What Ever Happened with H2S Induced Hibernation?

11-20-19 Humans Placed in Suspended Animation for the First Time


What Ever Happened with H2S Induced Hibernation?

I wrote this post on April 22, 2006

One year ago today, something extraordinary happened...

Mark Roth at Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle announced the astounding ability to induced hibernation in mice by having them breathe 80 parts per million (ppm) hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). Yes, that's the gas that smells like rotten eggs.

Not only did these critters fall asleep for six hours, their heart rate and respiration dropped by 92% - apparently replicating the effects of true hibernation. And their temperature dropped to 2 degrees C above ambient temperature. They in effect became cold-blooded.

It should also be noted, when the gas was removed, the mice awoke with no apparent ill effects. The critters could still run their maze in a normal fashion.

There are hints that H2S Induced Hibernation might be a natural defense mechanism or at least a normal biological process. It appears this H2S gas is produced by the body under certain conditions and may be the key to normal hibernation. This may also be the cause of "Cold Water Shock Reflex" in which those who have "drowned" in cold water come back to life.

At 80 ppm, H2S can not simply be replacing O2 in the blood which exist at 210,000 PPM in typical air. It seems that H2S acts more like a hormone causing ALL cells in the body to slow down at the same time. Is H2S the body's way of adjusting the thermostat?

Hold on! I'm way out of my element here. I'm not qualified to do biology. I'm not even qualified to write about it.

But I DO considered this ASTOUNDING news! And indeed the world reported it. Well at least in a tepid way (sorry about the pun). From the BBC to the Washington Post they did at least rehash Mark's original work. Even Wikipedia added three paragraphs to the Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) page. I was impressed with that.

But THAT was it...

I'm serious.

Nothing more.

No follow-up questions.

No follow-up answers.

No in-depth reporting.

No detailed analysis.

No flying out to Seattle.

No camping on the lawn.

No helicopter shots.

No checking tax returns.

Hell, Tom Cruise jumps up and down on a couch and the media follows him around for weeks! Where is the coverage for the stuff that REALLY counts? Oh well. I would wait. There was sure to be more news on the topic in a short time. So I set my Google news reader and waited...

And waited...

And waited...

And I'm still waiting.

It's been one year. Other than some comments from an aging blog and one think tank, there has been nothing at all. Nothing! Am I way off base or is this NOT a Nobel class discovery?

Where's the follow-up from Mark Roth?

Where's the H2S Induced Hibernation blog?

Where are the frat boy posts about their flatulent experiments?

Where's the Flatliner crew?

Where's Kiefer Sutherland when we need him?

Where are all the science fiction plots?

When I read the news release last year, I thought follow-up would be like the coverage for Cold Fusion a few years ago - lots of people trying to reproduce the results. Maybe we would even get some quick test with humans.

But no...

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

What's a geek to do? There's only one thing. Ask the questions that SHOULD have been asked a year ago. So here goes.

Does this Roth effect work longer than six hours?

Does it work for days?

Does it work for weeks?

Does it work for months?

Does it work on other larger mammals?

Does it work on humans?

Any obvious side effects?

Any long term side effects?

How long can someone stay under without ill effects?

Does this low-level metabolism consume fat like it does in bears?

Does muscle tone also atrophy?

Does this low-level metabolism extend life?

Is 80 PPM a threshold or is there a proportional effect at 40 PPM? 20 PPM?

What happens at 160 ppm? Is the sleep deeper? (yes, I know H2S is deadly at higher concentration, but so is table salt).

Is this truly a natural feature of mammals?  If H2S is produced internally, can the effect be induced by meditation? If so, how does one exit the state?

I could go on and on but you get the idea. To get the answers to these and other questions, first they have to be asked. And then asked by the right people. That's what this blog post is all about. We need the right people asking these questions - not me.

There's a saying in the world of finance, "Capital finds it's highest and best use". This seems to take a little longer with science. It also takes imagination, speculation and a whole lot of promoting.

Promotion is important. America was not named for Columbus. America was named for a navigator and blogger of the fifteenth century - Amerigo Vespucci. His letters were published widely on his return from the new world. He didn't discover anything, but promoted what he found. The name stuck.

That's why H2S Induced Hibernation now needs to be all about blogs, Digg and Wikipedia. It's up to us. It's time for some speculation. Maybe even some speculative fiction. We need serious talent applied to finding the answers to the above and other questions. More discussion may help.

Here are some ideas as to how H2S could be used. Maybe this will help move things along.

Time in trauma care - This one is obvious. With such low concentrations of H2S needed, a simple regulator mask in first aid kits might extend that "Critical Hour" to a "Critical Day" giving time to do a better job with transport, evaluation, and treatment. It's easier to stop bleeding when the heart is only pumping eight times per minute. It's easier to keep cells alive when their demand for resources has dropped by 92%.

Mine Disasters - During the recent mine disaster in West Virginia, the miners only had air for one hour. Could this have been extended to 12 hours by adding a little H2S to those respirators? Coal mine accidents are an even bigger problem in China with over 6,000 dead per year. Think of the lives that could be saved even if a small percentage had this advantage.

