I find myself in a personal crisis. I've known for quite a while now, that our upper government was corrupt. I knew that the war in iraq was wrong. But I made the mistaken assumption that it would all be over in 2008. Through extensive research on the subject, I'm terrified with what I have found. Through little seemingly insignificant bits of legal doublespeak the president has the legal groundwork to make an endrun around the united states constitution, and seize totel power.
sound like conspiracy theory talk? Try reading some of the president's more controversial bits of legislation and dictation. Most important being National Security Presidential Directive 51 / Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 (NSPD-51/HSPD-20) This being the most dangerous.
Having come upon all this just now, I desperately fear that I'm too late to do anything to stop this probabable (perhaps imminent) takeover from happening. But, I will do my part, as it is my responsibility as an american citizen, and as a patriot.
A quote from the declaration of independence:
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,(life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles."
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
deranged engineering pt. 1
I'll be routinely posting my plans/thoughts/hopes/dreams for projects here. along with as much info as I can about them.
1st: Monowheel. Powered by a 5hp Briggs and Stratton engine I've found on a broken roto-tiller. To drive the wheel I will use motorcycle chain fixed to the inside of the wheel, driven by a cog mounted on the passenger cradle inside the wheel.
The single wheel will be about 5' in diameter with dual tires made of heavy-gauge rubber tubing (1.25-2" diameter tubing around the outside of the wheel). The wheel itself will be made of 3/16-1/4" wall tubing that's between 1" and 1.5" in diameter. Three hoops of the tubing gusseted together with pieces of 1/8-3/16" steel plate will make up the final construction. Each tire will be cradled between two of the three hoops.
the passenger cradle will ride on the outermost two hoops of the wheel, and will contain the motor, gears, and driver. it will ride on four wheels above the two hoops, and two wheels below it. Steering will be accomplished by leaning the vehicle.
Anything more specific than this can't be worked out until I start construction. If I start construction. There's a certain tool I need for bending the hoops that I need to either build or buy, (neither of which are terribly appetizing thoughts.)
2: Prosthetic hand What would make this one differ from others, is that it would use very thick, steel bones, jointed as closely to the human hand as possible. These bones would be actuated by high tensile strength wires, like a complicated puppet. The wires would be actuated by small motors mounted on the back of the hand. Now, it's obvious that all the joints of the hand can't be done this way, but to move the four main fingers in a clenching motion, I need two sets of wires each. the muscles that spread and contract the fingers sideways need not be as powerful as the clenching motors. This could be achieved with "squiggle motors" (look it up)
The thumb is the most difficult of all. Not so much for complexity, but it needs roughly the strength of the other four fingers, it's also the most used and necessarily the most dexterous of the fingers. It's position doesn't help any either.
more than that, there are more fundamental problems. The first being finding motors of the appropriate size with sufficient torque and rotational speed. If they even exist, I don't know. The second problem being the need for constant electrical power. Now, my thought is to determine exactly how the "electric eel" produces electricity in its body. Using stem cell technology, genetically engineer a biological battery that uses energy from food to produce electricity to run the prosthetic.
Continuing the problem: control. of course research is being done into the field of how the human brain sends and decodes commands to certain muscles, but I would propose a much simpler procedure to decode the commands. Use electrodes to monitor electrical impulses traveling down the arm, and simultaneously, use very accurate motion capture hardware to, as precisely as possible, monitor the exact movements of the hand. Then use the computer, (or just a lot of calculating, or both) to attempt to isolate an exact command that triggers and exact movement. I'd imagine this would be a very tedious process, but if humans nerve impulses are at least similar (it'd be irresponsible to consider them exactly the same) the process would become less and less troublesome as development continues. there is also the human body's ability to adapt to things like this. (as babies, we don't quite know how to control our muscles yet, it's learned over childhood, it's understandable that this same thing would occur to let the brain adapt to the prosthetic)
Those are the two thoughts that are dominating my free time thinking now. I think they're feasible, and as far as I know, they are. Of course I'm no expert, but certainly once I become an expert, I'll be looking back at these ideas and contemplating they're actual feasibility. Perhaps continuing and building them, I don't know, we'll just have to see.
