the sleep of reason breeds many monsters

The subject of dreams has been throughly addressed between me and my chums this evening. Both of my comrades btoh cliam to have had lucid dreams. I have never been so lucky. In an attempt to find out why, here's the Wikipedia article on lucid dreaming. I would do my own work, but I am going to go dream now.

Lucid dreaming is the conscious perception of one's state while dreaming, resulting in a much clearer ("lucid") experience and usually enabling direct control over the content of the dream.[1] The complete experience from start to finish is called a lucid dream. Stephen LaBerge, a popular author and experimenter on the subject, has defined it as "dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming."[2]

LaBerge and his associates have called people who purposely explore the possibilities of lucid dreaming oneironauts (literally from the Greek ονειροναύτες, meaning "dream explorers"). The topic attracts the attention of a diverse and eclectic group: psychologists, self-help authors, New Age groups, mystics, occultists, and artists. This list is by no means exhaustive nor does interest in lucid dreaming apply necessarily to each group.

Lucid dreamers regularly describe their dreams as exciting, colourful, and fantastic. Many compare it to a spiritual experience and say that it changed their lives or their perception of the world. Some have even reported lucid dreams that take on a hyperreality, seemingly "more real than real", where all the elements of reality are amplified. Lucid dreams are prodigiously more memorable than other kinds of dreaming, even nightmares, which may be why they are often prescribed as a means of ridding one's self of troubling dreams.

The validity of lucid dreaming as a scientifically verified phenomenon is well-established. It may be classified as a protoscience, pending an increase in scientific knowledge about the subject. Researchers such as Allan Hobson with his neurophysiological approach to dreaming have helped to push the understanding of lucid dreaming into a less speculative realm.

A number of universities conduct continued research into the techniques and effects of lucid dreaming, as do some independent agencies such as LaBerge's The Lucidity Institute. Jungian psychology, for example, seems to indicate that non-lucid (or partly lucid) dreaming is a way to achieve self-understanding. At present, there are no known cases where lucid dreaming has caused damage on either a psychological or physiological level. However, it would be very difficult to determine whether some form of lucid dreaming might prevent one from receiving a benefit from normal dreaming.

The first book on lucid dreams to recognize their uniqueness and scientific potential was Celia Green's 1968 study Lucid Dreams. Reviewing the past literature, as well as new data from subjects of her own, Green analysed the main characteristics of such dreams, and concluded that they were a category of experience quite distinct from ordinary dreams. She predicted that they would turn out to be associated with REM sleep. Green was also the first to link lucid dreams to the phenomenon of false awakenings.

The first scientific support of lucid dreaming came in the late 1970s from the efforts of a British parapsychologist Keith Hearne, and a volunteer named Alan Worsley, who used eye movement signals on a polysomnograph machine to signal the onset of lucidity. Philosopher Norman Malcolm's 1959 text Dreaming argued against the possibility of checking the accuracy of dream reports in this way, but this experiment proved that actions agreed upon during waking life could be recalled and performed once lucid in a dream. Similar experiments were duplicated by Stephen LaBerge at Stanford University for his doctoral dissertation some years later. Interestingly, LaBerge had no knowledge of Hearne and Worsley's previous experiments at that time, probably due to the lack of publication of Hearne's work.

During the 1980s, further scientific evidence to confirm the existence of lucid dreaming was produced as lucid dreamers were able to demonstrate to researchers that they were consciously aware of being in a dream state (usually again by using eye movement signals).[3] Additionally, techniques were developed which have been experimentally proven to enhance the likelihood of achieving this state.[4]

One unresolved question on the neurophysiological nature of lucid dreaming concerns the electrical activity in the frontal cortex, which is generally reduced during normal sleep.[5] The behavior of the frontal cortex has not at present been crucially analyzed with respect to lucid dreaming.


... from Wikipedia

dad, do you have a cyanide pill?

"No!" Was the response Vale of RE/Search gave when asked by his 9 year old daughter. "Do you even know what a cyanide pill is?" "No." Said Valentine. I didn't really know either. I mean, I knew the Hollywood cyanide capsule, but there's way more to it than that

A cyanide is any chemical compound that contains the cyano group -C≡N, with the carbon atom triple-bonded to the nitrogen atom.

The CN group can be found in many kinds of compounds. Some are gases, others are solids or liquids. Some are salt-like, some covalent. Some are molecular, some ionic, and many are polymeric. Those that can release the cyanide ion CN− are highly toxic.

Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless gas with a faint, bitter, almond-like odor. Nearly 40 percent of the population is unable to smell hydrogen cyanide. This seems to be genetically determined in a complex fashion[1]. Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are both white powders with a bitter, almond-like odor in damp air, due to the presence of HCN formed by hydrolysis

Cyanides can be produced by certain bacteria, fungi, and algae, and are found in a number of foods and plants. In plants, cyanides are usually bound to sugar molecules in the form of cyanogenic glycosides and serve the plant as defense against herbivores. Cassava roots (aka manioc), an important potato-like food grown in tropical countries, reportedly contain cyanogenic glycosides[2][3]

The Fe-only and [NiFe]-hydrogenase enzymes contain cyanide ligands at their active sites. The biosynthesis of cyanide in the [NiFe]-hydrogenases proceeds from carbamoylphosphate, which converts to cysteinyl thiocyanate, the CN- donor.

"Cyanide" is a staple of crime fiction and publicly regarded as meaning deadly poison. Many cyanide-containing compounds are indeed highly toxic, but many are not. Prussian blue, nominally Fe7(CN)18, a common pigment, is administered orally to counteract the effects of poisoning by Thallium and 137Cs.

The most dangerous cyanides are hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and salts derived from it, such as potassium cyanide (KCN) and sodium cyanide (NaCN), but including others. Also some compounds readily release HCN or the cyanide ion, such as trimethylsilyl cyanide (CH3)3SiCN upon contact with water and cyanoacrylates upon pyrolysis. [citation needed]

Many thousands of organic compounds contain the CN group. These compounds are called nitriles. Generally, nitriles do not display the toxicity of HCN, NaCN, and KCN. In fact, the nitrile functional group is an integral component of numerous pharmaceutical drugs including cimetidine (Tagamet), verapamil (Isoptin), and citalopram (celexa). The reason for their diminished toxicity is that nitriles do not release the CN− ion, which permanently binds to and inhibits cytochrome c oxidase, the specific basis of the lethality of cyanide.

Cyanide ions bind to the iron atom of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase (also known as aa3) in the fourth complex in the mitochondrial membrane in the mitochondria of cells. This deactivates the enzyme, and the final transport of electrons from cytochrome c oxidase to oxygen cannot be completed. As a result, the electron transport chain is disrupted, meaning that the cell can no longer aerobically produce ATP for energy.

Tissues that mainly depend on aerobic respiration, such as the central nervous system and the heart, are particularly affected.

Plants contain a cyanide-insensitive pathway (photosynthesis instead of the redox reaction) for respiration in their mitochondria, and as a result are insensitive to concentrations of cyanide that are lethal to animals.

from Wikipedia

non-wild stallions

The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. Horses first evolved in the Americas, but went extinct there until reintroduced by Europeans. Horses have long been among the most economically important domesticated animals and are prominent in religion and mythology. The horse has played an important role as transportation, as a source of food, fuel, and clothing, and as a weapon. While isolated domestication may have occurred as early as 10,000 years ago, the first clear evidence dates to c. 5000 BC, and becomes widespread only after 2000 BC. Selective breeding since that time has produced numerous breeds. Some have been bred so that they can be ridden, usually with a saddle, while other breeds can be harnessed to pull objects like carriages or plows. In some societies, horses are a source of food, both meat and milk; in others it is taboo to consume them. In industrialized countries horses are predominantly kept for leisure and sporting pursuits, while they are still used as working animals in many other parts of the world.

Competing theories exist as to the time and place of initial domestication. The earliest evidence for the domestication of the horse comes from Central Asia and dates to approximately 4,500 BC. Archaeological finds such as the Sintashta chariot burials provided unequivocal evidence that the horse was definitely domesticated by 2000 BC.

from Wikipedia

I was right and now I know it

Because there had been heated debate between me an my friends; some suggesting it was for "EL ectric" or "Loop" and I swore up and down that it was for "EL evated" and I was right and I knew it. So now you do too.

The 'L'[1], variously if perhaps incorrectly styled "L," El, or L (see below), is the rapid transit system that serves Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), which also runs the city's bus system. It has been credited with helping create the densely built-up downtown that is one of Chicago's distinguishing features.[2]

The 'L' consists of a network of eight heavy rail lines totalling 106.1 route miles (57.1 miles elevated, 36.9 miles surface, and 12.1 miles subway) on over 242.6 miles of double-track rail line with 144 stations. The oldest section dates from 1892. The 'L' primarily serves the city proper plus eight close-in suburbs; service to more distant suburbs is provided by the Metra commuter rail system. Seventeen stations, mainly newer or at outlying locations, include "park-'n'-ride" facilities with a total of more than 6,600 parking spaces.

The 'L' is the fourth busiest rail mass transit system in the United States, behind New York, Washington, and Boston.[3] It is one of the few rapid transit systems in North America providing 24-hour service, though only on the two busiest lines.[4] On average 542,000 people ride the 'L' each weekday, 348,000 each Saturday, and 262,000 each Sunday.[5] Annual ridership for 2005 was 155 million,[6] the highest since 1985.[7]

Although the 'L' gained its nickname because large parts of the system are elevated,[8] the Red and Blue lines traverse the downtown area in subways, and also have long sections in the medians of expressways that lead into and out of Chicago. Chicago pioneered the use of the expressway median for rail lines in the 1950s. There are also open-cut and/or grade-level portions (with street crossings) on some parts of the system.

