The Moon Mineralogy Mapper shows the Moon in a new light.

JPL has just posted some images captured by the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft.

The pair of images above is an image released by JPL based on Moon Mineralogy Mapper data for the Orientale region. The left image strip is a color composite of data from 28 separate wavelengths of light reflected from the moon. The blue to red tones reveal changes in rock and mineral composition, and the green color is an indication of the abundance of iron-bearing minerals such as pyroxene. The right image strip of the pair is from a single wavelength of light that contains thermal emission, providing a new level of detail on the form and structure of the region's surface.

The final image is the result I got by merging the first two images. The result is that one can more easily associate the colors with geological features.

Inverted Text Demystified

The Extended ISO 8859 characterset has nearly all of the inverted Latin small letters with a few exceptions which enables one to create inverted text messages for a comic effect. The special characters are designated by a character entity such as ð for the letter ð or "eth". And the string of characters pɔqɐ will produce the text "pɔqɐ" which is "abcd" inverted. Using the same method one can produce a line of inverted text,

¡ƨɪɥʇ pɐǝɹ oʇ pɐǝɥ ɹnoʎ uo puɐʇƨ oʇ ǝʌɐɥ ʎɐɯ noʎ

(The blogger HTML editor was used to convert the code to the inverted text.)

letter	chr num	result
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z	592 113 596 112 477 607 595 613 618 638 670 1503 623 117 111 100 98 633 424 647 110 652 653 120 654 122	ɐ q ɔ p ǝ ɟ ɓ ɥ ɪ ɾ ʞ ן ɯ u o d b ɹ ƨ ʇ n ʌ ʍ x ʎ z

The Third Option

The Liberalized Voting Rules are similar to a three-valued logic system known as a balanced ternary. It utilizes a third logical option with the assertions being less certain. Lukasiewicz devised a ternary logic system in 1917. And the Europeans have made better use of ternary logic than Americans.

New Star Trek Trailer

watch in HD
Can't wait to see this movie when it is released on May 8, 2009.

Selection Rules

The Liberalized Votings Rules which I posted a few days ago can more generally be referred to as Selection Rules. Various types of voting systems have been proposed. Among them are preferential voting and approval voting. The general topic is Rational Choice Theory.

The "DIS" vote was intended to indicate some dissatisfaction with or disapproval of a ballot measure. Often one feels the need for action on a particular issue and the measure may be defective is some manner. One may have legitimate doubts about a measure. "DIS" would be a way of indicating the position that the measure needs to be rewritten. Another name for "UND" might be "NOP" for "NO OPINION".

The President has the option of expressing disapproval for a bill before it becomes law by exercising his veto power. So why not grant voters a similar option in the case of initiatives and referendums. Badly written measures are a waste of time and disrupt the legal process.

Selections Rules can be applied to situations other than elections. For example, the choice of a person for a particular position, which computer one might like to buy or what present to get someone for Xmas.

You Tube Live

katiesopinion and bravesgirl5 at YouTube Live
Tonight YouTube had its first live streaming event at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Among the well known youtubers present were Katy Perry and LisaNova who hosted the event, hotforwords and thewinekone who made guest appearances, and some others like mememolly and nayders07 who could be seen in the audience.

Design Contest

I just thought that one way of illustrating the use of the Liberalized Voting Rules in my last blog would be to design a game for them. It might be best as a role playing game in which the players assume the roles of candidates and run various types of campaigns with primaries and then a general election in which the choice for office is made. I doubt if we could have this ready for Christmas or even the Inauguration. But sometime before the next election would be cool. The name that immediately comes to mind for the game is DIS. Of course one can always do a variation on the theme.

Liberalized Voting Rules

When voting on ballot measures one is usually given the choice of voting either "YES" or "NO" which sometimes fails to accurately express one's true position on the measure. One often finds oneself torn between voting either way for various reasons. For example one might feel that a measure has some features that one is in favor of and others which seem dissatisfactory and there is no way to indicate this. One is neither strictly for nor against the measure. A simple change to the voting rules will allow voters to more clearly express themselves. Logically one's vote is an "exclusive or". Only votes for and against are permitted. Loosening the rules in the manner indicated above will allow the additional votes of "UNDECIDED" and "DISCOUNT". This would make it less likely that poorly written measures will be passed.

Similarly one could allow votes for and against a particular candidate. A generalization of this would be a preference system which would allow votes for more than one candidate for office. A vote for or against would add either +1 or -1 to the tally respectively. Votes for more than one candidate would have to be weighed differently than a vote for a single candidate. A simple scheme would just split the vote so that if one voted for each of two candidates each would have +½ added to his/her tally. This would allow one to express no particular preference for each of the two candidates. A vote for one and a vote against another would add +½ and -½ respectively. No preference for three particular candidates would add +1/3 to each of their tallies. Etc. It would still be one-man-one-vote. But the vote would could be either "ALL" or "NONE" or range from solely "FOR" to solely "AGAINST" any candidate. Who would win? The candidate receiving the greatest affirmation. If the public was opposed to all the candidates for President or Vice President Congress could decided who is to hold these offices. The most democratic system is to allow the House of Representatives to make the decision. There have been proposals to reform the Electoral College. We should also consider changes in the way we are allowed to vote.

