Invisibility for Muggles, Military or Trekkies?

As a means of science fiction war, Klingons and Romulans used cloaking devices for their space ships while a rare invisibility cloak was a priceless heirloom given from Death to Harry Potter. Real life scientists at UC Berkley have found a way, ok finally proved it, to bend light in the opposite direction to make objects disappear. Metamaterial culled from a manmade composite coalition of silver and magnesium flouride makes light bend rendering an optical illusion of redirecting light past three dimensional objects, making invisibility possible for the first time. Kinda really cool. Imagine future school kids coming to class with just their legs showing or saying they were not late, just temporarily invisible. It would be an interesting, albeit short lived, prank.

It is more likely the Harry Potter version of scarce and rare will be the order of the day. Beaming people in a quantum fashion was ordinary technology, making Invisibility ubiquitous in all of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek franchises. Nanotechnology seems brilliantly positioned to take massive advantage of these new metamaterials that have to be tinier than a wavelength or a slice of a split end of human hair. The math in the negative refractive index is key to making the light bend backward or not follow the right-hand rule.

"Of course cloaking captures everybody's attention, but these papers aren't [just] about cloaking," said Xiang Zhang, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and head of the research teams publishing related papers in two different journals this week.

"[The studies] are about the ability to engineer these material properties that never exist in nature. With that ability one can do many things, and cloaking is only one of them."

Such materials could also boost the power of microchips and antennas and allow the creation of "superlenses" that could image objects smaller than the wavelength of light, the study authors report.

This is a wow week for physicists and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is about to go on line experimenting on the God Particle theory while US physicists and the National Science Foundation are looking at next generation uses for metamaterials for microscopic scales as new variations are developed that get a bit more obvious to the eye. This latest discovery also fires the imagination of science fiction writers who have a measure of detail that lends credibility to the science developed in the 1940's.

The NSF helped support research into both metamaterials. Additionally, the U.S. Army Research Office helped support the work reported in Nature, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research helped fund the project described in Science. (5 year old CNN story/ photo)

The applications of larger scale invisibility are immense from Orwellian tragic usage for government or rich Peeping Toms to a means to give advantages to military or black ops in intelligence services or law enforcement. Stealth technology taken to new heights, depths, widths we won't know about because ramifications won't be seen until its far too late. There are no rules of law that encompass the scope as science outpaces shades of gray legalisms.

John Edwards, no not THAT one, the technology reporter writes The Geeks of War outlining the possible and probable uses of new applications of science. Some bland and innocuous others not so much.

Or in a master's hand, Michio Kaku, brings the possibilities in Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific exploration into the World of Phaser Force Fields, Teleportation and Time Travel. Just love this.

China Opens Beautiful Olympics, A Pageant of Arts

At precisely 8 minutes after 8 pm on 08.08.08, China enchanted me yet again along with the rest of the world with a display of ancient artistry supported by techogeek magic performed in precision by 11,000 performers. With 5,000 years of recorded history, the Chinese put its best forward in perfect alignment showcasing itself in the fireworks fairy dust of immortal art, World Heritage sites and culture. It was just that good.

In no way does that mitigate the glossed over Great March, Great Leap Forward, supplanting indigenous peoples, the blind eyes in Burma, Darfur, Tibet or Taiwan. China demonstrated a collective complexity of imaginative people bound by an authoritarian government drawn from their colonized and conquering past. The yin and yang, the Tao de Ching of life is nuance with the dark living alongside the light is in each and every nation territory or kingdom, but nowhere more beautifully expressed than in the most powerfully elegant 29th Olympiad opening ceremony in modern times.

Ancient drums anciently thumped out a fantastic countdown light show in the midst of heat and humidity for an operatic performance. Zhang Yimou did a master's work from the footprints that tracked to Bejing National Stadium to the finest detail bead work on the hair and costumes. Glorious.

Greece had millenniums to work with too, using back lighting and other superb wonders in the amber lit shadows of the Parthenon, but nowhere on this scale.

In black costumes, they danced as they drew the calligraphy forms that rose to float over the scroll.

Many an executive, general and president - except America's current embarrassment, has as part of their public library a Chinese classic by Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Universally heralded alongside philosophers, Tzu made it a study of human nature in leader and follower. China embodies the full range of human nature.This was their chance to put their own imprimatur on the world's consciousness alongside that which is deeply troubling and bereft of humanity.

