As I try to lighten the mood after a week of mind numbing news….I find science stuff to inform and enlighten.
I begin with something for our conspiracy nerds…..are we on the brink of a E.L.E.?
There’s no question things are a bit dire right now when it comes to climate change — but there is some good news: a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientist says we’re on the brink of mass extinction.
Wait, no. That’s horrible news.
Daniel Rothman, a professor of geophysics at MIT, has spoken about his predictions of a new mass extinction event in the past. He reiterated his Cassandran concerns in a recent interview with The Times of Israel, saying that human disruptions to the carbon cycle will ultimately result in calamity.
“Every time there has been a major event in the history of life, there has also been a major perturbation of the environment,” Rothamn told the newspaper. “These things tend to come together.”
https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-scientist-mass-extinction
Quantum computing is the next ‘big’ thing (full disclosure–my daughter invests in companies pursuing the quantum computing thing)…..
Quantum computers are set to revolutionize the way informatic works by being way faster than our current devices. We do not yet have a quantum computer but many prototypes are getting closer and can do pretty cool stuff. Including creating new phases of matter, such as a time crystal, as reported in new research published in Nature.
First of all, let’s discuss how a quantum computer works. Instead of your regular bits made of zeros or ones, you have quantum bits or qubits which harness the power of quantum mechanics. They can be in superposition, they are entangled, all quantum properties that allow for incredibly fast calculations. Linking more qubits means exponentially faster computations.
https://www.iflscience.com/physics/time-crystal-created-in-prototype-quantum-computer/
New evidence for space exploration…..
Interstellar exploration might not be lightyears away, at least not in the figurative sense. That’s because international research project Breakthrough Starshot just provided an update on its plans to send a probe to Alpha Centauri, our closest neighboring star system.
Before getting there, it will have to develop and test a new type of spacecraft propulsion system that utilizes a lightsail and a laser beam array to reach the immense speeds required for interstellar travel within our lifetimes, a press statement from the Australian National University (ANU) explains.
https://interestingengineering.com/laser-powered-lightsail-could-reach-alpha-centauri-in-20-years
This one is for all those old stoners for the 60s…..
a new study was published in Nature: Scientific Reports revealed that adults who microdose psychedelics may experience decreased levels of anxiety and depression.
The study was conducted internationally by UBC Okanagan researchers and was the largest study of psychedelic micro-dosing published to date.
Microdosing has increased in popularity over the past decade and involves taking minimal doses of psychedelics– so small that they will not affect any cognitive function.
Joseph Rootman, a UBCO doctoral student and the lead author, discussed how those who micro-dosed displayed lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress across the board than non-microdosers.
“In total, we followed more than eight thousand and five hundred people from seventy-five countries using an anonymous self-reporting system.
A New Study Found That Microdosing Psychedelics May Decrease Your Levels Of Depression And Anxiety
In Saner Thought 
Israel favors climate change. To change the Sinai and Sahara deserts into a rain forest. Ever read the book Dune?
Vake Biblia@wordpress.com Alexandrian Deceptions: Exposing The Nothing Only Conspiracies Against God’s Words –Introduction. She writes of truth. But the 8th middah of Oral Torah logic defines truth as path. One person cannot dictate or own a monopoly upon truth.
Ever here the saying: The victors write the history books? Well the biblical translations did just that, they wrote their bibles in the image of Xtian theology. A very nice mythology.
Consider the letters O, D, & G. Depending how a person organizes those letters, forms different ideas. God vs. dog. The framers of the Torah organized the Torah as having 54 Parshaot and further broke up those Parshaot through use of פ & ס. The פ refers to a פרק\chapter. While the ס refers to a סוגיה\sub chapter. Talmudic rabbinic authorities would later debate if the contents of one sugia influenced the contents of an adjacent sugia. This סמוכים\adjacent debate has a profound influence how differing sh’ittot\systematic logic deductions based upon how a person organizes their thoughts, whereby they reach vastly different conclusions. The Talmud refers to 70 sh’ittot in the Torah. A euphemism for vast number of logical deductions which people can rationally deduce.
The biblical translators “absolutely” rejected how Jews edited their T’NaCH Primary sources. They chose instead to organize their bible into chapters and verses. The Xtian bible totally abandoned the organization of the Torah into 54 Parshiot. בראשית\נח\לך לך etc etc etc. In like manner the Church translators edited out the division of the T’NaCH into sub-chapters. This played well into their biblical exegesis analysis of their bible. But while the new testament writers plucked a verse totally out of the context of its sugia\sub-chapter, and interpreted the meaning of that verse as an independent variable; Jewish scholarship totally rejected this “scholarship” as nothing short of religious rhetoric and propaganda; the error of taking a statement out of its surrounding context.