Fire Escape - Since most fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation, many extra minutes could be gained with one of those new and improved masks from the coal mine? Check the first-aid kit. Is it there yet? Again, the lives saved would be in the thousands world-wide.

Underwater Rescue - Another good application for limited oxygen? And maybe a re-make of the movie Abyss? Lots of possibilities here.

ALL incurable disease - This is a no brainer. Got a problem? Take a break for a while. Wake up to review the literature. Take another break. Repeat until cured.

Medical scheduling - Waiting for an organ? Make sure you have enough time. It's better than death.

Military Use - Lot's of possibilities here, from trauma to transport. Here's where Kiefer Suterland comes in with a new release of 24 Hours lived in 24 years. How's THAT for a challenge to his premise?

Sleep Efficiency - How about all that time we waste sleeping? Might we extend our life by taking it deeper? Or maybe the opposite, and find out how to shorten sleep? Keep an open mind.

Weight Loss - this could be a biggie, both in terms of dollars and quality of life. Let's say you're not a fan of winter anyway. Why not do like the bears do? You could wake up ready for your new spring swim suit.

Capital Punishment - This is a bit radical, but at least it's not a death sentence. And they aren't causing any problems in the mean time. In time we might even find a "cure" for murder.

Pregnant Mothers - This might at first seem radical too, but Mark Roth's page refers to "embryonic diapause, a pause in embryonic development found in about 70 species of mammals". It might be useful one way or the other. Don't count it out.

Punishment - What the hell. Let's put them ALL on ice as a cost reduction measure! We could count it as good time. Would it still be punishment? Fun to think about. (note - after I wrote this I found one blog post at World Think Tank that talked about using H2S for prison riot control. Could we extent this to riot control in general?)

Athletes - Since I'm getting radical, how about extending the performance window of our very best athletes? We could give them the option of waking up every four years in time to train for the Olympics. The other option would simply be to let them "rest" off season.

Space Travel - Yep. Classic application. Maybe we could finally do some. There are at the very least, some fresh movie plots here, or the chance to make them more realistic.

Time Travel - This is of course relative and one direction. But how about sleeping a few weeks at a time and find yourself subjectively rushing forward into the future? It might be fun.

Tivo for life - This is an extension of the time travel idea - sort of fast forward when you want, live life when YOU want. Let's say you're a basketball fan but hate the rest of the year - beep, beep, beep. Treat the boring parts of life like one big commercial. Live life on YOUR terms!

Tivo for the heart - Will H2S sleep dampen a heartache? I think Heinlein used this in "Door Into Summer". Would it help? Who knows. If you've ever been there, anything's worth a try.

Tivo for the soul - Could this be the ultimate form of meditation? Stay awake for only short slices of life and jump WAY into the future. Would it give you a different perspective? Would you dream? Would it matter?

Anyway, you get the idea. The point is, there are LOTS of possibilities not being effectively promoted. Feel free to ad yours below. These examples are why it's so important to know...

H2S Induced Hibernation useful?

It's been a YEAR!

Clue us in.

Or is everyone, "No Longer Sleepless in Seattle" ?

BTW, amazing work Mark. Congratulations.



Sudden Disruption

The latest:

07-28-16 HOW SCIENTISTS ARE BRINGING PEOPLE BACK FROM THE DEAD

01-20-16 Being frozen ‘to death’ saved this man’s life. It could save others,’ too. 

06-21-15 The role of endogenous H2S production during hibernation and forced hypothermia: towards safe cooling and rewarming in clinical practice

Apparently "Torpor" is the new handle for this technology:

10-03-14 NASA Eyes Crew Deep Sleep Option for Mars Mission

04-21-14 Survival of teenage stowaway on five-hour flight to Honolulu is medical 'miracle'

03-27-14 Doctors will place patients between life and death in suspended animation trials

10-07-13 - Ain't No Science Fiction, Suspended Animation Is FDA Approved and Heading to Clinical Trials
Mass extinction is a great reason to hibernate:

04-17-12 Key ingredient in mass extinctions could boost food, biofuel production

02-20-12 - Peter Skyllberg Snowed in for Two Months - Related?

Was Mitsutaka Uchikoshi another example?

09-30-10  Considering the theme of my original post, here is yet another example of the media missing the story and working the "politically incorrect" angle.  


In this case, documents were revealed from a Naval Surgeon in 1805. The headline is about "Bizarre naval experiments" and the focus is tobacco smoke and deliberate transmission of venereal disease, when the real story is quite probably the first documented case of suspended animation.  

When will they ever "get it"?

Bizarre naval experiments revealed

04-21-10  Significant advancement and recognition for the concept of induced hibernation! 

I revisit this topic each year.  It appears there's been significant progress.  Look through my list of uses below to understand why, and how important this discovery is.  Or start with Mark Roth's latest TED video at the end of the post.

CNN Update - 10-15-09...