No nation can sit in judgment of China without an examination of their own duality in fairness. America imported slaves and currently tortures, for centuries England thought it had a divine right to pillage and plunder, African nations embrace corruption, some deny AIDS, Mexico leaves indigenous people in squalor, Japan and Nanking, Pearl Harbor to Saudi Arabia moralizing while rewarding royals and not their people or embracing women as equals, Israel bombed civilians in Lebanon while strafing the USS Liberty, Australia and its treatment of the Aborigines, United Arab Emirates, Dubai's importation of Southeast Asians and paying them a pittance - no one has the moral high ground 24/7. China's opening ceremony set it all aside and welcomed everybody. No matter the protests that ensue, this will be one beautiful Olympic memory from the heart of China.

The movable type with the Chinese Characters above and below was a moment of whimsy married to a true Chinese invented form of printing. (Photo Left: Getty)

The elements of water, fire, wind and earth plus energy or chi were prominent features. My Mom loves Tai Chi and watching over 2000 Tai Chi Masters do the moves as one was stunning. Their placement in perfect circles of harmony emblematic of the Olympic rings brought symbolism to new heights. Below the bamboo scrolls amidst a see of cinematic detail gave rise to majestic pagentry and cultural show of the Tang Dynasty.

Then the world and paper laterns appeared with people traversing the paper globe.

China's naval history

People bedecked in velcro lights made a human replica of the architectural wonder, the Birds Nest or Beijing national Stadium.
As a day of good luck, China had a mass wedding with over 300,000 couples getting hitched in a pre-opening ceremoney Olympic sized even all over the nation. This is an mage fest of Chinese proportions.
The Lighting of the Torch by former gymnast Li Ning a finale of an Olympic Opening Day!

Update: In case you missed it click here for the Opening Ceremony video

Michelle Obama: First Lady In Training, Mom In Chief

Michelle Obama is everywhere in public, yet it is an illusion. Her schedule packs in photo shoots, campaign events and rounds of interviews on given days that appear in public as part of a carefully crafted plan. Many of the covers and photos publicly seen now were shot in early July. Michelle's mom is her support system. The majority of her time is spent being what she will always be win, lose or draw after the November election, Mom in Chief. Michelle coined that phrase herself after expressly appreciating Jackie Kennedy's outstanding parenting skills. First Lady duties would take an armored stretch limo rumbler seat behind being a driver's seat Mom.


Michelle was hard pressed to wear makeup all the time when first upon the campaign trail. She didn't have time and was famously photographed at the Iowa State Fair in a headband while campaign rivals and media sycophants tried stupidly to twist her words about family and having her home life orderly as a knock against one of America's most drama filled political families, The Clintons. In the Obama household, there is a no whining rule both Sasha, 7, & Malia (10) verified on the famous Access Hollywood family interview. Michelle could share that wise bon mot with the former self-absorbed president who thinks its his God given right to whine incessantly when in front of the cameras about how misunderstood he felt. The national political press prats came unglued when they could not figure out a decades old dap or fist bump between Michelle & Barack the night he became the presumptive Democratic nominee in Minnesota. (Copyright 2008 Essence Magazine / Essence Magazine)

Whining wingnuts and conservative so-called Christians with hate on their lips seized upon Michelle's words to try and scare voters, especially white low income ones that she is not patriotic or other false flags. Michelle Obama's family values are clearly on display with a faithful husband and adorable children with mega schedules of their own. She puts them first. Michelle exudes class, landing on Vanity Fair's World's Best Dressed list, after putting a spark in retailers after co-hosting The View in June. Cindy McCain was considered serviceable enough wearing designer clothes, but not evincing the all important iconic look like Michelle in dominating fashion roundups. Some are convinced the arch of Michelle's eyebrows give her a more stern appearance while others marvel at how well she keeps hearth and home together in the midst of chaos. The lady lawyer is much more than a clotheshorse.

Next week, Family Obama will be going to Hawaii for the first time since he sought the presidency. Michelle will be all over the newsstands on covers that will be side by side. The accompanying interviews sound her out about what she would do or propose as First Lady. She knows the general vicinity of helping moms on work life balance issues and kids on being the best they can, but states with bone crushing certainty what is not acceptable.

Michelle Obama: “There are a ton of issues that I care deeply about. But the notion of sitting around the table with a set of policy advisers—no offense—makes me yawn [laughter].

