Comet Pathfinder

~On my UNC web site, I've posted a pathfinder on the topic of "Cometary Science". I made it as part of a class assignment, so feel free to take a look if you want. It's located here. There's also a summary of why I arranged it the way I did, located here.

Pirates Hit the Jackpot

~Avast, ye scurvy sea dogs! On Thursday, pirates seized a Kenya-bound Ukrainian ship off the coast of Somalia. Since Somalia fell into anarchy in 1991, piracy has become a serious problem in the busy shipping routes around the Horn of Africa; for example, last year a French yacht was captured, and before that a cruise ship was approached by pirates.

Currently, over a dozen hijacked ships are being held by pirates in the town of Eyl, and the pirates collect over $100 million annually from ransoms. The pirates are said to operate out of large "motherships" which lurk off of the Somali coast, dispatching pirate-filled speedboats to surround and seize passing ships.

The seizure of this ship, the Faina,was different, because the cargo hold is crammed with grenade launchers, ammunition, machine parts, and 33 Russian-made T-72 tanks! Details of the cargo soon emerged. The tanks were acquired and refurbished by Ukrainian state-owned armed company Ukrspetseksport, which then legally sold them, the parts, the ammo, and the grenade launchers to Kenya for about $30 million.

Although the pirates may feel as if they've hit the jackpot, the tanks may be more trouble than they're worth. Even unloading them will be difficult without large cargo cranes. Even worse for these modern-day buccaneers is the response that the seizure has drawn: both the U.S. and Russian navies have dispatched heavily-armed warships to recover the cargo ship and patrol the area.

Still, I hope they get the tanks back, otherwise U.N. or Africa Union troops dispatched for peacekeeping duties in Mogadishu may find themselves confronting more than AK-47's. The piracy situation in the area has gotten out of control, with over 50 ships attacked this year and 25 successfully captured.

I have a suggestion for solving the problem: bring back Letters of Marque! Rules for granting them are actually in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8, paragraph 11), so we might as well use them. Arrrrrr!

"Don't Move, Or the Tenor Gets It!"

~I laughed so hard watching this video (warning: contains language and some violence):

^ In case you understood none of that, it was a parody of this PBS game show, based on the educational geography game of the same name. Each episode of the show would be narrated by Rockapella, who would sing events as they happened. Contestants were called "gumshoes" and the game show host was "The Chief". It was a fun show, and if there were any justice in the world, Rockapella would still be singing "She put the mis in misdemeanor when she stole the beans from Lima!"

Click on the play button below to hear the full theme song, which was parodied in the video:

Introducing.....Haumea!

~Please welcome the most-recently designated object in our solar system family: the dwarf planet Haumea!

^ Haumea (named for a Hawaiian goddess of childbirth and fertility) was actually discovered in late 2004, and was designated 2003 EL61 (nicknamed "Santa"). The above image is an illustration of what Haumea might look like; no pictures have yet been taken of the planet, as its average distance from the sun is fifty times greater than that of Earth.

The most striking feature of Haumea is its unusual oblong, cigar-like shape. This shape may be a result of its fast rotation, as it rotates once every four hours or so, tumbling end over end as opposed to spinning like a top.

The two moons of Haumea are named Hi'iaka and Namaka, for daughters of the goddess Haumea.

^ Haumea is the fifth object in the solar system to be officially designated as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (after Ceres, Pluto, Eris, and Makemake). Personally, I'm hoping Orcus will eventually make the cut.

^ This diagram shows Haumea's orbital path. The gray circle in the center is the orbit of Neptune. The red circle is Pluto's path, while Haumea is in yellow (the Q's are the points of aphelion, when the planets are farthest from the sun). To see where Haumea is RIGHT NOW, check out this orbital tracker from NASA (give it some time to load up).

With all of these "dwarf planets" and "plutoids" and new comets showing up, it seems that the solar system is much more crowded than we thought it was just a few short years ago. The idea of a hypothetical "Planet X" now seems quaint (although again, I'm still hoping). With new planets being constantly discovered both inside and outside the solar system, it's an exciting time in the field of astronomy!

Games4Learning: The Immersive Power of Creative Worlds

~I attended a lecture & discussion today titled, "The Immersive Power of Creative Worlds" by Dr. Brian Sturm, a professor in my school at UNC. It was part of the "Games4Learning" initiative, which is the same program that ran the "Exploring Haptic Devices" event that I went to last semester.

