Atheist, technopagan and vegan.

Could a computer save languages from extinction? (found on ScienceRecorder) Until now, saving languages from extinction largely depended on whether computer scientists could create algorithms able to capture samples before individuals speaking the language died off. Now, it seems living speakers of ancient languages may not even be a requirement. According to a new report, a Canadian scientist suspects that advanced computer programs could be used to recreate dead languages. The research team, comprised of Alexandre Bouchard-Cote at the University of…

I read a story about a man in the USA, about a Mr. Randolph Arledge who in 1984 was convicted to 99 years in prison for the aledged murder of a woman in Texas. After 29 years new DNA tests proved that he was innocent and he was released from prison. He is now 58 years old, meaning that he spent half his life in prison. Innocent. That is serious, very serious. When I read that,…

I read about that. He's not strong enough to do the job any more it seems, or so they say. Perhaps the Vatican thinks it's time for someone new, to make new paths and invoke new ideas. I doubt they'll be working on a more open-minded version with the new pope. They've been stubborn in their beliefs for a long time, there's not much reason (for them) to change that now. He's not the first…

I stumbled over this neat article on BBC News: The creature that gave rise to all the placental mammals - a huge group that includes whales, elephants, dogs, bats and us - has at last been pinpointed. An international effort mapped out thousands of physical traits and genetic clues to trace the lineage. Their results indicate that all placental mammals arose from a small, furry, insect-eating animal. A report in Science resolves the debate as to…

Title: Darwinia Author: Robert Charles Wilson Genre: Alternate history Science Fiction Rating: Darwinia plays on different levels, where human greed and desires are no match for the plans that are unfolding on a higher plain. Some people in Darwinia turn out to have more of a background than they thought, and that makes them important for the future. 5 stars and worth every one of them.

So, meditation. What ways and techniques are there? Really, that would yield a list far too long to start here, so let's look at the most common ones and a few you may not know. Everyone has probably heard of yoga. It comes from India and encompasses a large number of meditation techniques. Some are spiritual, some physical, some mental, but they all pursue a common goal to 'attach' or 'join'. The general idea is…

Found on the Goodnewsnetwork: After over 20 years of campaigning, ethical beauty retailer The Body Shop and non-profit organization Cruelty Free International are finally celebrating the end to animal testing for cosmetics in Europe with the anticipated announcement that the import and sale of animal tested cosmetic products and ingredients is to be banned in the EU on March 11, 2013. The proposed ban sends a strong message worldwide in support of cruelty free beauty…

On January 21st the Dutch site "Happy News" reported that the USA produced more wind energy than coal or gas energy. They did not support this with links and sources, but I want to believe them. There's energy everywhere around us. Let's use it. Well done, America, please keep doing it more and more.

via tor.com Recently the Smithsonian Magazine highlighted an interesting tidbit from this Alaska Dispatch article about the recovering bowhead whale population. Since bowheads live for over 200 years, that means the older whales amongst the current population were born before Moby Dick was written! Not only that, but these bowhead whales also avoided being killed by a massively active whaling industry that reduced their numbers to a mere 1000. Spit your last breath at that, Ahab! [News via The Smithsonian, Art via Arctic…

I meditate. Since long. I think I discovered it when I was 13 or 14. It started with a little book by Dr. Gisela Eberlein called "Health through autogenic training" (in Dutch: "Gezond door autogene training".) It worked well for me for a while. After that I ventured into yoga and even a short bout of Zen, but that was too foreign for me. Then I discovered TM. Transcendental Meditation. That was an eye opener.