World's Biggest Tsunami | 1720 feet-tall - Lituya Bay, Alaska

World's Biggest Tsunami | 1720 feet-tall - Lituya Bay, Alaska:

"On the night of July 9, 1958 an earthquake along the Fairweather Fault in the Alaska Panhandle loosened about 40 million cubic yards (30.6 million cubic meters) of rock high above the northeastern shore of Lituya Bay. This mass of rock plunged from an altitude of approximately 3000 feet (914 meters) down into the waters of Gilbert Inlet (see map below). The impact generated a local tsunami that crashed against the southwest shoreline of Gilbert Inlet. The wave hit with such power that it swept completely over the spur of land that separates Gilbert Inlet from the main body of Lituya Bay. The wave then contiuned down the entire length of Lituya Bay, over La Chaussee Spit and into the Gulf of Alaska. The force of the wave removed all trees and vegetation from elevations as high as 1720 feet (524 meters) above sea level. Millions of trees were uprooted and swept away by the wave. This is the highest wave that has ever been known. ..."

This is a fascinating story with contemporary eyewitness accounts, photographs, maps, and aerial photography.

A geologist was in the process of studying Gilbert Inlet for evidence of large waves in the past. There were at least four such waves in the past 150 years. This one not only dwarfed them all, but it erased all evidence that the earlier waves had even occurred.

It just boggles the mind to think how much energy was expended so as to mow down spruce forests at a height of 1720 feet above sea level -- and all this in an area roughly 2 miles wide and 7 miles long.

Presbyterian Bloggers: Viva! La Reformation!

Presbyterian Bloggers: Viva! La Reformation!:

"A current news article from the denomination’s own press service refers to Bruce Reyes-Chow, Gradye Parsons, and Linda Valentine as our top three leaders.

And all the while, I thought that our top three leaders in the Reformed tradition were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ..."

Stushie from Presbyterian Bloggers had this to say today (and a couple paragraphs more). If you are interested, the original article to which Stushie referred was properly quoted.

He acknowledges that he might be nit-picking, but this is a fairly large nit and one worthy of discussion. Thanks, Stushie, for pointing this out.

Atom-thick material runs rings around silicon - tech - 17 April 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Atom-thick material runs rings around silicon - tech - 17 April 2008 - New Scientist Tech:

"A leading contender to replace silicon as the basis for computing has made another step forward.

Transistors one atom thick and ten atoms wide have been made by UK researchers. They were carved from graphene, predicted by some to one day oust silicon as the basis of future computing.

For 40 years computing has been dominated by a rule of thumb named Moore's law, which predicts that the number of transistors on a chip will double roughly every two years.

Yet silicon, the material that has so far been used to keep up with Moore's law cannot form stable structures below 10 nanometres in size. And today's newest chips already have features just 45 nm across. The hunt is on for a replacement for silicon. ..."

Yesterday's blog entry was addressed by New Scientist three months ago with this story on the use of graphene, a flat sheet of carbon, one atom thick, with the atoms arranged in a honeycomb. While there has been success in the laboratory, it remains impractical to mass-produce with graphene.

Shrinking chip could keep us on track with Moore's law - tech - 10 July 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Shrinking chip could keep us on track with Moore's law - tech - 10 July 2008 - New Scientist Tech:

"Silicon chips could become even more densely packed with transistors thanks to a breakthrough that carves features in silicon that are many times smaller than the wavelength of the light used to make them.

The new approach produces grids of parallel lines just 25 nanometers wide using light with a wavelength of 351 nm. The grids are not functional circuits but could be made into working chips by adding extra small features.

The technique could help us keep track with Moore's law, which states that the number of transistors we can fit on a chip will double every two years. ..."

Just about a year ago, I blogged on a CNET article on Moore's Law which noted that 65nm chips were already here. This article notes that 45nm chips are being used in computers today, with 32nm chips already being made in laboratories. Moore's Law is clearly holding thus far.

This use of interference patterns (similar to what makes oily road surfaces appear multicolored when it rains) is not without its technical hurdles. Just being able to focus even short-waved ultraviolet light (350nm wavelength) to resolve features less than 1/10 that size is difficult.

But as long as smaller and smaller features can be etched into the silicon layer, then Moore's law will apply. Keep in mind that the next two years may bring 15nm chips -- which involve features about 30 atoms across. It's not going to hold forever.... At least not with silicon.

Presbyterian Outlook: Reclaiming Evangelism

Presbyterian Outlook: Reclaiming Evangelism:

"On April 5, the Presbytery of the James hosted a conference on evangelism. I found it a thought-provoking experience.