1st: Monowheel. Powered by a 5hp Briggs and Stratton engine I've found on a broken roto-tiller. To drive the wheel I will use motorcycle chain fixed to the inside of the wheel, driven by a cog mounted on the passenger cradle inside the wheel.
The single wheel will be about 5' in diameter with dual tires made of heavy-gauge rubber tubing (1.25-2" diameter tubing around the outside of the wheel). The wheel itself will be made of 3/16-1/4" wall tubing that's between 1" and 1.5" in diameter. Three hoops of the tubing gusseted together with pieces of 1/8-3/16" steel plate will make up the final construction. Each tire will be cradled between two of the three hoops.
the passenger cradle will ride on the outermost two hoops of the wheel, and will contain the motor, gears, and driver. it will ride on four wheels above the two hoops, and two wheels below it. Steering will be accomplished by leaning the vehicle.
Anything more specific than this can't be worked out until I start construction. If I start construction. There's a certain tool I need for bending the hoops that I need to either build or buy, (neither of which are terribly appetizing thoughts.)
2: Prosthetic hand What would make this one differ from others, is that it would use very thick, steel bones, jointed as closely to the human hand as possible. These bones would be actuated by high tensile strength wires, like a complicated puppet. The wires would be actuated by small motors mounted on the back of the hand. Now, it's obvious that all the joints of the hand can't be done this way, but to move the four main fingers in a clenching motion, I need two sets of wires each. the muscles that spread and contract the fingers sideways need not be as powerful as the clenching motors. This could be achieved with "squiggle motors" (look it up)
The thumb is the most difficult of all. Not so much for complexity, but it needs roughly the strength of the other four fingers, it's also the most used and necessarily the most dexterous of the fingers. It's position doesn't help any either.
more than that, there are more fundamental problems. The first being finding motors of the appropriate size with sufficient torque and rotational speed. If they even exist, I don't know. The second problem being the need for constant electrical power. Now, my thought is to determine exactly how the "electric eel" produces electricity in its body. Using stem cell technology, genetically engineer a biological battery that uses energy from food to produce electricity to run the prosthetic.
Continuing the problem: control. of course research is being done into the field of how the human brain sends and decodes commands to certain muscles, but I would propose a much simpler procedure to decode the commands. Use electrodes to monitor electrical impulses traveling down the arm, and simultaneously, use very accurate motion capture hardware to, as precisely as possible, monitor the exact movements of the hand. Then use the computer, (or just a lot of calculating, or both) to attempt to isolate an exact command that triggers and exact movement. I'd imagine this would be a very tedious process, but if humans nerve impulses are at least similar (it'd be irresponsible to consider them exactly the same) the process would become less and less troublesome as development continues. there is also the human body's ability to adapt to things like this. (as babies, we don't quite know how to control our muscles yet, it's learned over childhood, it's understandable that this same thing would occur to let the brain adapt to the prosthetic)
Those are the two thoughts that are dominating my free time thinking now. I think they're feasible, and as far as I know, they are. Of course I'm no expert, but certainly once I become an expert, I'll be looking back at these ideas and contemplating they're actual feasibility. Perhaps continuing and building them, I don't know, we'll just have to see.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Damn this here body of mine
ugh, fuck. I'm constantly enraged by the flaws and limitations of this piece of natural biological engineering called my body. one would think that after 2,000,000,000 years of evolution from microbes, nature could have worked out all the bugs. My grandmother is dying. Now, she's been through enough to kill lesser people three times over. (Breast cancer of a rare variety that's not detected on mamograms, which spread to her bones before it was caught, deemed terminal; kidney failure related to chemotherapy; and now pneumonia.) But none of these would have even happened if her body would have worked the way it's supposed to.