If this system was in effect in the last election I would have voted "DIS" on Prop. 8. But "DIS" translates to "NO" under the current rules which is how I actually voted. Why? I felt it was a prohibition and an interference in other people's lives. I would have preferred a measure which would have prevented either faction from making its preference public law.

La Resistance (Résiste - France Gall)

Résiste - France Gall

Si on t'organise   une vie bien dirigée   où tu t'oublieras vite Si on te fait danser   sur une musique sans âme   comme un amour qu'on quitte Si tu réalises que   la vie n'est pas là   que le matin tu te lèves   sans savoir où tu vas Résiste	If you arrange   a life well led   which you soon forget If it makes you dance   to a music without spirit   as a love that ends If you realize that   life is not there   that morning when you get up   without knowing where you're going Resist
Prouve que tu existes Cherche ton bonheur partout, va, Refuse ce monde égoïste Résiste	Prove that you exist Seek your happiness everywhere, go, Refuse this selfish world Resist
Suis ton coeur qui insiste Ce monde n'est pas le tien, viens, Bats-toi, signe et persiste Résiste	Be what your heart demands This world is not yours, come, Bats up, sign and persist Resist
Tant de libertés   pour si peu de bonheur Est-ce que ça vaut la peine Si on veut t'amener   à renier tes erreurs C'est pas pour ça qu'on t'aime Si tu réalises que   l'amour n'est pas là Que le soir tu te couches   sans aucun rêve en toi Résiste	So many liberties   for so little happiness Is it worth it If you want to change   renounce your mistakes That's not what you love If you realize that   love is not there That evening when you lie down   without a dream in you Resist
Prouve que tu existes Cherche ton bonheur partout, va, Refuse ce monde égoïste Résiste	Prove that you exist Seek your happiness everywhere, go, Refuse this selfish world Resist
Suis ton coeur qui insiste Ce monde n'est pas le tien, viens, Bats-toi, signe et persiste Résiste	Be what your heart demands This world is not yours, come, Bats up, sign and persist Resist
Danse pour le début du monde Danse pour tous ceux qui ont peur   Danse pour les milliers de coeurs   qui ont droit au bonheur... Résiste (ter) Résiste	Dance for the start of the world Dance for all who are in fear Dance for the thousands of souls   who have a right to happiness ... Resist (3) Resist
Prouve que tu existes Cherche ton bonheur partout, va, Refuse ce monde égoïste Résiste	Prove that you exist Seek your happiness everywhere, go, Refuse this selfish world Resist
Suis ton coeur qui insiste Ce monde n'est pas le tien, viens, Bats-toi, signe et persiste Résiste...	Be what your heart demands This world is not yours, come, Bats up, sign and persist Resist ...

I just learnt about France Gall today and had to post this. She is very cool. Résiste was released in 1981. The translation is mine from the French lyrics and with the help of Google Translate and a French dictionary.


Edit Nov 5, 2005: added columns
Edit Nov 23, 2012: Redid YT embedded object, link and text.

Upcoming Movies

Quantum of Solace
Release date November 17




The Day the Earth Stood Still
Release date December 12




The Spirit
Release date December 25

LHC Live Webcast

Apparently there will be a live webcast from CERN on 10 Sep 2008. There is no indication of the time but 3am EDT is the time for the start of the special event.

Wed 10 Sep 2008: End of the World or Not? - continued

The American Institute of Physics today published a News Update stating that the creation of a micro black hole that would swallow up the Earth won't happen. They cite an argument which claims that if micro black holes were created one would not find the number of old stars that do exist because they too would fall victim to the micro black holes. They say that any micro black hole that was created would have such a brief existence that it could not absorb any more matter.

The LHC was designed to search for new particles and verify the Standard Model of elementary particles and with luck find some supersymmetric particles predicted by String Theory. The object is to collide protons producing a mini big bang consisting of a quark soup from which new particles might emerge. The likelihood of these events happening is rather low so it will take several months before any meaningful result can be determined.

Wed 10 Sep 2008: End of the World or Not?

Will the world end on Wed 10 Sep 2008 when the first beam of the Large Hadron Collider is activated at CERN this week as some YouTube users and others have indicated? Theorists have speculated about the possibility of the creation of a black hole that would subsequently swallow the entire Earth. Although there are concerns about safety, the first tests of the beam are likely to be only engineering tests (the first to reach the target area) and it is doubtful that these tests will produce a micro black hole.



There is a LHC 1st beam special event scheduled from 09:00 to 18:00 CEST (03:00 to 12:00 ET in the US). Anyone for an End-of-the-World party?

Bryony (Paperlilies) Makes a Zombie Movie [BBC]

If like me you have lost track of what has been going on recently Bryony (Paperlilies) is currently involved in the Internet Zombie Movie project. The making of the movie is being featured in a series of BBC webisodes which can be seen on Thursdays and Fridays in the UK on BBC three and online at Bryony makes a Zombie Movie. Unfortunately, the webisodes at this site cannot be viewed in America. They are, however, available on the BBC channel at YouTube.


If a video is no longer available, skip it by clicking on one of the arrows at the sides of the screen. One can also make a video selection from thumbnails at the bottom by clicking the button to the right of the play/pause button.