Info-ParaNet Newsletters, Number 154 Saturday, February 17th 1990 Today's Topics: Tasmanian Devils cause Greenhouse Effect Re: Mars Face Greenhouse Effect Reich ( To: all ) The Great Crash and Burn Trick Music to read science fiction by Krill and Paranoia Newsgroup Re: Melchizedek (To David Stark) origin of "Nephilim" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Subject: Tasmanian Devils cause Greenhouse Effect Date: 16 Feb 90 02:23:06 GMT John: Glad to see that you folks down under still have your sense of humor. As to the existence of the Tasmanian Devil, I seem to recall that it actually does exist. I believe its official name is Sarcophilus ursinus. It is a powerful carnivorous burrowing marsupial about the size of a large cat or badger. From what I'm told, it is a very even tempered little beggar--ticked off all the time. Oh, yeah, it is black with a white chest. How's that for a Yank!? Now would you like me to do a memory dump on the Tasmainian wolf? ;-) -+ What, if anything, does a -+ Scotsman wear under his kilt? A true Scotsman wears nothing under that kilt. With MacPhersons in the family tree and being married to a Johnston, I daren't get that one wrong. 8-) -+ First correct answer from an American user gets an all-expenses paid -+ trip to Alpha Centauri (wherever that is). Can I donate the tickets to Sagan, et al?? >From: paranet!f2.n1030.z9.FIDONET.ORG!John.Daly Subject: Re: Mars Face -+ Hi Gene! or is your name Infor.par#co,.alpha.com^%$? -+ I don't understand these hierogliphics - it looks more like the -+ sort of code the Pentagon uses. -+ I don't like to say this, but you addressed your last message to -+ someone called INFOPARA@SCICOM.ALPHACDC.COM. -+ I thought Tasmanians abused the English language, but are you in -+ communication with an alien or something? Actually, John, it is all part of the alien conspiracy. In an attempt to drive us crazy, they invented UNIX and the OSF. ;-) Factually, the addressing that you are referring to is necessary to route things through the network. My name is Gene Gross, but my machines address is gross@dg-rtp.dg.com. The address for ParaNet is infopara@scicom.alphacdc.com. It isn't English, but it works. -+ -+ Re' the Mars Face - there is one simple answer to my query. -+ Please send me a copy of the untreated photo you refer to. You may -+ see a face; I might see a goddess! (Here's hoping!) I'll try to get one off to you as soon as I can. I'll have to order another one so it might take a while. If you do see a goddess, forget trying to get a date. The cost for a round trip to Mars is a bit more then you might wish to spend. Besides the Solar Transit System has very spotty service there and back. >From: paranet!f2.n1030.z9.FIDONET.ORG!John.Daly Subject: Greenhouse Effect -+ Yet another computer model.... Thought you'd enjoy it! Hehehehehe... -+ -+ The point is that global climate cannot be encapsulated in a -+ computer. Also, remember the GIGO principle! Granted. But part of what interested me about this piece was that it said that the heat up would be confined to the Northern Hemisphere. -+ -+ New evidence from MIT puts a more sober light on ;the whole -+ scare. The models have been lacking sufficient OBSERVATIONAL -+ evidence to support the ad hoc assumptions about water vapour, lapse -+ rate, ice-albedo feedback, latent heat transport, sensible heat -+ transport, and cloud albedo. Again, granted. Personally, I tend to think of the environmentalists as totalitarians. However, I support the efforts to build better models of our planet's weather making systems and climate control mechanisms. It is an area that is long overdue for some solid work--not that people haven't been doing any work. G'day, Gene gross@dg-rtp.dg.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: keith@raptor.cray.com (Keith A. Fredericks) Subject: Reich ( To: all ) Date: 16 Feb 90 16:21:56 GMT The following is taken without permission from ``The New Inquisition, Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science'' 1986 by Robert Anton Wilson: In October 1957, agents of the U.S. government went to the Orgone Institute Press in New York City; they seized all the books; they loaded the books into a commandeered garbage truck; they drove to the Vandivoort Street incinerator; they burned the books. [...] The books were by Dr. Wilhelm Reich, a former student of Freud and a political radical. [...] Dr. Reich also believed that all Ideologies, including his own were unworkable until a Sexual Revolution of psychological (not political) nature occurred and people were no longer ashamed of their bodily functions. [...] The propaganda war against Reich had been led by Martin Gardner, a Scientific Fundamentalist [...] Mr. Gardner has an infallible method for recognizing real science and of recognizing pseudo-science. Real science is what agrees with hi Idol and pseudo-science is what challenges that Idol. [...] Not all of the Popes of the 20th century collectively dared to issue as many absolute dogmas as Mr. Gardner; no man has had such supurb faith in his own utter correctness since