Noisy and sometimes overwhelmingly crowded, the 'L' nonetheless has become one of the symbols of the city it serves. In a 2005 poll, Chicago Tribune readers voted it one of the "seven wonders of Chicago," [9] behind the lakefront and Wrigley Field but ahead of Sears Tower, the Water Tower, the University of Chicago, and the Museum of Science and Industry.

from Wikipedia

why Chicago?

A Tidbit of local history for myself:

The indigenous Potawatomi tribe called the marshes on which Chicago was later built "Checagou (prounounced 'She-Ka-Gan')," which translates to "wild onion" or "garlic." European explorers assigned the name to the Chicago River, followed by settlers' delegating it as the name of the city. Before Chicago's founding, the name of the river was spelled several ways, such as "Chetagu" or "Shikago."

from Wikipedia

magnetic personality of a loser

Hey. I suck and am dumb now, and I have a lot to do tonight, and I suck and am dumb now, so to catch up I am just going to be copying and pasting information. It's still information, and it's still stuff I'm learning, but I suck and I'm dumb and I need to catch up with myself.

So, No. 1:
Magnetic forces are fundamental forces that arise from the movement of electrical charge. Maxwell's equations and the Biot-Savart law describe the origin and behavior of the fields that govern these forces. Thus, magnetism is seen whenever electrically charged particles are in motion. This can arise either from movement of electrons in an electric current, resulting in "electromagnetism", or from the quantum-mechanical spin and orbital motion of electrons, resulting in what are known as "permanent magnets". Electron spin is the dominant effect within atoms. The so-called 'orbital motion' of electrons around the nucleus is a secondary effect that slightly modifies the magnetic field created by spin.

When given a treatment with relativity in mind, depending on the frame of reference, electromagnetic forces acting on an object partition differently into magnetic and electric fields. In fact, for this reason, magnetism can be considered a direct consequence of relativity.

Charged Particle in a Magnetic Field:
When a charged particle moves through a magnetic field B, it feels a force F given by the cross product:
F=qv X B

where q, is the electric charge of the particle v, is the velocity vector of the particle B, is the magnetic field.

Because this is a cross product, the force is perpendicular to both the motion of the particle and the magnetic field. It follows that the magnetic force does no work on the particle; it may change the direction of the particle's movement, but it cannot cause it to speed up or slow down.

This might give you pause: Simple bar magnets seem to be entirely able to pick up small metal objects, which certainly seems to require that they do work on those objects. As David J. Griffiths points out in his textbook Introduction to Electrodynamics, this law is absolute - the magnetic field doesn't do any work. However, quite like the normal force of an inclined plane, which also can't do work, the magnetic field can redirect the efforts of existing forces, and then those forces can indeed do work in the relevant direction.

One tool (often introduced in physics courses) for determining the direction of the velocity vector of a moving charge, the magnetic field, and the force exerted is labeling the index finger "V", the middle finger "B", and the thumb "F". When making a gun-like configuration (with the middle finger crossing under the index finger), the fingers represent the velocity vector, magnetic field vector, and force vector, respectively. See also right hand rule.

Magnetic Dipoles:
Normally, magnetic fields are seen as dipoles, having a "South pole" and a "North pole"; terms dating back to the use of magnets as compasses, interacting with the Earth's magnetic field to indicate North and South on the globe.

A magnetic field contains energy, and physical systems stabilize into the configuration with the lowest energy. Therefore, when placed in a magnetic field, a magnetic dipole tends to align itself in opposed polarity to that field, thereby canceling the net field strength as much as possible and lowering the energy stored in that field to a minimum. For instance, two identical bar magnets normally line up North to South resulting in no net magnetic field, and resist any attempts to reorient them to point in the same direction. The energy required to reorient them in that configuration is then stored in the resulting magnetic field, which is double the strength of the field of each individual magnet. (This is, of course, why a magnet used as a compass interacts with the Earth's magnetic field to indicate North and South).

From Wikipedia

scratch it, it's biologically programmed

Today I learned about itching. Apparently also known as pruritis. It's pretty simple actually, itching is simply a response by your epidermis to any various type of irritant. Impulses are sent from your skin to your brain with the impulse to scratch. You scratch to remove the irritant.
The chemical messenger active in an itch is Histamine which is released by the mast cells in your skin. It's simply another evolutionarily developed method for our bodies taking care of themselves. Now I know.

read:
How Stuff Works: Itching
Wikipedia: Itching

mind your fucking language

What's the big fucking deal? Well I wanted to know so for today, I have researched into the origins of the word "fuck." As we all know, fuck is the grand mal of curse words. The most obscene of obsceneities. The most vulgar or verbs. It's fucking bad, but this may have not always been the case.