Another major update 02-18-10 - Wired Interview

Mark Roth on Mice and Men and Suspended Animation

Mark Roth Home Page

Mark Roth: Suspended animation is within our grasp 02-2010 

Mark Roth's company - Ikaria Holdings

Potential Applications of Hydrogen Sulfide-Induced Suspended Animation

11-20-19 Humans Placed in Suspended Animation for the First Time

12-06-19 Woman Survives  six hours

03-16-20 Hydrogen Sulfide Is an Antiviral

06-15-20 Switch in Mouse Brain Induces a Deep Slumber Similar to Hibernation

03-15-21 Lemurs Hibernate Too

03-21-24 18 Years later DARPA decides to spend 9 billion dollars to settle the issue

Absolutely!

First posted on 8-7-2013:

"Absolutely" sets a new standard for "most abused word".  

My granddaughter Leah searching for absolutes

Turn on any interview news show.  Within seconds you'll hear the word, "Absolutely!" What's wrong with that? Well, this definitive response is likely about some relatively complex issue that doesn't even approach any absolute condition. Or the question wouldn't have been asked in the first place.

Why is "Absolutely!" such a common answer?  Is there really that much certainly in our world?  Nope.  It's the result of lazy thinking.

"Absolutely" is being applied to things that are not only NOT absolute, often they are not even probable. Consider the source. Who is the spokesman?  Politician? Anyone else with a bias?  See what I mean?  Ironically, the very opposite of their "absolute" assertion is often the case.  Strangely enough, the more emphatic the claim, the less likely it is to be true.

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman" and "there is absolutely no sex of any kind" - President Bill Clinton, 1998 from public statement and deposition

This onslaught of "absolutely!" is an excellent opportunity for some critical thinking.  Consider possible exceptions to the assertions as they are being stated.  Under what conditions might the statement NOT be true?  See what I mean?

Years ago I had a friend who, when I'd make some brash statement would say, "As opposed to?", then follow it with possible exceptions.  She was very good at this, and it became a game we played.  So I stole her trick. It's great mind candy, and quickly begs an even more important question - is ANYthing absolute?


Absolutely!

Seriously, isn't "absolutely" simply an idea?  A creation of the human mind?  Is it not our aspiration to see things all one way? Or all the other?  Isn't "absolutely" merely the result of a bad case of polar thinking?

"Absolutely" doesn't really exist.  Seeking the truth is best approached asymptotically, leaving the end-point for the weaker mind.  It's like "unsinkable", "unstoppable" or "immovable", each an admirable goal, but not achievable in the real world. "Unsinkable" didn't even complete its first voyage.

So is NOTHING absolutely true?  Nope.  Well, not likely.

"There are no absolutes", MAY be the ONLY valid absolute.

I can imagine everyone now bringing to mind their favorite absolutes - God, love, mathematics, gravity. I could go on and on, and so can you.  So let's start with the most popular:


God

Many of you think me an atheist, but you'd be wrong.  I'm at best (or worst) an agnostic.  And I have doubts about that.  But I DO hold that each of us should be given the tolerance to explore as we wish.  And that's the key - we need to keep an opened mind.

God is not only an overloaded word (many meanings), it's also one of the most over-loaded concepts we have in all the various aspects of human culture.  Unfortunately, the truth of God does not have a very good track record, under any religion.  

Compare the "truths" of  God, Jesus Christ, Buddha and Mohammad as documented.  They can't ALL be right.  To be candid, I think Mohammad, Buddha and Jesus Christ may have been pretty impressive guys, but you wouldn't know it from all the contradictions and contemporary interpretations.   To be fair, let's take each one separately.  They still get interpreted in many different ways by different "believers".  Again, even for any one religion, they can't ALL be right.  And if any of these doctrines were absolutely true, why would there ever be a need for change?  And yet they DO change from time to time. 

Let me get specific about the absolute aspect of God, not religion. Is our existence (or its illusion for some), proof of God?  Hardly. Our "existence" is demonstratively discoverable, and aspects of it are changing day by day.  Make a statement about existence, and a thousand others will provide counterpoints.  And that's WITHOUT questioning perception and relativity.  I could go on and on, but everyone else already has. Keep an opened mind.  Even about God.


Love

So, what about love?  It's so pure and simple, it MUST be absolute. Unfortunately, love too is a highly overloaded word, concept, and even overloaded feeling. Love goes mystic as an experience, but all you have to do is ingest some MDMA to produce its subjective conviction.  This clearly demonstrates our experience of love is at the very least, part of a chemical feedback loop in human behavior. And the conviction you feel on your wedding day? Give it seven years. Again, love's track record is no better than God's. Actually, it's quite a bit worse.


Mathematics

Ahh... mathematics - it's perfection itself.  Hardly.  Math is only a game we play in our struggle to understand the world. Mathematics is a creation of the human mind, and simply a tool for science.  If you look closely, the "truth" of mathematics flows from its usefulness in the observations we've made, or else is some form of identity - wholly disconnected from reality, which again makes it simply an abstraction of thought, which is more of an illusion than an absolute.

How a verbal paradox shattered the notion of total certainty in mathematics

“As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.” – Albert Einstein



Gravity

Speaking of Einstein, gravity never fails us!