Evangelism is a word that makes a lot of Presbyterians squirm. We have a big need for evangelism, however, whether we like the word or not. As a denomination, we are losing members. So we must think how we can reclaim evangelism. It is our lifeblood as well as the core mission of the church.

Conference attendees offered many definitions of evangelism. One struck me by its simplicity and clarity. Evangelism, this person said, is “telling good news joyfully.” Only four words. Yet each conveys an essential ingredient in authentic evangelism. ..."

The "E" word makes people squirm. It made me squirm many years ago until I came to realize what "good news" meant. What good is the Good News if you keep it to yourself?

The first of the Great Ends of the Church is "the proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind" and such activities are part of a healthy, vibrant, and faithful church.

You may have to register to read the full Outlook article, but it is free, and worth taking the time.

Sudanese president charged with genocide - CNN.com

Sudanese president charged with genocide - CNN.com:

"(CNN) -- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has filed genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for a five-year campaign of violence in Darfur.
About 1,000 Sudanese rallied in Khartoum Sunday against the possible charges.

They include masterminding attempts to wipe out African tribes in the war-torn region with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented his evidence against al-Bashir to the judges at the Hague in the Netherlands on Monday. ..."

The International Criminal Court is not under the authority of the United Nations, but they do accept referrals, as in this case. This is a hopeful sign that the international community is taking the Darfur situation seriously enough, but the ICC apparently lacks the authority to execute an arrest warrant (once one is actually issued), relying on the accused's country of residence to handle arrest and extradition.

So unless the UN decides to do what it was designed to do, and impose an end to the genocide in Sudan, this action may have little more than a symbolic effect.

Empathy comes naturally to children: study | Science | Reuters

Empathy comes naturally to children: study | Science | Reuters:

"CHICAGO (Reuters) - When children see others in pain, their brains respond as if it were happening to them, U.S. researchers said on Friday.

This response, which also has been shown in adults, suggests that normal school-age children may be naturally prone to empathy, they said.

'What it shows us is that we have this inborn capacity to resonate with the pain of others. That's probably a very important step toward empathy,' said Jean Decety of the University of Chicago, whose study appears in the journal Neuropsychologia. ..."

When children are baptized in our congregation, a prayer is delivered that, among other petitions, asks God to "... grant [him|her] a quick concern for others. ..."

I have thought for a long time that children are born with that "quick concern for others", having seen not only my own son grow from a newborn infant to a boy who is fast approaching manhood, but a fair number of others in his age group.

Perhaps the Lord has already granted that prayer. It is up to us as parents to reinforce what children seem to be born with, because it seems to be be a behavior that dwindles over time.

Researchers open secret cave under Mexican pyramid | Science | Reuters

Researchers open secret cave under Mexican pyramid | Science | Reuters:

"MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Archeologists are opening a cave sealed for more than 30 years deep beneath a Mexican pyramid to look for clues about the mysterious collapse of one of ancient civilization's largest cities.

The soaring Teotihuacan stone pyramids, now a major tourist site about an hour outside Mexico City, were discovered by the ancient Aztecs around 1500 AD, not long before the arrival of Spanish explorers to Mexico.

But little is known about the civilization that built the immense city, with its ceremonial architecture and geometric temples, and then torched and abandoned it around 700 AD."

I was able to visit this site in 2002 during a two week stay at CIMMYT, near Texcoco (a little east of Mexico City). The Teotihuacan pyramids are a truly awesome site, and climbing the steep steps of the Pyramid of the Moon was an aerobic exercise made more difficult by an elevation exceeding 7400 feet. I did get several nice images:

Here is the Pyramid of the Moon, which in 2002 only allowed access
to the second landing due to ongoing archaeological research.

These steps are roughly knee-high and for someone who already
had knee issues, that rail was quite necessary.

The Pyramid of the Sun seen from the Pyramid of the Moon.

Looking to the side of the Pyramid of the Moon revealed these unexcavated
structures, including what seems to be a smaller pyramid on the left.

A lot of nice stonework can be seen all over the Teotihuacan site, replicas of which
can be seen in the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

Brain scientists discover why adventure feels good | Science | Reuters

Brain scientists discover why adventure feels good | Science | Reuters:

"LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have identified a primitive area of the brain that makes us adventurous -- a finding which may help explain why people routinely fall for 'new' products when shopping.

Using brain scans to measure blood flow, British researchers discovered that a brain region known as the ventral striatum was more active when subjects chose unusual objects in controlled tests. ..."

