Selfish Genes, Why Dawkins is Wrong - Again !

Selfish genetic elements are genes or groups of genes that appear to promote themselves in an evolutionary sense irrespective of the organism they are a part of. The idea being that evolution is a competition for survival of the fittest gene and that it is the most successful genes that will gradually become more numerous and be transmitted to later generations.

Sexual reproduction is the means by which the genes of two organisms that have successfully survived to the point of being able to reproduce, are combined in a somewhat haphazard way to produce new organisms that will go on to face the trials of evolution. The fittest of these new organisms going on to recombine their genes in the next generation and so on.

As genes are the architects of the phenotypes that face the trials of evolution it is necessary that the most evolutionary successful phenotypes will have been the result of having certain genes and this will be reflected in the frequencies of the occurrence of a population's genes.

However, although it may appear that evolution is acting at a genetic level, evolution can only

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Pipe Organ Repairs

 

Exterior and interior view

I was asked to fix a 'broken key' on this two-storey high beauty.

The Specs.
Built in 1870 in England by P.C. Conacher it has three keyboards each with 56 notes and the pedal board contains 30 notes. There are 17 speaking stops, 5 couplers and a total of 986 pipes. The largest pipes are approximately 8 feet long and the smallest pipes are about one half inch.
It was built to an older design and even though an electric pump had been added, the original hand operated bellows where still intact and operable.
End specs.

Spent the afternoon in Chris' Heaven, scrabbling about inside figuring out which bits did what, when, where and how; with a big silly grin on my face the whole time. I found and repaired the connection on the key that was broken.

Having fixed the key, had to test it - stretched both my index fingers in preparation, took a deep breath, depressed a low E key, slowly wound the volume up to full and belted out that immortal riff by Deep Purple.............. Smoke on The Water.......sounded absolutely brilliant.

Cycling from West Beach to Mount Lofty summit with (almost) no traffic to contend with.

Distance 70 km (round trip)

Height 727m. approx.

Need a challenging ride in Adelaide but are acutely aware of the problems associated with cycle/car interactions - read more for details

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The Voynich Manuscript - Update

More news on the Voynich Manuscript - See The Voynich Manuscript - Solved (Posted Below).

 University of Arizona researchers have used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the book, between 1404 and 1438.

Read the story here http://uanews.org/node/37825 on the University of Arizona's website.

Hand-cranked Torch Used To Power Radio

I've liberated the power from an inexpensive hand-cranked torch so it can be used to run an inexpensive FM radio. The torch contains a small rechargeable battery that is charged by turning a crank-handle.

Why? - This equipment is being sent to a part of the world where batteries are very expensive, where farmers need torches to manage night-time pests and where farmers need radios that give them access to weather reports which help with crop management.

Click Read More build details.

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2nd Prize Winner - Royal Adelaide Show

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A model motorcycle I built from ordinary printer paper won a second prize at the Royal Adelaide Show 2010.
Congratulations to Dane Filander for taking first place.

HELP English to Kiswahili Translation

I'm putting together a training programme for a UN volunteer organisation in the Western Region of Kenya.
If you can volunteer your help (a little or a lot) with the translation of documents from English to Kiswahili please email me for details

chris123@myway.com.

DOLPHINS - SMARTER THAN WE THOUGHT

An analysis of dolphin interventions in shark attacks on humans concludes that dolphins have less than honorable motives.

Dolphins have earned a reputation for protecting humans from shark attacks, is this reputation deserved or has their behaviour been misinterpreted?

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Biogas Leak Detection (Canine)

Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.
The use of biogas technology is an alternative cooking energy for rural people in developing countries.
It provides clean cooking energy, reduces indoor air pollution and reduces the time needed for traditional biomass collection, especially for women and children. The slurry is a clean organic fertilizer that potentially increases agricultural productivity.
Unfortunately, the threat of leaks is a serious problem especially when the quality of materials and labour cannot be guaranteed. However it is relatively cheap and simple to train a local dog to detect the hydrogen sulphide that would be present in any leaks and have it alert someone nearby. Such an animal could easily be trained to carry out regular inspections. The sensitivity of a dog's nose is far greater than commercially available detectors and they can even detect leaks from underground pipes.

On a lighter note - it could also be used to identify anyone that 'passed wind' in a crowded meeting hall enabling the offender to be dealt with appropriately. ;)

New Search Engine - AnthroPilot - Real Time, Human Driven

Anthropilot is a new human driven search engine designed to make the internet a better place for all.
Frustrated by the ever increasing difficulty of finding things on the internet, I decided to find a better way. After much consideration I decided that we needed a way of connecting people with experience and knowledge in particular areas with those that didn't have experience and knowledge in particular areas, then getting them to communicate.
So here it is - AnthroPilot - a forum where you can ask people to help you find what you're looking for on the internet or, where you can help others find what they are looking for.

Volunteers Needed
To get this project running we are going to need a couple of hundred members.
If interested visit
http://anthro.x10host.com/help.html

 Please re-post this ad somewhere else.

Ebay Scam - seller shaosan08

Sometimes the scams are easy to spot - it is in the BOLD print.
Read the questions at the bottom of this page.
Don't think he realises the Q&A's are public
- Hilarious

Click Here to see original Page On Ebay

The Voynich Manuscript - Solved

Here is a copy of my 2003 (widely misreported as 2007) solution to the Voynich Manuscript - formerly the most mysterious book in the world.
As its home on
http://www.geocities.com/chris123yh/voynich/v1.htm
will soon no longer exist, along with its number one spot on google, I've moved it over here.  I've left it completely unedited and as it was. Written in some early hour of the morning as the effects of too much caffeine were starting to wear off, and just after the whirring of hard drives ceased, signalling the final analysis was completed and my results confirmed.

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Naracoorte Fossil Expedition

Geared up for caving - Sorting bones in the Lab - Luxurious accommodation

I spent a few days fossil hunting with a team of Palaeontologists from Flinders University. The fossils being down the bottom of deep holes in the ground meant a crash course in caving - my perspective on the size of gap I can fit through has been completely revised.

Then some time was also spent in the Laboratory sorting 12,000 year old bones.

Sleep deprived, repeatedly frozen, battered, bruised and carnivorous plants - haven't had this much fun in a long time - my idea of a holiday!

Box of fossils - Team of intrepid cavers

Build Your Own Proxy Server in 5 Minutes

Need to get vital information at work but the website has been blocked by nannyware because some nong wrote a rude word in the comments section.
Why not build your own Proxy Server to give you the access you need?

You'll need some webspace that does php - google for free stuff if you don't already have it.

Open notepad and paste in the following five lines.

<html><body>
<form action="p.php" method="post">
<input type="text" name="t" value="http://www.">
<input type=submit name=submit value=submit >
</form></body></html>

Now save this file as "myproxy.html"

Open another notepad and paste in the following five lines.

<?php
$thefile = $_POST['t'];
$thepage = file_get_contents($thefile);
echo $thepage;
?>

Save this file as "p.php"

Next, upload these two new files to your webspace.

That's it - type "http://www.your_webspace.com/myproxy.html" into your
browser,then type the address of the page you want to visit in the box
that appears on the page and hit the 'submit' button.

DELETE THE FILES WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED
- this is the most basic, quick & dirty method I could come up with that mostly works most of the time. The more technically gifted amongst my readers will have noticed there are one or two security issues approximately the size of Greenland that could SERIOUSLY compromise the server if they are left lying around on there. So really, I mean it -
DELETE THE FILES WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED.

West Beach Eco Tours

Another WebSite by CHRIS - Software Development & Design

West Beach Eco Tours
You are invited on an interesting and informative walking tour of West Beach, the beautiful River Torrens and its surroundings - where you will discover its rich treasures and be surprised by all it has to offer. Be introduced to the diverse plant, animal and bird life that inhabit the area.
Learn about its Aboriginal history and stories and also the history and impact of the European settlement of South Australia.

West Beach Eco Tours

INDOOR UHF ANTENNA

I've been working with a very talented team over at Channel 31 producing the T.V. show 'Hotel De Barton'. The problem was I didn't have good enough reception to watch my own T.V. show ! I was told that the transmitter was not very powerful and the only way I could get good enough reception in my little suburb by the beach was to install an external UHF antenna that had an uninterupted view of the transmission tower.
Unpersuaded by such a concept as 'impossible', I set about building a better antenna. Using the principles that I just needed to pick up more useful signal, less rubbish and wire all the bits to work synergistically I put together the best antenna I've ever had the pleasure to own. The prototype, nicknamed 'Frankantenna' because it was just plain ugly, is shown above along with a much prettier version for everyday use.

GEEK CHIC - SPICE RACK

This has to be one of the best presents I've ever received, a test tube spice rack. Not only does it look great but it is practical too - test tubes have been used by scientists for centuries, and are still used today because they make it easy to tap out precise amounts. Just what every stylish foodie needs. Available from a Laboratory Equipment Supplier near you.

Weekend Project 4

Origamic Paper Architecture

I needed a practice piece to re-familiarize myself with some software I'll be using on an upcoming job.
This is what I produced.

Click here to download a printable pdf file and make your own.

Instructions:
Solid lines - Cut
Dotted lines - Fold away from you
Dashed lines - Fold towards you
All folds are 90 degrees

Tip: Score all folds well with something pointy before cutting other lines

- I'm sure there must be a cool Japanese name for it, please email me if you know.

New Real Time Human Powered Search Engine

New Real Time Human Powered Search Engine

I have begun development on a new search engine that incorporates real human intelligence.
The increasing corporatisation of the internet and popular search engines has impeded the ability to efficiently access information via the internet and left those less savvy amongst us unable to access the benefits of smaller and often more capable operators. Many are unaware of and unable to utilize such developments as the 'open source' movement or waste too much time being mislead while attempting to access the information they need.
The new search engine's emphasis will be on social networking, giving people the tools to connect in a focused way, then leaving it to them to work it out. By enabling people with skills and knowledge to connect in a transparent way with people that require those skills and that knowledge, in real-time, it is intended that mutually beneficial social interactions and the transfer of information will occur across multiple levels.
When a search is conducted using the new search engine human minds will be integrating with traditional search methods to achieve more efficient information access for all.

Or just - hookin up newbs+1337s

If you're interested, feel you have something to contribute and want to get in on the ground level send me an email.

ABS Data Flawed

I quite like that noble institution, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a treasure trove of information used for such things as guiding public policy and business marketing decisions. I would be pleased to help them in any way I could if they just asked politely. I would even have told them of the Glaring error that even a none-statistician such as myself could not help but see in the last form they forced me to fill out - it was either deliberately designed to provide inaccurate data or put together by an entire team of imbeciles. ... if they just asked politely.
I received a letter this morning informing me that I had been selected to participate in an ABS survey that involved someone coming into my home and asking me questions, and later, a follow up phone interview (the logic of having both a face to face and tele-interview I have yet to understand). A little investigation led me to discover that participation was compulsory and I would be fined if I refused to comply.
This blatant contravention of basic human rights leads to something called resentment, resentment leads to participants sabotaging the data collection process in the only accessible way they have at their disposal - being frugal with the truth.
Yes, the information I will be supplying will be about as accurate as the last form they made me fill out under duress.
So if you find, after sifting through all those stats, that there is a single person in West Beach with a PhD thesis titled 'The Influence of Feminist Principles in Yak Husbandry', an income of 20 sqillion dollars a year, an IQ of 576 that also claims an all liquorice diet is the only true path to enlightenment and that he is regularly contacted by extra terrestrials ... some of it might just be true !
Off to dust off my copy of Mein Kamf and polish up the jackboots

Weekend Project 3

1/12 scale 10' dinghy

Plans for full size boat - off the net
Frame - Paddle Pop Sticks
Hull - Scrap Pine Veneer
Mast - Bamboo meat skewers
Fittings, Rudder Hinge etc. - Brass lace making pins
(they don't rust)
Sail - Plastic shopping bag
Finish - Many coats of Lacquer

Main Design consideration was keeping the
upper sections as light as possible - hence the
plastic and bamboo sail and mast, both having
an excellent strength to weight ratio.

Using POV-Ray for movie special effects

(Not for the mathematically challenged)
POV-Ray is still the best Ray tracer, there are many tutorials available to get you started and it is FREE. Get it here: http://www.povray.org/
The effect I wanted was the view from a helicopter as it was flying over a city but you could also use this technique for making documentaries based on old photos or for whatever else your imagination can dream up.
First I loaded an overhead picture of a city onto a plane (the geometric type) in POV-Ray then pointed POV-Ray's 'camera' at it. Next I worked out a starting and ending position for the camera, largely by trial and error, then used
POV-Ray's animation functions to output the rendered frames as a sequence of images. All that remained was to batch convert the images to .jpg and use a program like
JPGVideo http://www.ndrw.co.uk/ (also FREE) to make the sequence of images into a movie clip.

If you are unfamiliar with POV-Ray read the 'quickstart tutorial' then have a look through help for 'animation' and you'll have all the knowledge you need.

NOTE: Remember there are all those lighting and atmospheric effects at your disposal.

1950's Wessex Navy Helicopter

I needed a shot of myself climbing into a helicopter for a movie I was making. A quick call to the local Aviation Museum and the problem was solved - many thanks guys. And with a few SFX (see above) I was off into the wide blue yonder, on celluloid at least. And yes, the child within got a real buzz.

ILD (improvised lifting device)

We went crabbing last night at a nearby jetty. There's not much involved, just throw a baited trap over the side and haul it up every 10 or 15 minutes to remove the crabs. So there I was watching the trap slowly sink out of view in the greenish H2O below when an agitated young lady walked up beside me, said 'excuse me' and promptly tossed a bicycle over the side into the ocean, before stamping off. Being concerned with ocean pollution and being unable to resist a challenge I knew something had to be done. Having only limited means at my disposal; just a bucket, rope and a pair of clippers I quickly devised a hook by firmly tying the clippers to the end of the rope. Then it was just a matter of lowering the 'hook' into the water and raising the bike.

GLOBAL FLOWER DELIVERY

Another WebSite by CHRIS - Software Development & Design
GLOBAL FLOWER DELIVERY - Easy Selection - Speedy Delivery
betterflora.com
Start Sending Flowers
http://www.betterflora.com

Bicycle dual inner tube system

How to fit a dual tube system to a bicycle wheel that will enable you to deal with a puncture without having to remove the the wheel or need any tools other than a pump until you get home. When you get a puncture the second inner tube is sitting right there in the tyre waiting to be inflated.
CLICK HERE to learn how on instructables.com

No Rust

I bought myself a new bike - only $70, on special at K-Mart. It would have cost me more than that to
re-fit the tires, cables and brake pads on the old one which had just about been killed by rust anyway.

As we are seriously lacking in mountains here in Adelaide I take my mountain bike down the beach -
crashing through the surf over wave swept rocks, coursing through rivers etc.. The new bike was all
steel and chrome - add a little salt water and all you get is rust ! So I decided to water-proof it;
I painted every piece, every nut, bolt, washer and spring and every bit of chrome and steel with
Etching primer (+epoxy for extra sticking power) then several coats of enamel. All the bits painted
black in the factory got some extra enamel too as these tend to be susceptible to rust. Then all the
holes in the frame were siliconed up. Finally all the spaces between the axles and their housings were
packed solid with thick grease to ensure there was no space for water to flow - a foam insert was made
for the crank housing to reduce the amount of grease needed.
And yes - I know what you're thinking - I did get it all together again without any leftover bits.

ANOTHER WEBSITE

Another WebSite by CHRIS - Software Development & Design

The Neurological Council of South Australia

http://www.neurocouncil.org.au/

FREE SOFTWARE 3 - JavaScript DeBugger

A JavaScript DeBugger I wrote that is available here at Planet Source Code is now being used by the Weizmann Institue in the OOP module of their Life Sciences course.

Plasma Balls

Plasma Balls

After 10 years of faithful service the old microwave oven had rusted to the
point where it could start leaking rays at anytime, so I bought a new one.

What do with the old one ..... PLASMA BALLS - think amorphous blobs
of molten air. After the obligatory CD frying of course.

Here's what happens (or at least what I think - not my srongest subject so bear with me)
Blocked off the vents on the microwave. Broke off pieces of incense sticks and zapped
them on full power. These give off carbon vapour. The microwaves then zap the carbon
vapour molecules which makes them attracted to each other and get REALLY hot aswell.
Looks cool watching fireballs dance around inside the machine- see attached photos.

Got really hot in there after a while - the thick glass jars you see in the photos shattered.
Had to stop when the Microwave, after all the sides had buckled, started to smell
like it was burning. Didn't want to risk burning down the place. Sure warmed the place
up though.

And before you call the RSPCA for putting my offspring in mortal danger - we did it
all behind the safety of a Lexan / Plexiglass / whatever you call it in your part of the world /
screen which I just happen to have lying around for such occasions.