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In old Serbian folklore there was one very interesting fairy tale with one very unusual character for the time it was first told. In short it goes like this: "Once upon a time, there was a king who ordered his three sons to get married in most unusual way. All three of them were supposed to shoot arrows and from where they landed, the emperor would pick the most beautiful girls to be their brides. Needless to say the youngest's arrow ended far away from the city and flew right into the old well just next to the ugly greenish frog. Well, the deal in fairy tales always goes all the way and not surprisingly the frog soon became his wedding wife." "And just like in typical fairy tale, the frog eventually turned into the most beautiful girl in the entire kingdom and almost immediately became the person of envy for all royalties, especially the queen and all the other princesses. This never went well in old stories and soon after the young prince was given the most i
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There is a period of time we are familiar with acronym "BC". It stands, of course, for "Before Christ", the period before the famous tale about origin of Christian religion. But this time goes far behind Jesus. Far beyond origin of all monotheistic religions. It goes even before the eons when our ancestors knew gods in plural and to the ages when modern humans started their everlasting and ongoing endeavors. The time in prehistory occupied with endless wonders of surrounding nature without firm beliefs but surely filled with many invisible divine spirits and mysterious stars. Due to illiteracy of the period there's almost nothing tangible we could use to gain full knowledge of how early society really looked like and even though we know great deal about those times only by analyzing cave walls, fossil record and DNA samples, in order to describe one early settlement we still must use lots of imagination and scientific guesses. Personally and definitely c
There is a period of time we are familiar with acronym "BC". It stands, of course, for "Before Christ", the period before the famous tale about origin of Christian religion. But this time goes far behind Jesus. Far beyond origin of all monotheistic religions. It goes even before the eons when our ancestors knew gods in plural and to the ages when modern humans started their everlasting and ongoing endeavors. The time in prehistory occupied with endless wonders of surrounding nature without firm beliefs but surely filled with many invisible divine spirits and mysterious stars.
Due to illiteracy of the period there's almost nothing tangible we could use to gain full knowledge of how early society really looked like and even though we know great deal about those times only by analyzing cave walls, fossil record and DNA samples, in order to describe one early settlement we still must use lots of imagination and scientific guesses.
Personally and definitely caused by the mystery of the ancient times I do enjoy to read and in this case to watch fictitious stories about early people, events and how everything was in the beginning. Hence and if we stay in the realm of motion pictures, I want to share four movie recommendations from the rather small pile of films covering prehistory free of wild imagination that might be anthropologically correct. So, lets start in, appropriately suitable, chronological and descending order, starting with the latest film about the earliest period of prehistory in all four movies. The story about first joint adventures of man and man's best friends. The wolfs. Well... You know... The dogs.
Portraying Europe at the end of the Pleistocene epoch some 20000 years ago, Alpha is telling an adventurous story of Keda, a teenage boy on his first hunting trip and Alpha, first domesticated wolf. They struggle to survive the harsh environment of the last ice age and along the way learn to enjoy new special friendship among two species. Something we are taking for granted in our very contemporary age. Three things about this movie are fascinating - for one, there are no human villains in the film and this is amazing for nowadays movies and yet the story works just as perfect. Secondly, I learned something I didn't know - Alpha was played by real Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, a mix between German shepherd and real Carpathian wolves created for military purposes. I always admired German shepherds but I have to say that this relatively new breed is really magnificent in every way. Finally, the language they used is a fictional one - fully developed for the movie by Christine Schreyer, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia who used three ancestral languages in the process and this effort alone gave the movie a genuine and really extraordinary feeling.
Next two movies went even further in the past. The set was still Eurasian continent and the time could be estimated some 30-40K BC where one of the kind event in the history of two dominant species happened. It was the time when our ancestors started to populate the area that was already taken by Neanderthals. Barely compatible, this caused the death of the weakest and unprepared party in conflict. It is still a mystery what was exactly happening in those shared period that probably lasted hundreds or more likely thousands of years but in the aftermath just like proposed in one of the movies, Neanderthals suffered and died out from both major issues - their bodies were totally unprepared for new diseases humans unknowingly delivered and also equally important, their minds couldn't stand or understand the violent behavior of newcomers.
Ao, le dernier Néandertal and The Clan of the Cave Bear are both dealing with collision of two dominant humanoid species of the time only from different angle. In first, Ao was a desperate Neanderthal man whose family was brutally murdered by modern humans and he was forced to seek his life elsewhere and find happiness with homo sapiens woman. The movie offers outstanding performances by Aruna Shields and especially Simon Paul Sutton who portrayed the story with one word - perfectly. The same goes for Jean Auel's first book of the "Earth's Children" series and the movie with the same name. Here, the script is the opposite and follows young girl Ayla who finds shelter within Neanderthal clan. It's hard to say which film is more appealing, historically accurate, better performed and made but if you choose to watch them, entertainment filled with drama, adventure and even romance is guarantied.
Finally, if we go even further to the past, more or less 80000 years ago, in the time of tribal societies where the fire was luxury and hard to find, the last film recommendation was the oldest movie of them all. Quest for Fire was filmed back in 1981 and it was my first movie I watched from this genre. I remember I was fascinated with scenes with mammoths who were played by circus elephants in full wardrobe and trained lions in role of saber-toothed tigers. In short, three cavemen are sent in the quest to find the fire for which they still don't have the knowledge of how to start it. The quest turned into real adventure and what they learned and returned to their cave was priceless. And I am not talking just about fire. Enough said.
Refs:
https://www.milanzivic.com/2015/10/neanderthals-humans-and-shared-caves.html
https://www.livescience.com/40311-pleistocene-epoch.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovakian_Wolfdog
https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/08/23/bc-professor-creates-language-for-alpha
https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-wild-story-behind-quest-for-fire
Due to illiteracy of the period there's almost nothing tangible we could use to gain full knowledge of how early society really looked like and even though we know great deal about those times only by analyzing cave walls, fossil record and DNA samples, in order to describe one early settlement we still must use lots of imagination and scientific guesses.
Personally and definitely caused by the mystery of the ancient times I do enjoy to read and in this case to watch fictitious stories about early people, events and how everything was in the beginning. Hence and if we stay in the realm of motion pictures, I want to share four movie recommendations from the rather small pile of films covering prehistory free of wild imagination that might be anthropologically correct. So, lets start in, appropriately suitable, chronological and descending order, starting with the latest film about the earliest period of prehistory in all four movies. The story about first joint adventures of man and man's best friends. The wolfs. Well... You know... The dogs.
Portraying Europe at the end of the Pleistocene epoch some 20000 years ago, Alpha is telling an adventurous story of Keda, a teenage boy on his first hunting trip and Alpha, first domesticated wolf. They struggle to survive the harsh environment of the last ice age and along the way learn to enjoy new special friendship among two species. Something we are taking for granted in our very contemporary age. Three things about this movie are fascinating - for one, there are no human villains in the film and this is amazing for nowadays movies and yet the story works just as perfect. Secondly, I learned something I didn't know - Alpha was played by real Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, a mix between German shepherd and real Carpathian wolves created for military purposes. I always admired German shepherds but I have to say that this relatively new breed is really magnificent in every way. Finally, the language they used is a fictional one - fully developed for the movie by Christine Schreyer, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of British Columbia who used three ancestral languages in the process and this effort alone gave the movie a genuine and really extraordinary feeling.
Next two movies went even further in the past. The set was still Eurasian continent and the time could be estimated some 30-40K BC where one of the kind event in the history of two dominant species happened. It was the time when our ancestors started to populate the area that was already taken by Neanderthals. Barely compatible, this caused the death of the weakest and unprepared party in conflict. It is still a mystery what was exactly happening in those shared period that probably lasted hundreds or more likely thousands of years but in the aftermath just like proposed in one of the movies, Neanderthals suffered and died out from both major issues - their bodies were totally unprepared for new diseases humans unknowingly delivered and also equally important, their minds couldn't stand or understand the violent behavior of newcomers.
Ao, le dernier Néandertal and The Clan of the Cave Bear are both dealing with collision of two dominant humanoid species of the time only from different angle. In first, Ao was a desperate Neanderthal man whose family was brutally murdered by modern humans and he was forced to seek his life elsewhere and find happiness with homo sapiens woman. The movie offers outstanding performances by Aruna Shields and especially Simon Paul Sutton who portrayed the story with one word - perfectly. The same goes for Jean Auel's first book of the "Earth's Children" series and the movie with the same name. Here, the script is the opposite and follows young girl Ayla who finds shelter within Neanderthal clan. It's hard to say which film is more appealing, historically accurate, better performed and made but if you choose to watch them, entertainment filled with drama, adventure and even romance is guarantied.
Finally, if we go even further to the past, more or less 80000 years ago, in the time of tribal societies where the fire was luxury and hard to find, the last film recommendation was the oldest movie of them all. Quest for Fire was filmed back in 1981 and it was my first movie I watched from this genre. I remember I was fascinated with scenes with mammoths who were played by circus elephants in full wardrobe and trained lions in role of saber-toothed tigers. In short, three cavemen are sent in the quest to find the fire for which they still don't have the knowledge of how to start it. The quest turned into real adventure and what they learned and returned to their cave was priceless. And I am not talking just about fire. Enough said.
Refs:
https://www.milanzivic.com/2015/10/neanderthals-humans-and-shared-caves.html
https://www.livescience.com/40311-pleistocene-epoch.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovakian_Wolfdog
https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/08/23/bc-professor-creates-language-for-alpha
https://www.cbc.ca/arts/the-wild-story-behind-quest-for-fire
My first encounter with Intelligence Quotient, aka IQ, was 25 years ago during my preliminary exam for the mandatory military service. In those years Serbia was part of a former socialist federation of Yugoslavia along with couple of more countries and avoiding army service was impossible. Everybody had to go to serve the "time" for one whole year and they used those preliminary tests to better fit you into suitable unit and doing a form of an IQ test was part of it. They didn't give us the result, but I probably did it pretty well since they put me to be main operator of a ground-to-ground missile unit. At least my little bit higher intelligence than average "soldier" spared me from the mud, dirt, long marches, carrying heavy weaponry and other meaningless activities of the service. So I spent most of the time in a classroom surrounded with state of the art simulators, playing video games made specially for practicing real time guidance of the missile in simula
My first encounter with Intelligence Quotient, aka IQ, was 25 years ago during my preliminary exam for the mandatory military service. In those years Serbia was part of a former socialist federation of Yugoslavia along with couple of more countries and avoiding army service was impossible. Everybody had to go to serve the "time" for one whole year and they used those preliminary tests to better fit you into suitable unit and doing a form of an IQ test was part of it. They didn't give us the result, but I probably did it pretty well since they put me to be main operator of a ground-to-ground missile unit. At least my little bit higher intelligence than average "soldier" spared me from the mud, dirt, long marches, carrying heavy weaponry and other meaningless activities of the service. So I spent most of the time in a classroom surrounded with state of the art simulators, playing video games made specially for practicing real time guidance of the missile in simulated environments. The little rocket itself was too expensive so we never fired the real one, so more or less, even-though I would never participate the military if I was asked, my "time" passed smoothly and surprisingly enjoyable as I made couple of good friendships there.
When I started writing the blog one of my first post was the famous short story by Isaac Asimov called "What Is Intelligence, Anyway?". When I first read it, I remember my initial reaction was that it's exactly how I feel about the topic and not just the intelligence itself, it's more about Asimov's writing style. Don't tell anybody, but this was my first inspiration for my blog. It was a short story initiated with his life and yet embedded with a strong message and also informative and funny. Great man Isaac. One of my role models and surely one of greatest writers of all times. Please read it after reading this post as it will be the conclusion of the main IQ story. However, like Asimov, I have my reservations regarding measuring IQ, simply because I am not sure how accurate these tests are. There are lots of them on the net, the ones on Mensa sites and those improved by more textual questions and tasks so I selected several tests online and scored every time different result - with approximate number in the realm of still undiscovered element (Uqb'). The score variation could be caused by part of the day I took the exams, amount of concentration and distraction I had, etc.
I remember one of the famous quotation of sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, from the original series played by Jeremy Brett - he said that his mind operates the best in the morning whit empty stomach in a dark silent room (sometimes enhanced with some sort of certain chemicals). But in a nutshell it is individual routine, some people, and I know couple of them, operate the best if a radio is playing in the background, some are more stressed than the others if the test is performed in the class room filled with other participants. Some, like me, operate better without time limitations or deadlines. So I have a feeling, if it is possible, that intelligence must be measured differently, like how person reacts in different real situations that require intelligent thinking, in other words the test must be defined to be a bit more than just answering a questions on a piece of paper. However and nevertheless, the actual IQ measurement is able to provide pretty accurate picture of person's intellect. On the other end or better say from the DNA point of view intelligence is comparable to any other human genetic feature. Some people are tall some short, some are blond, others are brunette, some are strong and muscular, some are thin and skinny, people also can be born hetero or homo sexual, some can't eat meat without vomiting, others can't live without pork or lamb on a weekly menu. The same is with little gray cells and while we are perfectly able to use measuring meter in order to find out how tall we are, the only valuable instrument to measure how smart we are is the IQ test. Co-founder of the DNA molecule, James D. Watson once said that we should think of the human intelligence as a feature if it's high or a disease if it is low. I am paraphrasing his words now but he said this while watching a post-graduates receiving their degrees referring to those with low IQs: "It may not be their fault that they aren't clever, their genetic code may limit their capacity to dazzle - think of it as a genetic disease and one day we will find cure for that."
Keeping in mind that IQ is just a measurement of our intelligence, even if there is a public criticism among scientific circles, the question is - are we able to maintain it? Can it be improved by exercises or special diets? Many say yes and I agree fully. However, it's not completely clear or defined what intelligence really is, whether it is just a way how our brain operates with internal memory or there is something alternative to modern CPUs in our heads that with different people comes with different performance. Either way, it is possible to at least maintain the IQ by solving puzzles from time to time, keeping your brain busy by daily watching, reading and thinking about various topics and adjust your diet according to your organism and its expectations keeping it satisfied by digesting the food and drinks it is comfortable with. I know it is vague, but this is simple true, nobody knows your body better than you, so try to listen its needs more than your friend's advice. Nutritional advice by professional could also come handy and helpful as well as reading and exploring the scientific articles and experiences.