During today's lecture, Dr. Sturm spoke about his own research into immersion, what can enhance it (by pulling a person into a story), and what can break it (by jarring them out). At some point, we've all been pulled into a good story, be it a book, film, game, or a story someone tells us. The focus of this lecture/discussion was how games can be used for learning, so we discussed whether or not immersion is desirable in eductation, how it can increase or decrease recall of information, and so forth.

I said quite a bit during the discussion, as I am a gamer (albeit not as much as I used to be thanks to constraints on my time). For example, one of the issues we discussed was whether the presence of other people in a game (i.e. a multiplayer game) increases or decreases immersion. I think that this depends on the game; certain games are built for multiplayer, and are more fun that way. However, I felt that other people in computer role-playing games greatly detract from immersion.

That's why, for example, I can't stand (and don't play) online Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMORPGs) such as World of Warcraft. Having some clueless new player with an absurd character name speaking in abbreviations about unrelated things does not immerse me into the story. Discussions of optimizing one's character to increase their effectiveness is boring. Worst of all, I don't want to spend time completing a major section of the game, only to have other players tell me about how they already completed it. In an MMORPG, you're never the hero; you're one among thousands (or millions, in World of Warcraft). You can't save the world; you can't even change anything. What's the point of playing? I guess people play it as a form of social interaction, but I prefer to see real, live people.

I did disagree with a couple of points that Dr. Sturm brought up. He mentioned several qualities of a game that increase immersion; most of them made sense, but I took exception to the idea that if you fail in a game (or get killed, or whatever), it's essential to be able to quickly reload and not be too far behind. Compare this with the genre of games called roguelikes, adventure games with very simple graphics (often only ASCII text) in which you can save your game, but if you die, the save file is deleted! In these games, unlike most RPGs, decisions have real consequences. When your character in Rogue walks into a room and sees a capital J (for Jabberwock, one of the most dangerous opponents), your pulse rises and you get scared...because if you don't deal with it properly, it's over, and back to the beginning.

I also brought up the case of "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem", a brilliant horror survival game for the Nintendo Gamecube, which includes a special "sanity meter". As your character faces horrors, the sanity meter decreases, which results in on-screen vertigo: the screen blurs, hallucinatory sounds play, the size of objects become distorted, and so forth (a similar sanity mechanism is used in Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth). These kind of effects, as Dr. Sturm agreed, increase immersion by having you experience what the in-game character is experiencing.

Where Sanity's Requiem really shines, however, is that when the sanity meter gets low enough, the game starts to mess with not only the character, but with the person playing the game. Examples of this include the word "VIDEO" appearing in the screen as it blanks out, as if you had accidentally hit the wrong button on the remote; or a (fake) error message saying that the controller has been detached; or a (fake) volume bar that appears and goes up and down, along with the sound in the game; or when attempting to save, the game refuses to acknowledge and says that you have chosen not to save. Normally, these kind of jarring effects would, according to Dr. Sturm, decrease immersion, but I think that the opposite is true. Instead, they add to the confusion and horror of the game and pull you even more deeply into it.

Obviously, I enjoyed the discussion. I've registered for the next Games4Learning event on "Alternate Reality Games", and I might even take one of Dr. Sturm's classes next semester.

Movie Review: "THE ILLUSIONIST"

THE ILLUSIONIST (official site) is a 2006 period drama starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giametti. Norton leads as legendary stage magician "Eisenheim the Illusionist", whose arrival in turn-of-the-century Vienna attracts the attention of both the ambitious Crown Prince Leopold and Leopold's fiancee, the Duchess Sofie von Teschen. Why has Eisenheim, long absent from Vienna, suddenly returned? How does he accomplish his seemingly supernatural illusions? What's his relationship with Sofie, and what is he really after? Watch this trailer for a preview:



Although it takes place in Vienna, much of the movie was actually filmed in the Czech Republic. I didn't realize this at first, but a flashback of Eisenheim's childhood early in the film seemed familiar to me:












The flashback scene on the left was filmed in Krumlov, one of the towns I visited while in the Czech Republic (the photo on the right is one of mine). I went to the top of the tower that Eisenheim is looking at! Here's another example from the movie:












In the film, the image on the left is Prince Leopold's palace in Vienna. However, if you've been to Prague (or have been following my blog), you may recognize it as the main gate to Prague Castle, adjacent to Castle Square. While watching the movie, I knew I'd seen those Fighting Greek Titans somewhere before...

