While technically a geologist my first real excursion into creative writing was an article I wrote for the Mensa Bulletin called, "Communal Blind Spot Theory". In this article I describe a new procedure for problem solving called, "Intuitive Iteration". The steps are: 1)Get a gut reaction, 2Introduce the facts and logic, 3)Compare the facts and logic to your gut reaction, 4)If they are in agreement then you are on to something significant, 5)If they disagree try to resolve the differences, 6)If they cannot be resolved, throw out your intuition, facts and logic 7)iterate i.e. get a gut reaction Using this procedure I have discovered paradigm shifts in geology, chess, & other topics. In chess I have had to iterate as many as 1000 times to find the "truth". It is my prejudice if as few as one scientist in 100 could understand and perfect this methodology we would see a doubling of the rate of paradigm shifts over and above that which would occur in the absence of these methods. The chess book called, The "Evans Gambit Revolution" was published in 1995 just as World Champion Garry Kasparov began playing the opening. Two other books and dozens of articles followed. An article called, " Albert Einstein: Plagiarist of the Century" was published in two journals. I published my magnum opus in geology called, "Beyond Plate Tectonics: 'Plate' Dynamics" an attempt at the first new school in the earth sciences in forty years. The article is on line. Next was an article called, "The Eclipse Data from 1919: The Greatest Hoax in 20th Century Science". This is the greatest corruption and derogation of any data set in history. It was used to validate general relativity and improperly cemented Albert Einstein as the preeminent physicist and genius of all times. Recently I completed two science papers on hormesis and nuclear power i.e. that low levels of radiation are beneficial. Hormesis is the single most important concept that is below the radar. The EPA has failed in its fundamental duty to, "First do no harm". Their anti-radon policies are harming Americans. Lung cancer is a radon-deficiency disease. The equation for radon is: smoking + radon = bad. Radon by itself = good. My novella, "The Christ Chronicles" is scheduled for release this fall. I have Christ surviving crucifixion, holing up in a leper colony for thirty years where he continues his writings. Think of this as an attempt at an "Addendum" to the New Testament.
Promoting a nuclear power plant and wind complex on Lake Superior. It would permit us to achieve energy independence, balance the budget and turn American into the greatest exporter of hydrogen energy
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Greenpeace fought valiantly to stop nuclear power and they and their supporters got us coal instead, the only viable alternative for major base-load power. Coal-related deaths will surpass the holocaust 3-4 times over in the next fifty years.The Greenpeace co-founder soon realized the errors of his ways and agreed that nuclear power was the only real hope for a green energy base-load power source. Hormesis is the idea that while high levels of radiation are lethal, low levels are beneficial. Cows exposed to high levels of radiation in the Trinity A-bomb tests were euthanized because of extreme old age, during the Manhattan Project mice living in uranium dust lived longer than control groups, men who ingested large amounts of plutonium during their work had lower mortality than the general population and workers in nuclear industry in the UK had a 15-20% lower incidence of cancer than the general population.
As someone who has gone through the highs and lows and the hellish experiences of a bipolar disorder and all it entails leads me to believe that I would never subject another human being to this hell---except for those who crave creativity. It is my belief that I have gotten to the "other side" of insanity and there is a vast wealth of information on the other side. There seem to be distinct steps in this process. I like to think that mania is a catalyst for the mind i.e. the mind is forced to a higher level of disorder and then drops down to a lower more orderly efficient state. These steps: 1)Initial excitement at some discovery, 2)Generation of faulty assumptions i.e. if "A" then "B", 3)Generation of bogus "logic" based on the failure to challenge those assumptions, 4)mania, 5)hypomania, 6)Medical intervention, 7)Additional lower levels of mania, 8)"normalcy", 9)"consolidation" headaches approaching migraines that tend to signal the acquistion of creativity.
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A reply on Conversation: Will the Greenland Ice Sheet be gone by the year 2200 and sea level rise 23 feet?
The Cretaceous was so warm that the Polar Ice Caps didn't exist, there was no North Atlantic Deep Water or Antarctic Bottom Water. As a result the deep sea turned into sewage. Ten times more carbon was pulled out of the atmosphere than was pulled out of the atmosphere during the Carboniferous.
One possibility that could have contributed to global warming---flatulent dinosaurs expelling massive amounts of methane, sort of like having billions of cows! We will see a doubling of the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere within a century if we continue to increase the rate at which we consume fossil fuels.