One particular study comes to my mind - I recently stumbled on Science Daily article reporting a study performed by Prof. Mark Weiser of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychiatry. In the study, conducted with 20,000 Israeli Army recruits and veterans, the average IQ for a non-smoker was about 101, while the smokers' average was more than seven IQ points lower at about 94, and the IQs of young men who smoked more than a pack a day were lower still, at about 90. So there you go, numbers don't lie. I am sure armies all over the world will never ban smoking in their facilities. It would be wrong for the moral and it could make soldiers to start thinking. Scary. Literally. Satirically.
Criticism aside, IQ tests are today standardized and carried by organizations like Mensa International providing good monitoring of IQ trends among countries, social groups, races, genders, etc. It also gives us data about IQ trend worldwide. What would you think where it is going? Are we going to be smarter or dumber in the future? According to Fourmilab Switzerland and their article named Global IQ: 1950-2050, the mean population IQ is completely opposite to the population growing chart. The mean population IQ dropped for 5 points from the year of 1950 to predicted IQ in the year of 2050. It seams that we are getting down with our social IQ year after year. No wonder why reality TV shows like "Big Brother" are more popular than adventure movies or scientific documentaries.
If I would like to show you the funny side of the dropping IQ trends I would only advise you to watch first couple of minutes of the movie "Idiocracy". Famous narrated introduction of the movie goes like this: "Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species." Here is the first part of the intro I found on FoxConnect channel, it's hilarious:
How this 'competition' ended watch in the next part of FoxConnect YouTube channel here: http://youtu.be/vfHCuFqdl3Q. It also reminded me to the TV Shows "Cheers" aired decades ago. In one of the episodes there is a funny explanation of evolution called Cliff Clavin's Theory of Beer. It goes like this: "A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. When the herd is hunted, the slow and weak at the back are killed first. The speed and health of the herd keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as its slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. Naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
Original post date: April 2012, Updates: June 2016, May 2018
Image refs:
http://extrawall.net/?option=wallpaper&id=244#.V2BK8vl9600
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/the-two-scariest-charts-in-the-world-today
Uqb'
http://periodicsystem.org/unquadbium
*Neuroscientists Find That Status within Groups Can Affect IQ
http://www.caltech.edu/content/neuroscientists-find-status-within-groups-can-affect-iq
**Tony Buzan's 2005 genius tabulation
http://www.eoht.info/page/IQ+tables
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Aries_no_Mur#cite_note-GS-1
Smoking and IQ
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100401151746.htm
Global IQ: 1950–2050
http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/IQ/1950-2050/
Are we becoming more stupid? Human brain has been 'shrinking for the last 20,000 years'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1343093/Human-brain-shrinking-20-000-years.html
IQ Alarm Clock: Firing Up Your Brain to Life Every Morning
http://inventorspot.com/articles/iq_alarm_clock_tune_your_brain
IQ xAlarm
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/tools/iq-xalarm_ihib.html
Isaac Asimov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov
Mensa International
http://www.mensa.org/
While IQ is generally thought to be innate, there are things you can do that may improve your IQ score.
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-simple-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-intelligence/
http://www.mindsparke.com/increase_iq.php
http://www.squidoo.com/raise-your-iq
When I started writing the blog one of my first post was the famous short story by Isaac Asimov called "What Is Intelligence, Anyway?". When I first read it, I remember my initial reaction was that it's exactly how I feel about the topic and not just the intelligence itself, it's more about Asimov's writing style. Don't tell anybody, but this was my first inspiration for my blog. It was a short story initiated with his life and yet embedded with a strong message and also informative and funny. Great man Isaac. One of my role models and surely one of greatest writers of all times. Please read it after reading this post as it will be the conclusion of the main IQ story. However, like Asimov, I have my reservations regarding measuring IQ, simply because I am not sure how accurate these tests are. There are lots of them on the net, the ones on Mensa sites and those improved by more textual questions and tasks so I selected several tests online and scored every time different result - with approximate number in the realm of still undiscovered element (Uqb'). The score variation could be caused by part of the day I took the exams, amount of concentration and distraction I had, etc.
I remember one of the famous quotation of sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, from the original series played by Jeremy Brett - he said that his mind operates the best in the morning whit empty stomach in a dark silent room (sometimes enhanced with some sort of certain chemicals). But in a nutshell it is individual routine, some people, and I know couple of them, operate the best if a radio is playing in the background, some are more stressed than the others if the test is performed in the class room filled with other participants. Some, like me, operate better without time limitations or deadlines. So I have a feeling, if it is possible, that intelligence must be measured differently, like how person reacts in different real situations that require intelligent thinking, in other words the test must be defined to be a bit more than just answering a questions on a piece of paper. However and nevertheless, the actual IQ measurement is able to provide pretty accurate picture of person's intellect. On the other end or better say from the DNA point of view intelligence is comparable to any other human genetic feature. Some people are tall some short, some are blond, others are brunette, some are strong and muscular, some are thin and skinny, people also can be born hetero or homo sexual, some can't eat meat without vomiting, others can't live without pork or lamb on a weekly menu. The same is with little gray cells and while we are perfectly able to use measuring meter in order to find out how tall we are, the only valuable instrument to measure how smart we are is the IQ test. Co-founder of the DNA molecule, James D. Watson once said that we should think of the human intelligence as a feature if it's high or a disease if it is low. I am paraphrasing his words now but he said this while watching a post-graduates receiving their degrees referring to those with low IQs: "It may not be their fault that they aren't clever, their genetic code may limit their capacity to dazzle - think of it as a genetic disease and one day we will find cure for that."
Leonardo is estimated with the highest IQ of 220**
Keeping in mind that IQ is just a measurement of our intelligence, even if there is a public criticism among scientific circles, the question is - are we able to maintain it? Can it be improved by exercises or special diets? Many say yes and I agree fully. However, it's not completely clear or defined what intelligence really is, whether it is just a way how our brain operates with internal memory or there is something alternative to modern CPUs in our heads that with different people comes with different performance. Either way, it is possible to at least maintain the IQ by solving puzzles from time to time, keeping your brain busy by daily watching, reading and thinking about various topics and adjust your diet according to your organism and its expectations keeping it satisfied by digesting the food and drinks it is comfortable with. I know it is vague, but this is simple true, nobody knows your body better than you, so try to listen its needs more than your friend's advice. Nutritional advice by professional could also come handy and helpful as well as reading and exploring the scientific articles and experiences.
One particular study comes to my mind - I recently stumbled on Science Daily article reporting a study performed by Prof. Mark Weiser of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychiatry. In the study, conducted with 20,000 Israeli Army recruits and veterans, the average IQ for a non-smoker was about 101, while the smokers' average was more than seven IQ points lower at about 94, and the IQs of young men who smoked more than a pack a day were lower still, at about 90. So there you go, numbers don't lie. I am sure armies all over the world will never ban smoking in their facilities. It would be wrong for the moral and it could make soldiers to start thinking. Scary. Literally. Satirically.
Mean IQ and World IQ level prediction
Criticism aside, IQ tests are today standardized and carried by organizations like Mensa International providing good monitoring of IQ trends among countries, social groups, races, genders, etc. It also gives us data about IQ trend worldwide. What would you think where it is going? Are we going to be smarter or dumber in the future? According to Fourmilab Switzerland and their article named Global IQ: 1950-2050, the mean population IQ is completely opposite to the population growing chart. The mean population IQ dropped for 5 points from the year of 1950 to predicted IQ in the year of 2050. It seams that we are getting down with our social IQ year after year. No wonder why reality TV shows like "Big Brother" are more popular than adventure movies or scientific documentaries.
If I would like to show you the funny side of the dropping IQ trends I would only advise you to watch first couple of minutes of the movie "Idiocracy". Famous narrated introduction of the movie goes like this: "Evolution does not necessarily reward intelligence. With no natural predators to thin the herd, it began to simply reward those who reproduced the most and left the intelligent to become an endangered species." Here is the first part of the intro I found on FoxConnect channel, it's hilarious:
How this 'competition' ended watch in the next part of FoxConnect YouTube channel here: http://youtu.be/vfHCuFqdl3Q. It also reminded me to the TV Shows "Cheers" aired decades ago. In one of the episodes there is a funny explanation of evolution called Cliff Clavin's Theory of Beer. It goes like this: "A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. When the herd is hunted, the slow and weak at the back are killed first. The speed and health of the herd keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as its slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. Naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
Original post date: April 2012, Updates: June 2016, May 2018
Image refs:
http://extrawall.net/?option=wallpaper&id=244#.V2BK8vl9600
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/the-two-scariest-charts-in-the-world-today
Uqb'
http://periodicsystem.org/unquadbium
*Neuroscientists Find That Status within Groups Can Affect IQ
http://www.caltech.edu/content/neuroscientists-find-status-within-groups-can-affect-iq
**Tony Buzan's 2005 genius tabulation
http://www.eoht.info/page/IQ+tables
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Aries_no_Mur#cite_note-GS-1
Smoking and IQ
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100401151746.htm
Global IQ: 1950–2050
http://www.fourmilab.ch/documents/IQ/1950-2050/
Are we becoming more stupid? Human brain has been 'shrinking for the last 20,000 years'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1343093/Human-brain-shrinking-20-000-years.html
IQ Alarm Clock: Firing Up Your Brain to Life Every Morning
http://inventorspot.com/articles/iq_alarm_clock_tune_your_brain
IQ xAlarm
http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/tools/iq-xalarm_ihib.html
Isaac Asimov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov
Mensa International
http://www.mensa.org/
While IQ is generally thought to be innate, there are things you can do that may improve your IQ score.
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-simple-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-intelligence/
http://www.mindsparke.com/increase_iq.php
http://www.squidoo.com/raise-your-iq
There is a debate whether or not Holocene, the latest geological epoch is already finished with ultimate human impact on Earth's ecosystems, which started along with industrial and technological maturity in recent past. Many of us believe that new era, suitably named Anthropocene is what we are living in already. With technology rise, it looks like humans already changed fundamentally to the point of incompatibility with our distant ancestors. Perhaps we are indeed heading toward rapid evolutionary change, like in the latest Dan Brown's novel " Origin ", but this premise is way more suitable for another science fiction I have just watched (for the second time). I am sure that for all of you who like intelligent movies , a long anticipated sequel for "The Man from Earth" finally came and it, without a doubt, opened the Holocene-Anthropocene transition for John Oldman, a 14000 years old man, who also, like entire humanity, seemed to be going through the change
There is a debate whether or not Holocene, the latest geological epoch is already finished with ultimate human impact on Earth's ecosystems, which started along with industrial and technological maturity in recent past. Many of us believe that new era, suitably named Anthropocene is what we are living in already. With technology rise, it looks like humans already changed fundamentally to the point of incompatibility with our distant ancestors. Perhaps we are indeed heading toward rapid evolutionary change, like in the latest Dan Brown's novel "Origin", but this premise is way more suitable for another science fiction I have just watched (for the second time). I am sure that for all of you who like intelligent movies, a long anticipated sequel for "The Man from Earth" finally came and it, without a doubt, opened the Holocene-Anthropocene transition for John Oldman, a 14000 years old man, who also, like entire humanity, seemed to be going through the change of his own.
The movie distribution has just started and I am not going to spoil the content but I will tell you that after I watched it for the first time my initial thought was that there was many "I didn't see this coming" moments, looking from the point of view of the first film. After watching a movie for the second time, and I really needed to do it to clarify the image, my impressions didn't change a bit and I truly hope Richard Schenkman's wishes for the sequel TV show will come to life. I would definitely like to see what happens next. Perhaps little more science than religion could spice the script with additional direction. After all, Anthropocene epoch is a scientific achievement, which is maybe faster in development than what human society can handle at the same pace.
"The Man from Earth: Holocene" comes with one more twist when it comes to distribution of films in general. It uses donationware, a licensing model originates from the software publication but with one more add-on, to stay with the IT vocabulary. If you don't like it, you get full or partial refund of the small amount of money taken from your card. This is exactly what I speculated once before on the blog, back in 2012 when some sort of political attack was launched after Wikipedia. The story went toward anti-piracy war and distribution of movies and I complained that my time was not free to be wasted and after watching some movies I felt like I would like having some system that would provide some sort of refund for both of my lost time and money.
"The Man from Earth" and "The Man from Earth: Holocene" are now part of this donationware-like system and the distribution of both films is made by a fairly new website called MovieSaints and in their words, this is the place "where people can discover and watch compelling independent films from around the world. Viewers can support the filmmaker/creators if they like a film and get a refund if they don't like it." I would really like to see the success of this for the future and not just for small independent projects but also for the major franchises as well. After all, internet is also one of those scientific achievements that are forcing full closure of the Holocene epoch and this donation-refund system, if succeeded, could have power to dramatically reduce intermediaries and pirates.
Ever since the internet arrived and spread everywhere as the ultimate carrier of the intellectual property of various kind, along with came the business, politics and all the other side-effects and struggles intended for squeezing pennies or votes out from the little man behind the screen. Of course, when it all started, the stage was academic and most of the suits, whether they were hiding behind various business acronyms or political parties, stayed outside. The internet was small back then and not important from their point of view. It was also more honest in the nineties before the new millennium. Well... Almost. The web pirates were there from the beginning.
I remember I wanted to contribute with what I did best at the time and created several desktop applications for home users and small companies. It was nothing special, just couple of ActiveX libraries to help Internet Explorer to use email functionalities and sharing files more easily or, for example, a very nice application for FM radio stations - the producers' tool for organizing "on the air" time with custom lists of MP3 songs and commercials scheduled to be aired automatically without host or technician. For small applications like those, it was popular choice to go with "Shareware" distribution. It basically meant the applications were free but slightly limited in functionality and if small fee was paid, I was creating the unlock code that provided restrictions to go away. Even without that, all apps were useful enough so the end users with paying for the code were actually more sending the note that they are really satisfied with functionality. The unlock code was pretty simple - just small math equations that verified that serious of numbers corresponds with the math result. Imagine my surprise when almost day after I posted applications online, the pirate sites included license keys for all of them.
At the time, the internet market was restricted to IT only, but today, it became fast and almost everything could be stored and streamed, without obstacles from technical point of view. The obstacle now is the fact that businessmen and politicians joined the pirates. Today, if you wrote the book, composed the music, created the software, had a breakthrough in science, made a movie or contributed with any kind of intellectual property and you want to earn little money from the effort, you can't do it alone. Your significant share is taken by businessmen or stolen by pirates or taxed and/or forbidden by illogical laws that favor others. Not to mention lawyers and bankers that also parasitically live within the system and take the share with any transactions or legal processes.