Don't be silly.  Of course it does.  Along with all the other "laws" of science.  All you have to do is go into orbit.  OK, that's not fair.  The subjective experience of gravity just takes on a different form in orbit.  But seriously.  Ever heard of the 30 years that shook physics? 

In the late nineteenth century, it was thought that all science had been discovered, there were just a few refinements to be made. There was even talk of shutting down the patent office. And then along came Einstein.  That's when all hell broke loose (not related to God).  

Suffice it to say, we have more organized doubt in science now, than in any time in history.  And that's healthy. And that's the point. Any student entering the field of science today who does not have an open mind is a fool.  If he "believes" in math, if he "believes" in science, he is likely to be worse than useless in this endeavor. He may actually distract us from approaching the truth with his conviction.

Like mathematics, scientific absolutes are an illusion of the human mind.  Instead of discovering absolutes, science is how we claw our way forward in thinking.  Just don't hold too tightly to your conclusions, while you reach for the next hand-hold.  You'll find it easier to grasp.


Useful Generalization

So the next time you hear someone exclaim, "Absolutely!", let your mind wander to all the exceptions.  Then realize the person making the statement needs a lesson in critical thinking. Help them out. Explain that their conclusion may only be a useful generalization.

If you have any other "absolutes", please comment below.  I'll do what I can to help you test them.

Who knows, maybe you'll find one.  

But I doubt it.

If you do find something in nature that is perfectly consistent with all of its history, well, it's probably just waiting for its exception.

Perhaps the best statement on the topic: 

"I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief." - Gerry Spence

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd." - Voltaire

Another similar conclusion:

"I'm not absolutely sure of anything" - Richard Feynman in 1981 from this interview:

Richard Feynman on Religion, Science, the Search for Truth; Our Willingness to Live with Doubt

Half the "Facts" You Know Are Probably Wrong

"Settled" Science?

There are NO Absolutes. There is NO Absolute Truth!

03-07-06 Everything Is Crumbling

John Oliver: Scientific Studies

12-07-17 Scientific Proof Is aA Myth

05-02-18 The Danger of Absolute Thinking

The Nature of Knowledge

I realize the ambitious objective indicated by the title, but there's another perspective - the essence of knowledge, which is more limited in scope and can be more easily contained. And explained. I'm making this post to help me sort out some ideas I'm working on in my research in neuroscience.

What does it mean to know something? Is it to have that thing well characterized? To understand what might happen to it in most circumstances? Or all circumstances? To have access to the truth about a thing? I believe this last part involving truth goes beyond the scope of knowledge, and in doing so causes a great deal of confusion and grief. It's also the part of Plato's definition, (justified true belief) that was invalidated by Edmund Gettier in 1963.

If you've read my blog post, "Absolutely", you'll remember my description of approaching truth asymptotically, but never achieving it. Knowledge is that approach, ever waiting to be refined and edited.

Think about a few things that you "know" to be true. Are they really? Politics is a fertile field for knowledge. Half of any group will "know" things the other half dismisses. It's the same with religion. Conviction is no less "certain" from multiple conflicting perspectives. See what I mean? Half of what we "know" does not even approach the truth. And the other half is only a useful generalization.

The point is, what we "know" at any given instant is simply the best understanding available to us at the time, based on our own individual experience and perception, and in spite of our "conviction". Indeed, it may often be a long way from some objective and independent "truth". This is why it's best to always keep an opened mind.

Knowledge is a work in progress. To know something is only to approach its truth, and sometimes to fall well short. Yet we act on our knowledge because it's the best we have to work with at the moment.

Always be prepared to learn something new in your never-ending quest for knowledge.

Men in America

This challenging but also interesting video is actually a social media test.

Men in America

Did you pass?

The Master and His Emissary - A Review of the Divided Brain

Originally posted on 3-15-12:

Like many, I've been skeptical of left / right brain theory for decades.  The data seemed fluffy, with too many exceptions.  Then I encountered this video of a TED presentation:

The Divided Brain

Finished?  If you're like me, the value and concentration of the content were overwhelming.  But watch it again.  This time keep your hand on the pause button.  Pause if his words get ahead of the pictures.  Pause again if the pictures get ahead of the words.

Yes, there's a lot of detail here, both in hard data and concept, but that's not the main reason for this second viewing.  This video nicely demonstrates the theme of its own content.   It's been biologically established that as you watch, the presentation is going into BOTH sides of your skull at the same time.  Your eyes and ears are collecting two similar copies, but your divided brain is creating two DIFFERENT experiences, one dominated by image and animation, the other by text and verbal logic.  Your brain is running in parallel, and the only time you notice is when one half's recognition gets ahead of the other. Your control of the pause button shifts smoothly from side to side.  Your left or right brain inhibits the other when needed.  This shifting control allows both experiences to be captured.

The moving images provide right-brain meaning through visual metaphor. Dr. McGilchrist's precise left-brain verbalization and text nail down and allow you to "grasp" these ideas. Though I'm over-simplifying, this is an example of the very thing being presented - that it takes BOTH sides of the brain working as asymmetrical and largely unequal specialists in delivering the result that is ultimately the human mind.

