Exploring Consciousness filmfest
So I wondered what movies were showing at the Neelsie (local student center) this week. To my surprise, there is a film fest called *Exploring Consciousness*.
Hmm sounds interesting.
Or maybe not.
**What The Bleep Do We Know?**
..."an almost fantastic 'Alice in Wonderland' adventure, revealing the world of quantum physics hidden behind what we consider to be our waking reality."
Sounds good, but not after you read [this review by Richard Dawkins and other scientists](http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1484925,00.html#article_continue) that should understand more about the science behind the film than most people.
**ONE the Movie**
"Life's ultimate questions answered by christians, buddhists, muslims, jews, atheists, philosophers, mystics, monks and more."
Shouldn't the movie be titled "FORTY TWO" then ;)
Maybe I'll go see this one.
**Circle Chasers**
"A film about the sheer beauty and symbols of crop circles that appeared in Wiltshire in 2004."
Do people still think aliens make these crop circles - [well they didn't](http://www.circlemakers.org/totc2004.html).
**My Hare Krishna Family**
"Frank Opperman explores the themes of religion/relationships through the life of of his sister.
This looks like the most interesting film of the bunch - I'll go have a look.
It's a pity all these shows are R20, because some of them are short movies, and while some may be interesting, they are not worth R20.
The Human Pinheads
*Sigh*, here we go again.
The Human Pin Code.
Another scam artist/delusional pleb trying to use 'science' to make money from uninformed people.
This is not a new concept - it is just presented in a new way.
Note the word 'code', a very lucrative word these days. Think Da Vinci code, bible code etc. etc.
It is also very convenient if you claim to have the key to that code, because then you can charge people huge sums of money for that key.
Luckily someone already wrote a very nice critique about it to expose this for the fallacy it is.
Read more about the human pin code scam here.
* Pythagoras' Octagon Theorem - bah, no such thing.
* Extraordinary hyperbole and even more extraordinary claims - plenty
* Only relying on the authority of people with the right credentials - obviously
* Real scientific evidence - None
In short everything pseudoscience is al about. A dubious claim dressed up with science. All you need to do is lift the curtain and look behind the window dressing to find that it is just another astrology/numerology concept presented in a more "scientific" way.
It is sad though that many people don't look behind the pretty exterior, or are unable to seperate pseudoscience from real science. It is their money that will be wasted, while this douche get richer.
Power lines and cancer
I heard someone say this week that it was proven that power lines cause cancer. Apparently not.
from [Bob Park's What's New](http://bobpark.physics.umd.edu/WN02/wn053102.html "Bob Park's What's New")
EMF: CALIFORNIA PREPARES TO RESURRECT THE POWER LINE SCARE.
It's been more than 20 years since it was first claimed that power lines induce cancer. In 1995 the APS Council stated that such conjectures "have not been scientifically substantiated" (http://www.aps.org/statements/95_2.cfm). A year later, the National Academy of Sciences concluded the same thing (WN 1 Nov 96). In 1997, a National Cancer Institute epidemiological study found no detectable EMF/cancer link (WN 4 Jul 97). Not a single lawsuit based on health effects of EMF has ever succeeded. Yet, California's Department of Health Services, inexplicably turned to three obscure scientists in the Department to "review" EMF studies. Without any new evidence, the three "are inclined to believe that EMFs can cause some degree of increased risk of childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease and miscarriage." Their review has not yet been released to the public. When it is, it will start this whole thing up again.
Tom Cruise kills South Park episode
Tom Cruise kills South Park episode - The Register
Ha!
I hope they don't fall for this kind of scare tactics. But even if they do, it will just generate more press and publicity. Not to mention that it's available on the internet anyway.
Not even robustly heterosexual Tom Cruise can stop it ;)
Dragon Illusion
Cool project:
Download the [pdf file](http://www.grand-illusions.com/images/articles/opticalillusions/dragon_illusion/dragon.pdf "dragon illusion pdf") and follow the instructions.
Find more on [this page](http://www.grand-illusions.com/opticalillusions/dragon_illusion/ "dragon illusion page")
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