In conclusion and to put everything in perspective, what people behind MovieSaints are trying to do, at least with small independent movies, and what was the main idea decade or two with shareware concept, now with addition of refund policy, is taking one step further. It does require a little bit of honesty to work. Something that is not the prime feature for the average human being but I am sure that, deep down, everybody possess it. Moreover, along with honesty for this system to work, it does require other distribution companies to follow but to see it running on the bigger scale at least one big player in the vast internet arena must join.
Refs:
https://www.moviesaints.com/#!/movie/man-from-earth-holocene
https://www.comparehare.co.uk/net-neutrality-what-you-need-to-know-now/
https://www.freepress.net/.../net-neutrality-what-you-need-know-now
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29170/donationware
https://www.populationmatters.org/.../welcome-to-the-anthropocene/
http://manfromearth.com/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../what-is-the-anthropocene
The movie distribution has just started and I am not going to spoil the content but I will tell you that after I watched it for the first time my initial thought was that there was many "I didn't see this coming" moments, looking from the point of view of the first film. After watching a movie for the second time, and I really needed to do it to clarify the image, my impressions didn't change a bit and I truly hope Richard Schenkman's wishes for the sequel TV show will come to life. I would definitely like to see what happens next. Perhaps little more science than religion could spice the script with additional direction. After all, Anthropocene epoch is a scientific achievement, which is maybe faster in development than what human society can handle at the same pace.
"The Man from Earth: Holocene" comes with one more twist when it comes to distribution of films in general. It uses donationware, a licensing model originates from the software publication but with one more add-on, to stay with the IT vocabulary. If you don't like it, you get full or partial refund of the small amount of money taken from your card. This is exactly what I speculated once before on the blog, back in 2012 when some sort of political attack was launched after Wikipedia. The story went toward anti-piracy war and distribution of movies and I complained that my time was not free to be wasted and after watching some movies I felt like I would like having some system that would provide some sort of refund for both of my lost time and money.
"The Man from Earth" and "The Man from Earth: Holocene" are now part of this donationware-like system and the distribution of both films is made by a fairly new website called MovieSaints and in their words, this is the place "where people can discover and watch compelling independent films from around the world. Viewers can support the filmmaker/creators if they like a film and get a refund if they don't like it." I would really like to see the success of this for the future and not just for small independent projects but also for the major franchises as well. After all, internet is also one of those scientific achievements that are forcing full closure of the Holocene epoch and this donation-refund system, if succeeded, could have power to dramatically reduce intermediaries and pirates.
Ever since the internet arrived and spread everywhere as the ultimate carrier of the intellectual property of various kind, along with came the business, politics and all the other side-effects and struggles intended for squeezing pennies or votes out from the little man behind the screen. Of course, when it all started, the stage was academic and most of the suits, whether they were hiding behind various business acronyms or political parties, stayed outside. The internet was small back then and not important from their point of view. It was also more honest in the nineties before the new millennium. Well... Almost. The web pirates were there from the beginning.
I remember I wanted to contribute with what I did best at the time and created several desktop applications for home users and small companies. It was nothing special, just couple of ActiveX libraries to help Internet Explorer to use email functionalities and sharing files more easily or, for example, a very nice application for FM radio stations - the producers' tool for organizing "on the air" time with custom lists of MP3 songs and commercials scheduled to be aired automatically without host or technician. For small applications like those, it was popular choice to go with "Shareware" distribution. It basically meant the applications were free but slightly limited in functionality and if small fee was paid, I was creating the unlock code that provided restrictions to go away. Even without that, all apps were useful enough so the end users with paying for the code were actually more sending the note that they are really satisfied with functionality. The unlock code was pretty simple - just small math equations that verified that serious of numbers corresponds with the math result. Imagine my surprise when almost day after I posted applications online, the pirate sites included license keys for all of them.
At the time, the internet market was restricted to IT only, but today, it became fast and almost everything could be stored and streamed, without obstacles from technical point of view. The obstacle now is the fact that businessmen and politicians joined the pirates. Today, if you wrote the book, composed the music, created the software, had a breakthrough in science, made a movie or contributed with any kind of intellectual property and you want to earn little money from the effort, you can't do it alone. Your significant share is taken by businessmen or stolen by pirates or taxed and/or forbidden by illogical laws that favor others. Not to mention lawyers and bankers that also parasitically live within the system and take the share with any transactions or legal processes.
In conclusion and to put everything in perspective, what people behind MovieSaints are trying to do, at least with small independent movies, and what was the main idea decade or two with shareware concept, now with addition of refund policy, is taking one step further. It does require a little bit of honesty to work. Something that is not the prime feature for the average human being but I am sure that, deep down, everybody possess it. Moreover, along with honesty for this system to work, it does require other distribution companies to follow but to see it running on the bigger scale at least one big player in the vast internet arena must join.
Refs:
https://www.moviesaints.com/#!/movie/man-from-earth-holocene
https://www.comparehare.co.uk/net-neutrality-what-you-need-to-know-now/
https://www.freepress.net/.../net-neutrality-what-you-need-know-now
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29170/donationware
https://www.populationmatters.org/.../welcome-to-the-anthropocene/
http://manfromearth.com/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../what-is-the-anthropocene
History of motion pictures dates back to the second part of the 19th century with photographers like Étienne-Jules Marey and Eadweard Muybridge who among others were the first to take several images per second in one effort - all in scientific purpose back then - to study locomotion of birds, animals and humans. For example, Muybridge was the first who took series of photographs of a galloping horse in order to prove that in one single instant of time all four horse legs are not touching the ground. More or less in the same time on another continent, Marey created a shotgun shaped camera capable with one trigger pull to capture 12 images in a row within one single second and store them all on the single 90mm film. He used his gun to study various motion of animals, fish and insects within his so called 'animated zoo', including dropped cats from different heights and filming them always landing on their feet. ELMO Super 106, 8mm movie camera It was not long after initia
History of motion pictures dates back to the second part of the 19th century with photographers like Étienne-Jules Marey and Eadweard Muybridge who among others were the first to take several images per second in one effort - all in scientific purpose back then - to study locomotion of birds, animals and humans. For example, Muybridge was the first who took series of photographs of a galloping horse in order to prove that in one single instant of time all four horse legs are not touching the ground. More or less in the same time on another continent, Marey created a shotgun shaped camera capable with one trigger pull to capture 12 images in a row within one single second and store them all on the single 90mm film. He used his gun to study various motion of animals, fish and insects within his so called 'animated zoo', including dropped cats from different heights and filming them always landing on their feet.
It was not long after initial chronophotography efforts and enthusiasm in 19th century, that 'evolution' of motion pictures diverted heavily into entertainment and cinematography. History of films and fun started almost with start of 20th century, but in the spirit of today title, 'domesticating' films within ordinary people and human homes waited another 65 years for the invention of Super 8, or to be precise, improvement of Kodak's standard 8mm film from 1932 into more efficient surface with bigger width for the frame itself and significantly smaller perforation on the film right edge. After they introduced it at the 1964-65 World's Fair, Super 8 instantly became the very first home video format with light cameras capable of filming 18 frames per second and more than 3 minutes of the movie per one, also small in dimension, film cartridge.
To say that my father was a film enthusiast in the second part of sixties and entire seventies would be understatement. It was natural for him to go the step further and in addition to the several analog SLR cameras and darkroom equipment for developing photos, to invest into home movies. Spending time in darkroom and hanging photos on the wire were one of the most thrilling experiences from my childhood, but when Super 8 came, another world opened. I was too young to operate the camera but on the occasion or two I remember I did hold it and pressed the red button especially during our vacations in Greece. Well, aside from those rare moments, most of the time my job, with being a kid and all, was to be in front of the camera and not behind it.
But to cut the story short, this month I did something I was delaying for a long time. During last two weeks, every night I was descending into my own customized darkroom equipped with tiny Super 8 projector and digitalizing our family films. Twenty of those survived over time and with a speed of two per day I projected them on the wall and filmed them all with my smartphone. It was far from being ideal setting but this was the best I could do. I tried different approaches, filming from different distances, different settings and with using my dSLR Nikon in the beginning. I even tried to project the film directly into dSLR but all my efforts failed due to not having proper lenses and objectives and in the end the smartphone was the chosen solution and it did better job in the dark than Nikon.
With more expensive equipment I am sure the results would be much better and probably the weakest link was the cute and old Italian Tondo projector - which was my father's portable cinematic projector. I did try with a bigger 'player' first, but despite all my efforts I couldn't manage to repair the old and superb Crown Optical Co Ltd - Auto-P, a silent Standard and Super 8 film projector, our primary projector capable of displaying big and crisp screens on the large walls and with much better quality. To be honest it's more than half a century old and built with nowadays rare parts, especially the missing lamp, that is hard to find these days, but I didn't give up and perhaps in the future if I stumble to some solution (read it ebay sort of solution) I will repeat the effort, at least for those videos filmed indoors.
Nevertheless, all twenty rolls now comes with twenty MP4s and for this occasion I decided to create two movie collages with six movies per each. They are all filmed in late sixties, during seventies and early eighties, with ELMO Super 106 camera from the first image. First one, embedded above contains six films from our early vacations in Greece and in chronological order they are filmed in Acropolis of Athens, Zeitenlik, World War I memorial park in Thessaloniki, vacation resorts in Kamena Vourla, Asprovalta, Katerini Paralia and two vacations in near vicinity of the port city of Volos.
Second collage is from our home and village in Niš and Guševac in Serbia. Mostly it focuses to my sister's and mine babyhood and early childhood, birthday parties, family gathering and excursions. Also our old house that is now gone and old shape of our country village frontyard. This video also contains one of rare black and white films from our collection that probably originate from different camera and settings.
This entire effort triggered lots of memories and emotions from almost forty years ago and seeing people live, especially those that are not alive today are something extraordinary that regular photography cannot induce. Perhaps we today, with all of our pocket gadgets, are taking video clips and home photography for granted, but before, in the Super 8 era this was completely different experience. What we today do with just two taps on the screen, before you had to do in more complex manner, including purchasing film cartridge, carefully plan (directing) filming sequences for a 3 minutes film, sending it to developing, organize cinematic sessions...
One thing is for sure, Super 8 was the origin of what we have now in our homes. It was eventually replaced with VHS tapes in 80-ies, but in the dawn of the 21st century analog period came to its end and home old fashion gadgets are replaced with home digital camcorders first and in the very last decade with smartphones. To tell you the truth, it is nice to have a camera in your back pocket, it is, but somehow, with me, as I witnessed the origin of the entire process in my early childhood, the nostalgia for the analog days gave me another layer of the entire experience. Something special and extraordinary for sure.
Perhaps for the best conclusion for this post, it would be not fair not to mention one of the greatest J.J.Abrams' movies from 2011. Simply named 'Super 8' it tells a main sci-fi story about alien encounter, but everything perfectly wrapped within a background story of school kids trying to film a short movie for a super 8 festival. It was really a great movie and if you liked E.T. before, this is definitely a decent sequel and one of my favorites.
Refs:
http://www.kodak.com/id/en/consumer/products/super8/default.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_formats
http://www.retrothing.com/2009/09/tondo-super-8-projector
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/super-8-jj-abrams-says-194908
ELMO Super 106, 8mm movie camera
It was not long after initial chronophotography efforts and enthusiasm in 19th century, that 'evolution' of motion pictures diverted heavily into entertainment and cinematography. History of films and fun started almost with start of 20th century, but in the spirit of today title, 'domesticating' films within ordinary people and human homes waited another 65 years for the invention of Super 8, or to be precise, improvement of Kodak's standard 8mm film from 1932 into more efficient surface with bigger width for the frame itself and significantly smaller perforation on the film right edge. After they introduced it at the 1964-65 World's Fair, Super 8 instantly became the very first home video format with light cameras capable of filming 18 frames per second and more than 3 minutes of the movie per one, also small in dimension, film cartridge.
To say that my father was a film enthusiast in the second part of sixties and entire seventies would be understatement. It was natural for him to go the step further and in addition to the several analog SLR cameras and darkroom equipment for developing photos, to invest into home movies. Spending time in darkroom and hanging photos on the wire were one of the most thrilling experiences from my childhood, but when Super 8 came, another world opened. I was too young to operate the camera but on the occasion or two I remember I did hold it and pressed the red button especially during our vacations in Greece. Well, aside from those rare moments, most of the time my job, with being a kid and all, was to be in front of the camera and not behind it.
Tondo Super 8 Projector and LG Nexus 5 in action
But to cut the story short, this month I did something I was delaying for a long time. During last two weeks, every night I was descending into my own customized darkroom equipped with tiny Super 8 projector and digitalizing our family films. Twenty of those survived over time and with a speed of two per day I projected them on the wall and filmed them all with my smartphone. It was far from being ideal setting but this was the best I could do. I tried different approaches, filming from different distances, different settings and with using my dSLR Nikon in the beginning. I even tried to project the film directly into dSLR but all my efforts failed due to not having proper lenses and objectives and in the end the smartphone was the chosen solution and it did better job in the dark than Nikon.
With more expensive equipment I am sure the results would be much better and probably the weakest link was the cute and old Italian Tondo projector - which was my father's portable cinematic projector. I did try with a bigger 'player' first, but despite all my efforts I couldn't manage to repair the old and superb Crown Optical Co Ltd - Auto-P, a silent Standard and Super 8 film projector, our primary projector capable of displaying big and crisp screens on the large walls and with much better quality. To be honest it's more than half a century old and built with nowadays rare parts, especially the missing lamp, that is hard to find these days, but I didn't give up and perhaps in the future if I stumble to some solution (read it ebay sort of solution) I will repeat the effort, at least for those videos filmed indoors.
Nevertheless, all twenty rolls now comes with twenty MP4s and for this occasion I decided to create two movie collages with six movies per each. They are all filmed in late sixties, during seventies and early eighties, with ELMO Super 106 camera from the first image. First one, embedded above contains six films from our early vacations in Greece and in chronological order they are filmed in Acropolis of Athens, Zeitenlik, World War I memorial park in Thessaloniki, vacation resorts in Kamena Vourla, Asprovalta, Katerini Paralia and two vacations in near vicinity of the port city of Volos.
Second collage is from our home and village in Niš and Guševac in Serbia. Mostly it focuses to my sister's and mine babyhood and early childhood, birthday parties, family gathering and excursions. Also our old house that is now gone and old shape of our country village frontyard. This video also contains one of rare black and white films from our collection that probably originate from different camera and settings.
