What to post?.......bad night.

The Bot brain is not up to scratch today and the reason is a mystery. Amongst the age related health issues and the Stroke I have sleep Apnoea. This involves wearing a mask every night. This forces pressurised air through the nasal passages all night keeping them open. Without it  they close and you wake from rem sleep every few minutes in a sleep/wake/sleep/wake cycle. Needless to say this is a disaster during the day and sufferers often fall asleep at weird moments. Hence the mask.

Great, got the mask, problem solved. Except once every few days I wake up and take off the mask. Suddenly I have all the symptoms of a cold. My nose runs incessantly, I sneeze,  my throat is dry and sore. Then miraculously these symptoms disappear after a few hours.

Then once in a few weeks I have a day like yesterday. The symptoms started as usual and just carried on. The sneezing was jarring enough to cause a headache. My throat was dry and sore. It carried on intermittently blocking my nose then it ran like a tap. I couldn't think properly. Now you might conclude, as I did, that the minor symptoms are the body reacting to having air forced into it. However all the fellow sufferers and the clinic I visit each year cannot explain it. They have no such symptoms as sufferers and the Doctors at the clinic are at a loss. All I can think is that the air coming through the machine has allergens which cause a reaction. As to the bad days, I suspect a minor infection of sorts. There are effects on other areas of the body too. Maybe it is just what it seems, a cold.

But guess what, I get up this morning and apart from a headache, a bit of a dry throat and a red nose, Nothing. Not a sneeze and a clear nose. I defy anyone to explain this, most medical practitioners just shrug it off.

The N.H.S. take on Sleep Apnoea

And the wikipedia version

What evolved power would you like? How realistic is your wish?

I pointed out in a post over on Wordpress ( Shameless plug ) that the human Brain was designed for nothing more taxing than Hunting and Gathering whilst staying alive and upright. D.N.A. has allowed us to upgrade and pass on these improvements but the Brain is still essentially primitive. Animal instincts and emotions rule it. It seems somewhere along the line we have somehow managed to start dealing with abstracts. Still it is nothing short of a miracle that we have reached the degree of understanding we have with such a limited processor.

Yet those instincts are something which offer hope of future evolution. I think of them as built in autonomous warning and information gathering programs accessed and read by the unconscious. One has always fascinated me. It is that burning feeling in between your shoulder blades that tells you that you are being watched. The advantage is obvious, it tells you that someone or something is showing interest in you. You are pre warned and your first reaction is to locate the watcher. Neat. But hang on, this sometimes happens when you are not facing anyone so visual clues are out. Often the watcher is in a crowded street so auditory clues are unlikely and smell would be difficult to pick up at such a distance and with so many other sources. Where does the information come from? Could this be nascent telepathy?

I don't know but I don't know how else it could happen either. Indulge me, then, if I extrapolate future human evolutionary changes from such a flimsy start. This is not a 'Which superpower would you like.' Post. I am only sticking to those powers that could possibly be ours in future. All this is my opinion and I am not citing any research or experiments to back it up.

Straightaway I am discounting teleportation, if it is possible, it would require more than just a normal brain, possibly a machine (As in Star Trek.). I cannot see the brain being able to move it's entire body vast distances unassisted.

Another one I would love to experience and some people claim is already ours is Astral Projection. The separation of consciousness from the body fascinates me and the idea of travelling in this way would enable you to experience the whole world while you sleep. Maybe you could even spy on your neighbours at their most vulnerable if that is your thing.

Despite my best efforts I have not experienced this but it does not seem like something you can develop. If you believe it, it is something you can already do or not, as with the 'Someone's watching me...' ability. This would be top of my wish list. I have tried to achieve this, result epic fail.

 

Next, and in my opinion most likely to develop within a few generations, is Telepathy. I have often felt that you can pick up on the emotions of another, especially if you are close in terms of emotional ties. No doubt there would be those who provide banal and commonplace explanations for this. You get used to someone's thought processes or you think in similar ways. However I have personally experienced this first hand and there is a distinct difference between knowing what someone would think and knowing what they are thinking. It is hit and miss but it has happened to me. In the future this may develop into a controllable ability.

 

 

Extra sensory perception is a hard one. Telepathy could be achieved, maybe by projection of bio electrical energy through the air with someone able to receive the signal, but this one requires a two way connection with inanimate objects. I can't see any logical way it would work. Once again there are those who claim this ability now but if it exists I have no idea how it would operate It would be very useful though.