Interesting. The researchers suggest that seeking out new experiences benefits a species because it may lead to a better quality of life.

But there can be a downside:

"...Being daring, however, also carries risks. Some choices could be dangerous and, in the modern world, selecting the new may, for instance, make consumers susceptible to marketing hype. ..."

OK. So I'm a gadget freak. My ventral striatum temperature rises 10 degrees every time I read about the newest processors or go into Best Buy. It's too bad my wallet can't support my adventurous spirit.

Churches Retool Mission Trips

Churches Retool Mission Trips:

"Not long ago, the families of Fairfax Presbyterian Church spent thousands of dollars to fly their teens to Mexico for eight days of doing good. They helped build homes and refurbish churches as part of an army of more than 1 million mostly Christians who annually go on short-term international mission trips to work and evangelize in poverty-stricken lands.

Yet even as those trips have increased in popularity, they have come under increased scrutiny. A growing body of research questions the value of the trips abroad, which are supposed to bring hope and Christianity to the needy of the world, while offering American participants an opportunity to work in disadvantaged communities, develop relationships and charge up their faith.

Critics scornfully call such trips 'religious tourism' undertaken by 'vacationaries.' Some blunders include a wall built on the children's soccer field at an orphanage in Brazil that had to be torn down after the visitors left. In Mexico, a church was painted six times during one summer by six different groups. In Ecuador, a church was built but never used because the community said it was not needed. ..."

This provocative article goes on to acknowledge that not all short-term mission is like these somewhat incendiary examples. I have participated in several short-term mission trips, all within 800 miles of my home. The groups I have gone with tend to be small (under 12 participants), multi-generational (under 10 to 80 years old), and have spent significant time in prayer and fellowship while searching our motivations and our hearts.

We have contemplated overseas trips, but thus far only one has materialized -- over ten years ago -- and while there is a certain attraction, the logistical considerations are great. I did not go on the trip to Yucatan, but my wife did. I've seen the pictures, and whatever it was that attracted the participants, it wasn't great weather and sunny beaches. It was a community that appreciated what we had to offer, and in turn, offered the participants much fellowship and love.

There is much to be said for hands-on mission for Christians of all ages. It is often a life-changing experience, and certainly an educational experience for those who participate. With care in preparation, not only in logistics, but spiritual preparation, short-term mission opportunities can open eyes to the ways in which God works in people's lives.

Independence Day 2008

Those who have followed this blog over the past nearly three years know that from time to time I blog on hymns -- familiar and not-so-familiar. I try to tell a bit of the history and include the original words, when I can locate them.

Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and poet, was commissioned by President Madison in early September 1814 to negotiate the release of an American prisoner held aboard a British ship in the Chesapeake Bay. In the course of these negotiations, he heard portions of a plan to bombard Fort McHenry, and while his negotiations were successful, he and his co-negotiator were held aboard until the attack was over. Following is Key's poem, with its original title, begun the night of September 13-14, 1814 and completed following his release on September 16 in Baltimore.

The Battle of Baltimore was a key victory for the United States in the War of 1812. The loss of such a major port would have been devastating.

Defence of Fort McHenry

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

-- Francis Scott Key (1814)

Back From Camp

I am back in town, having spent several days at my son's summer camp near Iconium, MO. The weather was great with overnight lows getting into the high 50s and highs in the mod 80s. That went a long way toward making it a pleasant experience.

The highlight for me (and of course my son) was his advancement to the status of warrior in the Tribe of Micosay. This is a camp-based organization which encourages not only scout-like behavior, but also serves to keep them staying active with their troops and returning to camp year after year.

It's been an interesting 15 1/2 years, but seeing my son grow into a fine young man is a pleasure.

I'm still around...

I got back nearly a week ago from a fantastic time at Philmont, and found myself immersed in work, trying to recover from a sleep deficit, and trying to get ready to get my son off to his summer camp with our local troop. I just couldn't quite force myself to sit down at the computer in the evening.

The result was that blogging took a back seat. June is going to end up a very light month for blogging especially since tomorrow is parent's day at Bartle Scout Reservation, and Susan and I are going out for the day. I will be staying for the next three days helping out with the nature merit badges and perhaps some handicrafts.

Then I will return to Columbia, work one day, and then take a three day Fourth of July weekend during which we'll go and fetch the boy from camp.

So why didn't I just take July 3rd off as well? I am still asking myself that question.