This entire effort triggered lots of memories and emotions from almost forty years ago and seeing people live, especially those that are not alive today are something extraordinary that regular photography cannot induce. Perhaps we today, with all of our pocket gadgets, are taking video clips and home photography for granted, but before, in the Super 8 era this was completely different experience. What we today do with just two taps on the screen, before you had to do in more complex manner, including purchasing film cartridge, carefully plan (directing) filming sequences for a 3 minutes film, sending it to developing, organize cinematic sessions...
One thing is for sure, Super 8 was the origin of what we have now in our homes. It was eventually replaced with VHS tapes in 80-ies, but in the dawn of the 21st century analog period came to its end and home old fashion gadgets are replaced with home digital camcorders first and in the very last decade with smartphones. To tell you the truth, it is nice to have a camera in your back pocket, it is, but somehow, with me, as I witnessed the origin of the entire process in my early childhood, the nostalgia for the analog days gave me another layer of the entire experience. Something special and extraordinary for sure.
'Super 8', Sci-Fi movie by J.J.Abrams
Perhaps for the best conclusion for this post, it would be not fair not to mention one of the greatest J.J.Abrams' movies from 2011. Simply named 'Super 8' it tells a main sci-fi story about alien encounter, but everything perfectly wrapped within a background story of school kids trying to film a short movie for a super 8 festival. It was really a great movie and if you liked E.T. before, this is definitely a decent sequel and one of my favorites.
Refs:
http://www.kodak.com/id/en/consumer/products/super8/default.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_formats
http://www.retrothing.com/2009/09/tondo-super-8-projector
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/super-8-jj-abrams-says-194908
DNA is a fascinating world. That single molecule of life contains all the information about individual living being. Any bacteria, plant, insect, algae, fish, animal or human grows from that one molecule seed. Probably even some alien form still waiting to be discovered on some moon orbiting Jupiter or Saturn. In one way or another, the same could be true with all life in the universe. All of us are grown from that single instructions manual inside the single DNA set of written directions. And there are no two identical DNA in existence, even if we could mix the same two identical human egg and sperm cells several times, similar but different resulted DNA would always be the outcome. We are surely still not mastering the DNA and bio-engineering - it is still young science and even though one giant molecule of life was hinted by various scientists and scholars more than century ago, it was only in early fifties of 20th century when James Watson and Francis Crick created the first double
DNA is a fascinating world. That single molecule of life contains all the information about individual living being. Any bacteria, plant, insect, algae, fish, animal or human grows from that one molecule seed. Probably even some alien form still waiting to be discovered on some moon orbiting Jupiter or Saturn. In one way or another, the same could be true with all life in the universe. All of us are grown from that single instructions manual inside the single DNA set of written directions. And there are no two identical DNA in existence, even if we could mix the same two identical human egg and sperm cells several times, similar but different resulted DNA would always be the outcome. We are surely still not mastering the DNA and bio-engineering - it is still young science and even though one giant molecule of life was hinted by various scientists and scholars more than century ago, it was only in early fifties of 20th century when James Watson and Francis Crick created the first double-helix model of DNA structure. Discovery and sequencing of the genome codes responsible for various features and properties of a living beings started almost immediately afterwards. Of course, morality and potential hazards of cracking the code followed and by today we have lots of different opinions of what future of DNA research should look like and what kind of practical applications and engineering would be made out of it for our own species.
Surely, curing genetic diseases comes first in mind and there is no doubt this will be something extraordinary for the future edits of human embryos. The only 'problem' is what the definition of 'disease' is. If you ask different people and scientists you will get different answers and the most interesting one comes from the very co-founder of the double-helix, James Watson, who once said that stupidity is sort of genetic disease and if we can cure it in the future we should do it. The same goes with not appealing physical appearances, he joked that having all girls genetically altered to be pretty would not be that bad either.
But even before getting into genetically modifying of the genome sequences of embryos, morality is knocking on our future doors already - consider this - way before going into pregnancy, future couple might be able to have a glimpse of their potential children just by interpreting DNA sequences of embryos and to project the 3D image of offsprings live on screen. They would be able to know not just the physical appearance of their potential sons and daughters but also other features, such as estimates of their IQ or medical hazards in their adult age. Scary or not, future couples might be able to choose their children from the bag of their frozen embryos that can be produced in vast numbers and easily. I don't know about you but having a picture of, say my potential daughter and choosing for her not to be born is a huge moral decision. I don't think I could do it. Not without serious consequences.
But before giving a thought or two about more serious genetic engineering and genome modification in spirit of the new Daniel Suarez novel called 'Changed Agent' let me start the review with one old and epic cyberpunk movie from the eighties. Blade Runner. I did mention this great film back in the day within the post 'Cuberpunked Future' but now in light of 35 years of genetic research after the movie was filmed, after all the GMO controversies, after Dolly, the cloned sheep and many more fictitious books and movies with the genetic engineering in the background, I think Blade Runner does not really belong to cyberpunk genre anymore. Genetic modification is not something what we expect to happen in distant future and it is not walking on the edge between the reality and fiction anymore. It is happening now and I believe it will not take long to gain more knowledge and understanding of DNA code in order to achieve the holy grail from described prediction - to create a detailed image of a living being just by looking into DNA molecule of a single piece of hair or tiny drop of the blood. I will leave it to you to conclude what we might do with this futuristic device, but one particular study comes to my mind first with relation to ancient DNA or persisted samples of i.e. neanderthals which stuck to minerals or in the layers of sediment. One day we might literally create a photographs of ancient people and extinct species.
Anyhow, later this year new sequel of Blade Runner is announced and if it is going to be only half as good as the first movie, it would be another epic masterpiece in science fiction genre. Furthermore, after 35 years, new filming CGI allows now further explanation of the creation of replicants and genetic modifications themselves and according to the trailer (embedded above) it all looks more than promising.
Finally in conclusion of this short glimpse into genetic modifications of humans, thanks to the new Daniel Suarez novel 'Change Agent', what I have learned before while reading about GMO in realm of microbiological life, plants, animals and food in general is now widely expanded to the level of potential future of the dark side of human DNA edits. Like anything else that comes with prefix of being breakthrough discovery in history of mankind, genetic editing comes in wide variety of great possibilities with curing genetic diseases and enhancing human body to fight more easily with 'ordinary' infections and diseases, including cancer. But also it provides ways of destructive and to say the least, non-ethical features and procedures that might reshape human evolution to the edge of self-destruction. 'Change Agent' is dealing with this dark side of genetics in the near future that could come very soon after we reach fully understanding of DNA and possible alterations of genomes.
Daniel's new book is not just a pure Sci-fi prediction of the future, but also one great thriller and adventure novel centered on the outcome of one additional prediction of what might happen if editing of a single human being would be possible during the adulthood (editing more than 30 trillion cells in human body in the same time). Now, if you ask me this is walking side by side to the impossible or at least resembles more to the far-stretched cyberpunk prediction, but who knows, I am sure that average reader of Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' in the 19th century could have felt the same reading about men sitting in the most powerful cannon launching them into space and toward moon. I am sure, at the time, many were convinced that would never happen.
Still and for the time being, genetic editing of the embryos in their early stages are something more plausible, expected and somewhat tested with GMO research with growing food. However, regarding the plot and twists in the book I will stay with my initial decision not to spoil the stories of the novels and movies I was writing about on the blog and this book will be no exception so I will finish this post now with my full recommendation and for the very end I will only quote Bryan Frey, one of the main characters stating one of the obvious potential outcome if the dark side of the genetic engineering of humans prevails and people start enhancing their children before they are born:
"I don’t imagine we are going to remain a single species for much longer."
Image refs:
https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/297
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
https://www.statnews.com/2016/04/20/clever-crispr-advance-unveiled/
Refs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/04/ancient-dna/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_DNA
Harrison Ford in 'Blade Runner' by Ridley Scott
Surely, curing genetic diseases comes first in mind and there is no doubt this will be something extraordinary for the future edits of human embryos. The only 'problem' is what the definition of 'disease' is. If you ask different people and scientists you will get different answers and the most interesting one comes from the very co-founder of the double-helix, James Watson, who once said that stupidity is sort of genetic disease and if we can cure it in the future we should do it. The same goes with not appealing physical appearances, he joked that having all girls genetically altered to be pretty would not be that bad either.
But even before getting into genetically modifying of the genome sequences of embryos, morality is knocking on our future doors already - consider this - way before going into pregnancy, future couple might be able to have a glimpse of their potential children just by interpreting DNA sequences of embryos and to project the 3D image of offsprings live on screen. They would be able to know not just the physical appearance of their potential sons and daughters but also other features, such as estimates of their IQ or medical hazards in their adult age. Scary or not, future couples might be able to choose their children from the bag of their frozen embryos that can be produced in vast numbers and easily. I don't know about you but having a picture of, say my potential daughter and choosing for her not to be born is a huge moral decision. I don't think I could do it. Not without serious consequences.
But before giving a thought or two about more serious genetic engineering and genome modification in spirit of the new Daniel Suarez novel called 'Changed Agent' let me start the review with one old and epic cyberpunk movie from the eighties. Blade Runner. I did mention this great film back in the day within the post 'Cuberpunked Future' but now in light of 35 years of genetic research after the movie was filmed, after all the GMO controversies, after Dolly, the cloned sheep and many more fictitious books and movies with the genetic engineering in the background, I think Blade Runner does not really belong to cyberpunk genre anymore. Genetic modification is not something what we expect to happen in distant future and it is not walking on the edge between the reality and fiction anymore. It is happening now and I believe it will not take long to gain more knowledge and understanding of DNA code in order to achieve the holy grail from described prediction - to create a detailed image of a living being just by looking into DNA molecule of a single piece of hair or tiny drop of the blood. I will leave it to you to conclude what we might do with this futuristic device, but one particular study comes to my mind first with relation to ancient DNA or persisted samples of i.e. neanderthals which stuck to minerals or in the layers of sediment. One day we might literally create a photographs of ancient people and extinct species.
Anyhow, later this year new sequel of Blade Runner is announced and if it is going to be only half as good as the first movie, it would be another epic masterpiece in science fiction genre. Furthermore, after 35 years, new filming CGI allows now further explanation of the creation of replicants and genetic modifications themselves and according to the trailer (embedded above) it all looks more than promising.
Triangulation 297 with Daniel Suarez
Finally in conclusion of this short glimpse into genetic modifications of humans, thanks to the new Daniel Suarez novel 'Change Agent', what I have learned before while reading about GMO in realm of microbiological life, plants, animals and food in general is now widely expanded to the level of potential future of the dark side of human DNA edits. Like anything else that comes with prefix of being breakthrough discovery in history of mankind, genetic editing comes in wide variety of great possibilities with curing genetic diseases and enhancing human body to fight more easily with 'ordinary' infections and diseases, including cancer. But also it provides ways of destructive and to say the least, non-ethical features and procedures that might reshape human evolution to the edge of self-destruction. 'Change Agent' is dealing with this dark side of genetics in the near future that could come very soon after we reach fully understanding of DNA and possible alterations of genomes.
Daniel's new book is not just a pure Sci-fi prediction of the future, but also one great thriller and adventure novel centered on the outcome of one additional prediction of what might happen if editing of a single human being would be possible during the adulthood (editing more than 30 trillion cells in human body in the same time). Now, if you ask me this is walking side by side to the impossible or at least resembles more to the far-stretched cyberpunk prediction, but who knows, I am sure that average reader of Jules Verne's 'From the Earth to the Moon' in the 19th century could have felt the same reading about men sitting in the most powerful cannon launching them into space and toward moon. I am sure, at the time, many were convinced that would never happen.
CRISPR Genome Editing
Still and for the time being, genetic editing of the embryos in their early stages are something more plausible, expected and somewhat tested with GMO research with growing food. However, regarding the plot and twists in the book I will stay with my initial decision not to spoil the stories of the novels and movies I was writing about on the blog and this book will be no exception so I will finish this post now with my full recommendation and for the very end I will only quote Bryan Frey, one of the main characters stating one of the obvious potential outcome if the dark side of the genetic engineering of humans prevails and people start enhancing their children before they are born:
"I don’t imagine we are going to remain a single species for much longer."
Image refs:
https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/297
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083658/
https://www.statnews.com/2016/04/20/clever-crispr-advance-unveiled/
Refs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/04/ancient-dna/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_DNA
"It is unwise from some interstellar species to give us technology to leave the Earth - chances that we would use it for star wars are bigger than we would go the next level and use it for peaceful exploration of solar system and beyond." - What is Intelligent Life? As promised in my last post story about one grim political view of the last forgettable year , please behold another glimpse to the humanity from another angle. Let's move today from raw reality to the reality-inspired fiction and make a little peek into three science-fiction masterpieces. Two of them, product of current almost expired year, that if you ask me, are making this forgettable year, well, little less forgettable. But before Daniel Abraham's and Ty Franck's "Babylon's Ashes", sixth book of The Expanse and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", Star Wars sequel, I think this is a perfect moment for me to start the review with another classic, in the most genuine meaning of
"It is unwise from some interstellar species to give us technology to leave the Earth - chances that we would use it for star wars are bigger than we would go the next level and use it for peaceful exploration of solar system and beyond." - What is Intelligent Life?
As promised in my last post story about one grim political view of the last forgettable year, please behold another glimpse to the humanity from another angle. Let's move today from raw reality to the reality-inspired fiction and make a little peek into three science-fiction masterpieces. Two of them, product of current almost expired year, that if you ask me, are making this forgettable year, well, little less forgettable. But before Daniel Abraham's and Ty Franck's "Babylon's Ashes", sixth book of The Expanse and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", Star Wars sequel, I think this is a perfect moment for me to start the review with another classic, in the most genuine meaning of the word - Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" that also deals with the same topic - humanity, all his weakness and soundness and the potential future based on our current conditions. And about the war that is, as it seems, inwrought in our core to the bone. So deep, that we still can't imagine a life or our own evolution without it.
In "Childhood's End", Arthur C. Clarke answered the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth disarmed and dismantled all their weaponry. In his novel, alien race forced people to do just that and the result of hypothetical 21st century without militaries and conflict and with just one world-state is described with these words: "The abolition of armed forces had at once almost doubled the world’s effective wealth, and increased production had done the rest. As a result, it was difficult to compare the standard of living of twenty-first-century man with that of any of his predecessors. Everything was so cheap that the necessities of life were free, provided as a public service by the community, as roads, water, street lighting, and drainage had once been".
