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In 1610, Galileo Galilei published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing his telescopic observations.  These observations pointed out what would become major differences between the physical world and the understanding of the universe discribed in the Holy Bible.  These statements renewed interest in the radical teachings of  the heliocentric theory of Copernicus.

Scholars of the time reacted by attacking the theory that seemingly contradicted several passages of Scripture.  Galileo’s part in the controversies over theology, astronomy, and philosophy culminated in his trial and sentencing in 1633 on a grave suspicion of heresy.

Galileo was found “vehemently suspect of heresy,” namely of having held the opinions that the Sun lies motionless at the centre of the universe, that the Earth is not at its centre and moves, and that one may hold and defend an opinion as probable after it has been declared contrary to Holy Scripture. He was required to “abjure, curse and detest” those opinions.

His offending Dialogue was banned; and in an action not announced at the trial, publication of any of his works was forbidden, including any he might write in the future.

He was ordered imprisoned; the sentence was later commuted to house arrest.

From 1634 onward he could be found at his country house at outside of Florence.  In 1638, blind and suffering from a painful hernia, he was allowed to travel to Florence for medical attention.  He continued to receive visitors until 1642, when he died.

His body was interred at Santa Croce Church in Florence, Italy.

95 years later, on March 12, 1737, Anton Francesco Gori removed one of the corpse’s bony fingers.  The relic (of science not religion), is on display at the Florence History of Science Museum.

Today it sits in a small glass egg among lodestones and telescopes, the only human fragment in a museum devoted entirely to scientific instruments. It is hard to know how Galileo would have felt about the final resting place of his finger. The long bony finger points towards the sky, as if to let the Catholic Church know that in spite of their tyranny and obfuscation of the truth the laws of nature will always apply on Earth.

Plans are unfolding in the state of Maine and in the City of San Francisco to mandate cancer warnings on cellular phones.  It is alleged that the use of the omnipresent communication devices causes cancerous growths in the brain.

Maine to Consider Cell Phone Warning (Associated Press)
San Francisco considering cellphone warnings ( LA Times)

Cell phone radiation doesn’t cause cancer.

Cancer causing agents break chemical bonds, creating mutant strands of DNA.  Microwave photons are not capable of breaking  chemical bonds.

In 1989, Paul Brodeur, a staff writer for the New Yorker, claimed in a series of sensational articles that electromagnetic fields from power lines cause childhood leukemia.  Brodeur, however, did not understand this and when virtually every scientist agreed that it was impossible, Brodeur took their unanimity as proof of a massive cover-up.  Other anti-science fear mongers followed Brodeur’s lead, shifting their attack to cell phone radiation.  Cell phones have since spread to almost the entire population, but with no corresponding increase in brain cancer.  Case closed.

Study: No cellphone cancer link found (UPI.com)

American Cancer Society on the lack of cell phone/cancer connections.

National Cancer Institute on the lack of cell phone/cancer connection.

Mobile phone emissions reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s (The Tech Herald)

Golden Gate Bridge

The most documented suicide spot on Earth is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.  There are have been over 1500 documented suicides at the iconic landmark.

There are signs posted on the bridge urging people contemplating taking their own lives to use the special phone provided to contact a crisis hotline.

Suicides tarnish the Golden Gate USA Today

Film captures suicides on Golden Gate Bridge SF Gate

Aokigahara Forest

Known as “the perfect place to die,” the Aokigahara forest has become a popular place for Japanese businessmen to take their own lives.   More than 500 of them have killed themselves in this enchanted forest since the 1950s. The rate of suicide has been increasing, with a record 78 bodies in 2002.

Japanese spiritualists believe that the suicides committed in the forest have permeated Aokigahara’s trees, generating paranormal activity and preventing many who enter from escaping the forest’s depths.

Desperate Japanese head to ‘suicide forest’ CNN

A Danish Documentory about Aokigahara Forest. Part 1 (Part 2)

Read more »

On December 21, 2012 the world is supposed to end. Well, that is what some people would have you believe.  The idea that something is going to happen in the year 2012 can be traced back to the Mayans. When they devised their calendar they made it with an end date.

The Mayan calendar is divided in to time periods like our calendar.  Our calendar is divided into weeks, months and years. In the Mayan calendar there is a division called b’ak’tun.  December 21, 2012 just happens to mark the end of the last b’ak’tun on the calendar.

Doomsday Theories

The media is heavy with apocalyptic visions of 2012. Plain and simple, there is money to be made every time someone tunes into an “End of the World” thriller on the History Channel or surfs onto a “Run for Your Lives” website.

Of the various scenarios predicted to accompany the end of the world some of the most popular are:

Geomagnetic Reversal

The idea here is that something will cause the magnetic poles of Earth to switch polarity. Perhaps this will be the result of huge solar flares. I don’t really understand why this would be such a catastrophy. I guess it would be very difficult to read a compass if the needle was pointed south.

