An interesting idea for an experiment using rocks to create micro climates

An idea occurred to me on the way home from algebra class. Sepp Holzer is a big proponent of using rocks as thermal batteries. Because the rocks take in heat from solar energy and release it at night, he is able to farm at extreme altitudes. In order to quantity this effect I would like to place recording thermometers on under and around a variety of rocks. This would give us an idea of the air and soil temperate increase by various rocks and sizes. From there we can work out what patterns, in what areas will give us our target microclimate.

Funding the revolution:SavagedEdenDesigns mission statment.

There is a lot of data that has been collected over the last 30+ years on the advantages of organics vs conventional farming. A lot of this information remained buried in an ocean of research; often these only contain pieces of the puzzle. What is needed is to gather an unprecedented amount of data, and present it in a useful way that will serve the layman and scientist equally.

One if the issues I have felt was an obstacle to my plans has been ensuring funding, without the risk of selling out. Becoming contaminated by money from corporate sources that might pressure the team to skew the research. The initial expense will of course be the land itself. Followed by living expenses for the research team and their families. Also the cost of computers, power, net access, and other equipment can not be forgotten. 

My previous idea was to start off with a small market garden that could bring in capitals with a modest investment. This would allow for a mushroom lab. Once the mushroom lab is up and running it will create a new market, at the same time. Using the proceeds from mushroom farming investments in aquaponics greenhouses provide enough revenue to facilitate larger scale projects such as food forests. 

Now in order to facilitate gathering of data a network of wifi cameras can take time laps pictures and if it detects motion, full video. This will help to show any animal interactions tracing their movements through the system. It will also ensure wifi coverage for researchers devices so they can record their actions and notes on site.

Now we get to the new factor that will help to accelerate this whole program. Forming a non-profit organization creates digital of overlays of the research properties so that people can see the gardens grow and have access to all the scientific data. This way we can proof once in for all that permaculture really does work. Such overlays would allow multiple revenue streams coming from online sources scientific data would be free but the full on 3d live feed can be accessed for a small fee or possibly AD space or internal commodity could provide needed funding. This would allow not only spectators or immersion meeting places ala second life, but also allow users to create simulations of what they would do with an area of the properties mapped. From there the best land use could be implemented or the designer given grants/start up/buy in opportunities to come out and build their fleshed out dreams and take part in this culture building experience. The internal economy can be driven by upgrades in avatars abilities suck as flight run or mounts to move around the digital system, higher storage capacity, and more detailed simulations.

As mentioned before studying animal interactions will be an integral part of this process. GPS radio tagging of some specimens would allow them to have a solid presence in the online world. Whereas animal interactions from those not tagged,but detected on camera would be more less solid and more wrath like as they move from gamers grid to camera grid.

Additionally we could sell drones and networking equipment to expand to new nodes. This equipment could be subsidized by the online project with an agreement that they honour commitments to the ideas of the networks. Such an arrangement would allow for as much data as possible to be gained quickly.

If you have read this far you must have some interest in this project. If you would like to be included in the project from the ground up please email me@ or comment below. This is a long term project in the early planning stages. I expect at minimum five years of planning and development before we can begin coding.
Namaste
   Adam Overman</p>

White knights vigils

When we are very small we understand this instinctively. Every holiday, fishing, or hunting trip filled me with wonder and joy so intense I could find no sleep. Tonight is another white night for me. My excitement for tomorrows Haag to the field museum has me filled with anticipation. I have used the time for reflection on my life and meditation.

I'm a Nerd, a Geek, and proud about both.

I have many fandoms that make me a nerd. I immerse my self in a multiverse of fictons growing so close to some characters that I ache with their pains, and soar with their joys so much that it brings tears to my eyes. My life has had much more richness and depth because of fiction. My outlook on life has totally been shaped by this immersion in morality plays based on the actions of heroes who more often than not come from everyday backgrounds. I have walked through many cultures, times and worlds. I grok much goodness in being a nerd! I am a nerd about fiction but I'm a geek about Fractals, ecosystems design, and microbes especially fungi. Being a nerd taught me about the possibility of individuals to change the world; becoming a science geek has shown me a life path that will allow me to live, love, work, and THRIVE in a world of wonder. A majestic mind numbing ocean of never ending questions and possibilities awaits me. I want it in big fat delicious bites. I want to chew each new fact savoring it, before I digest it letting the data combine with the network of my mind. Fueling it's growth as it drives my hunger ever onwards. The desire to do more, become more, to see more and learn ever more is a hunger I will hold close and cherish. Riding it as I sail off beyond the sunset sea.

this post was inspired by this image 

from http://www.facebook.com/IFeakingLoveScience 's facebook feed
 

Volcanic Lightning and 2013's first major volcanic eruption

Volcanic lightning

The forces unleashed during volcanic eruptions are so tremendous that particles collide breaking apart positive and negative charges creates spectacular lightning displays.

http://geology.com/articles/volcanic-lightning/

https://www.google.com/search?q=volcanic+lightning&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iKMpUaSRG8e7qAH-tIDABA&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1535&bih=814

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8297787/Japanese-eruption-causes-volcanic-lightning.html

MtEtna feb 2013

In its first eruption in 9 months “Mount Etna, Zafferana Etnea, Province of Catania, Italy”erupts in a beautiful display.
 

