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Time warp

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:31:05 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: An interesting Read, about the perception of time.

while our experience of time has intrigued scientists, philosophers and artists for, well, a really long time, vast blanks remain in our understanding of time perception. After all, we can't see, hear or touch time. And time doesn't have a taste or smell.

As physicist Paul Davies of Arizona State University in Tempe points out, we don't really observe the passage of time; what we observe is that later states of the world differ from earlier states that we remember.

Some scientists think our perception of time is a by-product of memory and our senses. Others are searching for specialised timekeeping devices in the brain. One thing is clear: the human mind is prone to time distortions.

The quest to uncover our inner chronometer has driven scientists to the extremes of perception: to leaping off towers and living in underground caves.

And by focussing on our personal time warps – the ordinary and extraordinary – scientists are unravelling the mystery of what make us tick.

Tags: mind, time

Church apologises to Charles Darwin over theory of evolution

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:34:21 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: But Dr Brown says everyone makes mistakes, the church included.

"When a big new idea emerges that changes the way people look at the world, it's easy to feel that every old idea, every certainty, is under attack and then to do battle against the new insights,'' he writes.

Clip Source: www.news.com.au

THE Church of England will make an official apology to naturalist Charles Darwin for criticising his famous theory of evolution

Coming 126 years after his death, the church's apology will focus on how wrong it was for senior bishops in the past to misunderstand and attack Darwin's theory about man being descended from apes.

"Charles Darwin, 200 years from your birth (in 1809), the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still,'' the article says, according to extracts printed by The Mail on Sunday newspaper.

But the apology by Dr Brown, who is the director of mission and public affairs of the Archbishops' Council, has been dismissed as "pointless'' by Darwin's great great grandson Andrew Darwin.

Senior church officials will post the apology in the form of an article written by the Reverend Dr Malcolm Brown on the church's website tomorrow.

Tags: evolution, religion

10 Amazing Big Cats

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:16:47 GMT

clipped by: xpersianx

Clip Source: listverse.com

No one can deny the amazing beauty and abilities of the big cats of the world. Because so many are sought after for their fur, their numbers are in decline. This is a list (which is by no means exhaustive) of 10 amazing big cats. The ten cats were selected because they either have a creative way of hunting, an amazing coat pattern, or are simply awe inspiring.

Bobcat

The bobcat is a North American member of the big cat family.

Ocelot

The ocelot is famous for looking extremely similar to a domestic cat.

Caracal Cat

The caracal cat is also known as the Persian or African Lynx.

Jaguarundi

The Jaguarundi is found in Mexico and Central and South America.

Marbled Cat

Almost matching the size of a domesticated cat, the marbled cat is one of the smallest of the big cats.

Jaguar

The jaguar is the third largest big cat in the world.

Snow Leopard

The snow leopard lives in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Afghanistan and many other parts of the world.

Lion

Cheetah

Tiger

Tags: cats