"I like creating stuff. I’d love to be working with young people. I’d love to be having more conversations with military spouses. I’ve learned not to let other people push you into something that fundamentally isn’t you.”

She minces no words about resenting some of the time Barack was not at home, but also speaks to her ways of dealing with it and finding new solutions. However, Mrs. Obama as partner is quick to defend Barack against lies and distortions. Michelle is big on Courage and not giving in to fear and she has her own roots in community organizing and GOTV - Get Out The Vote.

“My father took great pride in helping people have a choice in their lives,’’ she said during a conference call with members of the black press on Wednesday. “I am grateful to him for teaching me about the importance of voting. I remember sitting in people’s kitchens for hours. Sometimes I was bored, but I realized that this was important.”

Michelle Obama hosted Wednesday’s conference call with the Rev. Joseph Lowery, an Obama supporter and civil rights leader, as they kicked off the campaign’s nationwide voter registration efforts in African-American communities.

Nobody knows what publicity hound former supermodel Tyra Banks had flitting about in her head when she arose from her Holiday Express Inn digs and decided to be photographed as a fake First Lady Michelle Obama with a fake President Barack Obama at a fake White House for Harper's Bazaar. When celebrities are trying to imitate real people somewhere the space time continuum suffered a collapse. Michelle has here eyes squarely on the Prize, being the world's greatest Mom, best friends and partner to her husband, Barack Obama. Somewhere in there with the important stuff, Michelle Obama has to squeeze in an inaugural gown as the First Black First Lady and getting a hypoallergenic dog for the kids to romp with on the White House lawn.

Other Mind Sorbet posts including Michelle Obama:

• Cool Obama Family Campaigns & Celebrates
• Barack Obama's A Team
• Michelle Obama Says Hola in Puerto Rico
• Hoops, High Hopes & Bush's Lost Honor
• Michelle Obama, A First Partner & Lady

More Costly Pills, Less Time Talking

Talking it through, over it or around it is not the first option for more psychiatrists in the 21st century. Pills targeted towards specific areas of the brain, psychometric drugs are the new remedies favored by the shrinking class. Scary on multiple levels, but especially since all the pill residue ends up in the drinking water of innocents with other issues.

Psychotherapy since father Freud has undergone profound evolution with the profession now in a pill revolution. In less than ten years since 1996, psychotherapy has gone from about half of the treatment options to less than 30% with the embrace of the pills. At some level of good or for ill (and of course, capitalistic profit motives), Big Pharma has offered a profuse array of colored pills to all manner of specialties in medicine. Mental problems, here's a pill, is something that has pernicious overtones as emergency practitioners may have no idea what mind altering drug someone is taking or what the effects of mixing certain compounds. But an uglier disturbing truth is its all about the money that the pill pushers make. Same economic truth works for Big Pharma as buying crack on the corner. The person that cuts the inefficiencies in the supply chain and controls distribution makes the most money.

"These trends highlight a gradual but important change in the content of outpatient psychiatric care in the United States and a continued shift toward medicalization of psychiatric practice," wrote Drs. Mojtabai and Olfson.

In an interview, Dr. Mojtabai said financial incentives are probably driving the change.

He said that under typical reimbursement rates, a psychiatrist who conducts one 45-minute psychotherapy session will receive 40% less than if he or she saw three patients for 15-minute medication management visits.

It leads to an awful discussion on medical records. If people know what kind of drug your taking, then its a small matter of inference and deduction as to what internal malady one may suffer from. There has been a huge publicity around medical professionals snooping inside medical records. Prescription Pills make that much easier because they go down so well with the TV marketing campaigns that brainwash so many viewers.

As talk therapy declined, TV ads contributed to an "aura of invincibility" around drugs for depression and anxiety, said Charles Barber, a lecturer in psychiatry at Yale University and author of "Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry is Medicating a Nation."

"By contrast, there's almost no marketing for psychotherapy, which has comparable if not better outcomes," said Barber, who was not involved in the study.

Read the book, Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry is Medicating a Nation, then really decide whether the latest pill shortcut is in your best interest. Charles Barber cites several studies and gives some astounding insights as author of this book. The particular title of that book seems to be very popular.

PS Ack! Blogger is freaking out and not letting images upload. will put them in later. I need a pill...