Lead tablets discovered in a remote cave in Jordan, that may have a bearing on our understanding of the life of Jesus, have been making rather a big splash in some of the European papers, but seem not to be making the rounds in the US yet.
Fortunately, there's this internet thingy, which turns all the world into a single news stand.
The Daily Mail on March 21 had this.
The BBC called in an expert of its own choice.
Yet of course, as The Sunday Times warns us it is important to be skeptical about large claims. Such matters are so tempting for fraudsters.
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
27 May 2011
23 May 2010
The March of Science
The latest news on biochemical engineering is fascinating and, to my mind at least, quite disturbing. Here's the BBC account.
Apparently, the scientists took the genome of one species of the bacterial genus Mycoplasma and sequenced it. They used that data to produce the same sequence in vitro. They injected this DNA into the cell of a different species of Mycoplasma, creating a hybrid.
In a message board, someone has offered me the following analogy, "You take a Ford V8 and tear it apart, make measurements and draw a blueprint of the engine. Then you go into your home foundary & machine shop and builld your own copy of the Ford V8.
"Then you put that Ford V8 in an old Chevy and drive it around the block.
"You haven't even designed a new car, let alone invented the automobile, but it is a pretty impressive bit of engineering for an amateur."
That's what worries me. Even if the significance of this step has been overstated in some of the coverage, it does seem that our species is getting depressingly impressive at engineering the basics of life.
Apparently, the scientists took the genome of one species of the bacterial genus Mycoplasma and sequenced it. They used that data to produce the same sequence in vitro. They injected this DNA into the cell of a different species of Mycoplasma, creating a hybrid.
In a message board, someone has offered me the following analogy, "You take a Ford V8 and tear it apart, make measurements and draw a blueprint of the engine. Then you go into your home foundary & machine shop and builld your own copy of the Ford V8.
"Then you put that Ford V8 in an old Chevy and drive it around the block.
"You haven't even designed a new car, let alone invented the automobile, but it is a pretty impressive bit of engineering for an amateur."
That's what worries me. Even if the significance of this step has been overstated in some of the coverage, it does seem that our species is getting depressingly impressive at engineering the basics of life.
26 April 2009
Paging William Blake
Tyger, tyger burning bright --
or maybe its a fox tonight?
What immortal hand or eye
Could cause you through the snow to fly?
---
this video, courtesy of the BBC and YouTube, is well worth the cost of the one minute: actually a bit less.
or maybe its a fox tonight?
What immortal hand or eye
Could cause you through the snow to fly?
---
this video, courtesy of the BBC and YouTube, is well worth the cost of the one minute: actually a bit less.
10 July 2008
Falmouth
I spent several hours on a Cape Cod beach Tuesday. I did this for a variety of reasons. There was the obvious rest-and-recuperation idea. There was also the sense that if I don't get to a beach on a given summer then after Labor Day I'll feel that I've missed out on something.
I drove out to Falmouth Monday evening, checked in to a motel there. It was a decent hotel, though rather further from the beach than I had envisioned. Still, compared to the digs I adopted as my own in San Francisco for more than a week last fall -- this was Shangri-La.
The next morning I headed beachside very early. I found a good parking space near a English-style pub named British Beer Company. The name is sort of a joke -- it allows the place to use the initials BBC, famed more for the broadcasting context.
The parking space was metered. I stayed all day -- from 7 until 4:30, and only fed the meter quarters from time to time. I was quite lax in this, the meter must have been showing "expired" for 75% or more of my stay. Still, I never saw a metermaid (or whatever is the proper term nowadays) and never got a ticket.
It was "in season," but it was also a Tuesday, so the beach was nicely crowded -- pleasantly busy but not sardine-style packed.
I had expected big ocean-beach style waves. This expectation was disappointed. Martha's Vinyard is visible in the distance and presumably breaks any incoming waves.
All things considered, though, I'm happy to report: it was a fine day. I reached a level of Zen contentment and unconcern with the affairs of the world I seldom attain. That's good, because I go back to work this coming Monday.
I drove out to Falmouth Monday evening, checked in to a motel there. It was a decent hotel, though rather further from the beach than I had envisioned. Still, compared to the digs I adopted as my own in San Francisco for more than a week last fall -- this was Shangri-La.
The next morning I headed beachside very early. I found a good parking space near a English-style pub named British Beer Company. The name is sort of a joke -- it allows the place to use the initials BBC, famed more for the broadcasting context.
The parking space was metered. I stayed all day -- from 7 until 4:30, and only fed the meter quarters from time to time. I was quite lax in this, the meter must have been showing "expired" for 75% or more of my stay. Still, I never saw a metermaid (or whatever is the proper term nowadays) and never got a ticket.
It was "in season," but it was also a Tuesday, so the beach was nicely crowded -- pleasantly busy but not sardine-style packed.
I had expected big ocean-beach style waves. This expectation was disappointed. Martha's Vinyard is visible in the distance and presumably breaks any incoming waves.
All things considered, though, I'm happy to report: it was a fine day. I reached a level of Zen contentment and unconcern with the affairs of the world I seldom attain. That's good, because I go back to work this coming Monday.
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