Richtofen

Trip to Mars,with a catch.

2012-08-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

Manned missions to Mars are a long way off. For now we will have to settle on unmanned probes before any self sustaining base can be designed and constructed there. However there is a way to go to Mars. It is a one way trip though. There is an initiative to send willing volunteers to the red planet with no hope of return. Apparently it would be to expensive to bring them back. Not many people would want to go to Mars without a way home. I don't blame them. However, I have thought about the one way trip to Mars. For me it can do a few things.

I get to experience Mars first hand. That is amazing in itself. I also be the one to set the foundation for future bases on Mars. Lastly, it get to actually do something with my life. Something that I both enjoy and will help others. I can devote my life to science. I can benefit humanity and serve a purpose. That said, if I am the only one to go to Mars and I live the rest of my life there with no other human arriving in my life time that brings a few concerns.

First off, I may go mad. Secondly, aside from mission control there will be no way for me to share my experiences with people. Again battling with cabin fever and isolation. And finally, when I do die on Mars who will bury me?

I still think about going to Mars, knowing that I won't come back. If I did go I would request to take a few things with me. First off I want to bring a telescope so I could see the stars from a different perspective. I would also like them to furnish me with a plaque similar to the ones that were sent on Voyager 1 and 2. And, if I could, I want to name the Mars base after Carl Sagan.

Superstitions

2012-07-12T17:50:00.005-07:00

Some people believe in superstition and go through their daily life following them down to the letter. Some people are smart enough to think and disregard those superstitions. Keep in mind that superstitions were created for certain reasons, usually to keep people, especially children in line. Usually, children tend to disobey their parents, so the parents will make up stories so that the children will follow their advice and this traditions go on and on through generations.

Let's start with the obvious ones. Walking under a ladder, breaking a mirror and black cats. Now there are a few theories for the ladder superstition. One of them is that walking under a ladder was akin to blaspheming comes from the early days of Christianity. Many Christians are believers in the Trinity—that God is made up of three parts, the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Ghost. Thus, the number three was somewhat sacred, and the triangle was by association also sacred with its three sides. To walk through this triangle (by walking under the ladder) was seen as breaking the Trinity. The bible talks about the one unforgivable sin being blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, so someone who breaks the Trinity is seen to be in league with the Devil; and once again, being labeled such in the old days of Christianity was a great way to end up burned at the stake or hanged.

The mirror breaking originates from the fact that mirrors were once very expensive. And thus to take care of mirrors and prevent accidents the story that they cause seven years bad luck makes sense. Scare people into safe and careful behavior.

As for the black cat. In Scotland a strange black cat appearing on your porch is a good omen. It means that prosperity is on the way. If you hear a cat sneeze in Italy then you are in for a streak of good luck. If you happen to spot a white cat in America as the sun sets, however, you might be in trouble. Cats are not allowed in the room if family is having a private talk in the Netherlands. The fear is that the cat will spread the gossip all over town, and the family secrets will be out. And in Ireland killing a cat is 17 years bad luck. Apparently Christianity has to do with this nonsense. The color black is often regarded as being bad. Blackmail, black sheep, black death and so forth. So those Christians and there 'good' intentions associated black cats with black magic and witches.

Now there are ways to break the curses. For the mirror you could try, throwing salt over your shoulder, or after breaking the mirror turn around three times counterclockwise. You could also try to burn the mirror, or at least blacken its shards in the flames of a fire, or save

the fragments for a year and then bury them, and the curse will be counteracted

(so you've only had to live with one year of bad luck). You could also try this. On the first night after breaking the mirror, light seven white candles and blow them out at midnight in one breath. Touch a tombstone with a piece of the mirror and the hex will be lifted.

That's a lot of solutions right? No. If you believe in this nonsense then you are either a child or stupid. Superstitions like this hold back progress. They keep us in a ring of ignorance that can't be broken due to the fear of bad luck. Their are other myths as well that can be dispelled just as easily. Humans want to make sense of a random world. They want to find reasons for the good things and bad things that happen. And they will inevitably create a reason that is based on mere coincidence and chance. Wishful thinking, an arrogant belief that your actions can change the randomness of the world. Nonsense like this has held up scientific progress for long enough. And it's not just black cats and mirrors that hold back progress. But I will go in to detail in another post. Until then...Think!

YouTube- Adults believing in Magic

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My YouTube Channel

When it rains like this.

2012-06-24T11:55:00.001-07:00

When it rains like this it give me a chance to think. Last year, there was a drought. The summer heat dried and cracked the ground. This year the drought is broken by light showers. A flood in May and now a healthy splash of rain. The clouds gather to drop rain upon the ground. Unaware or uncaring of the creatures below. Most people seek comfort indoors. Weak like Superman without the sun. I embrace the rain. It gives me a chance to see nature from another side. I observe the clouds as they roam across the sky. I observe the puddles. I watch how the surface dances as the rain drops disturb the stillness. I look at my dog. I wonder how he perceives the rain. I hear the thunder in the distance roaring causing car alarms to go off. I notice the rain drops hit the delicate leafs and pedals of plants and flowers. The rain give me a different perspective on nature. Neither side has a monopoly on beauty. Whether it's a sunny day or rainy. Overcast or clear skies. Nature does not cater to ones idea of beauty. It's amazing in its own right. That's its real beauty.

Video- When it rains like this

2012-05-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

... He clasped the pocket watch so it would close. Then with his finger followed the intricacies of the design that was engraved on the watch. The engraving encircled the exterior face of the golden pocket watch. The watch now held between his thumb and forefinger, his finger on the watch feeling the rhythm as the seconds ticked by as if to inspect the heartbeat of time. With the time in his mind he placed the watch in his pocket where it continued to flirt with infinity. "Infinity or not I should get home" he thought.

- The preceding was an excerpt from my novel that is still under construction. If you would like to see more or even give advice please tell me.