 



 

Last of the more realistic abilities is Telekinesis. The movement of objects with the mind alone. Again a projected Bio electrical field may be able to achieve this. It would take a strong and constant field and a way of converting it into a semi solid physical force able to interact with other physical objects. I don't think it would ever work with large or extremely heavy objects, if it is possible at all. Again very useful if it ever happens

"What the hell is he on about?" I hear you scream. Well this is all just a thought experiments about which of these fringe ideas is ever likely to happen.

But what if we used technology? Professor Kevin Warwick of Coventry University already has implants which control computers responsible for Lighting, opening doors etc. The below is his Wikipedia entry with all the details and the second link is his personal webpage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warwick
http://www.kevinwarwick.com/

Ok, it isn't true Telekinesis but it may be possible with cyborg like implants and Wi-Fi connections to create a passable telepathic ability. You may even be able to control machines that can move objects using the implants.

Personally I'd settle for telepathy. I would still REALLY like to do the 'Out of body experience' thing. If anyone has a set of instructions...................

First day of Autumn

We are now officially in one of my favourite times of the year. I don't like being hot or excessively cold so Autumn is just right. Keats had it right, Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness, especially in Kent where we were well known for orchards.

Kicking up fallen leaves is a cliché, but an enjoyable one. Kids and Conkers still have a connection, something which was true when I was one. The nights are chilly, with a hint of things to come in the long cold winter months, but when you get home and your home is warm all that can be forgotten.

Walking becomes enjoyable again as the trees grow brown, orange and yellow and gradually drop their leaves to form a carpet under your feet. My favourite walks, the local cemeteries, become colourful and the graves and tombstones are less morbid, their sombre grey, black and stark whites replaced with a riot of colour.

Yet again winter will drop rain, maybe snow from leaden skies as it grips the world with it's icy clutch. Until then nature takes on it's Autumn mantle, all part of the great cycle of death and rebirth.

Enjoy.

The lottery of intelligence

Above is a Victorian picture of my first home. I was born in the house behind the horse and cart in 1961. Few changes had been made sinc it was built. It had no hot water or bathroom and an outside toilet. It was a four roomed house. The living room and Kitchen formed the ground floor and two bedrooms the upstairs. My father worked in the local paper mill and I remember little of him. He died in 1973. I do remember that this mill worker loved building electric motors using copper wire, knitting needles and a wooden base. They worked too! I never really knew him but I am sure he had other interests you wouldn't expect from a working class person. At that time the pools, the Pub and the Saturday football results were the main interests of the working classes. reading matter included the Daily Mirror, the News of the World and whatever books came your way.

So along I came, a child of a very working class, fairly poor family. I too had interests you wouldn't expect. Classical Greek and Roman mythology fascinate me. I love working out what makes people tick and I find myself comfortable with Latin and the words deriving from Latin. This in turn helps with another interest, Trivia. I have crammed my mind with all kinds of nonsense, none of which is genuinely useful in life. I never pass up a chance to learn something new and am a voracious reader. I try reading Shakespeare and enjoy history both ancient and modern. You know, dear reader, of my love of superstitions and the paranormal. Crime is another passion, the grislier the better. All this from a poor lad who never made it past 'O' Level. Then when the rise of the Computer and the Internet began I found I not only had an interest in it but the technology and techniques involved came naturally to me. I did not suffer from the Technofear common to most of my friends and family. Now I couldn't be without at least 1 internet connected device.

Oh yes, I hate football and most other sports, though the occasional Rugby match is enjoyable. I don't drink or do small talk so Pub visits are rare.

 

This Guy was not from a super intelligent family. His Father had a failed company behind him and Einstein was working in a Patent office when he began his Thought Experiments which eventually led to the physics breakthroughs that dominate the subject today.

 

 

So my question is Why? How is intelligence doled out in the great Lottery. We all know of the idea of the Throwback, the son of a rich and well educated family who turns out to be totally useless. Obviously intelligence runs in some families who have no real use for it, given that they are only expected to work, raise a family and die. Some are lucky and break out of the cycle, others don't.

 

 

I like to believe that I came from a family of great scholars who fell on hard times but my Genealogy research proves that, at least back to the 1700's the family are all from the lower echelons of society. So where does all this thirst for knowledge  come from?