While scientists can be wrong there is overwhelming evidence (97% of climate scientists believe the planet is warming and most believe it is driven by humans) that we are in a warming phase, but there were pre-glaciation warming phases warmer than we are now. Nevertheless, we are about to see massive increases in global warming gasses as the tundra warms and CO2 and methane tied up in those bogs is released into the atmosphere. We also don't know how long it will take for sea water to warm up the point that it starts releasing its dissolved CO2 it carries. A USGS scientist has indicated that first warming occurs and then the CO2 is released from the atmosphere.
As far as "our behavior" is concerned a dismal prediction---very likely it is correct.
A comment on Conversation: Are the short-term gains of hydrofracking worth the short & long term burdens of environmental/social injustice, as stated by the industry?
We have widespread karst topography, and, if any fracking fluid gets into the ground water, it could contaminate hundreds of wells, not just one well.
Fracking wells are industrial sites; when they are finished, the end product has a small foorprint.
Why does no one point out that burning a century's worth of natural gas is the same as burning 50 years worth of coal? Is that really an improvement?
A reply on Conversation: Mention one scientific theory you think needs adjustment. Why do you think that way?
In addition we speak of a "center of gravity". We do not refer to a center of acceleration.
A reply on Conversation: Why Would God Allow a Tragedy?
We can direct as opposed to control nature. Some day we may direct the weather, prevent earthquakes, deflect/destroy asteroids, cure all genetic diseases, etc. Is this "conquering evil"?
Because God is not omniscient it can't be omnipotent.
A comment on Conversation: Why Would God Allow a Tragedy?
Based on the above observations I reject the teachings of the "Old Testament" that brings us a wrathful or vengeful God.
A reply on Conversation: Is it a good idea to promote consumerism to get us back to full employment?
Isn't the head of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke with his $3 trillion balance sheet, subsidizing Wall Street? No doubt you have noticed the run up of the stock market. What corporations are doing is parking their free money from the Federal Reserve in the stock market in lieu of investing it in the economy. Anyone relying on their savings accounts, bonds or CD's for income is being punished by Bernanke
A reply on Conversation: "Why Can't We Solve Big Problems?"
A comment on Conversation: "Why Can't We Solve Big Problems?"
Instead we wasted $16 billion on a pork project for physicists that is the greatest threat to our national security in the history of our country because hot fusion requires disseminating tritium around the world. It takes 3-5 pounds of tritium to start up each reactor. If hot fusion advocates get their way there will be 1000's of reactors world wide i.e. there will be several tons of tritium world wide. Only a few ounces are needed to create a fission-fusion-fission bomb with up to 100,000 X the explosive yield of Hiroshima (Nuclear Weapon Yield-Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_yield).
If you think my concerns are exaggerated, consider this article: Broad, William, July 26, 1989, “U.S. Halts Sale of Tritium After Loss of Enough to Make a Nuclear Bomb,” The New York Times Internet article. “The Energy Department has suspended all sales of the radioactive gas tritium while it investigates the possible loss of enough tritium to help make a nuclear bomb.” “Tritium is used in nuclear weapons to increase their power.” “The incident has led to fears in Congress that some of the gas is missing and has fallen into unfriendly hands.”
So we are attempting to commit National Security suicide with the hot fusion program. Want to solve big problems? Identify the problem first and foremost and then solve it.
A comment on Conversation: Have you realized your potential?
A reply on Conversation: Is it possible to start another Renaissance?
When we talk about a future (or existing) Renaissance, I look at where chess research was 20 years ago and where it is today. It used to take years to put together a "good" book i.e. vast research, consultation with professionals and tests over the board.
Any book written on chess theory PC (pre-computer) dealing with analysis is generally scoffed at. Anyone can sit down with a strong computer today and generate theory better than the strongest World Champion could 20 years ago---I know because I've done this and yet am only an average player. It used to take years to assemble classic games from around the World; now it can be done with the click of a mouse. "Anyone" can write a decent book on chess theory just by allowing machines to chew on positions for hours.
But with the rise in computing we see the steady erosion of intellectual property. Will copyright law catch up to the computer? An "urban myth" used to be that a poor man's copyright was to mail a letter to himself left unopened upon receipt until the need arose. Does posting on the internet for the first time constitute the creation of intellectual property i.e. copyrighted material?
Can we ever get another Renaissance in the absence of acknowledgement of intellectual property? As long as we blur primacy of ideas we have what is, in effect, the return of intellectual communism where everyone is equal yet some are more equal than others. Those capable of garnering infatuation by the press will be promoted; those not facile in modern communication will fall by the wayside.
When I look at a Renaissance Man, I think of Ben Franklin. He was so accomplished in so many fields that it would be all but impossible for anyone today to excel in as many fields as he excelled.