Oliver Cromwell. Mr. Gardner's papal bulls against the Reichian heresy are very interesting, and very typical of fundamentalism when enraged, in that one finds a strong, very strong implication that Dr. Reich was insane and hallucinating, although this is never stated directly and unambiguously. [...] ... the suggestion of mental unbalance is heavily present in everything Gardner wrote about Dr. Reich. This suggestion is almost always implied in fundamentalist diatribes against those who do not accept their Idol. [...] (Wilson asserts that Garder probably never claimed to repeat Reich's experiments and never obtained results contrary to Reich's claims.) While Mr. Gardner, an several others, denounced Dr. Reich in the media, members of the American Medical Association and American Psychoanalytical Association pressured the government to prosecute Reich as a crank or a ``charlatan.'' Dr. Reich, either out of delusions of grandeur or out of principled commitment to libertarian ideals--take your choice--refused to admit that the government had any right to pass judgement on scientific theories, and as a result, was convicted only of contempt of court. Nonetheless, the government followed this with the book burning, and with the "destruction by ax of equipment in Dr. Reich's research laboratory," and then threw him in prison, where he died of a heart attack after a few months. Reich's co-worker, Dr. Michael Silvert, subsequently committed suicide. It would be comforting to think that Reich "was" a nut, a raving cuckoo, as Gardner implies. That is the sane, conservative attitude to take. It is a bit unnerving to think that books that get burned in democratic nations might have something valuable in them, like the books that get burned in undemocratic nations. [...] None of Reich's books could legally be printed in the U.S. until 1967. Those who would have liked to have formed an independent opinion of the scientific issues were legally unable to see of touch or even smell the verboten pages. [...] ...biologists and physicists never mention his alleged "orgone" except to sneer at it. This attitude survives despite the fact that nobody has yet published, in a major scientific journal--or any small journal known to me--experiments that refute of contradict Reich's claims.[...] Everybody "knows" Reich was wrong, so nobody bothers to investigate the matter. [...] -- Keith Fredericks, Cray Research Inc., 1440 Northland Dr. Mendota Hgts., MN 55120 keith@cray.com (612)681-3258 -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Subject: The Great Crash and Burn Trick Date: 16 Feb 90 22:17:56 GMT -+From: GARY@maximillion.cp.mcc.com (Gary Knight) -+Subject: UFO crash rate question Gary: In a way, you are correct. Normally the government can't keep a secret any longer than it takes for someone to reach for a phone or slip a note to a reporter. But consider the experiments conducted by the CIA that we just found out about some years back--the ones with LSD and other things. The problem there was that the information got beyond the "old guard." But you can take it to the bank that there are other secrets that haven't seen the light of day. However, something as big as UFOs and ETs would be a bit tough to contain. Yet it is possible to still hide the truth while allowing some of the information to leak out by discrediting those who report what they know. There are other methods that could be used to maintain a cover-up despite leakage. As for the crashes, I don't think that there really are that many. There are reports of crashes that turn out to be in error. But it is often hard to investigate such reports. Sometimes the crashes are of military craft of new and secret designs. The response of the military is so harsh that it causes people to wonder what they are really up to--that is, what are they hiding that they need to get so uptight about it. Personally, I'd be surprised if they didn't crash periodically. Not like our own aircraft, I'd expect better of such an advanced civilization. But as with all machinery, something can and does go wrong at times--results could be minor to catastrophic. We've tried shooting them down without much success thus far. I doubt that we do more than tick them off when we blast away with guns and rockets. Though I did read somewhere that one attempt to shoot one down resulted in reported minor damage to a UFO before it zipped off out of range. I think that one of the best crash/retrieval cases going is the Roswell one. But there isn't anything to really go on except the statement of people involved. The bits and pieces of the supposed crashed saucer have long since disappeared into the bowels of Wright Patterson AFB. The idea the Earth might have some kind of gravitaional anomaly might be a bit far-fetched. But then again, it might be far more valid then one would think given how little we really understand about gravity. Though I'd think that the causes of a crash would more likely be due to Murphy's Law, which I think is a universal constant. ;-) Regards, Gene -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Subject: Music to read science fiction by Date: 16 Feb 90 22:18:23 GMT -+From: chalmers@violet.berkeley.edu (John H. Chalmers Jr.) -+Subject: Replies -+ -+ The access from Houston to my UNIX account has been out since sunday -+ so I'm behind in answering my mail Sorry. And people don't take me seriously when I say that UNIX, et al, is an alien conspiracy to drive us crazy! ;-) Don't apologize for UNIX, John. Those of us out here working on and with it know how fickle it can be sometimes. 