Overall, I enjoyed "The Illusionist" very much. It's a movie that caused me to think, mostly along the lines of "How the heck did Eisenheim do that?", and "What's he up to now?". While it is not a comedy, there are many humorous moments, chiefly from the interaction between Eisenheim and the Chief Inspector (played by Giametti) assigned to investigate him. While somewhat predictable, the superb acting, witty dialogue, and enjoyable plot combine to create a fun and memorable movie experience.

Farewell to Prague

~On the final day of my seminar in Prague (the day before my flight), we attended a graduation ceremony at the Academy of Science Library:

^ This building that now houses this library was once a bank, and above you can see the former bank lobby. The library is a membership institution, but membership is inexpensive (around ~$15/year, if I remember correctly). Many students of Charles University use the library as a quiet, air-conditioned place to study.

Here are some close-up views of the above photograph:

^ If you look carefully, you can see this beehive crest on the wall of the previous picture. It's the logo of the bank that was once housed here. Just as bees go out and bring nectar back to the hive which they convert into honey, so to did the bank persuade people to deposit their money (look, that rhymed! Huh, I made that up...).

^ Four of these extravagant lamps light the room. Between them are marble statues of mythological figures.

^ During the ceremony, each person who attended the seminar received a certificate.

^ Afterward, we lounged around and drank champagne. Look at those smiles!

^ With the ceremony ended, we went for one last walk around the city. The Academy of Science Library is located near Legions Bridge, one of the main bridges that crosses the Vltava River, so we went across. Here's a better look at the National Theatre, where I attended the opera "Falstaff".

^ A closer look at the statue on the right side of the National Theater roof in the previous picture. Notice the netting that holds it in place. Remember, this building is well over 100 years old.

^ Charles Bridge, taken from Legions Bridge. Doesn't that balloon ride look like fun? Also, see the mansion up on the hill in the background? That's the residence of the Czech vice-president.

^ Flying over Prague near the castle is the Stars & Stripes. I'd guess that's the U.S. embassy below it.

^ We stopped to rest in a small park. Nearby was the "Pizzeria Kampa Mulino", an Italian restaurant built in an old water-powered mill.

^ Just beside the restaurant are these apartments, some of the most expensive real estate in Prague. The small canal below them is known as the "Devil's Alley", and is supposedly cursed. This in no way hinders the wealthy renters.

^ After all this walking around and sightseeing, it was time to kick back and relax one more time before leaving. A room at a pub-like restaurant had been reserved for us, so we ate and drank up. Luckily, there was a closed door between us and the old man playing the accordion.

Well, that's it from the Czech Republic. The Prague-gram was over, and it was time for us to Czech out of the hotel, and not be Slav-enly about it. I hope you've enjoyed my pictures and commentary! Here's one last picture, a panoramic of the Bohemian Paradise:

~Next: My review of a film that is connected to Prague...

Vyšehrad, part 2

~After looking through the strange cemetery of Vyšehrad, we were given a tour of the "casemates", which are passages within fortress ramparts serving as hidden mustering points for troops. Construction of a defensive fortress in Vyšehrad began in 1654, but by the time the fort was finished, developments in military technology, such as increasingly powerful artillery, had rendered it almost useless for defense.

The French captured the fort in the eighteenth century and built the casemates inside, which were more useful for soldiers than a large, easily-visible fortress. They were very nearly blown up in 1742, when a Prussian garrison, which had occupied the area, was evacuating Prague...but not before leaving 133 barrels of gunpowder in the casemates on a slow fuse. Luckily, some locals managed to disarm the fuse before the casemates were blown to smithereens.

^The casemates were later used as an air raid shelter and a food storage area, and today they hold art exhibitions, including several of the original statues from Charles Bridge, which have been replaced with replicas. Slowly, all of the statues on the bridge are being replaced and stored underground, in the casemates.

^ A statue of Madonna (no, no, not that Madonna), attending a kneeling St. Bernard (no, no, not that St. Bernard) and some cherubs. This statue was sculpted by Matěj Václav Jäckl in 1709 and donated by the abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Osek, Benedikt Littwerig.

^ This statue depicts St. Anne, the (apocryphal) mother of Mary, holding the baby Jesus (who is in turn holding a globe of WORLD DOMINATION). This statue was also designed by Matěj Václav Jäckel, but in 1707.

