An Autonomous Agent

exploring the noosphere

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Thorium – Kirk Sorenson

Kirk Sorenson does an excellent job describing the current state of the American nuclear energy program and its future. He sees hope from the current enthusiasm of the Chinese, who are developing extensive nuclear reactor technology. Perhaps their focus will encourage the rest of the world. The nuclear energy field has been plagued by misconceptions for decades. There is a definite need for someone to stand up and cut through all the ignorance surrounding this important subject.

There are probably hundreds of new reactor designs. Kirk’s favourite is the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR). He talks extensively about its benefits, its problems, its safety, and how it can be put into operation. Hopefully, people will see his arguments as valid and convincing. Read more on his blog: Energy from Thorium. Gordon McDowell’s videos present the ideas of Sorenson in a clear and concise manner and there are numerous lectures and talks given by Sorenson on YouTube.

I would also recommend James Mahaffey’s book, Atomic Awakening.

Vladimir Vernadsky – The Biosphere

After reading books which made numerous references to the ideas of Vladimir Vernadsky, I decided to read his book, The Biosphere. It is an insightful and important book which provides numerous novel insights into the interconnected nature of the entire biosphere — the biogeochemical and thermodynamic relationships between living and non-living matter. The 1998 publication with Editor M.A.S McMenamin contains hundreds of great footnotes and further references. I also enjoyed the informative introduction by Jacques Grinevald.

Vernadsky’s “Pressure of Life” concept is new to me and struck me as important. It should, theoretically, be a measurable pressure. Just as we can measure Pascals or Newtons of pressure, the same should be the case for life’s pressure. There is only the issue of determining the system’s extent and defining the measurable quantity. For example, the entire biosphere must exert a given pressure against the Earth’s geochemical resources given a flux of cosmic solar energy. The biosphere “wants” and “tries” to multiply and thus expand against the finite constraint of resources available to the current state of biospheric evolution. Copying Vernadsky’s own analogy of a farmer clearing land, the freshly cleared land has been removed of the majority of its life above the soil. Thus there exists a pressure to fill this “vacuum” of life. How can we measure this pressure?

This brings to mind the related ideas of the logistic function and the oscillations which occur due to population expansion against finite resources. Life seems to typically overshoot the carrying capacity  due to rapid initial multiplication. Only to later collapse and once again overshoot in a series of oscillations. Once the cleared land has been mostly filled, this pressure changes and occurs both inter- and intra- species. See this article:  A Megatheory of Human Destiny.

TianChi

TianChi is a good herbal supplement for overall health and to maintain the energy centers of the body, i.e. the adrenal glands. I have had a really pleasant experience and a noticeable improvement in wellness and mental clarity. I didn’t try it because I was having any difficulties or problems with my health. Rather, I find herbs and their influence on human chemistry to be worth experiencing. Even if you are not interested in it, I would research any of the herbs it contains and perhaps add some of them to your diet. Roger Drummer is the formulator of the blend.

Here is the list of herbs which are contained in TianChi:

Kumbh Mela

Depending on your country of birth or religion, you may be surprised to know that, up until last week, I had never heard of one of the largest and oldest religious ceremonies in human history – the Kumbh Mela. After watching the films below, I am determined to attend the Kumbh Mela as part of my own spiritual pilgrimage. If you watch and listen to the teachings, ceremonies, and philosophies of the Yogis and Sadhus you may begin to see a deeper connection between all religions.

Kings with Straw Mats – Ira Cohen

Shortcut to Nirvana – Mela Films (also on Hulu – Shortcut to Nirvana)

Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World – Nick Lane

Incredibly brilliant, well written, and thought-provoking; you will never take another breath of air without appreciating the amazing history of air itself. In Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World, Nick Lane presents many convincing arguments about the development of early life and the geological history of Earth — all based on Oxygen. Lane’s book is one of the best I have read about the ancient history of Earth and is a great resource to learn about anti-oxidants, LUCA, and the role of oxygen in biology. He has written other books which I hope to read.

It would be interesting to study the effects of meditation on oxygen respiration in the human body. Does anyone know of any such studies?

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