Clipmarks | JohnWaterman's 'bbc' clips

The 2nd Debate: analysis from the BBC

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:16:20 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

McCain and Obama clash in TV debate

Voters have questioned the US presidential hopefuls in a town hall-stye debate dominated by the financial crisis and foreign policy.

Recent opinion polls suggest Mr Obama is taking a widening lead over his rival.

The latest Gallup daily tracking poll puts Mr Obama at 50% and Mr McCain at 42%, while a new CNN poll put Mr Obama ahead by 53% to 45%.

In recent days both camps have launched fresh assaults on the character of their opponent.

UK's Secret Underground City

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:14:03 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.full-room.com

Built in the late 50s this massive city complex was designed to safely house up to 4,000 central Government personnel in the event of a nuclear strike.

In a former Bath stone quarry the city, code named Burlington, was to be the site of the main Emergency Government War Headquarters

60 miles of roads

so top secret that many of the civil servants, who had been allocated a desk at Burlington, had no knowledge of it

From underground hospitals, canteens, kitchens and laundries to storerooms of supplies, accommodation areas and offices

An underground lake and treatment plant could provide all the drinking water needed whilst 12 huge tanks could store the fuel required to keep the four massive generators, in the underground power station, running for up to three months

second largest telephone exchange in Britain, a BBC studio from which the PM could address the nation

last December, with the underground reservoir drained, emptied of fuel and supplies

the site was finally decommissioned

Oramics, The Radiophonic Workshop and Dr Who Then and Now

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:42:25 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: The sound of that original theme still sends a shiver down my spine and makes me want to hide behind the sofa.

Clip Source: dataisnature.com

important contributor in the field of ‘drawn’ electronic music is British composer Daphne Oram who worked at the legendary BBC Radiophonic workshop in the late 1950’s. Oram dreamed of making a machine that directly translated graphical notation into sound and this dream came to fruitful realisation with her technique of Oramics. The set up ‘consisted of drawing onto a group of ten sprocketed synchronised strips of 35mm film which covered a series of photo-electric cells that in turn generated an electrical charge to control the sound frequency, timbre, amplitude and duration.’

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio

the most significant recording in Radiophonic Workshop history came in 1963

theme tune for the upcoming BBC television series Doctor Who.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Devious Fruit Under the Microscope

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:01:21 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Beautiful and informative

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Sweet mouth-watering fruits provide us with a healthy source of food, but that is not the reason why plants produce them. Fruit, and the seeds they protect, are crucial to species' survival.

A new book - written by two experts from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - reveals the ingenious and often devious strategies which plants have developed to help ensure their continued existence.

Here, with the help of colourful close up images, Kew's seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy explains some of the tactics:

Clip Source: www.memestreams.net

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Fruit under the microscope

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Photographs courtesy Papadakis Publisher, Wolfgang Stuppy, Rob Kesseler.

Slideshow production Paul Kerley.

Audio Slideshow: 2008 Chelsea Flower Show

Paralympics

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 10:02:51 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Paralympics

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Why the Paralympics matter

For the most part, sports coverage changes the way they feel but I believe the Paralympics is one of very few events that genuinely change the way people think.

Ade Adepitan
BBC Sport summariser
Former Paralympic wheelchair basketball star

You might think the Paralympics is just a lot of hard luck stories and tales of triumph over adversity, but it's not. It's about the sport.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Video and audio highlights

Cartoon athletes steal the show

A dazzling start for the Paralympics

BBC Sport's Elizabeth Hudson is stunned at the Bird's Nest

British cyclists start gold rush

Simon Richardson, Aileen McGlynn and Darren Kenny break world records to win Britain's first gold medals in Beijing.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

The athletes from the 148 competing nations enter the stadium to watch the rest of the opening ceremony with the spectators

Back

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Tags: sport, disability, paralympics

Orgasms 'at the touch of a button'

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:04:40 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Women around the world are being told they can now have an orgasm at the touch of a button.

The makers of "Slightest Touch" say their device can give women longer, better and more intense orgasms.

They claim their device can trigger an orgasm without touching a woman's genital area.

According to the manufacturers, Slightest Touch works by stimulating the body's sexual nerve pathway.

Women start by drinking an electrolyte sports drink 20 minutes before using the device.