The other reason this video is important is that the book is extremely detailed and thoughtful.  "The Divided Brain" takes some digesting.  But it's worth it.  And it's good to have a "both-brain" outline to fill in his very deliberate, precise and comprehensive written presentation.   This video covers literally 500+ pages which are well summarized in only a few minutes. Much of it is profound. I watched it at least a dozen times. Then I read the pages:

The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, by Dr. Iain McGilchrist



The Divided Book

This work is both brilliant and maddening.  What it presents is a major advancement in our ability to understand human behavior and our behavior's contradictions.  It contains both hard data and insightful observations, but also wild conjecture. From a wealth of brain studies over the last few decades, the author has crystallized a new model of left and right brain functionality, which is by far the book's greatest contribution to the topic. Then he describes the left brain's evolving impact on western culture.

The result is both logically and intuitively convincing.  Each of us is literally of two minds, creating a single subjective experience.  We are driven by two largely complementary engines of evaluation, each seamlessly yielding control of the mind and body from moment to moment depending on which side is most likely to be effective in dealing with the current challenge.  Asymmetry of functional realms is the key to minimizing obvious dynamic conflict. The realization of this fact has wide-ranging implications for all of human behavior, but especially personal relationships, politics, religion, and economics. I shall address these consequences in separate blog posts. But let's get back to the book.

The delivery of these ideas is fascinating in spite of his formal style, which is necessary for such a demanding topic.  Dr. McGilchrist does an amazing job of precisely navigating very deep waters, but like any project this ambitious, he reaches a bit too far now and then, which is perhaps his most important lesson. This work spans credibility from solid conclusion too obvious speculation.  But even in speculation, there is very little that is patently wrong.  These ideas are not some new-age theory, though this book may literally become the bible for left / right brain enthusiasts.  No, I haven't lost my bias for the rational, but I have gained a new appreciation for the intuitive, and it's genesis.

Like the brain, the book is presented in two parts.  The first part is well-founded scientific documentation of the physical and behavioral differences between the left and right brain. Taken alone, it's of tremendous value in understanding the brain's obvious bicameral nature.  The second part is dominated by the selective ascription of art and history to one side of the brain or the other, and its impact on our modern culture.

Though dense with useful data, each chapter raises important issues, which are then addressed by the next. Step by careful step, he builds a coherent model of the mind based on cross-supported observations of brain physiology and actual human behavior.  For the most part, it rings true.

The later section on paradox is brilliant and sets the stage for what he presents in the second part: the "Achille's heel" of the rational mind, which is that our more logical left brain denies anything not within its framework of simulation. This means that the left misses a lot, virtually anything that can't be "proven".  He describes this shortcoming as a hall of mirrors.  A sharp focus and "single-minded" objective is the left's strength, but also its weakness.  The left brain is blind to, or otherwise demotes obvious leaps of intuition, such as casually stepping over a paradox.  He uses Zeno to nicely make this point.

The second part of the book is all about the impact the left-brain has had on the realm of the right.  He uses examples of music, art, and philosophy from the last few thousand years.  Much of this is based on McGilchrist's impressive knowledge of our culture, and some intuition.  This part is as subjective as the first part is objective.

The first half of the book is a pleasant intellectual challenge.  It's also a ride in the park compared to the second half, which is like hitting a bog on a dirt bike, well at least it was for this rational mind. I had to gear-down even to drag my way through, probing for the hard ground of logic, and finding little.  He seems to ascribe behaviors to one side of the brain or the other almost willy-nilly.  And he freely admits, "These thoughts are inevitably contingent, to some extent fragmentary and rudimental."  Though I tried to understand his literary leaps, my mind kept reverting to the rational. This probably says more about me than the writing, but I wonder how many other readers gave up at this point and never finished the book.

To be fair I chased down a few of these wild ascriptions using his comprehensive bibliography.  Each provided a reason to believe, if not actual proof.  You'll have to decide for yourself. Though useful data are more rare in the second half, if you grind through, the pearls are there, and worth the effort. Plus there's something more useful than mere data.  If you tend to the rational, the first half will be the most meaningful. If you're more intuitive, I suspect the second half will be the most insightful. This intuitive approach in the second half also creates doubt in the rational mind.  For me, conjecture about so much subjective art, and evidence such as which way a subject of a painting was facing, left my mind reeling and yearning for the science of the first part.

Another way of saying this is that the first part contains lots of observations, science, and hard data.  It makes sense.  It makes you THINK.  The second part makes you wonder about the validity of the author's many right-brain speculations.  And it gives you the FEELING he just MIGHT be right - but he can't prove it.


Conclusion

Dr. McGilchrist presents a rational left-brained model for what our right-brain has secretly known all along, but could not say.  Our right side feels the truth of the presentation but doesn't have a voice. Our left side can put it into words, but won't accept a new model of the mind without reasonable proof.  This book provides both proof AND conviction. It makes you think.  And it makes you feel.

