Awake?

I went to bed early because of this damn cold, and I just woke up from a stupid dream because I couldn't breathe. I guess my sinuses have finally decided I have a cold after all. So now I'm sitting here upright so they can drain.

Then I'll try sleep again, because I haven't had nearly enough.

Racial Genetics and Intelligence.

Here's a balanced series of articles on an extremely touchy subject: The correlations between genetics and IQ. As James D. Watson recently found out, speculating on the correlations between race and IQ can quickly get one in hot water. Then again, I have to admit that I think that Watson was an idiot for saying what he did, when he did, and not just because it was politically incorrect. There's little evidence to show that Watson interpreted any of the many studies referenced in that first link in anything other than a prejudicial light.

That doesn't mean that the correlations don't exist though. Personally, I'm not much upset to learn that the average Asian is smarter than the average North American white, and that the average Jew is smarter yet. Then again, I've never self-identified as an average anything. Its also true that its not likely that anyone is ever going to point to those studies as some asinine excuse to deny me a job. Your mileage, of course, may vary.

You may well ask why I chose to post on such a touchy subject. I have to admit that I thought about it a fair bit before doing so. In the end my reasons were probably expressed as well in the articles as I possibly could:

Why write about this topic? Why hurt people's feelings? Why gratify bigots?

Because truth matters. Because the truth isn't as bad as our ignorant, half-formed fears and suspicions about it. And because you can't solve a problem till you understand it.

And frankly, I think that any actual racial IQ difference will all be moot soon anyway, as new mind- and body-manipulation technologies come online in the next 20 years.

Fever Dreams.

I just woke up from a night of incoherent broken dreams. They had the vague theme of post-apocalyptic Canada but they had as much narrative coherency as a fairy tale told by a five-year old on speed.

Not that my dreams usually make sense, but they often manage to maintain some sort of vague coherency from scene to scene, not have everything change every single time I turned around.

Ah well, I guess its just one more sign that I'm still not well yet.

Clues.

1. I swear, my stomach just made an electronic bleep.
2. My cell phone is not in its usual place.
3. I was drinking last night.
4. I am now worried.

... bored ...

Most of the time I feel fine. Then WHAM suddenly I'm having a hot flash, and feelings of disassociation and my head starts to pound.  It lasts for 30 to 60 minutes and then I start feeling okay again.

This means I'm not really well enough to go anywhere or do anything, but on the other hand, most of the time I feel well and want do DO something. I've finished the book that azrhey lent me (thanks!) and I've caught up on Stargate Atlantis. I've been watching both Primeval (which is awful, but I downloaded it. *shrug*) and Charlie Jade (which is at least sexy and lush, if very slow moving) but there's only so much mindless TV I can watch.

I don't really have the focus or concentration to work on any of my projects which require a brain, so I'm pretty much at a loss as to what to do now.

Treating Autoimmune Disorders.

It seems that scientists have recently had success in rebooting mouse immune systems. They removed the old immune system, and caused a new one to form. Presumably this treatment would cure diseases like MS in which one is attacked by their own immune system. This is just the first step of a long process before they have something they could try on humans, but it is a hopeful sign.

GWASEG

I just did a search on Google for 'gwaseg' and only found that its an obscure Welsh word. I thought I had posted about my ultimate ultimate weapon here before, but I guess not. I was inspired to post about this because I just read some speculation on how to make the entire output of a star lase, so that you could aim it at a planet. (Not really a new idea at all. Doc Smith wrote about a 'sun beam' in his Lensmen novels). Thats nothing compared to a gwaseg.

Anyway, a G.W.A.S.E.G. is a gravity laser. Of course, gravity is far harder to coordinate and tune than your typical electromagnetic laser, hence the acronym: "Gravity Wave Amplification via Stimulated Explosion of Galaxies".

Moebius Transformations

Here's a YouTube video for the Math Geeks: Moebius Transformations of the Plane: (The rest of you might want to watch too, its pretty!)