But we are humans and evolutionary speaking only half a step ahead of the most advanced living creature on Earth in the realm of entire animal world. Therefore, for many years or decades and maybe even centuries in the future, world without armies, animosities and all kinds of hatred will only stay in fantasy stories like this one. On the other end, this is what I admire the most about Arthur C. Clarke. In most of his novels and stories, if not them all, this pacifist note is always present, including two other of his masterpieces "Rendezvous with Rama" and "Space Odyssey" series. Maybe this fact and the one that there are no real heroes in his imagination from the ordinary 'Hollywood' point of view, is what his books will always be considered as classics. "Childhood's End" is no different and the portrayed possible human evolution with total ascension of human collective mind is something that will give you lots to think about days after last page in the book is read. There is also a TV miniseries created last year based on the novel but I warmly recommend a book. They are not comparable after all, even though the script is not too much diverted from the original.
However, to make sure this post is true sequel to the previous one with reflection of this year political affairs or hatred if you will, let's get back to the old good war. The cliche, that if told or filmed right is guaranteed to bring you back success, glory and not the least, money. Please don't get me wrong here, I do like this kind of stories with lots of battles, heroes, villains, happy ends and well known fight between good and evil. After all, worldwide authors are not the ones who created the mess - they are only inspired with current political, religious and other types of conflicts in nowadays Earth and her history. This is the exact truth with "The Expanse", the novel series and last two books in sequel. What we had in first four was largely driven by science fiction and existence of alien protomolecule and the gates system. Last two are all about war and expanding conflict between people living on different planets, moons, stations and asteroids. Even though, concluding the conflict in the end of the "Babylon's Ashes" is anticipated from the beginning and with good guys winning as expected, the story is written pretty well and one year of waiting for conclusion, for me was worthwhile and with reading ended with great dose of entertainment. However, while "Childhood's End" is leaving you with many thoughts with its imaginative ending, "Babylon's Ashes" left only with bitter impression that humanity in its core didn't changed in the span of 200 years and all the hatred survived with only different background. All the racial, class, religious and all kind of known animosities survived just the same and spread across Solar system creating another series of wars, only this time with railguns.
On the other end, and also contrary to "Childhood's End", SyFy TV show of "The Expanse" is really extraordinary and exceptional. It is advertized as the best science fiction show after Battlestar Galactica and I agree fully. First season was simply great and visual effects are only adding another value to the equally exceptional novels. When I first wrote about "The Expanse" in posts Martian vs Expanse and Science of Life in Solar System, I expresed all the hope that all the characters, places, events and scientific tools as well as gravity and its changes, would be portrayed in the series just as it was in the books and after first season I can only confirm that they didn't divert at all and with all the filming technologies and effects managed to provide the same experience as the one from the reading. On some occasions even better, as one space opera, or franchise, is perhaps more suitable for the screen than for just the words. I do recommend both especially because the books are way ahead from the TV show keeping in mind that filming only started last year.
And finally, at the end, the series that doesn't even hide the word "wars", even from its title. Sadly, since first three movies was filmed long ago in the era of the old FX 'analogue' special effects, "the war" in the galaxy far, far away didn't really look too great. Don't get me wrong again now, it was awesome for the time being, but indeed warfare was not the prime theme in the first movies, perhaps with little exception in "The Empire Strikes Back". But even that one only a little. Next three movies came later to fill the gap but, even with decent effects and storyline, with me they left only a feeling for "Star Wars" being more a fairytale for children than one serious franchise. Somebody says Jar Jar Binks? The effect was little improved with last year "The Force Awakens" but I have to admit that I had more hopes in that one. It was good alright, but still the feeling was not really perfect. Maybe over the years we all ended with too much high expectation?
And then just a week ago came "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". Finally, the 'Star Wars' movie that really, well ... is about the 'war'. The real and raging war. Believable one. With tremendous action and fabulous end. With good guys dying just as the bad ones. With only a hint of the force and fairytales. And with believable death star and exciting space battles. If they removed the sound of spacecrafts in the void of space I would definitely be the happiest person in the theater as this was the only thing I noticed bad in the movie. Maybe for the good feeling, I should credit low expectation I fixed for the projection this time or maybe it was the festivity of the second half of the December or even the fact that Cineplexx opened brand new theater in our neighborhood but nevertheless, like in the end of the movie, I think Star Wars with this one earned new hope for the future.
Well, that would be my glimpse to the world of science fiction for this year. There were more novels and movie sequels I can remember I read or watched during the year (Star Trek Beyond, Patrick Lee's The Breach Series, Matthew Mather's Nomad series, our Game of Life adventure, "The X-Files" season 10 and even decent "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "Spectral") and overall I dare to say that this year and especially this december improved the impression a little for one forgettable year I described in my last post. Let's see what the next one will be in both reality and fiction. Anyways, happy 2017th!
Image refs:
http://gmonster320.blogspot.com/2015/12/childhoods-end-episodes-1-3-reviews.html
http://www.space.ca/the-expanse-season-2-first-look/
http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-rogue-one-concept-art/
http://www.wallpaperbetter.com/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story
The Expanse, Expanded (Adam Savage):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8vR2FB1PGM
As promised in my last post story about one grim political view of the last forgettable year, please behold another glimpse to the humanity from another angle. Let's move today from raw reality to the reality-inspired fiction and make a little peek into three science-fiction masterpieces. Two of them, product of current almost expired year, that if you ask me, are making this forgettable year, well, little less forgettable. But before Daniel Abraham's and Ty Franck's "Babylon's Ashes", sixth book of The Expanse and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", Star Wars sequel, I think this is a perfect moment for me to start the review with another classic, in the most genuine meaning of the word - Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End" that also deals with the same topic - humanity, all his weakness and soundness and the potential future based on our current conditions. And about the war that is, as it seems, inwrought in our core to the bone. So deep, that we still can't imagine a life or our own evolution without it.
Childhood's End
In "Childhood's End", Arthur C. Clarke answered the question of what would happen if everybody on Earth disarmed and dismantled all their weaponry. In his novel, alien race forced people to do just that and the result of hypothetical 21st century without militaries and conflict and with just one world-state is described with these words: "The abolition of armed forces had at once almost doubled the world’s effective wealth, and increased production had done the rest. As a result, it was difficult to compare the standard of living of twenty-first-century man with that of any of his predecessors. Everything was so cheap that the necessities of life were free, provided as a public service by the community, as roads, water, street lighting, and drainage had once been".
But we are humans and evolutionary speaking only half a step ahead of the most advanced living creature on Earth in the realm of entire animal world. Therefore, for many years or decades and maybe even centuries in the future, world without armies, animosities and all kinds of hatred will only stay in fantasy stories like this one. On the other end, this is what I admire the most about Arthur C. Clarke. In most of his novels and stories, if not them all, this pacifist note is always present, including two other of his masterpieces "Rendezvous with Rama" and "Space Odyssey" series. Maybe this fact and the one that there are no real heroes in his imagination from the ordinary 'Hollywood' point of view, is what his books will always be considered as classics. "Childhood's End" is no different and the portrayed possible human evolution with total ascension of human collective mind is something that will give you lots to think about days after last page in the book is read. There is also a TV miniseries created last year based on the novel but I warmly recommend a book. They are not comparable after all, even though the script is not too much diverted from the original.
Babylon's Ashes of The Expanse
However, to make sure this post is true sequel to the previous one with reflection of this year political affairs or hatred if you will, let's get back to the old good war. The cliche, that if told or filmed right is guaranteed to bring you back success, glory and not the least, money. Please don't get me wrong here, I do like this kind of stories with lots of battles, heroes, villains, happy ends and well known fight between good and evil. After all, worldwide authors are not the ones who created the mess - they are only inspired with current political, religious and other types of conflicts in nowadays Earth and her history. This is the exact truth with "The Expanse", the novel series and last two books in sequel. What we had in first four was largely driven by science fiction and existence of alien protomolecule and the gates system. Last two are all about war and expanding conflict between people living on different planets, moons, stations and asteroids. Even though, concluding the conflict in the end of the "Babylon's Ashes" is anticipated from the beginning and with good guys winning as expected, the story is written pretty well and one year of waiting for conclusion, for me was worthwhile and with reading ended with great dose of entertainment. However, while "Childhood's End" is leaving you with many thoughts with its imaginative ending, "Babylon's Ashes" left only with bitter impression that humanity in its core didn't changed in the span of 200 years and all the hatred survived with only different background. All the racial, class, religious and all kind of known animosities survived just the same and spread across Solar system creating another series of wars, only this time with railguns.
On the other end, and also contrary to "Childhood's End", SyFy TV show of "The Expanse" is really extraordinary and exceptional. It is advertized as the best science fiction show after Battlestar Galactica and I agree fully. First season was simply great and visual effects are only adding another value to the equally exceptional novels. When I first wrote about "The Expanse" in posts Martian vs Expanse and Science of Life in Solar System, I expresed all the hope that all the characters, places, events and scientific tools as well as gravity and its changes, would be portrayed in the series just as it was in the books and after first season I can only confirm that they didn't divert at all and with all the filming technologies and effects managed to provide the same experience as the one from the reading. On some occasions even better, as one space opera, or franchise, is perhaps more suitable for the screen than for just the words. I do recommend both especially because the books are way ahead from the TV show keeping in mind that filming only started last year.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And finally, at the end, the series that doesn't even hide the word "wars", even from its title. Sadly, since first three movies was filmed long ago in the era of the old FX 'analogue' special effects, "the war" in the galaxy far, far away didn't really look too great. Don't get me wrong again now, it was awesome for the time being, but indeed warfare was not the prime theme in the first movies, perhaps with little exception in "The Empire Strikes Back". But even that one only a little. Next three movies came later to fill the gap but, even with decent effects and storyline, with me they left only a feeling for "Star Wars" being more a fairytale for children than one serious franchise. Somebody says Jar Jar Binks? The effect was little improved with last year "The Force Awakens" but I have to admit that I had more hopes in that one. It was good alright, but still the feeling was not really perfect. Maybe over the years we all ended with too much high expectation?
And then just a week ago came "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story". Finally, the 'Star Wars' movie that really, well ... is about the 'war'. The real and raging war. Believable one. With tremendous action and fabulous end. With good guys dying just as the bad ones. With only a hint of the force and fairytales. And with believable death star and exciting space battles. If they removed the sound of spacecrafts in the void of space I would definitely be the happiest person in the theater as this was the only thing I noticed bad in the movie. Maybe for the good feeling, I should credit low expectation I fixed for the projection this time or maybe it was the festivity of the second half of the December or even the fact that Cineplexx opened brand new theater in our neighborhood but nevertheless, like in the end of the movie, I think Star Wars with this one earned new hope for the future.
Rogue One in new Cineplexx in Niš, Serbia
Well, that would be my glimpse to the world of science fiction for this year. There were more novels and movie sequels I can remember I read or watched during the year (Star Trek Beyond, Patrick Lee's The Breach Series, Matthew Mather's Nomad series, our Game of Life adventure, "The X-Files" season 10 and even decent "10 Cloverfield Lane" and "Spectral") and overall I dare to say that this year and especially this december improved the impression a little for one forgettable year I described in my last post. Let's see what the next one will be in both reality and fiction. Anyways, happy 2017th!
Image refs:
http://gmonster320.blogspot.com/2015/12/childhoods-end-episodes-1-3-reviews.html
http://www.space.ca/the-expanse-season-2-first-look/
http://www.slashfilm.com/star-wars-rogue-one-concept-art/
http://www.wallpaperbetter.com/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story
The Expanse, Expanded (Adam Savage):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8vR2FB1PGM
Have you ever thought about what you would be or do if you were born in different ages? Well, the future is uncertain but even so I would most likely do some technical and innovative things. For example, if society evolved into living in the void of space I would definitely try to find a place aboard some research ship or orbital station. In plausibility of some, futuristic global society my place would be not so different than today, only my programming skills would probably be diverted from preposterous business projects into something more substantial and useful in science or engineering. But in the spirit of today's post, lets travel to the past and check several old ages. Two centuries ago in the dawn of industrial revolution I would most definitely be involved in machine invention process. Couple of centuries before that, in Leonardo's time, I would probably be hunted by church for my free-thinker ideas that would, most likely, contradict the main belief and dogma. Year
Have you ever thought about what you would be or do if you were born in different ages? Well, the future is uncertain but even so I would most likely do some technical and innovative things. For example, if society evolved into living in the void of space I would definitely try to find a place aboard some research ship or orbital station. In plausibility of some, futuristic global society my place would be not so different than today, only my programming skills would probably be diverted from preposterous business projects into something more substantial and useful in science or engineering.
But in the spirit of today's post, lets travel to the past and check several old ages. Two centuries ago in the dawn of industrial revolution I would most definitely be involved in machine invention process. Couple of centuries before that, in Leonardo's time, I would probably be hunted by church for my free-thinker ideas that would, most likely, contradict the main belief and dogma. Years before that, during the endless crusades, I would probably be a blacksmith to avoid army and deal with iron manufacture. During Roman and Greek era I might be connected with some military jobs and weapon creation or with work in philosophy realm. Millennium or two before that I would most likely be known for my pottery or bronze artwork. However if we go way back to the peek of the last ice age, some 25 or so millenniums before now, I would probably do what Droog was doing the best. I would be a toolmaker.
Well, enough about me and my what-if mind experiments, I couldn't resist not to put on paper what was itched my mind when I finished first book of "Earth's Children" series, brilliantly written, researched and imagined by Jean Auel and named "The Clan of the Cave Bear". I think I mentioned once earlier that when it comes to novels or movies one particular way of story telling I prefer the most. No matter what the genre is, I do like all stories with strong characters in lead roles. This is probably the main reason why I am keep remembering their names instead of titles of the books or movies or shows. For example I am big fan of Mulder, House, Holden, Langdon, Valter, Kirk, Kate, Piper, Cross, Kovacs, Maximus, Hal, Woody, Neo, Yoda, Doc Brown, etc. and if you ask me to write all the titles of these characters' stories I would probably have to google and find out the most of them. With "Earth's Children" novels I am sure I gain one more name to the pile. It is still fresh in my brain today but I am sure if you, in the (near) future, ask me for a recommendation of the best and iconic prehistoric adventures of ancient neanderthal clans and their interactions with homo sapiens - I would most likely say go and read about Ayla.
I could easily left this post at this point and leave it with recommendation only but truly, I am fascinated with old ages myself and especially with old human migration ever since our ancestors left Africa and spread throughout the world. Migrating to the Europe is one of the few directions they took some 60000 years ago and the most iconic encounter with other species happened just here during the last ice age with neanderthals. The story about neanderthals and their interbreeding with our African predecessors went viral last year on the net and I also followed the strain with post about Neanderthals, Humans and Shared Caves with insight to the entire scientific and anthropological stories from my point of view.