This is where the parallel with the video comes in.  The book is also a Rorschach's test of left and right brain conclusions.  The medium IS the irony.  Though the book is mostly words meant for the left brain, these words are inspired by right-brain imagination.  Though tedious at times, even the more wild ideas are hard to indict.

I've probably re-read fewer than ten books in my entire life.  I'm a slow reader, but once I read a book, I know it.  This book is an exception.  The moment I finished (and it took months), I flipped to the front and immediately started reading again.  Like the video, reading the book whet my appetite for more.  Perhaps it'll do the same for you.  If you have any interest in the brain or human behavior, "The Master and His Emissary" is a must-read.

04-03-14 Age of Wonder - a philosophy lecture by Dr. McGilchrist

05-09-17 An excellent interview of Dr. McGilchrist

05-17-2018 Iain McGilchrist - The Divided Brain and the Unmaking of Our World

06-12-18 Jenny Connected Review

09-27-22 The Divided Brain - The Film

The Most Dangerous Drugs

01-15-20 "showed a greater drop in binge drinking than their peers" is the silver lining in this 850,000 sample study. It will have a far greater long-term positive impact than any negative impact of increased marijuana use as total life-time alcohol harm is 3.5 times greater than marijuana harm:

College students use more marijuana in states where it’s legal, but they binge drink less

10/09/17 Only A Handful Of People In History Have Ever Overdosed On LSD. This Is What Happened To Them

06-05-17 Your Brain On Acid

06-10-15 Nice Collection Of Drug Meta Data

04-14-15 - Views are changing: Pew Research on Marijuana

02-23-15 - Marijuana may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say 

02-09-15 - Landmark Study Finds Marijuana Is Not Linked to Car Crashes 

From 3-23-2007:

By British drug class:




By actual aspect of harm:

Having spent over two years on the Washoe County Grand Jury, I've been amazed at how disproportionate the law is compared to the actual physical and social damage resulting from the use of each type of drug.

Apparently others agrees - details here.

Paper - Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis

Even this chart has a muted range when applied to an individual. In the cases I've seen, the curve's far steeper on both ends with meth at the top. Do solvents REALLY do less social damage than cannabis?!?! Certainly not if you're the one huffing.

I can only assume they were measuring TOTAL social impact as opposed to individual social damage, since the incidence of solvent abuse is far more rare than cannabis. Of the 12 million monthly users in America, ever hear of anyone over-dosing on marijuana?

In any case, it's good these drugs are finally being painted with separate brushes. From all the studies and history, our laws are obviously upside-down - especially when it comes to alcohol and cannabis.

Let's get real with the science and the law, before more kids decide they have to try ALL of these things just to learn the truth. Remember that chant from the 60s?

Let's start telling it like it IS!

A useful interview with Dr Nutt 2011:

Mouse Party Teaches Drug Effects

Psychedelics Actually Benefit Mental Health

Interesting links:

Reset Me

The Speed of Hypocrisy: How America Got Hooked on Legal Meth

Burning Man 1995

Excellent early video production:

Burning Man 1995 Video

The Significance of the Samsung Note

First posted 3-15-12:

Like much in the history of human affairs, technical advancement does not generally happen in a smooth progression. It moves in fits and starts, and smart-phone technology has been on a tear for the last few years.

Palm was the first true smart-phone with a library of independent apps, but it was the iPhone that first found broad acceptance of the general public. Apple seems to have a way with tech fashion, even if they aren't always the first to market.  Or the best.

The next major fit of development was the Android family.  Motorola Droid offered the first significant competition to the iPhone.  HTC improved performance and over this last year, Samsung has come to lead Android technology with its large displays, yet light weight.

We now have the Samsung Galaxy Note as its latest example, but is it too cool or simply too big?  I'll start with a comparison of my Droid which is what I know best.  The Samsung Note has:

100% more screen area.
50% taller
67% wider
250% more pixels
255% faster clock
80% more battery
60% more pixels in its camera
Plus a front camera
4G surfing and movies
4 times the RAM
16 times the ROM
Effective pen interface

So what's not to like?  Well, it is 8 grams heavier but that's too small to notice.  The Samsung Note also has no hard keyboard, but surprisingly, the screen is so large, I'm faster (and more accurate) on its soft keyboard than the Droid hard keyboard.  The Samsung Note is better in every way than the standard Droid and even better in most ways than the latest iPhone.  End of story?  Not quite.

Surprisingly, the Note's best feature (the screen) is also the critic's biggest complaint, which is what this post is really about.  The Note is being panned as a "phablet" because of its large screen. The logic is, it's too big to hold up to your face, and yet too small to compete as a tablet.  Here's an example review:


By: Jonathan S. Geller - Feb 13th, 2012 at 03:45PM

"The Galaxy Note essentially has everything you’d want in a smartphone: a great dual-core processor, a solid camera, a beautiful display and good build quality, and it runs on ATT’s new 4G LTE network that delivers incredibly fast download speeds. Plus the battery seems actually decent so far, which is a triumph for modern smart-phones.

Throw all of that right out the window.

The phone is too big. You will look stupid talking on it, people will laugh at you, and you’ll be unhappy if you buy it. I really can’t get around this, unfortunately, because Samsung pushed things way too far this time."