 

I suppose that, if you have a predisposition to reading and open yourself up to all sources of knowledge, you will eventually find that you have interests in all kinds of things you never expected. Maybe if my Father had lived beyond 1973 and discovered the Internet he would have sucked up knowledge as I do.

 

Or maybe just having a receptive and fast brain with good information matching skills is enough to ensure that you will fill it.

 

 

One more thing though, I am intelligent but I am basically unable to use that to my advantage. When I try to do so it inevitably fails. Maybe you can have intelligence or Money making skills, but not both.

Why are there so many 'New ' diseases'?

I am confused! I am a fairly intelligent person who understands people and what makes them tick. I understand how diseases spread. I am fairly aware of the modern diseases that were never heard of in my childhood. I even understand the diseases of the old and how we are much more aware of them. In my day there were whispered comments about an elderly relative 'Going a bit funny' My own grandmother assured me in the 70's that we had to get under the stairs because the German Bombers were coming. She died of cancer but was obviously suffering dementia too. My own mother is now providing first hand evidence of what dementia sufferers go through. Yet I would say that, for whatever reason, she gave up on life and that this was the root cause of her problems. The doctors have now diagnosed dementia but I am sure that it began with this lack of will to carry on with a life she found burdensome. It is known that psychological issues can cause physical problems.

But what of the debate over ADHD. Some swear it is a recognised disease, others that it is an excuse for a lack of discipline from ineffectual parents who wish to drug their children throughout their childhood. I think there is a case for both views but I also believe it is a psychological phenomenon. So much is expected of children now. Parents want one thing for them, teachers want them to pass exams in order to achieve figures imposed on them by the Government. Personal communications are over the internet. Many parents will not let them out to play, which was where children learned personal skills. Every child is a little prince or princess who can do no wrong until the bad behaviour begins.

It also has to be said that many children are bought up predominantly by a single woman which will inevitably mean a lack of an effectual male role model and that the woman concerned often  belittle and ridicule the only male example they have. I am speaking from experience here as many of my relatives have gone this route. Even if the child is in a Male/Female/Children home there may be frequent arguments, usually violent or verbally abusive. Again I do speak from experience. How is a child supposed to deal with that.

If Doctors say that ADHD exists I suppose I must bow to their superior knowledge but I know that children need time to be kids. One of my young relatives is a case in point. He is being assessed for ADHD and is violent and abusive in the family home yet we have him regularly and he is perfectly well behaved. It is my belief that he does not see us arguing, he is allowed to do what he wishes within reason but is disciplined if he crosses the line and so he knows what is expected of him, He does get loud and naughty when he is very tired but most children do.

Autism too is something I don't understand, or rather I do not understand how it has suddenly become an epidemic. According to another family member he has been diagnosed as Autistic yet he is perfectly capable of, and indeed does, live a normal life, albeit with depressive episodes. The symptoms he describes could equally have been applied to me in my younger days. I recall a documentary about this condition 10 years ago which showed young children who were incapable of living who were incapable of a normal existence. I do not wish to be an old curmudgeon (Though some say it is a done deal.). But I do feel that many parents see a problem with their child and would rather label it (Dare I mention the word Benefits here?) than change their behaviour before consulting a medical professional.

So why are all these diseases and conditions, unheard of in my youth, so often diagnosed now. Are we trying to label conditions which have always been around? I don't know but it does seem that we should make diagnosis a last resort and try to change the way we relate to and communicate with each other.

Rugby and the weekly shop.

I have not got a lot of time today but I enjoy a quick blog in the AM so here is a whimsical little post.

Today marks the beginning of the Rugby world cup. Now I hate sport generally but can actually sit through a Rugby match without too much trouble, There are no tantrums, no wimps lying on the ground because someone messed up their hair and above all lots of naked aggression. You can almost see the cloud of testosterone hanging over a scrum. It's great and we have a good chance of actually winning. I was watching the golden moment when Johnny Wilkinson scored THAT drop goal.

On the negative side it is showery here and I have to go shopping. Aggressive drivers, elderly people getting in your way while they select their biscuits, getting wet running across the car park, getting a shopping trolley in the leg and rude supermarket staff. Oh yes and don't be a minute over your time in the car park or it's £25.

On balance I'd rather be playing Rugby.

The Bible, Word of God or man?

Today I intend to leave the world of Ghosties and Conspiracy for the story of the most famous book in history and the source of many mysteries of it's own.