We today know great deal about neanderthals, their origin, time frame of existence, ways of life, interactions and interbreeding with homo sapiens, including scientific map of their entire genome and several valuable hypotheses of why they got extinct in relatively short period of time that appeared to start with merging with our ancestors. But most of that knowledge came or confirmed in recent years and decades. However, almost forty years ago, when Jean M. Auel started with her research for the books, not everything was known or certain and lots of research, especially in regards of DNA testing and genome comparison, was more in the realm of scientific guesses then openly published, but still, her adventures of Ayla was something exceptional, extremely believable, historically correct and truly iconic. If you add amazing plot, great development of both characters and story, beautifully written and portrayed I can only say that I am grateful for having an honor to read it. And I have just started with first two novels and really looking forward for upcoming reading time and following Ayla's path from the shores of northern Black Sea toward nowadays southern France and more than 3500 km of her journey and adventures in between. One of the places from the path is located at the Iron Gates, the great gorge of mighty Danube with numerous archaeological sites excavated and dated some 5300 years BC.
When we visited Iron Gates and its stone age site named "Lepenski Vir" during summer of 2015, we saw skeletons of people who lived at the gorge for more than 3000 years in a row. It is believed that they are direct descendants of the European early modern humans (Cro-Magnons) who migrated to European land during the end of the last ice age or the times called Upper Paleolithic, between 50000-10000 years before present (BP). Coming from the south of nowadays Middle East during last exodus from Africa, as it seems they traveled toward Europe in two directions. One directly to the west following the land that are today Turkey and the other to the north between Black and Caspian seas toward Russian Arctic. Auel's time-frame, around 25,000 years BP is now identified with the time of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons "sharing caves" times. At Iron Gates I was astonished by the fact that these people were really tall and healthy comparing to modern people. One of excavated skeletons belonged to the person who was more than 190cm tall. Some would expected, and me among them, that early people supposed to be smaller in size than we are today but all the evidence shows in other direction. As it seems, Cro-Magnons were large and, like I read online investigating early humans, belonged to the species that we can safely call supermen if we compare them with us today. In average of course. Their brain capacity was larger than in modern humans, they were effective mammoth and cave bear hunters, great tool makers and cave painting artists.
Auel's Ayla is Cro-Magnon woman, described and originated from the tribe located north from the neanderthal clan's cave from the first book. If you follow the map north from the central Black Sea and research Cro-Magnon archaeological sites in nowadays Russia, it looks like that one site at the Don River in Kostenki-Borshchevo fits the description of the ancient site where humans and neanderthals interbreed maybe for the first time. The second oldest whole human genome sequenced is from the Kostenki-14, a dark featured man from approx. 36,000 years ago found at this site and it contains 1% more Neanderthal DNA than modern Europeans and Asians.
Anthropology is one great science and with carbon dating and DNA sequencing, nowadays scholars and archaeologists are able to conclude more about ancient life but how exactly all that life existed and how life was like we still need more than bones, facts and scientific evidences. This is exactly what Jean Auel gave us with her novels. This is one extra value from "the story of Ayla" throughout the books. The entire ancient societies are described to the smallest detail and if you think a while and compare with us, it resembles to our own today in many aspects. Was it like that at all? I can't really be sure. I don't think anybody can. Science effectively found proof that our ancestors are not solely homo sapiens. We carry not so small amount of percentage of neanderthals as well. But how exactly this "interbreeding worked" we can only use our imagination and try to picture how two species throughout millenniums were merging into third so long ago.
If you want to know how it might happen, or if you only want pure entertainment filled with drama and adventure I will only say it again - go and read all about Ayla. Or at least first two books - as they are the ones to carry the entire story - I have to admit that I got fed up with all the repetitions and sex scenes but it was worthwhile read nevertheless. Or watch the movie with Darryl Hannah made in 1986 based on first book only. Or wait for the probable upcoming FOX TV show even though it is uncertain that it will be brought to life at this point. Nevertheless, Earth's Children definitely deserves the screen, even though it has to be high budgeted project, filmed with heavy usage of special effects, similar to those used in 'Rise (Down) of the Planet of the Apes' and to use all scientific breakthroughs to picture Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons in proper way.
Image refs:
1 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090848/
2 http://www.jeanauel.com/map.php
3 http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/08/stone-age-of-iron-gates.html
Refs:
http://www.donsmaps.com/earth1.html
http://www.jeanauel.com/
http://www.milanzivic.com/2013/06/ice-age-vs-global-warming.html
http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/10/neanderthals-humans-and-shared-caves.html
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/esp_ciencia_life32.htm
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/11/kostenki14
http://archaeology.about.com/od/earlymansites/a/cro_magnon.htm
But in the spirit of today's post, lets travel to the past and check several old ages. Two centuries ago in the dawn of industrial revolution I would most definitely be involved in machine invention process. Couple of centuries before that, in Leonardo's time, I would probably be hunted by church for my free-thinker ideas that would, most likely, contradict the main belief and dogma. Years before that, during the endless crusades, I would probably be a blacksmith to avoid army and deal with iron manufacture. During Roman and Greek era I might be connected with some military jobs and weapon creation or with work in philosophy realm. Millennium or two before that I would most likely be known for my pottery or bronze artwork. However if we go way back to the peek of the last ice age, some 25 or so millenniums before now, I would probably do what Droog was doing the best. I would be a toolmaker.
Daryl Hannah in film adaptation of The Clan of the Cave Bear 1
Well, enough about me and my what-if mind experiments, I couldn't resist not to put on paper what was itched my mind when I finished first book of "Earth's Children" series, brilliantly written, researched and imagined by Jean Auel and named "The Clan of the Cave Bear". I think I mentioned once earlier that when it comes to novels or movies one particular way of story telling I prefer the most. No matter what the genre is, I do like all stories with strong characters in lead roles. This is probably the main reason why I am keep remembering their names instead of titles of the books or movies or shows. For example I am big fan of Mulder, House, Holden, Langdon, Valter, Kirk, Kate, Piper, Cross, Kovacs, Maximus, Hal, Woody, Neo, Yoda, Doc Brown, etc. and if you ask me to write all the titles of these characters' stories I would probably have to google and find out the most of them. With "Earth's Children" novels I am sure I gain one more name to the pile. It is still fresh in my brain today but I am sure if you, in the (near) future, ask me for a recommendation of the best and iconic prehistoric adventures of ancient neanderthal clans and their interactions with homo sapiens - I would most likely say go and read about Ayla.
I could easily left this post at this point and leave it with recommendation only but truly, I am fascinated with old ages myself and especially with old human migration ever since our ancestors left Africa and spread throughout the world. Migrating to the Europe is one of the few directions they took some 60000 years ago and the most iconic encounter with other species happened just here during the last ice age with neanderthals. The story about neanderthals and their interbreeding with our African predecessors went viral last year on the net and I also followed the strain with post about Neanderthals, Humans and Shared Caves with insight to the entire scientific and anthropological stories from my point of view.
Europe 30000 years before now and Ayla's path 2
We today know great deal about neanderthals, their origin, time frame of existence, ways of life, interactions and interbreeding with homo sapiens, including scientific map of their entire genome and several valuable hypotheses of why they got extinct in relatively short period of time that appeared to start with merging with our ancestors. But most of that knowledge came or confirmed in recent years and decades. However, almost forty years ago, when Jean M. Auel started with her research for the books, not everything was known or certain and lots of research, especially in regards of DNA testing and genome comparison, was more in the realm of scientific guesses then openly published, but still, her adventures of Ayla was something exceptional, extremely believable, historically correct and truly iconic. If you add amazing plot, great development of both characters and story, beautifully written and portrayed I can only say that I am grateful for having an honor to read it. And I have just started with first two novels and really looking forward for upcoming reading time and following Ayla's path from the shores of northern Black Sea toward nowadays southern France and more than 3500 km of her journey and adventures in between. One of the places from the path is located at the Iron Gates, the great gorge of mighty Danube with numerous archaeological sites excavated and dated some 5300 years BC.
When we visited Iron Gates and its stone age site named "Lepenski Vir" during summer of 2015, we saw skeletons of people who lived at the gorge for more than 3000 years in a row. It is believed that they are direct descendants of the European early modern humans (Cro-Magnons) who migrated to European land during the end of the last ice age or the times called Upper Paleolithic, between 50000-10000 years before present (BP). Coming from the south of nowadays Middle East during last exodus from Africa, as it seems they traveled toward Europe in two directions. One directly to the west following the land that are today Turkey and the other to the north between Black and Caspian seas toward Russian Arctic. Auel's time-frame, around 25,000 years BP is now identified with the time of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons "sharing caves" times. At Iron Gates I was astonished by the fact that these people were really tall and healthy comparing to modern people. One of excavated skeletons belonged to the person who was more than 190cm tall. Some would expected, and me among them, that early people supposed to be smaller in size than we are today but all the evidence shows in other direction. As it seems, Cro-Magnons were large and, like I read online investigating early humans, belonged to the species that we can safely call supermen if we compare them with us today. In average of course. Their brain capacity was larger than in modern humans, they were effective mammoth and cave bear hunters, great tool makers and cave painting artists.
"Lepenski Vir", photo by Giovanni Caselli 3
Auel's Ayla is Cro-Magnon woman, described and originated from the tribe located north from the neanderthal clan's cave from the first book. If you follow the map north from the central Black Sea and research Cro-Magnon archaeological sites in nowadays Russia, it looks like that one site at the Don River in Kostenki-Borshchevo fits the description of the ancient site where humans and neanderthals interbreed maybe for the first time. The second oldest whole human genome sequenced is from the Kostenki-14, a dark featured man from approx. 36,000 years ago found at this site and it contains 1% more Neanderthal DNA than modern Europeans and Asians.
Anthropology is one great science and with carbon dating and DNA sequencing, nowadays scholars and archaeologists are able to conclude more about ancient life but how exactly all that life existed and how life was like we still need more than bones, facts and scientific evidences. This is exactly what Jean Auel gave us with her novels. This is one extra value from "the story of Ayla" throughout the books. The entire ancient societies are described to the smallest detail and if you think a while and compare with us, it resembles to our own today in many aspects. Was it like that at all? I can't really be sure. I don't think anybody can. Science effectively found proof that our ancestors are not solely homo sapiens. We carry not so small amount of percentage of neanderthals as well. But how exactly this "interbreeding worked" we can only use our imagination and try to picture how two species throughout millenniums were merging into third so long ago.
If you want to know how it might happen, or if you only want pure entertainment filled with drama and adventure I will only say it again - go and read all about Ayla. Or at least first two books - as they are the ones to carry the entire story - I have to admit that I got fed up with all the repetitions and sex scenes but it was worthwhile read nevertheless. Or watch the movie with Darryl Hannah made in 1986 based on first book only. Or wait for the probable upcoming FOX TV show even though it is uncertain that it will be brought to life at this point. Nevertheless, Earth's Children definitely deserves the screen, even though it has to be high budgeted project, filmed with heavy usage of special effects, similar to those used in 'Rise (Down) of the Planet of the Apes' and to use all scientific breakthroughs to picture Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons in proper way.
Image refs:
1 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090848/
2 http://www.jeanauel.com/map.php
3 http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/08/stone-age-of-iron-gates.html
Refs:
http://www.donsmaps.com/earth1.html
http://www.jeanauel.com/
http://www.milanzivic.com/2013/06/ice-age-vs-global-warming.html
http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/10/neanderthals-humans-and-shared-caves.html
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/esp_ciencia_life32.htm
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/11/kostenki14
http://archaeology.about.com/od/earlymansites/a/cro_magnon.htm
People are asking me these days what is "Game of Life" we are dealing with this whole summer? The only honest answer I can give is that I don't really know. I guess I lost myself into entire story of our pioneer film making project. It started like any other father-son benign tech play - it was sometime back in the middle of April when I was categorizing our pile of ordinary family video files and our 'cooking series' so in a moment of 'light bulb floating above my head' I asked myself why we don't move one step further and create a little longer short film of some sort. So I asked Viktor and he seemed thrilled about it, especially when I told him that he would play the major role and from there our "Game of Life" project became reality and started growing and morphing into real short movie and after little while began being more and more enjoyable and serious. In short, after four months of all of our 'Hollywood' efforts, Viktor a
People are asking me these days what is "Game of Life" we are dealing with this whole summer? The only honest answer I can give is that I don't really know. I guess I lost myself into entire story of our pioneer film making project. It started like any other father-son benign tech play - it was sometime back in the middle of April when I was categorizing our pile of ordinary family video files and our 'cooking series' so in a moment of 'light bulb floating above my head' I asked myself why we don't move one step further and create a little longer short film of some sort. So I asked Viktor and he seemed thrilled about it, especially when I told him that he would play the major role and from there our "Game of Life" project became reality and started growing and morphing into real short movie and after little while began being more and more enjoyable and serious.
In short, after four months of all of our 'Hollywood' efforts, Viktor and I proudly present a science fiction short film based on "Game of Life", a cellular automaton game invented by John Horton Conway in 1970. Actually, this is the first episode in potential series we called "Flares and Fireflies". We hope you will enjoy watching at least as much we enjoyed making it and - this is important - please keep in mind that we are not really educated film-makers or talented actors and that this is pretty much maximum what we could do with all of our knowledge and modest technology we used, to say the least. If you like it, after the movie, later in the post, is the story of how and where we made it, entire script, some blooper stories and behind the scenes photos.
First of all, I hope you like our film and for further understanding what I would say about the core of its script is that it tells a story about a young boy who's following a glitch in the system, presented in real life as a firefly, through numerous portals to the place where he meets a man with the final orb, the artifact that seems to be a way in for full understanding of the life itself, its origin and the rules it is built on. Just like in Conway's simple two-dimensional game, the life itself could be the same - just a set of rules in some artificial zero-player game that on quantum or molecular level provides results of interactions of main ingredients.
That was about "Sci" part of the "Sci-Fi" genre. Fiction that follows the story is in the fact that the life might be fully artificial in origin. In other words, the film explores the rules of evolution that are not intended to be seen or understood by everyone. Even those chosen to dive into game by random case or by complex rules outcome are not able to understand the principles at once. If you are asking now how the game of life really looks from the inside and behind white-green wireframes, well, you will have to wait for another episode. But, is there going to be another episode? The honest answer is that I don't know. I really don't. So far we only have ideas and from there to the final file is a long way. We'll see.