And it wasn't just Jonathan.  Here's what Zach at BGR had to say:

Samsung Galaxy Note review: The smartphone that ‘Samsunged’ Samsung
By: Zach Epstein | Feb 22nd, 2012 at 12:01PM

"Holding this beast to your face while on a phone call in public will result in awkward stares. Not “maybe” or “might,” but “will.” It just looks silly."

One more - PC World's review:

"For most, the Note will be too big for a phone, but too small for a tablet. Rather, it’s an awkward in-between device, and will only appeal to a niche consumer base. "



I'm here to tell you, PC World and all the rest are dead WRONG.  The Note will NOT be limited to a niche.  It has hit the sweet spot in size and will become the new standard in smart-phone technology.  Here's why.

As some of you may know, I've been a geek since before the word was widely used.  I've been interested in computers since the smallest ones filled up a room, which was long before they became personal.  It was much later that the first thing that could be considered personal technology was introduced, and it was a calculator.

If you think the lines are long for gadgets now, you should have been around in 1972 when HP introduced the original HP35 calculator.  It sold for $395 which was over $2000 in today dollars, but you couldn't buy it at any price (no eBay back then).  After placing only two magazine ads, the original HP35 calculator was back-ordered for more than six months.

This backlog was because the HP35 was SUCH a major advancement in technology, it is hard to imagine even in today's new gadget world.  The closest competition to the HP35 calculator sat on a desk, weighed 25 pounds and cost more than $10,000 (or $50,000 in today dollars).

In contrast, the HP35 was designed to fit into William Hewlett's shirt pocket, which is the key to the issue at hand.

Even though back-ordered from their own distribution, I discovered from a friend at HP that I could buy their calculator at HP headquarters.  This outlet was for employees, but he said they weren't checking IDs.  I immediately flew my plane to Palo Alto, walked up to the front counter and bought two (an extra one for my cousin).

It's been that way my whole life. I watch a given technology then buy the latest and greatest when it's introduced; not because it's a fashion, but because it's significantly better in some technical way. I bought the very first Palm Pilot the day it was released. I generally hold off upgrading until there is a significant advancement. At their introduction I bought the first color Palm phone (also from Samsung), then the Palm Treo and Palm Centro in turn as they were significant advancements.

Just over two years ago I ended a long-term relationship with Palm and bought the original Droid on the day of its introduction. I considered the iPhone but the first version wouldn't even copy, cut and paste text, which I can't live without.  Android has been amazing though there are still things the old Palm did that the Droid can not yet touch. But that's another blog post.

So why am I leaving the Droid behind so quickly? The usual reasons - significant advancements in technology which are listed above, but most importantly because of the size of the screen.  All of that visual real estate is wonderful.  For years now I've known the original HP-35 hit a sweet spot in physical size and weight.  It was as big as possible without being too big to fit in a shirt pocket.

As it turns out the Samsung Note is almost the same size and weight as that original HP-35. I've been carrying the Note in my shirt pocket the last few weeks and it feels just like the HP35 I carried from years ago. So according to the reviewers, the only problem is how silly we look if we hold it up to our head, which is my second point - a true geek is like the Honey Badger - he doesn't give a shit.

And that's how I know I'm an authentic geek: I don't understand why it looks weird to hold a Samsung Note up to your head.  Why does it matter?  It's what it DOES that counts.  I for one believe it's the ultimate geek-cred to side with function over fashion.  And who's says Bill Hewlett wouldn't have looked cool talking on his new calculator if only there had been a cell tower around.

Who wants to bet the next iPhone is not bigger?

And that in three years the Samsung Note will be the standard size for a phone?

And then it will be cool.

Email your wager.

03-28-12 Samsung ships five million Galaxy Notes in just five months

04-05-12 Samsung's Galaxy Note is a freak hit


06-01-12 Too early to say I told you so?


06--20-13 Time to note a problem with the Note - both the power and volume buttons are in the worst possible locations.  I had noticed this with other phones but hope for some reason it would be different with the Samsung, but alas... no.  The problem is, these buttons are in exactly the place where you are most likely to hold the phone, which means they are constantly and inadvertently activated.  It is a classic physical overloading fail.  And Power should be slightly recessed, so it doesn't bump on, whatever it's location.  Droid did this well.

Interesting survey about size:

Apple's worst-kept secret: Bigger iPhones in 2014

10-14-13 Upgraded to the Samsung Note 3 as it's brighter, lighter, faster with longer battery life and better camera.  Also, the power button is no longer directly across from the volume buttons so both are inadvertently hit less often.  I'm not crazy about the hard Home button which also powers up when not asked for, but I'll reserve judgment until I get a few more miles.  Overall the device is a delight because of display, performance, and battery.  More later.

02-12-14 Four months use and this is the best mobile device I've ever owned, mostly because of display quality, speed, and battery life.  And the apps keep getting better.

09-24-14 Ultimate Vindication

11-01-14 Upgraded to Samsung Note 4 with faster charging and better battery life. This is the best portable computer I've ever owned.