It's almost like planned obsolescence. the various parts start to go at various points when basic logic would say they shouldn't wear out. It irritates me to no end. Not just in serious cases like my grandmother either, even simple things like catching a cold. It's a freaking germ!! a microscopic bubble of dna and protein, and yet, it throws the body's entire systems; respiration cognative, etc. completely out of whack.
I highly anticipate any further understanding of the human genetic code. I believe the only way to fix the human body is through genetic manipulation, which opens up oodles of possibilities. First of all, the engineering of kidneys that can process more blood, and can remove even more incidious toxins. (think arsenic, cyanide, polonium and other heavy elements, etc.) increase the longevity and capacity of the liver, reduce the body's immuno-response to replacement organs, increase the density of human bone, vary metabolism based on nutritional intake, (increase metabolism in times of plenty, and slow it down in times of scarcity) give the conscious brain more control of hormonal releases. Intensify the immune system response to cancerous cells to be not unlike the inflamation caused by the invasion of a foreign body. On the same note, reduce or eliminate the immune system response to replacement organs (I'm honestly not sure this is possible, but it's a thought)
then there's the entire bit on cybernetic prostethices, but I'll get to that later.
But shit, I NEED MY FUCKING BODY TO DO WHAT I WANT IT TO, WHEN I WANT IT TO DO IT, FOR AS LONG AS I WANT IT TO!!! In general, I intend to, by whatever means nescessary, live as long as I damn well please to, do everything I think is important, and outlive most everyone I dislike.
It's almost like planned obsolescence. the various parts start to go at various points when basic logic would say they shouldn't wear out. It irritates me to no end. Not just in serious cases like my grandmother either, even simple things like catching a cold. It's a freaking germ!! a microscopic bubble of dna and protein, and yet, it throws the body's entire systems; respiration cognative, etc. completely out of whack.
I highly anticipate any further understanding of the human genetic code. I believe the only way to fix the human body is through genetic manipulation, which opens up oodles of possibilities. First of all, the engineering of kidneys that can process more blood, and can remove even more incidious toxins. (think arsenic, cyanide, polonium and other heavy elements, etc.) increase the longevity and capacity of the liver, reduce the body's immuno-response to replacement organs, increase the density of human bone, vary metabolism based on nutritional intake, (increase metabolism in times of plenty, and slow it down in times of scarcity) give the conscious brain more control of hormonal releases. Intensify the immune system response to cancerous cells to be not unlike the inflamation caused by the invasion of a foreign body. On the same note, reduce or eliminate the immune system response to replacement organs (I'm honestly not sure this is possible, but it's a thought)
then there's the entire bit on cybernetic prostethices, but I'll get to that later.
But shit, I NEED MY FUCKING BODY TO DO WHAT I WANT IT TO, WHEN I WANT IT TO DO IT, FOR AS LONG AS I WANT IT TO!!! In general, I intend to, by whatever means nescessary, live as long as I damn well please to, do everything I think is important, and outlive most everyone I dislike.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
They really don't make them like they used to.
these past few months, my parents have had frequent car trouble. which does make me laugh, because the dodge dart I bought last winter has had no trouble. None. and it's over 35 years old, with over 200,000 miles on it.
If I have the option, I don't want to drive newer cars. They've got all kinds of things that tick me off. There are buzzers, there are lights, there are design flaws, all kinds of stuff that I don't have to deal with. The best thing though, is the design simplicity of the old cars. Nothing has gone wrong with my dart the entire time I've had it. in the same period of time with our mercury, it has had troubles thrice with total repair bills coming to somewhere in striking distance of $1000 (which is what I paid for my entire car)
Now, it isn't perfect. It has a few quirks, (brakes drag) and needs some TLC (transmission fluid and filter change) but that's far less technical than the computer diagnostics, and sensors upon sensors that need near constant replacing on my family's newer cars. In fact, most parts required cost less than $30.00 and I can do most of the work myself. (compared to special-order parts and taking the car to a shop.)