8-) -+ -+ Gene: There is a long history of association betwen science and music -+ and individual scientists and music. Pythagoras was perhaps the -+ first number theorist in the West and the first "Harmonist," -+ or music theorist. Musical tuning rules go back to Sumeria; a -+ tablet dated about 1850 BCE has an erotic song/ hymn to a fertility -+ goddess in a recognizably major scale. Whether China discovered -+ the cycle of fifths indedendently of th Near East in unknown; -+ their legends say they got their tuning from the land of the -+ Tocharians in the west. Early greek geometry was to some extent -+ inspired by musical considerations and vice-versa. Thanks for that little background piece. I was really curious about what I was seeing. I'm not much of a musician (I play a dulcimer--soothing instrument) and can't sing worth spit. But I love to listen to all types of music, including some instruments that others might not enjoy like bagpipes. Another thing that I've noticed, and again this is just my own personal observation, is that certain frequencies (harmonics ??) seem to have a real physical effect on people and animals. I have a new Welsh Corgi pup (replaces our old Corgi who died of a massive CVA last year). He enjoys certain types of music--some classical pieces seem to put him to sleep. He whines if I play certain types of music--heavy metal just doesn't agree with him at all (I'm not overly fond of it myself). I have some Windom Hill tapes that all of us, me, my wife, and the pup (Bucky), really enjoy. We turn that on and everything just seems to quiet right down. Reading is easier when WH is playing. The oriental music that I heard in Korea and Japan I found exciting--probably because it was so different from what I'd grown up hearing. The same with sitar music pieces. I find that listening to it is mentally stimulating but physically relaxing. Anytime you want to send me more info on music and music history feel free to do so. 8-) -+ -+ Thanks for the SF references; I know Benford -+ slightly from Grad school at UCSD and SF conferences. Jack -+ Vance is probably my favorite author stylistically. Others -+ that I enjoy include L.Sprague DeCamp, Poul Anderson, -+ and Vonda MacIntyre who is an old friend from the U of -+ Washington genetics Dept. John, you know two of my favorites--Benford and MacIntyre. Do you know Cramer? I just finished his book _Twistor_ and place it on my all time favorites list. He does a nice afterword in which he explains the differences between hard science and "rubber" science in his book. One thing that he used very effectively in the book is "shadow matter." Seems that "shadow matter" actually comes out of the string and superstring theories. Cramer does a little speculating on what this might mean by creating several "shadow universes" as part of the story. Also, I read a book by MacIntyre last summer. Forget the title, but it was about using a "string" as a means of traveling across the interstellar distances. Haven't read Vance in a while. Recently, I've been reading works by Caidin, Bear, Benford, and Cramer. I find it interesting to see how the "hard" science writers, like Cramer and Benford, deal with some of the weirdness we get from QM. -+ Jim: Idiots savants and other similarly "unbalanced" -+ mentalities may achieve what they do in part because -+ they can focus what ability they have without distraction. -+ A pathologist friend of mine in Houston has a distant relative -+ who is a self-supporting artist, though severely retarded -+ in the usual sense. Fascinating. Thanks for putting quotation marks around unbalanced. That word has certain negative connotations. It isn't until you've spent time around people who are autistic, have Down's Syndrome, etc., that you begin to realize just how fascinating. I've seen them doing things that I'd have not thought them capable of. It may be as you say that they do this in part because they can focus without the distractions that we find intruding on us. But that is only a partial explanation and not wholly adquate in my estimation. Later, Gene -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) Subject: Krill and Paranoia Date: 16 Feb 90 22:18:50 GMT -+From: paranet!f37.n114.