08-22-16 I bought the Samsung Note 7 today.  Once again, this is a brighter and higher resolution screen. Wait a minute. That was an understatement. It's amazing how each generation of these Samsung displays is brighter than the last. Holding these two phones next to each other with displays on maximum, the difference is like night and day. But how bright of a display do we really need? Brighter. Here's why. When you get into your forties and your close vision begins to go, you notice you can either hold the content further away, or you can increase the light level. Contrast is as important as (or more so) resolution or screen size. It allows you to see more detail on a given screen. It increases visual bandwidth. The new Note has the best display I've ever seen. Again.

Battery tech is also much improved (apparently, to the point of failure 09-22-16).  And with wireless charging a standard feature, it charges faster, easier and lasts longer. Another plus for the Note 7.

Physically, the device is also narrower and just a bit lighter, both improvements.

On the downside, I don't like the curved edges. Already I've had a condition where the "1" key on Hacker's Keyboard would not activate because the touch sensitive layer does not wrap around the corner where the majority of the key was. But then if it did, you'd be activating functions when only holding the device, which would be a major problem. Also, when dragging, the effect of dragging stops as you approach the edge and your finger prematurely leaves the surface as the surface drops away. The result is that you can't drag something up to the edge. You are stopped a character short of the margin. The rounded edge is annoying and seems to have little practical value.

What exactly is the point of a curved edge? You do get to see a message arrive when the phone is face down, but does this relatively rare case make up for the UI failures? Hardly. Is this a case of fashion over function? Is Samsung looking for a physical branding device? If so, they should first make sure it does not impair the operation of the phone. In any case, the curved screen does not work for me. Give me a flat screen any day (with a little bezel to hold on to so I'm not activating features inadvertently).

Now for the surface. The glass back is slick looking but also quite literally slick. It's like holding a bar of soap. Do they want these things dropped so they can sell you another one? I added egrip phone strips which helps a lot, but why should I have to geek up such a premium device? Everything except the screen should be a high friction surface. The glass back is another design fail.

On the plus side, the camera operation is much improved. As for quality, I'll let you know when I get time to work with some of the images.

Adding the Samsung Gear VR is a blast, but much lower resolution than I expected. Perhaps that is the cost of fast and smooth response. Or do they spread those pixels over such a wide field of view that our fovea only gets a relatively low res?

Notwithstanding the battery issues, the Note 7 is two steps forward, one back, but that's still a net improvement.

(09-22-16 - As everyone knows by now, the Note 7 was a major failure. Guess I'll have to wait for the Note 8. Or something else.)

05-31-17 - What was radical in 2012 is now mainstream:

Smartphone screens find their size sweet spot

02-10-21 Final vindication: when I first wrote this blog post in 2012, a 5.3" screen was considered freakishly large. Now anything that small is considered too small to use:

Sorry, small-phone lovers:

Next, I predict we'll get flexible 10" phones that wrap around your arm most of the time, but spring out flat when being used. You read it here first - 02-10-21

Introducing Mud Bluff, Nevada

Many of you know I've been involved with the Burning Man Project for years as a Regional Contact. During that time I've helped to organize PermaBurn, Stone Soup and Buring Girl as well as many other Burner events and projects. I've also hosted various events and theme camps at my home in south Reno. What you may not know is that I've been seeking a larger and more remote location to host a permanent regional campout as well as continue this type of participation. 

Over the last three years, I've reviewed hundreds of property listings and hiked the more interesting ground. On December 4th I went out to the Lahontan dam for yet another site visit.

This was my first impression as I drove onto the property, inspiring the title for this blog post. By the end of January 2017, I had purchased both this and the adjoining parcel.

Lahonton dam and reservoir to the west of the first 77 acre purchase in December of 2016.

An additional 39 acres with power and a well were purchased in January 2017, for a total of 116 acres.

As you can see, the Carson river crosses the property for about a thousand feet with about four acres actually on the north side of the river. The 26 acres of river bottom contain an oxbow from an earlier flow of the river and lots old cottonwood trees. Another 50 acres is sloping, alluvial bluff, with about 40 acres of flat desert on top, providing panoramic views in all directions.

The river facing west showing the low flow in December.

Beavers are under that log and made that small "dam" to the right. This is framed by the north 4 acres of the property across the river.

Lots of reeds and birds.

The bluff on the second parcel of land.

Dead cottonwood. Some are more than a hundred years old.

The 26 acres of bottom land from the top of the bluff

View to the west

View to the North

View to the East

The 50 acres of sloping ground is in the middle. Yes, it's quite bleak in winter, but that creates a contrast with the river-bottom cottonwoods in May. Stand by for updated pictures.

That's the well-test being done - good water, and lots of it. Also, that pole brings power to the center of the property with transformers both below, and on top of the bluff.

What am I going to do with this property?

That's my newest challenge, but it will probably include a place to live, and space to continue hosting Burner events and art development. Email me if you'd like to be involved with this project.

Or visit our dedicated website or Facebook page:

Mudbluff.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/303746580066581/?ref=bookmarks

Here's a review of our progress from 2020: