Who do you think you are?

One of the scientific fields of study that I have been facinated with over the years is the study of who we are based on our mitochondrial DNA. The book "The seven daughters of Eve" by Bryan Sykes is a wonderful insight not only into our past, but also into the scientific method. The study originally looked at the mitochondrial DNA of European women and they were able to trace most of the population of Europe back to 7 distinct lines. The research has expanded from there, looking at the genetic heritage of the world. It has been used to either confirm or discard variious theories about the early migration and distribution of people around the globe. National Geographic have been supporting this project as we get a bigger and better view of who we are, and how closely related we all are. You can even participate by purchasing a kit for about $100 and having the test done. If you want to add your findings to the database, you are free to do so.



Now that would have to be one of the more unusual presents I could think of (for that person who has everything)

Human age

I found a really cool online rpg game for those of you who love this sort of thing.

Virtual human development game



www.human-age.com

Egg Rings are the Work of Satan

Sometimes I think technology gets it wrong. I was confronted with this awful truth when I was frying up eggs this morning. I am a free range, free flowing egg user. I love cracking the egg on the edge of the frypan and watching the egg spread out over the bottom in a freeform shape. I love the skill it takes getting egg to plate without it breaking. I can enjoy my morning meal comforted in the knowledge that I am a great cook and I have the egg wrangling skills to prove it. The one thing that jars this morning ritual, is my family's insistence on the use of the egg ring. For some reason known only to them (and whomever it was that created that horrid thing) Fried eggs have to be perfectly circular. They don't cook right, you can't get the horrid things off, and they just make the whole thing look wrong.

Make my life easier by science please. But don't mess with my food. Leave my eggs free form, I don't want square watermelons, and please, keep the melon baller far, far away from me.

It's a Conspiracy!!!

Watching the US have a bit of a meltdown reminds me of how some of the best books I have ever read are based on really good conspiracy theories. There must be at least a dozen brewing even as we speak. From the ultra right wing (A racial group is to blame), to the loony left ( it must be the ultra right) and the "I don't have a strong grasp on reality" group (lizard overlords that are to blame). Of course the "end is nigh " people will have their own version, but they take things so seriously that it just seems a little cruel to poke fun at them.

I love conspiracy theories, the crazier the better. I also love the stories that sound like they should be a conspiracy but really aren't. My favorite conspiracy theory is about the moon landing- not that it was faked, but that the film footage was faked as they were worried about the quality of the footage that would come back and prepared some other stuff "just in case". See!, that one is quite plausable and quite believeable.

My favorite non-conspiracy story would have to be the CIA's plan to fake the second coming of Christ over Cuba so that there would be mass conversions and Fidel Castro's reign would end. Now I know that idea got a "You want to do What?" before it got very far, but I would have loved to have seen them try, just to see what sort of reaction they would get.

What is the weirdest conspiracy theory have you heard of? Do you have any really weird "This should be a conspiracy theory but it is all true" stories. Tell me.

Here's some wiki info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theories

My Favorite Future

One of the most atractive things about the Sci-Fi Genre is the visions of the future that writers create. One of my favorite visions of the furture woiuld have to be the world of Julian May's "The Exile Series". It combines celtic mythology with the evolution of mankind, contact with aliens and our place in the world. Here's what the Wikipedia has to say about it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_Pliocene_Exile

What are your favorite futures? Which author/screenwriter do you think captures a really cool future? Do you dream of ewoks or have nightmares about Reevers? Are you hoping the doctor will just drop on in? Do you think Huxley and Orwell were right? let me know.

I love my eee pc

As part of my tax return I got a linux eee pc. I partly got one as it was both cheap and robust and more likely to survive a house that has 4 teens and three cats and a husband studying IT (who likes to "modify" things). It is wireless, plays music, streams video, has wifi and is the size of a hardcover book. We have since bought a couple more for family use. Why do you mention this on this blog? you ask. Good question. I just love it and wanted to share this with you. The use of an open source operating system greatly reduces the price of the system. I can see these being used by students as they are really portable and fully functional and have a much bigger screen than mobile phones who pretend they are really good mini computers but will give you eye strain trying to look at the really tiny screens.


It is also a great example of really good branding, especially with the new disney movie "Wall-E" about to come out.

For those of you who love your microsoft- you can also get versions that have xp as well

If you want, here's the wikipedia link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC

You tube- my favourite? At least I have chicken!

I'm stretching things here- This bit is about gaming, most notably WOW (World of Warcraft) instead of pure Sci fi, but it also involves popular culture, Wikipedia and South Park. It is one of my favourite pieces of footage. Be warned, there are a few naughty words as the individuals concerned express their disatisfaction with the way events unfold.



There is more information on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_Jenkins


and as the ultimate compliment, it gets parodied on South Park.

And you think cats are from earth.

Proof that cats evolved on a planet with an entirely different set of laws of physics. This is Xearge. He actually was asleep like this.

Mobile Phones- Thank you Star Trek

There is a facinating link between Science Fiction and Scientific advances. The imagination of the writer gives rise to the great ideas in the reader who then go on to create the things we use today. One great example I can think of offhand is the humble communicator on Star Trek that became the mobile phone. (Star trek also inspired the creation of the tablet PC, PDA's and MRI's as well as research in to teleportation)

The mobile phone itself has transformed our lives in a way the Writers of that series would never have even imagined possible. When the series was made, Whole generations of children are growing up with the idea that a land line is somthing you need to get ADSL and that communication is done by either email or by mobile phone.

My phone is used as an alarm, first point of contact when the rest of the family is out and about, camera, organiser, mp3 player and back up for files if necessary.

How do you feel about your mobile? can you live without it?, Is it an essential part of your life? do you get palpitations when you realise your battery power is heading intothe red zone? Do you get depressed when no one texts you? Do you still insist on using correct grammer in your messages or have you had the occasional lapse and find your self typing CUl8TR? Do you have a favorite ringtone? Which ones drive you nuts?

Feel free to vent