This is not about belief or lack of it. I leave it to my readers to make up their own minds on that. Just to set the scene, religion and religious books have always been a means of control. Superstition and Gods have had their priests, by whatever name, Those Priests have been a power unto themselves or have allied themselves to those who had power. For our purposes it is the bible we are concerned with. It is The Word Of God, Right?

Well no, not really. The old testament is a creation myth and a history of God and his chosen people. Many elements are common to other religions. There are countless flood myths (As in Noah's Ark.). However it is almost impossible to disprove anything so far back in history.

The New Testament is a different matter. If the story of Jesus and his ministry is true, and if the events after his death are accurate then we have first person testaments from his disciples. The New Testament is excellent first hand evidence.

Except that the whole thing is supposedly the word of Jesus filtered through the understanding of simple men. There would be misunderstandings and stories told which would be given spin in order to reflect the views and prejudices of those men. If there is a gospel of Jesus it would simplify things. That is if we assume the writers were actually the people they claim to be. The Gospel of Judas, though not a biblical gospel, is thought to have been written much later than Judas' lifetime.

Then we have the Book of Revelation by St John the Divine. This is a description of the last days before Armageddon. To me it seems to be totally out of place with the rest of the NT which preaches love and forgiveness while it is about God's revenge on sinners. The imagery seems like a drug induced nightmare rather than a vision from God. One can only assume it was included to put the fear of God into believers. Judging by the horror stories and films made about it, it succeeds.

As any Dan Brown reader will tell you, probably foaming at the mouth with enthusiasm, Pope Damasus I assembled the first list of books of the Bible at the Council of Rome in 382 CE. He commissioned Saint Jerome to produce a reliable and consistent text by translating the original Greek and Hebrew texts into Latin. There were many Gospels (including the famous ones about Jesus' family, and the gospel of Judas which is being posited as proof that the Resurrection never happened) that were never included. The end result was a list of approved books IN LATIN. But it did not include much of the 'Evidence' especially if it didn't agree with accepted doctrine.

This state of affairs continued for many years but the power of Monarchs and Popes depended on the Bible being used as a weapon. The Latin bible ensured that the word of God was filtered through the pronouncements of Popes and Priests. Other things which never appeared in the Bible were the result of changes to canon law. Confession, Purgatory and so on ensured income and the fear of hell kept the lower classes bent to the will of Church and Monarch and Priests preached duty to God, Monarch and your Lords. But none of this was in the bible, it was the work of men.

Then, in the Medieval era came the protestants. They argued that the Word of God (Diluted though it might already be.) Should be available to all. William Tyndale first translated the New Testament into English but even he put certain words in reflecting his own prejudice against the establishment. Before his famous reformation, Henry VIII had Tyndale executed because his translation was dangerous to the Status Quo. If anyone could read the NT they would find that no one had advocated the class system except the Clergy and Nobles.

With Henry VIII's break with Rome he swapped one tyrant for another and in a cynical about face he had someone else translate the bible into English and took credit himself. Yet even then most of the translation relied on Tyndale which persevered even in the King James version and thus into modern interpretations. Despite the break, Henry still believed in the power the Popes wielded but wanted it for himself. Therefore he would execute radical protestants one year and Papists the next, as his mood took him.

The New English Bible itself caused problems.  It led to ridiculous (To our eyes!) divisions such as the one which argued for and against the presence of Jesus' body and blood in the Wine and Bread. People were executed for being on the wrong side of this one.

And still the Bible was not available to many from the lower classes. Most were illiterate and still relied on someone else to read to them. Usually it was a priest so very little changed after all the upheaval.

After King James version the bible has remained substantially the same and still does. So is the Bible the word of God? I don't think so but I am an atheist. Even if you are a Christian it is obvious that the Bible has been written, interpreted and used as a tool by men. The extant version is one which ignores unwanted histories. The knowledge of this via the new God internet has meant more and more people can see it.

I would like to believe that Jesus existed but his story has long been corrupted by the actions of men. As for God I don't think he would speak to us via a book when he could speak to us in our heart and soul. Those in power have used this book to keep control of the masses over the years. If there is a God, and I like to think that there is a benevolent soul to the universe, you won't find him in the Bible.

One more thing. In any war, all sides will claim God is on their side and will, no doubt, find evidence for this claim in this Holy Book. If there is a God he must be weeping in despair at the uses men, in their pride, claim for his 'Sacred Word'