I'll try and do better in July

From New Mexico

I am taking advantage of what will probably be my last opportunity to get on the internet for the next 8 days. The Hancocks are staying at the Super 8 in Raton, New Mexico and will leave in a little while for Philmont Scout Ranch (aka Boy Scout heaven).

We left Columbia during thunderstorms, but by the time we reached the Kansas Turnpike, it was looking quite nice outside.

A special pleasure was stopping by one of Susan's college friends in a small town south of US 54 heading west from Wichita. MB is the host of the "Rambling Down the Road" blog and it took me a while, but I finally figured out who she was from the various clues in her blog. She was a senior when I came to SC as a fledgling instructor in Biology and she needed a botany course to graduate. She also lived in the same dorm as my future spouse who was a freshman that year. 30 years may seem like a long time, but aside from my nearly black beard turning nearly solid gray, the three of us were remarkably close to the way we looked in the late 1970s. It's really great to make connections over the years, and blogging has done its share in helping bring people back together.

After we left MB and her daughter we took advantage of the daylight and got as far as Minneola, where we stayed the night in a rather quiet motel. The next day we got off about 8:00am and ate breakfast a couple towns west, and proceeded on to Raton where we had reservations.

Today we'll take the hour drive to Philmont and drop Liam off for his week-long advanced leadership course. Susan and I will have nothing to do but visit antique and craft shops in Cimarron until our official arrival at 1:00pm. The two of us are attending courses at the Philmont Training Center and will be plenty occupied on our own.

Still, all-in-all, a week at the Philmont Training Center is a great family vacation, and this is the third time Liam and I have been out. Susan has been out twice, but after the first time we went in 2002 it has she who asked "when are we coming back"?

The temperature is expected to be in the high 80s with lows in in high 40s and low 50s. The altitude is over 6000' and the humidity is low. We are already feeling the need to drink massive quantities of water, and most of it is sweated away.

Anyway, unless by some magic Philmont has installed wireless, I'll be back blogging next weekend.

CNN: Four killed by tornado at camp were Boy Scouts

(CNN) -- "Boy Scouts dived under picnic tables and were buried under a collapsed chimney when a deadly tornado hit their camp in western Iowa, survivors said Thursday morning.

The tornado at the Little Sioux Scout Ranch killed three 13-year-old Scouts and a 14-year-old staff member who also was a Scout, said Lloyd Roitstein, president of the Boy Scouts of Mid-America Council. Forty-eight Scouts and staff members were injured. ..."

The camp had 93 older boys taking an advanced junior leader training course alonf with 25 staff members.

The CNN article quoted leaders at the camp who described how the boys immediately began rescue and first aid on their fellow scouts who were injured. In this time of tragedy, it is good to hear that many boys were able to put their training to effective use.

Please pray for the families of the victims and the survivors in this time of struggle.

Interactive Assessment: The Hermeneutics Quiz | BuildingChurchLeaders.com

Interactive Assessment: The Hermeneutics Quiz | BuildingChurchLeaders.com

I saw this linked on Quotidian Grace's blog, and she had first seen it on Presbyweb.

This web site is part of the Christianity Today offerings, and provides a 20 question quiz that will assess your way of interpreting Scripture. For an internet quiz, this seemed to be well above the average, although by the 10th question I saw a pattern in how the answers were arranged (i.e. from conservative to progressive). The scores range from 20-100.

I scored 55, which is on the conservative side of moderate (which is pretty much where I see myself). There were two questions that may have skewed me a little toward the progressive side. I am opposed to the death penalty and I feel that God calls women to serve in all aspects of leadership.

This causes me to reflect a bit, and it also suggests to me that traditional labels may not be all that useful in defining Christians.

Most detailed image of the Crab Nebula

Most detailed image of the Crab Nebula:

"This new Hubble image - One among the largest ever produced with the Earth-orbiting observatory - shows gives the most detailed view so far of the entire Crab Nebula ever made. The Crab is arguably the single most interesting object, as well as one of the most studied, in all of astronomy. The image is the largest image ever taken with Hubble?s WFPC2 workhorse camera."

Credit: NASA, ESA and Allison Loll/Jeff Hester (Arizona State University). Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)

Not to trivialize such an awe-inspiring view of one of the wonders of the universe, but doesn't this look just a little like a cross-section of a loofah sponge?

Hubble’s sweeping view of the Coma Galaxy Cluster

Hubble’s sweeping view of the Coma Galaxy Cluster:

"Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys has observed a large portion of the Coma Cluster, stretching across several million light-years. The entire cluster is more than 20 million light-years in diameter, is nearly spherical in shape and contains thousands of galaxies.