This long way with the first episode started with the script. Believe it or not, first draft and the final scenario was not too different. It slightly changed but only because of technological restrictions and improvisations. Ever wonder how script looks like for short films like this one? Here it is in full:
In the end, "Game of Life" is composed out from 50 scenes filmed on four major locations. Two of them are Viktor's room and our living room decorated with green screen for the occasion. The adventure starts and ends in main character's room and the only dialog is filmed in front of green background and merged with coastal background we took in Greece. Unfortunately, technologically speaking, this is the weakest chain in the movie and not only because of our lack of efforts. "Chroma key" software within Adobe's "After Effects" didn't cope too well with modest laptop I have used to run it through. It failed and crashed too often during rendering and it got out the last nerves out of me. If you add to all the struggles that consumer dSLR (Nikon D5200) we used to film it is not perfect for audio capture without external microphone, and the fact that we had to record audio separately, I have to say that I am not really satisfied with dialog scene but in the end I'd like to think that this is the best I could do with editing that part of the film.
However, this film would not be possible without a lighthouse as it plays major role in the story and we found it just 20 kilometers from our hotel during our summer's vacation. It was located some 30 kilometers away from famous Greek city of Corinth built on a rock at the end of a small headland with tremendous view to the entire Corinthian gulf. We spent three days on the site and nearby beach and finished all the 'Greek' scenes and enjoyed amazing time on local beaches and restaurants. In above photo, Viktor, with our 'nerf' portal stone preps, is posing in front of 'Faros Melagavi' not far away from the 'Vouliagmenis' lake where we filmed last portal scene and also just next to ancient archaeological site of 'Heraion of Perachora' - a sanctuary occupied by real oracle, just like the one in Delphi, dedicated to the goddess Hera and built in 9th century BC by some Corinthian ancient cult. Here, just next to the old ruins of the temple of Hera I found a stone perfect for the background of the green screen dialog scene. Before we went to Greece, I 'scouted' the entire site with Google Maps and photos people took and posted in the Google's gallery and all I have to say is that it looked perfect for filming just like I hoped for. Very little improvisations were needed for 'running' and 'firefly' scenes. The same was with filming 'portal' scene on the beautiful sandy beach of Vouliagmenis lake, which is actually a lagoon connected to the Corinthian gulf and Ionian sea with a narrow strait.
Finally, the fourth location we used to film intermediate portal scenes belongs to our special place - a village in eastern Serbia where we spent many vacations and weekends in the past. The name of the village is Guševac and I mentioned it before on the blog on numerous occasions. With its intact mountain spirit it was our first choice. The very first scene was actually filmed here in the abandoned barn. I intended to use nearby forests for additional scenes for second portal but due to the complexity I gave up of that idea. It would be visually great but it is not really that connected to the main story.
If you ask me what I liked the most behind and before the scenes of "Game of Life", without a doubt I say it is the entire adventure of making it. It started as a father-son summer play and in the end, this is what it really is - endless fun of filming scenes, creating script, directing the plot, improvising the story and scenes, enjoying all the bloopers and laughter on all 'sets', especially in Greece. I really can't say what was funnier to do. Even the editing was special time with learning all new stuff and knowledge and in a way I am now looking on movies and TV shows with different eyes and capturing all the perfect and imperfect flow of scenes with my new 'director' habit. Small regret and disappointment was the equipment. I know I am not perfect director and cameraman but I am more than positive that with at least little better technology, including software and rendering computer, the final movie would be much better. At least it would mask or hide most of our imperfection and flaws.
One thing is for sure though - if you are thinking of filming your own short movie with modest consumer camera and not so obeying tripod - don't think twice - go for it and however the result is non-ideal in the end, I guarantee you that the feeling will be just perfect.
Revelation of Life (Game of Life sequel):
https://www.mpj.one/2020/10/revelation-of-life-part-one.html
Game of Life graphic novel:
https://www.milanzivic.com/2017/03/gol-graphic-novel.html
Refs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_Game_of_Life
http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/12/is-life-zero-player-game.html
http://www.milanzivic.com/2016/08/cyclops-of-peloponnese.html
In short, after four months of all of our 'Hollywood' efforts, Viktor and I proudly present a science fiction short film based on "Game of Life", a cellular automaton game invented by John Horton Conway in 1970. Actually, this is the first episode in potential series we called "Flares and Fireflies". We hope you will enjoy watching at least as much we enjoyed making it and - this is important - please keep in mind that we are not really educated film-makers or talented actors and that this is pretty much maximum what we could do with all of our knowledge and modest technology we used, to say the least. If you like it, after the movie, later in the post, is the story of how and where we made it, entire script, some blooper stories and behind the scenes photos.
First of all, I hope you like our film and for further understanding what I would say about the core of its script is that it tells a story about a young boy who's following a glitch in the system, presented in real life as a firefly, through numerous portals to the place where he meets a man with the final orb, the artifact that seems to be a way in for full understanding of the life itself, its origin and the rules it is built on. Just like in Conway's simple two-dimensional game, the life itself could be the same - just a set of rules in some artificial zero-player game that on quantum or molecular level provides results of interactions of main ingredients.
That was about "Sci" part of the "Sci-Fi" genre. Fiction that follows the story is in the fact that the life might be fully artificial in origin. In other words, the film explores the rules of evolution that are not intended to be seen or understood by everyone. Even those chosen to dive into game by random case or by complex rules outcome are not able to understand the principles at once. If you are asking now how the game of life really looks from the inside and behind white-green wireframes, well, you will have to wait for another episode. But, is there going to be another episode? The honest answer is that I don't know. I really don't. So far we only have ideas and from there to the final file is a long way. We'll see.
This long way with the first episode started with the script. Believe it or not, first draft and the final scenario was not too different. It slightly changed but only because of technological restrictions and improvisations. Ever wonder how script looks like for short films like this one? Here it is in full:
01. Wakeup 1 - Strange sound? Nothing. Going back to sleep.
02. Wakeup 2 - Light appears. Goes through the door.
03. Getting out of bed, following light.
04. Following light upstairs.
05. At the balcony. Light and mild explosion. Artifact on the table.
06. Examining the artifact. First portal appears.
07. Light goes into abandoned house.
08. Appearing in abandoned country house.
09. Following light.
10. Second artifact. Goes through second portal.
11. Ending in the sea. Getting out on the beach. Stealing dry clothes.
12. Wandering dirt road.
13. Entering lighthouse site. Following light.
14. No artifacts here. Watching the lighthouse.
15. Seeing multiple flashes on the horizon over the site.
16. Site reappears in white wireframe only. People too.
17. Standing up in wireframe.
18. Checking a man who's reading Kindle.
19. Looking wireframe hands.
20. Kindle man: 'Everything is white. Isn't it?'
02. Wakeup 2 - Light appears. Goes through the door.
03. Getting out of bed, following light.
04. Following light upstairs.
05. At the balcony. Light and mild explosion. Artifact on the table.
06. Examining the artifact. First portal appears.
07. Light goes into abandoned house.
08. Appearing in abandoned country house.
09. Following light.
10. Second artifact. Goes through second portal.
11. Ending in the sea. Getting out on the beach. Stealing dry clothes.
12. Wandering dirt road.
13. Entering lighthouse site. Following light.
14. No artifacts here. Watching the lighthouse.
15. Seeing multiple flashes on the horizon over the site.
16. Site reappears in white wireframe only. People too.
17. Standing up in wireframe.
18. Checking a man who's reading Kindle.
19. Looking wireframe hands.
20. Kindle man: 'Everything is white. Isn't it?'
21. Looking at the Kindle man again. Everything back to normal.
22. 'Did you see it too?'
23. 'No. But I saw it once before. Different lighthouse though.'
24. 'Where? When?'
25. 'Long ago... When I was about your age...'
26. 'But... What does it mean?'
27. 'I beleive it is a game. Not everyone can see it.'
28. 'What kind of game?'
29. 'I never found out really.'
30. Reaching for the backpack. Taking out the final artifact.
31. 'But maybe you will. I think this belongs to you now.'
32. Taking the artifact. It starts glowing.
33. Going back to beach.
34. Going back to abandoned house.
35. Going back to balcony.
36. Wakeup 3 - Realizing it was a dream. Going back to sleep.
37. Sleeping. Zooming hand. Hand is going wireframe.
38. Back to normal. Light on the hand.
39. Light goes to the clock table.
40. Artifact appears.
22. 'Did you see it too?'
23. 'No. But I saw it once before. Different lighthouse though.'
24. 'Where? When?'
25. 'Long ago... When I was about your age...'
26. 'But... What does it mean?'
27. 'I beleive it is a game. Not everyone can see it.'
28. 'What kind of game?'
29. 'I never found out really.'
30. Reaching for the backpack. Taking out the final artifact.
31. 'But maybe you will. I think this belongs to you now.'
32. Taking the artifact. It starts glowing.
33. Going back to beach.
34. Going back to abandoned house.
35. Going back to balcony.
36. Wakeup 3 - Realizing it was a dream. Going back to sleep.
37. Sleeping. Zooming hand. Hand is going wireframe.
38. Back to normal. Light on the hand.
39. Light goes to the clock table.
40. Artifact appears.
In the end, "Game of Life" is composed out from 50 scenes filmed on four major locations. Two of them are Viktor's room and our living room decorated with green screen for the occasion. The adventure starts and ends in main character's room and the only dialog is filmed in front of green background and merged with coastal background we took in Greece. Unfortunately, technologically speaking, this is the weakest chain in the movie and not only because of our lack of efforts. "Chroma key" software within Adobe's "After Effects" didn't cope too well with modest laptop I have used to run it through. It failed and crashed too often during rendering and it got out the last nerves out of me. If you add to all the struggles that consumer dSLR (Nikon D5200) we used to film it is not perfect for audio capture without external microphone, and the fact that we had to record audio separately, I have to say that I am not really satisfied with dialog scene but in the end I'd like to think that this is the best I could do with editing that part of the film.
However, this film would not be possible without a lighthouse as it plays major role in the story and we found it just 20 kilometers from our hotel during our summer's vacation. It was located some 30 kilometers away from famous Greek city of Corinth built on a rock at the end of a small headland with tremendous view to the entire Corinthian gulf. We spent three days on the site and nearby beach and finished all the 'Greek' scenes and enjoyed amazing time on local beaches and restaurants. In above photo, Viktor, with our 'nerf' portal stone preps, is posing in front of 'Faros Melagavi' not far away from the 'Vouliagmenis' lake where we filmed last portal scene and also just next to ancient archaeological site of 'Heraion of Perachora' - a sanctuary occupied by real oracle, just like the one in Delphi, dedicated to the goddess Hera and built in 9th century BC by some Corinthian ancient cult. Here, just next to the old ruins of the temple of Hera I found a stone perfect for the background of the green screen dialog scene. Before we went to Greece, I 'scouted' the entire site with Google Maps and photos people took and posted in the Google's gallery and all I have to say is that it looked perfect for filming just like I hoped for. Very little improvisations were needed for 'running' and 'firefly' scenes. The same was with filming 'portal' scene on the beautiful sandy beach of Vouliagmenis lake, which is actually a lagoon connected to the Corinthian gulf and Ionian sea with a narrow strait.
Finally, the fourth location we used to film intermediate portal scenes belongs to our special place - a village in eastern Serbia where we spent many vacations and weekends in the past. The name of the village is Guševac and I mentioned it before on the blog on numerous occasions. With its intact mountain spirit it was our first choice. The very first scene was actually filmed here in the abandoned barn. I intended to use nearby forests for additional scenes for second portal but due to the complexity I gave up of that idea. It would be visually great but it is not really that connected to the main story.
If you ask me what I liked the most behind and before the scenes of "Game of Life", without a doubt I say it is the entire adventure of making it. It started as a father-son summer play and in the end, this is what it really is - endless fun of filming scenes, creating script, directing the plot, improvising the story and scenes, enjoying all the bloopers and laughter on all 'sets', especially in Greece. I really can't say what was funnier to do. Even the editing was special time with learning all new stuff and knowledge and in a way I am now looking on movies and TV shows with different eyes and capturing all the perfect and imperfect flow of scenes with my new 'director' habit. Small regret and disappointment was the equipment. I know I am not perfect director and cameraman but I am more than positive that with at least little better technology, including software and rendering computer, the final movie would be much better. At least it would mask or hide most of our imperfection and flaws.
One thing is for sure though - if you are thinking of filming your own short movie with modest consumer camera and not so obeying tripod - don't think twice - go for it and however the result is non-ideal in the end, I guarantee you that the feeling will be just perfect.
Revelation of Life (Game of Life sequel):
https://www.mpj.one/2020/10/revelation-of-life-part-one.html
Game of Life graphic novel:
https://www.milanzivic.com/2017/03/gol-graphic-novel.html
Refs:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_Game_of_Life
http://www.milanzivic.com/2015/12/is-life-zero-player-game.html
http://www.milanzivic.com/2016/08/cyclops-of-peloponnese.html
There are numerous ways of how our civilization might end. I said plenty in the past about real threats, either from heavens or from within the Earth or ourselves. It was the main theme in the second half of 2012, around the Mayan's doomsday date and I contributed with several posts related to this, including Doomsday , Biodiversity and The Apocalypse Aftermath and in all those stories I was mainly focusing on the mother nature and catastrophes we can do little or nothing about. It was either some wrath from the distant universe in form of deadly gamma rays and supernovae implosions or some judgment day originated from our own Sun or asteroid impacts or even the ultimate rage from our planet by some super volcanic or tectonic disaster. But I only timidly mentioned all those man made events I referred as 'other human stupidities', including nuclear holocaust and biological hazards. So perhaps now is the time to continue the thread and glimpse into two great stories behind
There are numerous ways of how our civilization might end. I said plenty in the past about real threats, either from heavens or from within the Earth or ourselves. It was the main theme in the second half of 2012, around the Mayan's doomsday date and I contributed with several posts related to this, including Doomsday, Biodiversity and The Apocalypse Aftermath and in all those stories I was mainly focusing on the mother nature and catastrophes we can do little or nothing about. It was either some wrath from the distant universe in form of deadly gamma rays and supernovae implosions or some judgment day originated from our own Sun or asteroid impacts or even the ultimate rage from our planet by some super volcanic or tectonic disaster. But I only timidly mentioned all those man made events I referred as 'other human stupidities', including nuclear holocaust and biological hazards. So perhaps now is the time to continue the thread and glimpse into two great stories behind 'artificial' ways of global apocalypse.
