As you probably know the internet was originally developed as an advanced research project (ARPA) for the US military. Over the years it has evolved into general use by the public and business world alike.
The internet is an open forum generally lacking rules, consistency or a code of ethics. It has often been compared by some to the American wild west because of the proliferation of sex, illegal activity and outlaws.
That status, as open forum, is currently being challenged by the likes of AT&T (who joined the internet in 1987) Comcast and Time-Warner among others, who want to control access to the web by restricting or slowing access to certain websites. This would be done by establishing a practice of determining how quickly a website would open for your use thusly hindering or shutting down the free flow of information. Network neutrality advocates are rightly petitioning U.S. Congress to maintain the status quo arguing that big business cannot be trusted to be fair and competitive.
So... what has net neutrality to do with Nikola Tesla? Tesla, a brilliant inventor and innovator whose inventions ranged from electricity to acoustics, to hydraulics, metallurgy, and geometry (1), wanted to provide free electricity to the public. However, the greed of capitalism got in the way.
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), born in Croatia, later becoming an American citizen, was a one-time employee and then later a rival to Thomas Edison. After working for Edison repairing motors and inoperable generators at the Edison plant, Tesla asked Edison for the promised payment of $50,000. In response, Edison is quoted as having told Tesla that he didn't understand American humor. I guess that means Edison never paid Tesla for his work.
Tesla went on to challenge Edison's vision of using direct current (DC) generator for universal distribution. While Edison was trying to perfect the hazardous, cumbersome and expensive DC generator Tesla's invention of the alternating current (AC) generator proved more practical, efficient and cost-effective eventually becoming industry standard. Their battle for supremacy is known as "The Current Wars." Though his story in American history books is recounted fondly enough, Edison was actually the antagonist in this war. Edison distorted the merits of Tesla's AC generator by propagandizing it as dangerous. Edison went so far as to solicit a professor, Harold Brown, to electrocute "dogs and horses on stage" as proof of the dangers of the AC generator.
One of the last inventions Tesla introduced was the Wardenclyffe Tower. Had it succeeded it would have provided free electricity to the world. The Wardenclyffe Tower was meant to be the start of a global system for wireless telecommunications and a national (and later global) system of towers broadcasting power to users as radio waves.(2) Instead of supplying electricity through a current grid system, users would simply "receive" power through antennas on their roofs.(3) Funding for the project was pulled by backer J. P Morgan when he realized there was no way to meter it.
Tesla is credited with having over 700 patents, including radar, the electric motor and the concept behind the radio. Just months after his death, the disputed radio patent was awarded by the U.S. Supreme Court to Tesla over Guglielmo Marconi, who is generally acknowledged as radio's inventor.
It's estimated that Tesla gave up millions of dollars in proceeds from his inventions so that the public could have access to his ideas. He died impoverished having given the world so much while receiving so little in return. It can be said that we are a hundred years behind in technology because many of Tesla's inventions never saw the light of day. Today people still sift through his patents seeking ways to bring them to life.
Over the years the public good has not always been served well because of the greed of a few. I know I could use a break on my energy bills. How 'bout you?
Keep the free flow of information for all. Keep net neutrality.
additional resources
(1) Source
(2) Source
(3) Source
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Slogging Through Stats
We're... Number One...in... what?
Americans are often told by politicians and talk show hosts among others that ours is the greatest country on the face of the earth. There are many great things about America. We live in a multi-cultural society that for the most part works well. We have an abundance of land with plenty of room to spread our wings or where we can grow practically every type of fruit and vegetable. The food here is great, thanks also to the richness of cultural diversity.
Yes, it's great here in America. We can mountain climb, mountain ski, white water raft, ride the dunes on a buggy (in Michigan) and gamble our way through the Nevada desert while visiting Venice or Luxor. We can peer into one of the world's most spectacular gorges, Grand Canyon, or watch in wonder as one of only three Old Faithfuls in the world erupts in beauty and on schedule.
Little wonder then that a majority of Americans see no reason to travel to sights abroad. As a matter of fact, in 2006 America was ranked 3rd as most visited country in the world... so world travellers agree that there is plenty to see and do here.
On the other hand we do have our... um...issues. We rank first in incarcerations and have the largest prison population. We rank first in pollution though we are only 5 per cent of the world population. We are first in oil import and consumption and our citizens are fattest in the world. We score first place in external debt. We rank first in military expenditures, though we have the world's sixth largest army.