The casemates are about ten meters below ground and were cold enough to cloud my breath. Emerging from them into the sunlight was like clawing my way free from Niflheim! In celebration, here's a panoramic image of the nearby Vlatava River:

Let's take a clsoer look at the center of the panoramic:

^ Narrow islands in the Vlatava River are used to shelter marinas. During flooding in 2002, the water level rose so high that it actually flooded the streets on the right, which are well above the river in this picture:

^ Busy streets of Prague. Notice the integration of the tram system in the middle of the roadway. Along with a bus system and subways, getting around in Prague is easy. I wish I could say the same about most American cities.

^ Another panoramic, just to the right of the previous panoramic. Of course, here's a closer look:

^ There's not much left of the original Vyšehrad Castle that was once beside the Vlatava River. Aside from some crumbling walls, all that's left are these riverside ruins, known as the "Baths of Libuše".

^ On the other side of the river from the ruins, I noticed this lone house atop a hill, surrounded by forests in an otherwise-crowded area of the city. I asked one of the guides about it, and was surprised at the answer: this mansion is part of Czech Intelligence, and is a blackout-zone for cellular and radio transmissions. To get a sense of how isolated it is, look at this:

~Next: Farewell ceremony and dinner! I'm almost finished with pictures and stories from Prague.

Vyšehrad, part 1

~On the last day before my departure from Prague, I toured Vyšehrad (pr: "Vii-zhuh-raad"), a district in the south of the city named after a castle that once dominated the area almost a thousand years ago, before being abandoned and falling into disrepair.

^ Upon emerging from the subway station into the district, I found myself near this long bridge that stretches across a valley filled with houses. I was told that Prague once had a problem with suicidal people jumping off of the bridge, until some bright person installed a high fence along the walkways. As a result, the bridge (officially Nuselský Bridge) has been dubbed "Suicide Bridge" by the inhabitants of the city.

^ The bridge from another direction. As you can see, it stretches right across the valley, over apartments and businesses. I'd hate to live right under it...it must get noisy (especially considering that a subway line is built into the bridge, accounting for its thickness).

And of course, the falling bodies must have been irritating.

^ The "Great Wall of Prague" is part of the original walls that guarded the city (remember, building the city walls improvement automatically triples a defending unit's defense, but doesn't provide the bonus against air strikes, artillery, or nukes).

^ St. Martin's Rotunda, which dates back to the 11th century. During recent archaeological research on this building, a previously unknown secret underground floor was discovered beneath the rotunda.

^ One of the major tourist attractions of the Vyšehrad area is its famous cemetery, which holds the remains of many famous former citizens of Prague. It's filled with elaborate tombstones, statues, and strange monuments.

^ A colorful mosaic decorates this tomb.

^ This bronze book sculpture decorates the grave of Karel Capek, a Czech playwright who popularized the term "robot" his 1920 play, RUR: Rossum's Universal Robots.

^ This disturbingly elongated & thin female statue decorates another grave. It's like some kind of anorexic nightmare.

^ I noticed that many of the tombstones used the unusual notation you see above. At first, I thought that this was the grave of a famous mathematician who was obsessed with fractions, until I worked out that the numerator portion of each "fraction" is the day of the month, while the denominator indicates the month of the year.

Or maybe I'm wrong, and they really are fractions.

^ This impressive tomb is known as the Pantheon, or Slavin. Designed in 1894, it's a monument to the nation's greatest heroes. The writing above the names, "Ac Zemreli - Ieste Mluvi", translates to, "Though dead, they still speak."

^ Yet another massive Gothic cathedral, this is the "Capitular Church of Saints Peter and Paul." The people I was with toured the inside after paying a small fee, but by this point in my trip, I was thoroughly sick of churches, so I relaxed outside.

^ Still, I couldn't help but notice several interesting features of the church. Czech out the front doors, which have the lion symbol of Prague and a black bird or dragon that I don't recognize.

^ Over the door is another impressive frieze. Carving something like this must take years.

^ Over the two smaller doors beside the main church entrance were colorful mosaics. The above image is the mosaic to the left of the main doors.

^ The mosaic over the door to the right of the main entrance. Note the similarity to the previous image, but with subtle differences.

Finally, here's a panoramic view of the valley, bridge, and city wall. Remember to click on it for a closer look:

Next: Czech Intelligence & the Secret Statues of Charles Bridge.