If you cut and paste the location inside the quotes in the Google earth search bar it will fly you right to the location and it's well worth doing as there are hundreds of stunning photos of the region available.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Mt+Etna,+Province+of+Catania,+Italy&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x1316aa3714a7a0eb:0x1d0b042aa5c52a70,Mt+Etna&gl=us&t=p&ei=0qopUfzPHMPMrQHz-YGoCw&ved=0CDIQ8gEwAA

Here area few articles and videos on the eruption.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50141363n

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2013/02/20/new-lava-fountains-and-lava-flows-after-mt-etna-eruption/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEz9dl_DsmY

http://www.universetoday.com/100155/as-seen-from-space-mt-etna-boils-over/

Jack Campbell's lost fleet series

I am currently reading Jack Campbell's lost fleet series http://www.johnghemry.com/c/255/the-lost-fleet-series. The Main character is John “Blackjack” Geary, the Alliance hero thought lost in a battle at the start of the the Alliance and the Syndic war. Geary manages to defend the jump point allowing his forces to retreat from the surprise attack by the Syndics but in doing so he looses his ship and is forced to go into stasis in an escape pod where he drifts for the next hundred years. Rescued by and Alliance fleet on its way to fall into a trap in the Syndic home system. Geary ends up in command of the ragged remains of the fleet and quickly finds out that the past 100 years have altered the military culture in some startling ways. Higher and higher attrition rates have killed of the experienced officers and the junior officers they had trained meaning the tactics degenerated to little more than the “brave but stupid“ all out charge. Propagandists all but deify Geary as a the hero of the alliance. Being the “Great Blackjack Geary” has many advantages and disadvantages it is a terrible burden to carry but with his superior grasp of tactics and skills in timing orders to cope with the time delay cause by relativistic distances and and engagement speeds in the 0.1C range.

All in all phenomenal space navy series. The physics are well thought out the action is paced out properly with more introspective scenes. Reading this has made me decide that its finally time to give in and go purchase some thermal paste so I can fix my laptop. I really want to play EVE online pew-pew-pew-KABOOM!

I had to write this visualization for my college success class. I was really pleased with how it came out so I thought I would share it here.

I walk on a beach meditating feeling the energies of sun, the salt air, the waves a sonic vibration felt in every cell in my body. “It has been a long hard road to get here” I think breaking my meditation. Kneeling at the edge of the water where land meets sea as the tide begins to turn in for the night. I turn my mind from the excitement of cusp and reflect back on the history of my family and my journey to this cusp attempting to grok in fullness.

My Great Father Jacob Overman of Saxony came to America in the 1667 a bricklayer and Quaker, he came to this country seeking religious and personal freedom. He spent 6 years as an indentured servant. 11 generations pass in a blur of hopes, dreams, fears, joys, laughter, tears, and sweat.

My early life was shaped by my differences. Asthma and allergies meant my diet was far more restricted than my peers, Homeschooling set me apart as well. Frustrated with school I started working early. However the time I spent working hard in various fields shaped me for my awakening in 2007 at Danial Boon National park in Kentucky. The total lunar eclipse had a similar energy to this day. That is a key period that changed me while I was laid up after the accident and began to think about life ethics and my sense of place in the universe, a sense awakened by the eclipse. Sadly it took another 6 years to overcome fears and obstacles in order to start my education at ECC.

I laugh thinking about my early fear of mathematics unable to estimate how many tens of thousands of equations I've solved to reach this point. A staggered journey across the continent as I achieved my academic goals, leaving behind gardens and projects. Taking knowledge, genes, experience and connections with people and places. So much work, effort, headaches, and red tape but all worth it. The water has reached my chest the waves tug strongly but I remain rooted. My eyes focus as the first rays of the moon break over the waves, the colors of the sky burn with intensity deep rich shades. A ship breaks between me and the moon a much smaller boat splinters off growing larger as it speeds to me. I think about tomorrow the weeks spent sailing , finalizing information on speaking engagements, wondering how this will all be received.”Are you ready?” my friend asks throwing out a line “of course” I reply feeling a sense of loss as I break connection with the land of my birth. But the sense of wonder and awe that fill me overpower that. There are hungry people to feed and educate, deserts to heal, and new connections to make the world calls me its secrets and wonders have pulled me this far and will lead me on.