Even further though, is the real icing on the cake, in that I don't need to get my car inspected. that's right. no saftey inspection!!! which saves me even more money in that I can do whatever I want to this car, and still drive it on the street.
Of course though, the 1972 car I drive isn't exactly a prius, and it does burn more gas than newer cars. But, it still gets 22-25mpg in the city, and with some modifications, I think I can better that.
Overall, I recommend that anyone who wants to not need to worry about their car, become car-literate, and drive a classic car. They'll cost you less to buy, less to operate, they're more reliable, and above all that, they are COOL!! My car's a 1972 dodge dart, 4-door sedan. Which, even when it was first released, was the definition of "boring car" but now, it garners more looks from people than cars that cost 30 times as much. I love it, and I really don't want to be forced to drive much anything else.
About the only exceptions to the above statements are:
Really expensive supercars
DeLoreans
Pontiac Fieros
80's-90's Camaros
call me strange,
call me derranged,
call me whatever you wish,
But If you don't like me
And publicly berate me,
you'll take a long nap with the fish.
(nice poem huh? I just thought of it)
If I have the option, I don't want to drive newer cars. They've got all kinds of things that tick me off. There are buzzers, there are lights, there are design flaws, all kinds of stuff that I don't have to deal with. The best thing though, is the design simplicity of the old cars. Nothing has gone wrong with my dart the entire time I've had it. in the same period of time with our mercury, it has had troubles thrice with total repair bills coming to somewhere in striking distance of $1000 (which is what I paid for my entire car)
Now, it isn't perfect. It has a few quirks, (brakes drag) and needs some TLC (transmission fluid and filter change) but that's far less technical than the computer diagnostics, and sensors upon sensors that need near constant replacing on my family's newer cars. In fact, most parts required cost less than $30.00 and I can do most of the work myself. (compared to special-order parts and taking the car to a shop.)
Even further though, is the real icing on the cake, in that I don't need to get my car inspected. that's right. no saftey inspection!!! which saves me even more money in that I can do whatever I want to this car, and still drive it on the street.
Of course though, the 1972 car I drive isn't exactly a prius, and it does burn more gas than newer cars. But, it still gets 22-25mpg in the city, and with some modifications, I think I can better that.
Overall, I recommend that anyone who wants to not need to worry about their car, become car-literate, and drive a classic car. They'll cost you less to buy, less to operate, they're more reliable, and above all that, they are COOL!! My car's a 1972 dodge dart, 4-door sedan. Which, even when it was first released, was the definition of "boring car" but now, it garners more looks from people than cars that cost 30 times as much. I love it, and I really don't want to be forced to drive much anything else.
About the only exceptions to the above statements are:
Really expensive supercars
DeLoreans
Pontiac Fieros
80's-90's Camaros
call me strange,
call me derranged,
call me whatever you wish,
But If you don't like me
And publicly berate me,
you'll take a long nap with the fish.
(nice poem huh? I just thought of it)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Technologies left behind: Steam
I've always been fascinated by steam engines. And I think it's a real shame they aren't sill prevalent. Theoretically, a steam enginecould be as powerful as one would like. You could move the earth with a steam engine if you just built it big enough. Just build a boiler about 100,000 miles across, set it next to the sun, and build a piston about the size of the moon, a connecting rod 1 AU long and before you know it, you're playing billiards with planets.
Okay, perhaps that's a stretch of unimaginable porportions, But My point is made. The steam engine can be built to whatever power level is desired. Just make the parts beefier and bigger, and apply more heat to the boiler, viola!! more power.