First one is actually a script behind amazing web series produced by Bryan Singer and Warner Brothers Digital Distribution and 'aired' by YouTube couple of years ago by the name 'H+ The Digital Series'. For some reason I missed it when it was actual but, in a way, I was glad about it as I had privilege to watch it continuously last weekend - to be honest, I am not entirely sure how would I feel about watching extremely short episodes on weekly basis. Anyways, H+ is all about one potential outcome of fictitious transhumanism that might come in the future. Like in many other science fiction piece, to fully understand the premise, it is really necessary to understand the core of the script and in this case, just a little imagination of what would be possible in the future if we start mastering nanotechnology. Indeed, this would be one of seven wonders of the modern world. The way to really take another step and augment humanity. Just like in H+, implanting nanotech into human body has a potential to effectively improve the health by preventing all molecular hazards by monitoring cell functions and fighting diseases on the molecular level. Think just about one case - if you are attacked by cancerous cells in your pancreas for example, futuristic nanotech would be able to deliver the cure or radiation treatment only to this affected part of the body.
Of course, nanotechnology would also represent new level of computation wiring. Using nanotubes made only from dozens of carbon atoms would drastically decrease the size of already small computers today. Think of the endless possibility to wire CPU units with nano-wires that will never overheat and that will need just a fraction of power to operate comparing to your PC today. The motherboard beneath your laptop keyboard, or inside of your smartphone would be easily adapted for implantation into human beings and be no larger than the tip of your fingernail. If you think this is science fiction, well, think again. Just as a comparison - the silicon transistor size reduction went over the years from 1000nm (1 micron) in 80386 CPUs, thirty years ago, while the state of the art processors today use transistors as small as 22-32 nanometers in diameter. The atoms used in silicon chip fabrication are about 0.2nm, and the smallest possible size for manufacturing transistor pipes with the latest atomic layer deposition technology, as it seems, is about 14nm, So soon, the limit in reducing the size of silicon chips will be reached. Well, we cannot get silicon atom to be smaller just for our convenience, so the next step is to try and use something even smaller in nature. The size of carbon atom is about 0.07nm and so far, laboratory nanotubes were built with diameter of only 10nm and with no obstacles to reduce it even more with technology perfection. For all of you that cannot put nano into perspective - it is around 1000 times thinner than a human hair.
Well, and to get back to science fiction, transistors from half a century ago motion pictures or novels are reality today. For further reduction in electronic circuits in size, as far as I can see, no big breakthrough is needed and what is science fiction in 'H+ The Digital Series' within next 50 years could be very much real. At least the part with nanotech implants. In simple words I can safely say that one version of future operating system, say Windows 20 or iOS 20 could be installed into these implants. I guess we all will have to wear stickers on our skin saying something like 'Nano-είκοσι-core Intel inside' or 'Powered by Nano-Windows XX'.
But, what about the second part of H+ plot? Will it be possible to hack into implant network and spread viral infection to the point of endangering entire human species? To answer this question another clarification of Sci-fi terms is needed and those are Transhumanism, Posthumans or Technological singularity, widely used in the series? The premise is that nano-implants will have potential to start transforming humans into another species and eventually creating posthumans, or something we cannot comprehend from this point in time and if there will be one point in the future where technology and its artificial intelligence will become self-aware and start reproducing and creating even enhanced technologies by itself, that would definitely be the end of us, at least in the form we are familiar today. It would be comparable to the evolution of mammoths into elephants or dinosaurs into birds. Humans will cease to exist and many would just parish while only selected few will survive and evolve into new superior technocracy. Of course, this is just one grim glimpse into the world of tomorrow and not-entirely-impossible way of how it will play out. One thing is for sure though - technology will not stop advancing.
Well, whatever you think about it and if we get back to the 'H+ The Digital Series' again, I have to conclude this part of the post with my big admiration of how fantastic this series is made. I admire entire crew for creating perhaps one of the best web series so far with courage to avoid mainstream channels and posting it for free on YouTube. I am sure this decision cost them big and probably due to the fact that this format is still very young and not suitable for wider audience, it ended inevitably into shutting the project down way before this show really deserved the cancellation. As for me, I will definitely be waiting for another web show like this one, as entire last weekend H+ gave me endless entertainment when it was least expected. I am sure there is no need for me to say that I am highly recommending subscription to its YouTube channel.
Second piece of, I would say in this case, art of post-apocalypse world in written media, is short novella 'The Scattered and the Dead' by Tim McBain and L.T. Vargus. Entire story is actually a journal written by Decker, the main character, whose life before and after the apocalypse is not too much different. I will continue my policy of not spoiling the content and to understand what actually happens in Decker's post-apocalyptic life please take the book and go into reading. Or listening - you can also grab Tim's narrative audible. The only thing I will say is that you should not expect the usual denouement in form of the heroic epilogue of solving the plague or saving the world. This is just the first book in a row and it is more an introduction of what will come later. Nevertheless, I found Decker's case very, and I mean it, very believable and impressive. And if you by any chance find yourself little disappointed with his ultimate transformation at the end, just wait 24 hours before concluding anything substantial and you might, like me, see that this was Decker's only outcome. Or probably anyone's, who by some (mis)fortune might be spared by apocalyptic sword. Or machete would be more appropriate in this case.
Little or nothing was said about the plague itself and the only valuable hints in the book are chapters names - they are actually countdowns before and after the event that appeared to be mass usage of EMP weapon. It surely hints a lot about what we might be reading in the sequel but also gives us sort of preview what might be added to any pandemic event, large enough to get out of control. There is a scientific opinion that there is no known pandemic capable to wipe out or even decimate humanity for simple reason that some potential super-deadly viral infection that's spreading too fast and killing hosts rapidly will very soon be left with no new hosts to spread further and eventually die out before ultimate worldwide infection. On the other end, if disease evolves into spreading with low rate and killing hosts slower or just left them in heavy illness in order to prevent its own extinction, then it will give us more time to react and prevent it before it is too late. Not to mention that potential viral infection on the global scale is also subjected to random mutations that could not necessarily lead to acceleration of the original disease.
However and as hinted in the 'The Scattered and the Dead' what we must not exclude from the equation is human factor that might act as an 'acceleration mutagen' of the pandemic and I am more than sure that many military facilities never stopped working on developing the ultimate biological weapon with selective influence. As it seems, this angle will be more described in the next book and of course the answer of how Decker survived the initial plague to begin with. I will be eagerly waiting for next novel(la).
I am not sure exactly why I am big fan of post-apocalyptic genre. Perhaps, it has something to do with very human core and endless desire to survive despite so many ways of destruction and maybe because of the simple fact that we are after all one fragile species. Nevertheless, I am glad to announce that with this post, Milan's Public Journal earned another thread and you can access all stories from this entrance page:
Apocalypse and Post-apocalyptic:
http://www.milanzivic.com/apocalypse
Image refs:
* http://www.boredpanda.com/post-apocalyptic-scenes-digital-art-nis-serbia/
** http://www.kerindesigns.com/V2-PghApoc.htm
Review refs:
https://www.youtube.com/user/HplusDigitalSeries
http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Dead-Book-0-5-ebook/dp/B01BFFJSR4
http://ltvargus.com/books/
Refs:
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/97469-is-14nm-the-end
http://www.wired.com/2015/10/ibm-gives-moores-law-new-hope
Artistic view of post-apocalyptic Niš, Serbia*
First one is actually a script behind amazing web series produced by Bryan Singer and Warner Brothers Digital Distribution and 'aired' by YouTube couple of years ago by the name 'H+ The Digital Series'. For some reason I missed it when it was actual but, in a way, I was glad about it as I had privilege to watch it continuously last weekend - to be honest, I am not entirely sure how would I feel about watching extremely short episodes on weekly basis. Anyways, H+ is all about one potential outcome of fictitious transhumanism that might come in the future. Like in many other science fiction piece, to fully understand the premise, it is really necessary to understand the core of the script and in this case, just a little imagination of what would be possible in the future if we start mastering nanotechnology. Indeed, this would be one of seven wonders of the modern world. The way to really take another step and augment humanity. Just like in H+, implanting nanotech into human body has a potential to effectively improve the health by preventing all molecular hazards by monitoring cell functions and fighting diseases on the molecular level. Think just about one case - if you are attacked by cancerous cells in your pancreas for example, futuristic nanotech would be able to deliver the cure or radiation treatment only to this affected part of the body.
Of course, nanotechnology would also represent new level of computation wiring. Using nanotubes made only from dozens of carbon atoms would drastically decrease the size of already small computers today. Think of the endless possibility to wire CPU units with nano-wires that will never overheat and that will need just a fraction of power to operate comparing to your PC today. The motherboard beneath your laptop keyboard, or inside of your smartphone would be easily adapted for implantation into human beings and be no larger than the tip of your fingernail. If you think this is science fiction, well, think again. Just as a comparison - the silicon transistor size reduction went over the years from 1000nm (1 micron) in 80386 CPUs, thirty years ago, while the state of the art processors today use transistors as small as 22-32 nanometers in diameter. The atoms used in silicon chip fabrication are about 0.2nm, and the smallest possible size for manufacturing transistor pipes with the latest atomic layer deposition technology, as it seems, is about 14nm, So soon, the limit in reducing the size of silicon chips will be reached. Well, we cannot get silicon atom to be smaller just for our convenience, so the next step is to try and use something even smaller in nature. The size of carbon atom is about 0.07nm and so far, laboratory nanotubes were built with diameter of only 10nm and with no obstacles to reduce it even more with technology perfection. For all of you that cannot put nano into perspective - it is around 1000 times thinner than a human hair.
Well, and to get back to science fiction, transistors from half a century ago motion pictures or novels are reality today. For further reduction in electronic circuits in size, as far as I can see, no big breakthrough is needed and what is science fiction in 'H+ The Digital Series' within next 50 years could be very much real. At least the part with nanotech implants. In simple words I can safely say that one version of future operating system, say Windows 20 or iOS 20 could be installed into these implants. I guess we all will have to wear stickers on our skin saying something like 'Nano-είκοσι-core Intel inside' or 'Powered by Nano-Windows XX'.
But, what about the second part of H+ plot? Will it be possible to hack into implant network and spread viral infection to the point of endangering entire human species? To answer this question another clarification of Sci-fi terms is needed and those are Transhumanism, Posthumans or Technological singularity, widely used in the series? The premise is that nano-implants will have potential to start transforming humans into another species and eventually creating posthumans, or something we cannot comprehend from this point in time and if there will be one point in the future where technology and its artificial intelligence will become self-aware and start reproducing and creating even enhanced technologies by itself, that would definitely be the end of us, at least in the form we are familiar today. It would be comparable to the evolution of mammoths into elephants or dinosaurs into birds. Humans will cease to exist and many would just parish while only selected few will survive and evolve into new superior technocracy. Of course, this is just one grim glimpse into the world of tomorrow and not-entirely-impossible way of how it will play out. One thing is for sure though - technology will not stop advancing.
Well, whatever you think about it and if we get back to the 'H+ The Digital Series' again, I have to conclude this part of the post with my big admiration of how fantastic this series is made. I admire entire crew for creating perhaps one of the best web series so far with courage to avoid mainstream channels and posting it for free on YouTube. I am sure this decision cost them big and probably due to the fact that this format is still very young and not suitable for wider audience, it ended inevitably into shutting the project down way before this show really deserved the cancellation. As for me, I will definitely be waiting for another web show like this one, as entire last weekend H+ gave me endless entertainment when it was least expected. I am sure there is no need for me to say that I am highly recommending subscription to its YouTube channel.
Second piece of, I would say in this case, art of post-apocalypse world in written media, is short novella 'The Scattered and the Dead' by Tim McBain and L.T. Vargus. Entire story is actually a journal written by Decker, the main character, whose life before and after the apocalypse is not too much different. I will continue my policy of not spoiling the content and to understand what actually happens in Decker's post-apocalyptic life please take the book and go into reading. Or listening - you can also grab Tim's narrative audible. The only thing I will say is that you should not expect the usual denouement in form of the heroic epilogue of solving the plague or saving the world. This is just the first book in a row and it is more an introduction of what will come later. Nevertheless, I found Decker's case very, and I mean it, very believable and impressive. And if you by any chance find yourself little disappointed with his ultimate transformation at the end, just wait 24 hours before concluding anything substantial and you might, like me, see that this was Decker's only outcome. Or probably anyone's, who by some (mis)fortune might be spared by apocalyptic sword. Or machete would be more appropriate in this case.
Little or nothing was said about the plague itself and the only valuable hints in the book are chapters names - they are actually countdowns before and after the event that appeared to be mass usage of EMP weapon. It surely hints a lot about what we might be reading in the sequel but also gives us sort of preview what might be added to any pandemic event, large enough to get out of control. There is a scientific opinion that there is no known pandemic capable to wipe out or even decimate humanity for simple reason that some potential super-deadly viral infection that's spreading too fast and killing hosts rapidly will very soon be left with no new hosts to spread further and eventually die out before ultimate worldwide infection. On the other end, if disease evolves into spreading with low rate and killing hosts slower or just left them in heavy illness in order to prevent its own extinction, then it will give us more time to react and prevent it before it is too late. Not to mention that potential viral infection on the global scale is also subjected to random mutations that could not necessarily lead to acceleration of the original disease.
Artistic view of post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh**
However and as hinted in the 'The Scattered and the Dead' what we must not exclude from the equation is human factor that might act as an 'acceleration mutagen' of the pandemic and I am more than sure that many military facilities never stopped working on developing the ultimate biological weapon with selective influence. As it seems, this angle will be more described in the next book and of course the answer of how Decker survived the initial plague to begin with. I will be eagerly waiting for next novel(la).
I am not sure exactly why I am big fan of post-apocalyptic genre. Perhaps, it has something to do with very human core and endless desire to survive despite so many ways of destruction and maybe because of the simple fact that we are after all one fragile species. Nevertheless, I am glad to announce that with this post, Milan's Public Journal earned another thread and you can access all stories from this entrance page:
Apocalypse and Post-apocalyptic:
http://www.milanzivic.com/apocalypse
Image refs:
* http://www.boredpanda.com/post-apocalyptic-scenes-digital-art-nis-serbia/
** http://www.kerindesigns.com/V2-PghApoc.htm
Review refs:
https://www.youtube.com/user/HplusDigitalSeries
http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Dead-Book-0-5-ebook/dp/B01BFFJSR4
http://ltvargus.com/books/
Refs:
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/97469-is-14nm-the-end
http://www.wired.com/2015/10/ibm-gives-moores-law-new-hope