One of the more astonishing rankings I ran across was for democracy. Ironically, the United States of America ranks 15th on the most democratic countries list. On that list Finland ranks first in democracy.
other ranking resources:
http://www.solarenergy.org
CIA-The World Fact Book
**********
Americans are often told by politicians and talk show hosts among others that ours is the greatest country on the face of the earth. There are many great things about America. We live in a multi-cultural society that for the most part works well. We have an abundance of land with plenty of room to spread our wings or where we can grow practically every type of fruit and vegetable. The food here is great, thanks also to the richness of cultural diversity.
Yes, it's great here in America. We can mountain climb, mountain ski, white water raft, ride the dunes on a buggy (in Michigan) and gamble our way through the Nevada desert while visiting Venice or Luxor. We can peer into one of the world's most spectacular gorges, Grand Canyon, or watch in wonder as one of only three Old Faithfuls in the world erupts in beauty and on schedule.
Little wonder then that a majority of Americans see no reason to travel to sights abroad. As a matter of fact, in 2006 America was ranked 3rd as most visited country in the world... so world travellers agree that there is plenty to see and do here.
On the other hand we do have our... um...issues. We rank first in incarcerations and have the largest prison population. We rank first in pollution though we are only 5 per cent of the world population. We are first in oil import and consumption and our citizens are fattest in the world. We score first place in external debt. We rank first in military expenditures, though we have the world's sixth largest army.
One of the more astonishing rankings I ran across was for democracy. Ironically, the United States of America ranks 15th on the most democratic countries list. On that list Finland ranks first in democracy.
other ranking resources:
http://www.solarenergy.org
CIA-The World Fact Book
**********
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Welcome...
From the sublime to the ridiculous...from obscure to erudite, what facts of fancy do we miss during our daily ritual and wondrous travails? They say knowledge is power, but what we don't know about our world would fill the Sea of Atlas.
WHO am I? I'm simply a senescent student of the world, who at times is amazed by information I think I ought to have learned long ago.
To take a twist on an antiquated, yet oft-quoted phrase: you know not because you ask not.
Visit me here often so you can discover the world with me. If you'd like to add a fact or two (three, four...) to this blog yourself, email me and I'll post the most intriguing ones.
**********
Imho-who?
Imhotep. You might think he was just the scary mummy dude as portrayed in "The Mummy," movie. Yes and no. Mostly no, though. Imhotep, whose name means, "the one who comes in peace," (the mummy dude was truly evil) was an Egyptian high priest during the 3rd Dynasty. He served as chief architect under King Djoser and built the Step Pyramid. He also practiced healing medicine and is credited with performing the world's first brain surgery. He is considered to be the father of modern medicine having lived thousands of years earlier than the Greek Hippocrates.
In addition, Imhotep was a scribe and astronomer. After his death he was deified by the Greeks and Romans who built temples to his greatness. He was also known as the Prince of Peace.
Tantalizing tidbit: On several internet sites Imhotep is credited with originating the phrase, "eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow you shall die."
**********
Voting with Conscience
Voting is mandatory in the western Europen country of Belgium and several other countries around the world. This law is strictly enforced. The law also compels citizen participation at the polls on election day.
Could mandatory voting in the U.S. help to crack-down on those using unscrupulous, if not illegal, tactics like purging voter rolls of eligible voters in order to suppress certain voting constituencies?
**********
A Dictatorship Is Easier...
With George W. Bush's recent signing of executive orders giving himself authority to seize property of American citizens and/or their spouses and children, as well the continuing warrant-less wiretapping of Americans, citizens are suspicious over Bush's possible nefarious intentions toward the American populace.
Add to that the recent BBC Radio4 report on a little known 1933 plot to seize power from Franklin D. Roosevelt and overthrow the American government. According to BBC Radio4, the plot allegedly involved "famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Bird's Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse & George Bush's grandfather, Prescott)."
The plot was thwarted when General Smedly Butler testified before a congressional committee.
Tantalizing tidbit: In December 2000 after the hotly-contested presidential race had been decided in Bush's favor he uttered these words while meeting with congressional leaders: "I told all four that there were going to be some times where we don't agree with each other. But that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier... just so long as I'm the dictator."
**********
Dogon It!