All generations struggle to interpret the meaning of Scripture. Jewish Common law, like all common law systems, stands upon precedents. Common law compares a current case heard before the Court with prior cases argued before other courtrooms. This style or sh’itta goes by the term “precedents”. The Jewish Oral Torah logic format designed to make a comparative study of similar Case\law studies. Western literature calls this Comparison & Contrast.
It does not matter if a person studies T’NaCH or Talmudic sources the methodology of learning remains unchanged. Just as the Gemara makes a Case study by bringing diverse halachot learned from a vast diversity of subjects; it compares these outside halachic ruling to the current Case expressed through a specific Mishna; in like manner Jewish scholarship makes a sugia study of T’NaCH sources by comparing one sugia within the T’NaCH with other sugiot within the T’NaCH. This comparison and contrast study defines how Jews, throughout history to this very moment in time, how they study both T’NaCH and Talmudic Primary sources.
Your discussion here opens with Isa 66:2 which as a Xtian you take totally out of its context. Jewish study of the T’NaCH absolutely rejects as false this propaganda rhetoric. The p’suk\verse which you quote, its contained within a larger sugia. The T’NaCH has no chapters and verses, because it rejects the new testament notion that permits cherry picking specific verses to preach a propaganda rhetoric. Xtianity rejects mussar. Whereas rabbis like myself have learned that the Torah defines the term prophesy as a commandment of mussar! Your quoted verse, exists in a larger sugia. For convenience sake, seeing i am communicating with a non Jew who reads a Xtian bible, I shall translate sugiot into chapters and verses. This sugia which contains your verse begins with 66:1 – 66:4. Each sugia of the T’NaCH teaches a defined mussar.
Jewish scholarship searches to compare Case studies; it learns the contents of one sugia by connecting that sugia to some other similar sugia found else where, within that specific Book of the prophets. Rabbi Akiva explained the revelation of the Oral Torah which Moshe the prophet orally heard from HaShem at Sinai\Horev with his Divine Chariot mysticism known as פרדס. Which means פשט, רמז, דרוש, סוד. As a warp and a weft of a loom have two opposing threads so too Aggaditah and Halacha exist as two opposing threads – they make the “fabric” of Talmudic learning. The study of both the T’NaCH and Aggaditah within the pages of the Talmud follows a defined axis of drosh and p’shat. The haachic parts, the majority of the Talmud follows the opposing loom like thread axis of remiz and sod.
This tends to get complicated very quickly. But to keep things simple, a close and similar sugia within the Book of ישעיה, chapter 9:7-12. The mussar through this comparison of case\din studies … it seems to me that the prophet addresses Justice Justice pursue. The prophet Natan opposed the will of king David to build a house of cedar. The last act of Moshe the prophet, he established the small sanhedrin courts in 3 of the Cities of Refuge. King Shlomo erred and ignored the elder prophet Natan, just as his son when he travel to Sh’Cem, ignored the advice given by the elder advisors of king Shlomo. An interesting comparison between the behavior of the young king Shlomo to the young king Rehav’am.
King Shaul, HaShem rejected him as the anointed Moshiach because he erroneously prioritized sacrifices over obedience to prophetic mussar commandments. The sugia which contains 66:2 likewise denounces sacrificial worship. This same prophet declares that HaShem never commanded sacrifices. This mussar stands in the face of the Book of ויקרא, the 3rd Book of the Torah! The meaning of the prophetic mussar which interprets the k’vanna of the Torah,,, that HaShem never commanded man to make a barbecue unto Heaven. HaShem took Israel out of the oppression of Egypt. Israel conquered the land and kingdoms of Canaan to rule the oath sworn lands with justice. The courts have the Torah responsibility to rule the land with justice. Justice defined as a fair compensations for damages inflicted irregardless whether those damages came by intent or accident. The decree of g’lut\exile comes upon Israel when the government rules the lands of Canaan like as did Par’o enslave Israelites – invited guests – in Egypt.
Justice does not depend upon building grand Temples and churches at public expense. Justice requires that the Judges receive no bribes or show favoritism to any person who stands before the Court. Lateral courtrooms: the Judges nor the prosecuting attorney, that neither receive a salary from the State. Vertical courtrooms; State vs. So and So … the Judges, Prosecuting Attorney and Police receive their salaries from the State. The Torah commands that judges must not accept bribes. Bribes pervert justice.
What has the word got to do with science….not a goddamn thing…that is what.
Science, specifically the ‘scientific method’ limits as does Xtian theology creeds and dogmatism the reality of the Gods to 3 physical dimensions. Science calls it ’empirical evidence’. HaHaHa
So it’s going to take over 20 years to get to Alpha Centurai? Looks like I’m going to miss the big news from AC then!
Best wishes, Pete.
Great news but one that will be missed by me as well chuq