Cool Optical Fiber

                                  Frisbee disk illuminated

by optical cable

Optical cables are widely used for lighting. They are used as light-emitting diodes in medical and other fields, where bright ligthting is needed in hard-to reach places. In some buildings optical cables direct the sunlight from the roof to a certain part of the building. Optical cable lighting is also used for decorative purposes, including commercial ads and christmas trees. Optical fiber is also used to form images - the light beam passes trough lenses and is used for viewing objects trough a small hole.

Optical fiber is also used in the creation of fiber lazers.

Einsteins doubted his big bang theory

A scientist from the Institute of Technology in Waterford (Ireland) found a paper by Einstein that no one has ever seen before.

In this theory of the Big Bang and relativity Einstein was working on an alternative model of a stationary universe.

In 1948 a similar theory was introduced by Hoyle, Bondi and Gold. The scientists claimed that as galaxies get farther from each other and the universe expands, new matter forms in the freed spaces. Stars and galaxies are built in the freed space trough the process of forming more complicated element from elementary particles, which appear spontaneously.

Until the end of the sixties this idea was quite popular with most scientists until relict radiation - the main confirmation of the Big Bang theory - was discovered.

Physicist Cormac O'Raifeartaigh was sifting trough Einstein's papers that were exposed to the public in Jerusalem (you can find them here). His attention was drawn by one document, written in german which was thought to be a first draft of another of Einstein's works.

Do aliens use knives?

The shape of a knife is determined by it's tasks and the environments in which it's used.

For example, the cutting edge is made of durable alloys of iron and is best suited for work on macroscopic objects in temperatures starting with 0C, and the shape of the handle is well suited for a block-traction muscle manipulator, which is our hand.

If the hand was ten times bigger - the taks and the shape of the knife would change. It would be shorter and wider, and would be able to cut trees in one swipe.
If the temperature was much lower, the knife would probably resemble a saw.
Or if it was much higher than the usual for our planet, knifes would probably be made of stone or high-melting metals. Tho who (and what) would need to cut anything in a temperature of -20C, or +500C?

I want to say that there are always the limits established by the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry in which we, as a class of matter, are able to exist. Those boundaries, it seems, are not that wide. And those limits, at the end of the day, establish the optimal shape and form of all objects and creatures. 

And I believe the that the span of said boundaries is not much wider than the span of our imagination.

The Neurochemistry of Mediocrity, pt.IV

I am a unique snowflake

So, the picture becomes even clearer step by step. The succesful are succesful because their main drug is what they're doing. And no dopamine can replace that for them.

We live in the domain of most simple reflexes - the stimuli affecting us form concrete reflexes, like in the Pavlov's dogs.

Try to remember what you feel when you see unread messages, or hear the sound of an incoming message.

Remember that if you do not control your life, somebody else is doing that.

The Neurochemistry of Mediocrity pt.III

Jolts Per Minute

There's a term used on american TV, "Jolts per Minute".

In the past the dynamics of american shows and movies was measured by "jolts per minute" - which meant how many shocks per minute were delivered to the audience.

It could be anything from changing the musical theme, the volume, to new things happening on-screen. Anything. This way the TV used to keep the viewers' attention, which is based on dopamine.

Social Acceptance

From early age a pattern that links approval and security forms in the brain. Kids seek approval for their actions from their parents, later - from teachers, friends or other authorities. This way a dependance on approval forms in the subconscious and becomes an indispensable attribute of comfort and security.

But our dependance on approval can be explained not only with psychological reasons but also with physiological ones - every time when we recieve approval or even mere attention, especially from strangers, we get our dopamine shot.
I guess it's clear now how internet-addiction works. In the past, in order to get someone's approval we would have to do something. Nowadays it's no longer necessary. Pretending and taking photos of your lunch is enough.

By the way, geniuses and outsiders almost completely lack the need for approval.

The Neurochemistry of Mediocrity pt.II

Rage Against The Machine

Dopamine naturally helps us survive and evolve by stimulating our need to move and interact. But nature wasn't ready for the issues that arose with the appearance of personal computers and the 'infotanement'. In this case the dopamine model became the reason for our inactivity and our passive lifestyle. Because 'prize' and 'accomplishment' consists not only of food, sex and drugs. It is also anything that is new and exciting to us. Including information. Hereby dopamine motivates us to learn. .

So far so good. Dopamine is synthesized in the process of learning, that's how we get knowledge. Right? Nope. Not right.
Because if one can chose between useful information and entertaining information, guess what they chose? Of course, information can be both entertaining and useful. But more on that later.

The neurochemistry of mediocrity - pt.I

Neurochemistry of mediocrity

It's all clear with the geniuses, but what can we, the mediocre people, do?

You probably know the term "dopamine". For a long time scientists believed that it is a neuromediator, responsible for the pleasure we derive from food, drugs, sex and social contacts. In other words the pleaaure of accomplishment.

But as a result of recent research ( http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/research&labs/berridge/publications/Berridge&RobinsonBrResRev1998.pdf  ) , a new theory appeared - dopamine is responsible not for the pleasure of accomplishment, but for the desire and expectation of accomplishment. In other words - dopamine makes us crave (speaking simply without delving deep into science)

In the original papers there's the description of an experiment. As a result of the experiment, rats with suppressed production of dopamine lost their interest in eating. They had to be force-fed.
Which means that curiosity and cravings are directly linked to dopamine and the sensation of euphory.