Year: 2006

Atavistic or Enlightened

It is our duty as American citizens to separate the truth from fiction. And it is not an easy undertaking anymore. Sometimes I have to sit back and get back to the basic questions of what I believe in. Defining moral opinions is no easy task. Pre 9/11 it was easier for me, perhaps I was being simplistic, but I could list a few items with some self assured concept of being correct. Now I cannot.

I never spent a lot of time contemplating or comparing my religious beliefs with others. I felt that my moral ideals served me well and that it was not necessary or expected that I explain myself. Now I find myself looking at all religion as a prelude to violence. I never questioned my belief in my country. A strong country, a country with possibilities of equality, a country where I did not wake up with knowing that someone, from somewhere else might blow me up just cause. Timothy McVeigh made us aware of our vulnerability from home grown discontents but 9/11 – that was another thing. I did not follow just because a political idea was popular, I never voted straight party line, I voted on each issue on it’s merits.

The truth is:

  • I will never forget the sight of the Trade Center collapse, or the anger I felt towards those who perpetrated the act and you know what I still hate them. I will point out that they are dead.
  • that I do believe that sometimes war is a necessary although malevolent act.
  • I am an American and I am willing to die for my country.
  • I no longer trust my government to protect my civil liberties – at least not this administration.
  • I do not know who the enemy is.
  • I support our troops not necessarily the mission, but why they are there, they are willing to die for their country to uphold our beliefs, rights and freedoms.

This leaves me a left of center flag waving confused citizen. It would be easy and safe to take a atavistic view point over an enlightened one. Now if I could figure out what I think about what is on the news . . ..

Another Puzzle Completed

Another puzzle is completed. This one was more challenging than the last one. The next puzzle has been started. This puzzle managed to get completed without Annie snitching and eating any pieces.
dog puzzle

MRI Lie Detection Threats To Private Thought

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows researchers to create maps of the brain’s network actions as they process thoughts, sensations, memories, and motor commands. Cool technology to help diagnose and gather information about diseases and disorders like Alzheimer’s.

It can also be used to analyze your brain activities and tell whether you are lying. It is the new age lie detector and apparently, you cannot fool it. Talk about Orwellian 1984 stuff! The uses of fMRI’s are not approved for legal purposes yet. I wonder if it assesses other cognitive processes at the same time you are being scanned for deception. Is there any guarantee the changes in brain activity being monitored are the only due to truth vs. lying or could something else alter these and thus innocent individuals could appear guilty, or guilty individuals could appear innocent.

There are handheld scanners being developed Britton Chance, a professor emeritus of biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania, has developed one that records brain activity as fMRI lie detection. The January 06 issue of Wired magazine has an interesting article that delves into this subject.

Chance states the next step

”is to develop a system that can be used discreetly in airports and security checkpoints for “remote sensing” of brain activity. […] “It would certainly represent an invasion of privacy”

Talk about Thought Police. In the realm of Civil Rights and this administration’s record, I do believe there is cause for concern that this technology’s development will be more along the spying aspect than the medical research lines.

sign thought police propaganda

Follow the DNA – A Road to Commonality

The Genographic Project, a five-year project to track human genetic material (DNA) started by the National Geographic Society, IBM, geneticist Spencer Wells, and the Waitt Family Foundation shows that all humans descended from an African ancestor about 60,000 years ago. they have gathered DNA samples from all over the world and charted movements using the genetic markers.

“When DNA is passed from one generation to the next, most of it is recombined by the processes that give each of us our individuality.
Some parts of the DNA chain remain largely intact through the generations, altered only occasionally by mutations which become “genetic markers.” These markers allow geneticists like Spencer Wells to trace our common evolutionary timeline back through the ages.” National Genographic Project

Any of us can purchase their kit, send in our genetic material for anaylisis, and become part of the data. Their site states that it is completely anonymous using your kit ID numbers and that there is no record or database of who purchased the kit that links the purchasers with the results.

The projects website has a nice atlas of the human journey, information on genetics, and more. I site worth visiting. Broaden your view of Homo sapiens, and how we all really are connected.