Beijing 2008

A fine example of situational irony.

"Brain Study Calls Free Will Into Question" (quote from Slashdot)

Here is one for the Hyper Calvinists among you. A study showing that your brain apparently makes decisions before you know about it!.

Clock made from clocks

Nothing more than a very very cool clock by Dutch designer Christiaan Postma . Mr Postma has arranged 150 analog clocks so that their hands spell the current hour of the day. Click here for more pictures and an animation showing how it progresses thoughout the day.

Most efficient way to solve Rubik's Cube

Knitting 2.0

Alternative Universe

Here's an interesting April Fool joke from Wired. The discovery of an alternative universe that celebrates April Fools day on the 3rd (which is of course the date of the posting).

The alternative universe has lots of other characteristics which address issues such as "global warming" (taking it seriously) and "science vs religion" (focus on social justice instead) which presumably is the Wired world view. This takes the edge off the joke a little for me but caused me to wonder what an alternative universe based on the Bible's "Kingdom of God" would be.

Then I remembered the C.S Lewis novel Out of the Silent Planet.

The central character (Ransom) finds himself on a planet (Malacandra) that has not fallen and amongst creatures that are living as God intends them to. This allows Mr Lewis to explore the nature of the Kingdom of God via some very interesting debates between Ransom and some of the creatures about the clear differences between life on Malacandra and the Silent Planet (Earth of course). Must read it again.

The Believer

"The book was "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. And within the first three pages, I realized that my arguments against faith were those of a schoolboy."

Francis Collins -- head of the Human Genome Project -- discusses his conversion to evangelical Christianity, why scientists do not need to be atheists, and what C.S. Lewis has to do with it.

http://www.salon.com/books/int/2006/08/07/collins/index.html

Nickel Creek - Doubting Thomas

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me?
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me?

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh, me of little faith.

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared 'cause I'm a coward.
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power.

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh, me of little faith.

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie?
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die?

Please give me time to decipher the signs.
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted.

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh, me of little faith

Listen here http://nickelcreek.com/music.htm