ideas about this enigma; could it be that well-spoken/well-written readers suddenly felt intimidated because they had to write a few extra lines?
Those who responded were not particularly interested in the award. I also had intense correspondence on some of the topics, but the writers didn't send agreement to be published. Too bad because it was interesting. Some of the correspondents were impossible to reach (wrong email?). Thanks to those who sent short comments about "nice graphics..." etc.
I am looking for opinions not dissertations. The offer holds for this month as well. Please consider it as fun and share with us what you really think about this and that. Consult the menu of topics that have appeared in Vagabond up to now. And whether you participate in the Call for Entry or not, I enjoy hearing from you. Thanks. WM
CALL FOR ENTRY
Call for entry ... You are invited to email an essay on any subject discussed in Vagabond Pages. 400 - 500 words. Those chosen to be published on the Communication Page will receive "Extracts of Existence" as a gift. Send all entries to:
vagabond@vagabondpages.com
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