Today, there lives in Mali, West Africa an ancient tribe called Dogon. In the 1930's Dogon high priests revealed to two French anthropologists stunning secrets about Sirius, "the brightest star in the night sky."
The Dogon told the two anthropologists of Sirius companion star Sirius B and its elliptical orbit. Apparently, the Dogon have known of the mysterious Sirius B centuries before the invention of the telescope.
The Dogon, with a population numbering 300,000, are thought to be descendants of ancient Egyptians whose famous Step Pyramid keeps Egyptologists in disagreement today about the significance of the Step Pyramid and what possible relationship exists between Sirius, the Pyramid and the Egyptian Goddess, Isis.
Tantalizing tidbit: The Ancient Egyptians thought that souls went 'home' to Sirius. Sirius is also known as the 'dog star' and actually corresponds with Sirius' appearance in the sky during the hottest days of the summer; thus creating the saying, "dog days of summer."
**********
(Many thanks to Tommy who always
asks questions and to Wouter who
challenges me to seek the answers)
WHO am I? I'm simply a senescent student of the world, who at times is amazed by information I think I ought to have learned long ago.
To take a twist on an antiquated, yet oft-quoted phrase: you know not because you ask not.
Visit me here often so you can discover the world with me. If you'd like to add a fact or two (three, four...) to this blog yourself, email me and I'll post the most intriguing ones.
**********
Imho-who?
Imhotep. You might think he was just the scary mummy dude as portrayed in "The Mummy," movie. Yes and no. Mostly no, though. Imhotep, whose name means, "the one who comes in peace," (the mummy dude was truly evil) was an Egyptian high priest during the 3rd Dynasty. He served as chief architect under King Djoser and built the Step Pyramid. He also practiced healing medicine and is credited with performing the world's first brain surgery. He is considered to be the father of modern medicine having lived thousands of years earlier than the Greek Hippocrates.
In addition, Imhotep was a scribe and astronomer. After his death he was deified by the Greeks and Romans who built temples to his greatness. He was also known as the Prince of Peace.
Tantalizing tidbit: On several internet sites Imhotep is credited with originating the phrase, "eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow you shall die."
**********
Voting with Conscience
Voting is mandatory in the western Europen country of Belgium and several other countries around the world. This law is strictly enforced. The law also compels citizen participation at the polls on election day.
Could mandatory voting in the U.S. help to crack-down on those using unscrupulous, if not illegal, tactics like purging voter rolls of eligible voters in order to suppress certain voting constituencies?
**********
A Dictatorship Is Easier...
With George W. Bush's recent signing of executive orders giving himself authority to seize property of American citizens and/or their spouses and children, as well the continuing warrant-less wiretapping of Americans, citizens are suspicious over Bush's possible nefarious intentions toward the American populace.
Add to that the recent BBC Radio4 report on a little known 1933 plot to seize power from Franklin D. Roosevelt and overthrow the American government. According to BBC Radio4, the plot allegedly involved "famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Bird's Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse & George Bush's grandfather, Prescott)."
The plot was thwarted when General Smedly Butler testified before a congressional committee.
Tantalizing tidbit: In December 2000 after the hotly-contested presidential race had been decided in Bush's favor he uttered these words while meeting with congressional leaders: "I told all four that there were going to be some times where we don't agree with each other. But that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier... just so long as I'm the dictator."
**********
Dogon It!
Today, there lives in Mali, West Africa an ancient tribe called Dogon. In the 1930's Dogon high priests revealed to two French anthropologists stunning secrets about Sirius, "the brightest star in the night sky."
The Dogon told the two anthropologists of Sirius companion star Sirius B and its elliptical orbit. Apparently, the Dogon have known of the mysterious Sirius B centuries before the invention of the telescope.
The Dogon, with a population numbering 300,000, are thought to be descendants of ancient Egyptians whose famous Step Pyramid keeps Egyptologists in disagreement today about the significance of the Step Pyramid and what possible relationship exists between Sirius, the Pyramid and the Egyptian Goddess, Isis.
Tantalizing tidbit: The Ancient Egyptians thought that souls went 'home' to Sirius. Sirius is also known as the 'dog star' and actually corresponds with Sirius' appearance in the sky during the hottest days of the summer; thus creating the saying, "dog days of summer."
**********
(Many thanks to Tommy who always
asks questions and to Wouter who
challenges me to seek the answers)
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