Planetary Collision

According to this theory, there is a mystery planet known as Nibiru or Planet X. Supposedly it will collide with Earth in 2012.  We don’t really have to be afraid of a planetary collision in 2012.  If an object the size of a planet was destined to hit Earth in 2012, we would already be able to see it in the night sky with the naked eye.

Alignment of Celestial Bodies

This theory purports an alignment of celestial bodies such as Earth, our Sun, black holes and the center of our galaxy. First of all there is no evidence that any type of special alignment is on the horizon.

How to Survive

So, my best advice on how to survive 2012 would be:

Keep doing whatever it is you do on a day to day basis to survive. But BEWARE, there are going to be more and more scammers out there fighting for your money as the fears increase as we get closer to the magic date.

Check out the NASA 2012 Faq page.

Watch as a NASA scientist shoots holes in 2012 theories.

2012 Hoax Site

Possession is  the term used to describe state when a demon is in control of a human body.  Reported symptoms of demonic possession often include: lost memories, missing personalities, convulsions, fits and fainting.  Other supposed symptoms may include access to hidden knowledge or foreign languages, drastic changes in voice and appearance  and superhuman strength.

The Bible never actually refers to people as being possessed by demons. The main expressions referring to demonic influence are: “to be demonized” (this is the most frequent expression) and “having a demon” (note that it is the person who possesses the demon, not the demon who possesses the person.)

The literal view of demonization is still held by a number of Christian denominations. Official Catholic doctrine affirms that demonic oppression can occur as distinguished from mental illness, but stresses that cases of mental illness should not be misdiagnosed as demonic influence. Catholic exorcisms can occur only under the authority of a bishop and in accordance with strict rules; a simple exorcism also occurs during Baptism.

Read about the exorcism of Mother Theresa of Calcutta.

The Malleus Maleficarum describes specific exorcism techniques. Depending on the severity of the alleged possession, solutions range from prayers of deliverance to the Solemn Rite of Exorcism as practiced by the Catholic Church.

Watch a modern day exorcism.

Firewalking is the act of walking barefoot over a bed of hot coals. Since 1200 BCE, firewalking has been used in ceremonies of healing, initiation, and faith. It has gained a contemporary following among modern motivational speakers and self-help gurus.

Loring Danforth, Ph.D., Firewalking and Religious Healing (1989), Princeton University Press.

Why it Works

As two bodies of different temperatures come together their temperatures will trend toward a state of equilibrium. That is, the hotter body will lose heat while the cooler body will gain heat.  What that temperature is, and how quickly it is reached, depends on the thermodynamic properties of the two bodies. The important properties are temperature, density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity.

The bodies in question here are human feet (which mainly consist of water) and burning coals.

What prevents burning?

Water has a very high specific heat capacity when compared to coals.  The temperature of the foot changes less than the temperature of the coals.  Water also has a high thermal conductivity, and on top of that, the blood in the foot will carry away the heat and spread it throughout the body.  Charcoal has a very poor thermal conductivity, so the hotter body consists only of the parts of the coal which is close to the foot.  The coal cools down, its temperature sinks below the flash point, so it stops burning and no new heat is generated.

Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine investigates fire-walking.

Alexa Ray Joel Out Of Hospital After Homeopathic Overdose (MTV)

Homeopathy is a form of “alternative medicine”  first proposed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. In Homeopathy patients are treated with heavily diluted preparations which are thought to cause effects similar to the symptoms presented.  Homeopathic remedies are prepared by shaking minute quantities of substances into large amounts of water.

It is supposed that the greater the dilution the greater its intended effect. Homeopaths call this process “potentization”.  Dilution often continues until statistically, none of the original substance remains.

Richard Dawkins takes a look at Homeopathy.

James Randi explains Homeopathy

More Videos at 1023.org

In 1481 the Catholic Church charged two Dominican monks, James Sprenger and Henry Kramer, with the task of writing a manual for hunting witches. The manual, Malleus Maleficarum, took 5 years to create.

The Malleus Maleficarum is the best known of the witch-hunt manuals. Originally written in Latin, the title is translated as “The Hammer of Witches”. Used for more than three hundred years, it was the justification for the witch trials in Europe and Colonial America.

The document specified rules of evidence and procedures by which suspected witches should be detected, tortured and put to death.

Buy your own copy of the Malleus Maleficarum or Read the Malleus Maleficarum online.

Witch hunts continue today.  In Nigeria, religious leaders in extremist Christian churches are  “identifying” some children as witches.   The children are then subjected to horrible purifying rituals.  Children have been hacked to death, poisoned and buried alive in an attempt to drive out Satan.

‘Child-witches’ of Nigeria Seek Refuge (Telegraph UK)