Oops! 2012...Nevermind
A new book argues that the conversions of Mayan dates may be off by as much as 100 years.
ayhoo - It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.
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Hey Kids! Wanna Be An NSA Spook?
wired - The surveillance and cryptology crew at NSA has the right online companions for you: Cy and Cyndi, a pair of anthropomorphic snow leopards now kickin’ it with the CryptoKids, the Puzzle Palace’s team of cartoon animal hackers. Known as the CyberTwins and unveiled by NSA yesterday, Cy and Cyndi wear gaming headgear, talk into their hands-free mobile devices, and teach youths about proper online hygiene, all on the NSA website’s kids page, which actually exists.
Arriving in time for (the second half of) National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the CyberTwins have a backstory to appeal to military kids: Their mom is a government engineer, their dad is an Army computer scientist, and they “love to talk with other kids who love computers and cyber space as much as they do.”
That fits them right in with the other CryptoKids — a goateed turtle named T-Top whose uncle works for a computer manufacturer, Sergeant Sam the eagle who joined the military out of high school — who guide real-live youth through online crypto-themed puzzles and brainteasers. (Only one thing’s missing from the CryptoTwins’ rollout: cybersecurity tips for the underage.)
All this is a reminder that the most informative element of any spy agency’s website is its Kiddie Korner, where spycraft meets the schoolyard for an awkward, barely appropriate encounter. The CIA offers a world-explorer videogame starring Carmen Sandiego–esque junior officer Ava Shoephone, a trenchcoated operative who throws out trivia questions from the agency’s World Factbook.
The National Counterterrorism Center introduces you to “your NCTC friends,” Becker the Eagle and Little Lady Liberty. And the FBI has games — represented by an icon of the old Nintendo cartridges — like Special Agent Undercover, in which grade-school kids disguise themselves with mustaches to fool people.
As Noah Shachtman wrote a couple of years ago, only the government knows how earnest or how absurd these sites are intended to be. They do, however, inculcate the message that a career in spycraft is totally extreme. “Cryptology is making and breaking codes. It’s so cool,” NSA’s kids page explains. “You might be part of the next generation of America’s codemakers and codebreakers.” Then again, is a kid precocious enough to spend time on a surveillance and crypto agency’s website really going to be impressed by a snow leopard with a BlueTooth in her ear?
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UFOs and Aliens Reaching Out With “Signs,” Say Paranormal Experts
huliq - STONEFIELD BEACH, Oregon – When viewing the greenish tide pool at this remote spot along the central Oregon coast, local unidentifiable flying object (UFO) experts note it’s “a whole new color experience.” The tide pool in question fires the imagination because “rocks will float on it.” All this is not news, however, to a world that’s been hearing about UFO sightings almost daily. Thus, even this latest discovery seems to be “no big deal.”
A wealth of UFO evidence exists along Oregon coast
While more and more visitors to the central Oregon coast on a quest to see their own UFO sightings, it’s no wonder that some think it’s “getting old.”
In fact, UFO and aliens are considered to be a kin to “rock stars” here in this somewhat “strange” state that boasts numerous UFO organizations, clubs and followings that number in the tens of thousands.
This state is so “into” UFO’s and aliens that it’s no big deal when there’s a UFO sighting, “because that happens around here almost every day.”
“I mean, what’s up at Stonefield Beach is just sort of “ho-hum,” said one local.
“I’d say we’ve seen it all before. UFO sightings are interesting, but I’d say our attitude around -- when it comes to these alien visitors – is you’re most welcome and please don’t zap us,” joked the resident who lives down Highway 101 from Stonefield Beach.
At the same time, more serious UFO experts are wondering about Stonefield’s green goodish water that’s attracting a lot of attention from experts, to include marine biologists at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in nearby Newport, Oregon.
“No, it’s not some sort of algae or something from the Pacific. It’s strange, and I can’t explain it,” says Hugh Miller who’s a member of The Trails End Paranormal Society of Oregon.
“They’ve taken a lot of it,” adds Miller. “But what’s left is amazing.”
Still, even this green tide pool doesn’t get much of a rise from coastal residents who don’t want so much attention paid to this remote area where they live off the gird for whatever reasons.
“I guess it’s because there’s so much in the way of UFO sightings here in Oregon,” adds Miller whose Trails End Paranormal Society recently held something dubbed the “Rose City Paranormal Conference” in Portland, Oct. 14-16.
Due to the rash of recent UFO sightings in Oregon, China and other parts of the world, the conference was well attended, says Miller who’s been researching Oregon UFO’s for the past 45 years.
“We had a very interesting Eric Byler of Oregon UFO Research as our guest speaker. He more or less said ‘they’re with us, and don’t worry since all will be revealed soon.’ I’m not sure when or where since I’ve been at this for so long. But, being here today at Stonefield and testing this green water, makes me think he’s right.
We may know something soon about the alien’s intentions,” he added during an interview near the green tide pool at Stonefield beach.
When describing Stonefield Beach, locals want visitors to stay away
The Oregon coast has long been associated with UFO encounters due to such things as the geologic oddity of rock formations along the coast that some say are makers for UFO visits.
In fact, Stonefield is perhaps the most secluded and exclusive of the central Oregon coast parks.
There are formally declassified documents at a nearby Newport historic museum points to a period during World War II and then in the late 1950’s when “the U.S. government installed numerous secret look out facilities in the area around Cape Perpetua.”