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Jim.Speiser -+Subject: Krill files.. Don Allen writes: -+ > And why would the Govt go to all this trouble in the last 40 or -+ > so years to cover up, even to the extent of creating the NSA -+ > (as Krill claims) to be it's major arm in the suppression of -+ > the existence of the UFO's AND at the same time; by LAW release -+ > documents under the FOIA act that they must surely know will -+ > point out the LIES that they have for so long been telling us? -+ > -+ > What the hell is really going on here? -+ > -+ > Has our *own* Govt sold us out to the Greys???? Jim responds: -+ -+If the Krill paper is bunk as I claim, then it makes a little more -+sense, doesn't it? Could be that the government does have SOME -+knowledge, but its so well-hidden and highly classified that those in -+charge of promulgating FOIA and downgrading policies don't even know -+about it. Or, it could be a "hide in plain sight" proposition. Certainly does make some sense, Jim. And it'll continue to work so long as you have only a select few who know how the pieces all fit together. That would be mean that there are still members of the "old guard" around. They'd be passing the baton to the select members of the "new guard." I don't always believe what is released under FOIA. It is just too easy to doctor something and release it as the document in question. The thing is that when dealing with a government cover-up or conspiracy you could get a little paranoid. But as one patient who suffered from paranoia said to me once, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. ;-) Ever notice that little click on the phone line just after you pick up the phone. What about that new grocery clerk? How about things seeming just a little out of place at home? ;-) Later, Gene -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael.Corbin@f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Michael Corbin) Subject: Newsgroup Date: 16 Feb 90 22:30:37 GMT To All ParaNet Digest Readers: About a month ago I made an inquiry about beginning a newsgroup with ParaNet. I had a couple of responses regarding this. Unfortunately, I had a hard disk crash and lost all of the responses regarding this. The time has come for us to get serious about doing this. I am interested in participation from any of our UUCP/Internet users who have the ability to assist me in accomplishing this goal. Here are the guidelines: 1) We are interested in getting it into an international coverage. To accomplish this the group must be a comp or sci newsgroup. The comp newsgroup is probably unrealistic, however the sci newsgroup would be attainable provided we appeal to the scientific aspect of our research. 2) This would be an un-moderated newsgroup. 3) ParaNet would retain control over the newsgroup in the use of its name, which is registered. Anyone with information is encouraged to respond to paranet-adm@scicom.alphacdc.com This address will be used to continue this discussion. Thanks for your help. Michael Corbin Administrator -- Michael Corbin - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Michael.Corbin@f428.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f28.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG!David.Stark Subject: Re: Melchizedek (To David Stark) Date: 17 Feb 90 07:13:00 GMT Sorry, I have trouble with these "non-addressed" networks where I can't use somebody's name to send a message. This is to the person who invited me to elaborate on "extraterrestrial lifeforms" that are not flesh and blood. Actually, I think you should have guessed what I meant from the fact that I was arguing from a Scriptural point of view. I believe that there are such things as spirit creatures (angels and others) that were separate creations by the same God who made man. -- David Stark - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: David.Stark@f28.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f28.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG!David.Stark Subject: origin of "Nephilim" Date: 17 Feb 90 07:28:00 GMT This is what the Bible says about the "Nephilim": "The Nephilim proved to be in the Earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of the true God continued to have relations with the daughters of men and they bore sons to them, they were the mighty ones who were of old, the men of fame." (Genesis 6:4, New World Translation) Genesis chapter 6 is the beginning of the account of the Flood of Noah's day. The Bible indicates that spirit sons of God left their heavenly dwelling place and came to earth to have sexual relations with human women whom they found attractive. (Gen. 6:2,3) Their punishment is tied in with the saving of Noah in 2 Peter 2:4,5, where Peter refers to "angels that sinned." In the book of Numbers (13:33), the report from those who scouted the Promised Land includes "the sons of Anak, who are from the Nephilim." -- David Stark - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: David.Stark@f28.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG ********To have your comments in the next issue, send electronic mail to******** 'infopara' at the following address: UUCP {ncar,isis,boulder}!scicom!infopara DOMAIN infopara@scicom.alphacdc.com ADMIN Address infopara-request@scicom.alphacdc.com {ncar,isis,boulder}!scicom!infopara-request ******************The**End**of**Info-ParaNet**Newsletter************************