Also known as Abell 1656, the Coma Cluster is over 300 million light-years away. The cluster, named after its parent constellation Coma Berenices, is near the Milky Way’s north pole. This places the Coma Cluster in an area that is not obscured by dust and gas from the plane of the Milky Way, and so is easily visible to observers here on Earth."

If I try to wrap my mind around the scale of this cluster, my head might explode.

10-Jun-2008: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures the magnificent starry population of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies, one of the densest known galaxy collections in the Universe.

To see the full image, click it and you will be taken to the appropriate page on spacetelescope.com where you can choose "image 1". The "publication JPEG" image isn't too large, but if you have a good broadband connection, try the "Large JPEG". It's a big one, so be patient.

The Betrayal of Judas - ChronicleReview.com

The Betrayal of Judas - ChronicleReview.com :

"... As soon as the show ended, she went to her computer and downloaded the English translation from the National Geographic Web site. Almost immediately she began to have concerns. From her reading, even in translation, it seemed obvious that Judas was not turning in Jesus as a friendly gesture, but rather sacrificing him to a demon god named Saklas. This alone would suggest, strongly, that Judas was not acting with Jesus' best interests in mind — which would undercut the thesis of the National Geographic team. She turned to her husband, Wade, and said: "Oh no. Something is really wrong."

She started the next day on her own translation of the Coptic transcription, also posted on the National Geographic Web site. That's when she came across what she considered a major, almost unbelievable error. It had to do with the translation of the word 'daimon,' which Jesus uses to address Judas. The National Geographic team translates this as 'spirit,' an unusual choice and inconsistent with translations of other early Christian texts, where it is usually rendered as 'demon.' In this passage, however, Jesus' calling Judas a demon would completely alter the meaning. 'O 13th spirit, why do you try so hard?' becomes 'O 13th demon, why do you try so hard?' A gentle inquiry turns into a vicious rebuke. ..."

This is a lengthy and fascinating piece written by Thomas Bartlett on the work done by April DeConick on the Coptic manuscript released over two years ago by National Geographic. She noted not only the mistranslation described in the quotation, but at least two others that stated that Judas "would ascend to the holy generation" and that Judas would be "set apart for the holy generation". In the first of the "holy generation" passages, deConick claimed that a negative in the text was overlooked, thus rendering the meaning as "would not ascend to the holy generation". Apparently National Geographic agreed because the passage was corrected in a second edition of the Gospel of Judas. The second passage was translated by DeConick as "set apart from the holy generation", which National Geographic acknowledged in a footnote as being a valid translation. These three passages are key to whether Judas is viewed as a hero or a traitor.

According to the article, the preponderance of scholarly opinion is that DeConick's translation is accurate. To be sure there is controversy over DeConick's revelations, revolving mostly on the fact that they were not delivered in private or published in a scholarly journal, but rather appeared in an OpEd piece in the New York Times.

U.S. Military Forced to Abort Burma Aid Mission - washingtonpost.com

U.S. Military Forced to Abort Burma Aid Mission - washingtonpost.com:

"BANGKOK, June 4 -- Cyclone survivors in Burma's devastated Irrawaddy Delta could require food aid for as long as a year, U.N. officials said Wednesday, even as the U.S. military aborted a mission to use helicopters and small boats to deliver aid because Burma's government ignored repeated offers of assistance.

The United States had planned to use the helicopters and small boats aboard the USS Essex to deliver much-needed aid to cyclone survivors, but Burma's ruling military junta rebuffed repeated offers to help with the disaster relief effort, despite the severity of the damage to the region's rice production.

International aid agencies are still struggling to increase their food delivery capacity in the delta, a complex network of rivers and islands, many of which are only accessible by small boats. Doctors Without Borders (Médicins San Frontièrs), the aid agency, said the flow of supplies into the stricken region is still inadequate, and survivors in many remote villages have yet to receive any outside assistance. ..."

A large number of victims are located in areas inaccessible by road. Those helicopters would have been a boon to the relief efforts. Unfortunately the government of Myanmar has refused not only US military helicopters, but those of its surrounding neighbors.

It isn't anti-American attitudes here; the Myanmar government has been highly suspicious of outsiders for years, and they show no signs of easing their xenophobia.

Are we seeing a slow genocide in progress? Or is this a simple case of neglect and incompetence? Either way, what little aid is getting into Myanmar is inadequate. How long will it be before the nations who have been waiting offshore simply start flying the helicopters and getting the aid into the areas which need it the most? What about the UN? They reserve the right to act when a government can't or won't do what is required. What is holding them back?