Archaeoastronomy: Göbekli Tepe

At first glance Göbekli Tepe (located about nine miles from Şanlıurfa) is vaguely reminiscent of Wiltshire’s Stonehenge, dozens of stone pillars arranged into rings. However, the difference is that Göbekli Tepe is much older than Stonehenge; 9000 years older than the Stonehenge we know and 2000 years older than it’s oldest incarnation.

Built some 11,600 years ago Göbekli Tepe contains the world’s oldest known temple and is the first human structure found that was more complex than a simple hut. When it was built it was almost certainly one of the earliest displays of teamwork, as in 10,000BC humans lived in small nomadic groups.

1% de Sahara va asigura lumea cu energie solară

Revista germană "Der Spiegel", a publicat o imagine a zonei din deșertul Sahara, necesară pentru a satisface nevoile omenirii de energie electrică, furnizată de heliocentralele termoelectrice.

Pătratele roșii de pe a doua imagine, demonstrează în mod concret zona în care vor fi instalate centralele electrice solare, care vor produce energie suficientă pentru toate nevoile lumii de astăzi (de la stînga la dreapta): pentru întreaga planetă, pentru Europa și pentru Germania.

Singularity U Launches 2012 Class: Bring On The Future!

Last Friday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the Closing Ceremony of the Graduate Studies Program at Singularity University (SU). This event is the pinnacle of a marathon-like 10-week program, in which 80 of the most promising and talented individuals from 36 countries have been challenged to change the world. And the students did not disappoint. Innovations in global health, emerging technologies, infrastructure, education, employment, and poverty were presented to the distinguished crowd, and no doubt many of these ideas will translate into real companies and movements in the coming years.

Aristotle's Metaphysics

The first major work in the history of philosophy to bear the title ―Metaphysics‖ was the treatise by Aristotle that we have come to know by that name. But Aristotle himself did not use that title or even describe his field of study as metaphysics‘; the name was evidently coined by the firstcentury C.E. editor who assembled the treatise we know as Aristotle's Metaphysics out of various smaller selections of Aristotle's works. 

The title metaphysics‘—literally, after the Physics‘— very likely indicated the place the topics discussed therein were intended to occupy in thephilosophical curriculum. They were to be studied after the treatises dealing with nature (ta phusika). In this entry, we discuss the ideas that are developed in Aristotle's treatise.

The Ring of Gyges or Why Study the Classics at UVA or Why anti-Regulators are full of $#*!

About 2500 years ago, the philosopher Plato told a story that even the most dedicated Fox News viewer can understand.  Here it is in text form:

According to the tradition, Gyges was a shepherd in the service of the king of Lydia; there was a great storm, and an earthquake made an opening in the earth at the place where he was feeding his flock. Amazed at the sight, he descended into the opening, where, among other marvels, he beheld a hollow brazen horse, having doors, at which he stooping and looking in saw a dead body of stature, as appeared to him, more than human, and having nothing on but a gold ring; this he took from the finger of the dead and reascended.

Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), leader of elite French science.

Georges Cuvier was one of the most influential figures in science during the early nineteenth century. A self-appointed referee of proper science from his stronghold in the elite Académie des Sciences, Cuvier was as successful in creating his own image as a great man of science as he was in the many areas of science he studied.

Cuvier was born on 23 August 1769, at Montbéliard, a French-speaking community in the Jura Mountains then rule by the Duke of Württemberg. Cuvier went to school at the Carolinian Academy in Stuttgart from 1784 to 1788. He was then a tutor for a noble family in Normandy. 

SCURT INVENTAR AL CERULUI ROMÂNESC

Aflați în plin proces de realizare a script-urilor pentru expoziția digitală, ne-am gândit să facem un inventar al cerului românesc în sistemul de criterii deja consacrat: personaje, obiecte, animale și figuri.

Avem pe cerul românesc 4 personaje feminine:

-Fecioara (Fecioara) o ilustrează în componenta religioasă a cerului românesc pe Fecioara Maria, steaua Spica reprezentând prin albeața ei inima curată a Fecioarei;

-Fata mare din constelația Hora (steaua Alphekka din Coroana Boreală);

Realitate sau Photoshop? Calea Lactee surprinsă într-o fotografie de nuntă

Un cuplu proaspăt căsătorit se poate considera foarte norocos după ce fotograful Lakshal Pererea a reuşit să surprindă Calea Lactee în spatele lor.

Imaginea este făcută cu o expunere de 71 de secunde setată în aşa fel să surprindă lumina stelelor de la o distanţă foarte mare, iar mirii Shirley şi Warren Andrews au stat nemişcaţi. Fotografia a fost făcută cu o expunere de 71 de secunde, pe un trepied Mantrotto, f/5.6, ISO400, cu un aparat Canon 16-35mm f2.8L.

Imaginea a fost realizată la o fermă din Deniliquin, din New South Wales, Australia.

Leaellynasaura, dinozaurul erbivor din Australia

In perioada Cretacicului inferior a erei mezozoice dinozaurii erau raspanditi pe tot Globul, existau sute de specii unele adaptate perfect la mediul inconjurator, altele incercand pe cat posibil sa supravietuiasca in acele vremuri. Un loc plin de pericole pentru multe specii de animale preistorice era reprezentat de padurile salbatice si regiunile polare. In acest peisaj ce reprezenta o adevarata provocare pentru orice vietuitoare traiau dinozaurii Leaellynasaura – mici erbivore zvelte care nu depaseau lungimea de 2 m si greutatea de 70 kg.

Uriașii

Uriasii au existat. Acest lucru este confirmat atat de Sfanta Scriptura, cat si de arheologi, care au descoperit unele oase umane uriase. Uriasii nu erau nici extraterestri, nici o combinatie intre ingerii cazuti si oameni, precum se afirma uneori. De asemenea, gresesc si aceia care spun ca uriasii nu ar fi existat deloc, ci ca ei sunt doar mituri si legende antice.

Uriasii nu erau acei oameni mai inalti decat ceilalti, ci un neam aparte, a carui origine ramane inca tainica. Astfel, in tratarea acestui subiect se cade sa venim cu multa smerenie, iar nu cu o iscodire vicleana a tainelor lui Dumnezeu, lipsita de folos si primejdioasa.