They then apply two white electrode pads inside their ankles.

"The Slightest Touch does not provide an orgasm," said Cherisse Davidson, the company's director of customer support.

"It gently stimulates the sexual nerve pathways taking the woman to a pre-orgasmic plateau where she dangles on the edge of orgasm for as long as she wants.

"From there, gentle stimulation can then effect the orgasm."

"It can be of great benefit to many women," she told BBC News Online.

"I've been using mine for three years and I just love it."

A War on Science (BBC 2006)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:11:33 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: video.google.com

[Video]

The Illusion of Reality

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:21:26 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Science from the BBC.
Last episode in the ATOM series 2007

Clip Source: video.google.com

[Video]

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design -BBC documentary - Part 1-6

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:46:22 GMT

clipped by: einbar
clipper's remarks: This documentary looks at the current situation surrounding the evolution vs. creationism/intelligent design in the USA.

Clip Source: ca.youtube.com

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design (1-6)

Some 150 years ago Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution which went against the belief humans and all life on earth was created by God. After years of controversy surrounding his theory evolution became accepted as the dominant scientific explanation for the creation of life and the world. However, a new challenge is launched against Darwin and his theory of evolution: intelligent design.
This documentary looks at the current situation surrounding the evolution vs. creationism/intelligent design in the USA.

[Video]

Clip Source: ca.youtube.com

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design (2-6)

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design (3-6)

War on Science - intelligent design - Part 4

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design (5-6)

A War On Science: Evolution vs. Intelligent Design (6-6)

Astrology and football

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:30:54 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: blog.newhumanist.org.uk

on the BBC last night, I saw a bizarre little

feature on how the French coach, Raymond Domenech, factors in astrology and the results of tarot readings when picking his team

he distrusts Scorpios

believes Leos have a tendency to show off

It's all very odd and I'm not sure football fans over here would settle for the England manager basing his team selection on astrology (that said, we put up with Glenn Hoddle's faith healer for a while)

Unfortunately I couldn't find a clip of the BBC feature on Domenech, which was a shame as it involved an Ozzy Osborne lookalike French astrologer explaining how horoscopes can be an excellent tool for managing a sports team. Instead you'll have to make do with this article from the Daily Mail...

Astronomy Radio from the BBC

Sat, 31 May 2008 00:25:48 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: A selection

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Radio 4

Cosmic Quest

Listen - Omnibus

A Bit Of Skullduggery From The New Age Papsters...

Sun, 25 May 2008 21:10:07 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: biblioblography.blogspot.com

the Sci-Fi channel put up this bit of fluff

Bear in mind, this is the Sci-Fi channel, so I can't get too indignant over the televised idiocy.

But then these fellas started blathering about how there are "13 skull that are kept separate, and when they're brought together, will speak the secrets of the world," or somesuch nonsense. Here's a little more idiocy, if you have the taste.

a crystal skull bespeaks a multitude of symbols: of death, antiquity, a secret past, mysteries beyond count

Sadly, each and every one of them is a fraud.

And, if you're not inclined to take the BBC at its word, here's an anthropologist's take on the whole shebang.

Really, the entire tale behind these 'artifacts' is a sordid mess, replete with all sorts of nonsense.

"Brings doom upon those who mock it?" That's an argument from force if ever I heard one. I'm sorely tempted to find one in a museum, and point and laugh at the stupid thing.

here's Skepdic's take on the whole sordid affair.

SA elephants can be culled again

Thu, 01 May 2008 20:58:03 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

South Africa has lifted a moratorium on elephant culling to combat a surge in population numbers.

The South African government halted the killing of elephants in 1995 but since then numbers have more than doubled.

The government says it is authorising the cull as a last resort and that culling will only be acceptable under strict conditions.

The move comes despite an outcry from animal rights activists who say entire family groups would be slaughtered.

But South African wildlife journalist Tim Neary told the BBC killing whole herds was the best way of handling culling.

In the past, when older elephants were killed, he said, the younger ones went on to develop "aberrant behaviour in a number of reserves where there wasn't the total family structure", he said

Other preferred options include the translocation of elephants and contraception.

Mr Neary says, however, that these are costly solutions.

The fact remains that we do have a shrinking landscape and an increasing elephant herd