It is believed to have it's roots in the German "ficken" which means to strike or penetrate. It didn't achieve it's vulgar status until around the 16th or 17th century. The actual entomological origins of the word are hazy at best (I'm sick of this hazy knowledge) but it did not appear in the Oxford English Dictionary in it's modern form until 1972.

Some interesting facts:
Before 1600, windfucker was an acceptable name for the bird now known as the kestrel.

In 1938 Eddy Duchin in the Louis Armstrong song "Ole' Man Mosse" used the word, sparking sales of 170,000 during the depression when sales of 20,000 were considered high.

Mailer's 1948 The Naked and the Dead "fuck" was substituted with "fug" which the proto-punk groups the Fugs named themselves in reference to.

The show that holds the record for the most numerous utterances of the word on television is the HBO series Deadwood. The constant use of the word soon inspired a web site dedicated to keeping track of the Deadwood Fuck Count, which has recorded about 1.54 fucks per minute.

So there you have it. It's just a word that can be used in just about any form in the English Language. It has history just like everything else. I will not resort to the lowest common denominator and close with "fuck". ...fuck.

read on young scholar:
Wikipedia Fuck
Urban Legends of Its Fucking Origin

a pain in the ass

So what awesome new thing did I get to learn about today? Was it lazers? Or quantum teleportation? Or Linguistic origins of the word "fuck"? No, today I got to learn all about hemorrhoids! Por que? Why? Because it fucking hurts to do ANYTHING!

So let's begin our descent into the wonderful world of rectal blood-vessel inflammation. It just sounds awesome, doesn't it? Well kids, hemorrhoids are inflamed or distended veins in and around your anus. They swell up and hurt really bad, and the only thing you can do about it is rub cream on em or offer them money until they decide to leave. Some people have to go to a doctor to have them removed, but I'm not a jerk.

They are most commonly caused by constipation, pregnancy, and diarrhea. Come to think of it, I am pregnant so that must be why I want to kill myself every time I sit down. Actually the third is probably the cause of my anguish. I was VERY sick last week. I have been advised by the Internet to take it easy, take salt baths and rub bizarre things all over my butt.

Okay, so maybe this wasn't the most informed bout of learning, but it is practical. Soon lazers. Soon. Until then, here's some required reading:

Cause of Hemorrhoids
Web MD Hemorrhoids
Wikipedia Hemorrhoids
Family Tree Hemorrhoids

a brief history of hamburgers

As I sat eating my Burger from the illustrious Burger Baron today, my thoughts turned to this staple of the American diet and where it came from. I was primarily curious because I knew that at one point, I knew something about the burger's origin and had now officially forgotten. Some simple research on the subject has produced the following facts:

1. Hamburgers have their roots in beef tartar which was named after the Tartars (Mongols) who would tenderize sides of beef by riding with them placed under their saddles.

2. The cut apparently comes from the Hamburg area of Germany which then migrated to Russia and eventually the United States in the 1800's.

3. There is much deliberation as to who served the first hamburger, but it seems to have been served around the turn of the century by someone who needed a piece of meat on the go.

For your further reading enjoyment:
History of Hamburgers
BBC Hamburgers in History
A Hamburger Today
About: History of Hamburgers

Well, so there's that. Some context to slather all over your next greasy burger. I didn't promise that all this information would be necessarily interesting. I just have to learn stuff. To continued post-collegiate education!

lesson No. 1

The first thing I have learned, which is why I am doing this, is a bit of a cop-out, but I think a necessary first step: I know absolutely nothing. I am a raving moron. I may not be as big a raving moron as some of the raving morons I have encountered thus far in my adventures, but I remain, sadly, permanently, an imbecile. Accepting this, but not letting it get the better of me, I hope to chip away at the monolith of ineptitude that is my, and everyone else's life. Now, who's ready to start learning?

statement of porpoise

For years now I have been jabbering away at myself; insisting that I am going to start learning something new every day. Well here I finally go damnit. I have had my starts an stops. I think the most I ever made it consecutively was a week. I have never had the will-power to hold myself to it, but now that my failure is (theoretically) public, hopefully the type of true grit and determination that I always heard about from telemarketers and late night product demonstrations will be infused into the very fiber of my being, and I may finally learn a thing or two.

On this day, the 10th of October, in the year 2006. I, Andrew T. Lyman, do hereby state my intent to, to the best of my ability, learn something new each and every day that I live. Let this be a record of the things which I previously did not know, but know now.