Contraptions of unimaginable size and complexity could be powered by steam, Machines of war, machines of peace, machines of whatever. All those massive, walking mechs you see in cartoons, Alot of the largest ones could only be powered by steam. (the ones the size of a car could use electric linear actuators, and ones up to about 40' tall could use hydraulics, but the REALLY BIG ONES, the building crushing, ground rumbling mechanical monsters on the other hand, are about relegated to steam power.)
Plus, if you have an appropriate heat source, steam power is completely clean, it doesn't even use non-recycleable components.
I like steam, I wish we still used it more.
Okay, perhaps that's a stretch of unimaginable porportions, But My point is made. The steam engine can be built to whatever power level is desired. Just make the parts beefier and bigger, and apply more heat to the boiler, viola!! more power.
Contraptions of unimaginable size and complexity could be powered by steam, Machines of war, machines of peace, machines of whatever. All those massive, walking mechs you see in cartoons, Alot of the largest ones could only be powered by steam. (the ones the size of a car could use electric linear actuators, and ones up to about 40' tall could use hydraulics, but the REALLY BIG ONES, the building crushing, ground rumbling mechanical monsters on the other hand, are about relegated to steam power.)
Plus, if you have an appropriate heat source, steam power is completely clean, it doesn't even use non-recycleable components.
I like steam, I wish we still used it more.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Deranged thinking
Welcome all, to my blog.
First, you are probably wondering who the heck I am. I'm a mechannically inclined, Deep, foreward and backward thinking, open minded teenager. I've spent a huge ammount of time online, reading books, watching TV, and talking to people, all to further my understanding of the ways of things.
I can't speak for anyone reading this, but My views tend towards nothing. Many of my views are unpopular, and many are popular. Some are quite common among the american public, some are completely off-the-wall and unique.
I've tried to keep blogs before on various topics, but I've not been able to keep them up due to my interests petering out. So now I'm making one with no focus, just whatever comes to mind whenever it comes to mind, which I feel people need to hear.
If you haven't gathered yet, I have a fascination with machines, especially non-electronic ones. I do however have a great nack for electronics, and I've significant profeciency and understanding for someone of my age.
One may also be suprised that I have a great love of nature as well. I beleive heavily in the possibility of mechanical and biological machines coexisitng peacefully, and mutually beneficially. I follow and consider environmental concerns, and I think that if technology is used properly, we can have whatever gargantuan, terrible, inefficient machines we want without destroying the planet we live on.
My favorite technologies are:
Steam power
Clockwork mechanisms
nanotechnology
genetic engineering
bio-engineering
cybernetics
solar power
chemistry
Further Entries could be on damn near anything, oh, and by the way, I curse like a motherfucker.
First, you are probably wondering who the heck I am. I'm a mechannically inclined, Deep, foreward and backward thinking, open minded teenager. I've spent a huge ammount of time online, reading books, watching TV, and talking to people, all to further my understanding of the ways of things.
I can't speak for anyone reading this, but My views tend towards nothing. Many of my views are unpopular, and many are popular. Some are quite common among the american public, some are completely off-the-wall and unique.
I've tried to keep blogs before on various topics, but I've not been able to keep them up due to my interests petering out. So now I'm making one with no focus, just whatever comes to mind whenever it comes to mind, which I feel people need to hear.
If you haven't gathered yet, I have a fascination with machines, especially non-electronic ones. I do however have a great nack for electronics, and I've significant profeciency and understanding for someone of my age.
One may also be suprised that I have a great love of nature as well. I beleive heavily in the possibility of mechanical and biological machines coexisitng peacefully, and mutually beneficially. I follow and consider environmental concerns, and I think that if technology is used properly, we can have whatever gargantuan, terrible, inefficient machines we want without destroying the planet we live on.
My favorite technologies are:
Steam power
Clockwork mechanisms
nanotechnology
genetic engineering
bio-engineering
cybernetics
solar power
chemistry
Further Entries could be on damn near anything, oh, and by the way, I curse like a motherfucker.
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