What’s interesting to local UFO hunters is that one of these “stone” lookout bunkers still sits near the top of Cape Perpetua that looks right down on Stonefield Beach.
“It’s sort of prehistoric. There’s remains of whales, sea lions and the only place that I know of along the coast where you see dozens of wild rabbits that are huge in size,” says Kinney. “And, there’s these people who camp out and burn fires amongst the Stonefield rock formations that’s creepy.”
What’s also creepy, adds Kinney, “is the locals want you out of here, big time. They know this is a free beach and part of Oregon’s national recreation area, but don’t hang at Stonefield after hours.”
At Stonefield, there’s no such thing as popular beach spots, or shops or restaurants. “There’s just death on the beach and the place reeks to high heaven. It’s as if someone or something doesn’t want the locals or tourists to visit there,” says coastal resident Mackenzie Ryan.
Moreover, Ryan notes “these strange lights and an eerie glow that seems to light up everything around. You see the light on the drift wood that litters the Stonefield beach, and you see it in the sky over the mountains that sit right behind this beach spot. There’s no place like it.”
Along a grassy hill there sits -- in the sea of rocks – what can only be described as mounds of formed and hardened sand. “We can’t explain it. It’s these small mounds and the crazy glow on everything at Stonefield that spooks us at this time of the year.”
Oregon UFO groups are many with participation increasing
The joke around UFO circles in Oregon is there’s “more UFO hunters than aliens.” Or, “UFO’s are an equal opportunity phenomenon.”
One leading group is known as “MUFON,” for “Mutual UFO Network, Inc.” MUFON’s charter states that it will seek to “investigate the UFO phenomenon in a scientific manner as funds and expertise allow. To this end, MUFON strives to establish a presence in every state of the United States and even in every country of the world since the UFO phenomenon knows no boundaries.
MUFON members advise those who are frightened of having “first contact,” that “it’s perfectly safe.”
At the same time, MUFON guidance for “civilians” is a UFO sighting is not so much something “you see,” but “more of a feeling” along the lines of a “deeper psychic intuition.”
One Oregon MUFON expert notes that when he takes say “a couple hundred photos an hour” of UFO’s over Oregon communities that, perhaps, only about “two or three show a UFO clearly enough to say it’s alien.”
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Wheelchair Bandit
wcsh6 - Two people are in police custody following an unbelievable attempted jewelry store heist near El Paso, Texas.
Security camera footage shows 44-year-old Noemi Duchene and 45-year-old Luis Del Castillo arrive outside of Estate & New Jewelry late Tuesday morning with Del Castillo pushing Duchene in her wheelchair.
Duchene then gets out of her chair, covers her head and upper body with a large black trash bag and enters the jewelry store while Del Castillo waits with the chair.
Once inside Duchene pulls a kitchen knife and demands "everything".
Store owner Linda Bradely decided not to comply and drew a stun gun in response.
"We're chasing each other around like keystone cops," Bradely recalls. "I knew I could outrun her because she was obviously not very quick."
A store customer eventually tackled Duchene and held her until police arrived.
Del Castillo was still waiting outside with the wheelchair and was also arrested.
Investigators say the pair live in an apartment across the street from the jewelry store.
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Scientist Finds "Proof" of Psychic Abilities
techeye - A top shrink claims to have found proof that we can predict the future.
Daryl Bem, a social psychologist at Cornell University, is about to publish a series of studies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which we get for the spot the ID competition.
Bem's theory is that all those Zener cards with stars and squares on them don't actually prove anything and it was time to use a serious of tests similar to those to test for psychological disorders.
Across nine experiments, Bem tested the idea that the brain has the ability to not only reflect on past experiences, but also anticipate future experiences. This enables the brain to "see into the future".
One of the tests involved giving students a list of words and after reading the list, were given a surprise recall test to see how many words they remembered.
Next, a computer randomly selected some of the words on the list as practice words and the participants were asked to retype them several times.
Apparently the students were better at recalling the words on the surprise recall test that they were later given.
Bem thinks that practising the words after the test somehow allowed the participants to "reach back in time to facilitate recall."
In another experiment Bem showed people a photo and they had to quickly indicate if the photo was good or bad. So if you have a picture of a fluffy bunny you would press positive and if you saw a picture of Craig David you would press "kill, kill, nuke it from space."
Shrinks have found that if you flash the word "happy" before the kitten picture, you will click the "positive" button faster. If you flash the word "ugly" before it, you will be slower to hit the button even if Craig David is involved.
But Bem's reversed the time sequence on this effect by flashing the primed word after the person categorised the photo. He found that people categorise the nice picture quicker when it is preceded by a good word, you will also categorise it quicker when it is followed by a good word. According to Bem it was as if the brain knew what word was coming next.
It seems that the average "non-psychic" people seem to be able to anticipate future events so it is nothing unique to curiously obese neurotics who think their weight is due to the fact that they ate Madame Blavatsky's energy, were once Cleopatra or a High Priest of the Sun in Atlantis.
Bem found that extraverted people high in stimulus seeking were nearly twice as good at it than the average person.
What lets Bem's study down is that the numbers he quotes are only slightly larger than chance.
While the news that we can see the future is chucking out pretty much what most people consider science, Psychology Today thinks that these effects are actually pretty consistent with modern physics' take on time and space.
