Discordian Research Technology

We’ve spent the last month planning and carrying out a major Discordian operation, the details of which had to be kept very extra super-duper secret, for obvious reasons. We are happy to announce that our operation was a success. We only took a couple of casualties and our strike was decisive. We bet you felt it, but didn’t know what it was. Now you know.

We’re still dealing with the loose ends and other aftermath, but then things will be back to a lesser abnormal.

But the most important background information missing from the news reports wasn’t about the details of the study: it was about back pain. Because back pain isnt like epilepsy or tuberculosis. Most of the big risk factors for a niggle turning into chronic longstanding back pain are personal, psychological, and social: things like depression, job dissatisfaction, unavailability of light duty on return to work, and so on.

And the evidence on treatments tells an even more interesting psychosocial story: sure, anti-inflammatory drugs are better than placebo. But more than that, bed rest is actively harmful, specific exercises can be too, and proper trial data shows that simply giving advice to “stay active” speeds recovery, reduces chronic disability, and reduces time off work.

We don’t like stories and solutions like that for our health problems.

(Read it here)

If one took this theory of field consciousness and applied it to an experiment with UFOs, what would it look like, and, if we used Sheldrakes model of a low cost means to test this theory, how could that come about? I suggest a simple framework.

(Read it here)

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A computer simulation of rapidly oscillating wings and the complex motions of fluids has proved that insect flight conforms to the physical principles of aerodynamics.

The computer-modeling accomplishment - which is expected to aid the future design of tiny insect-like flying machines and should dispel the longstanding myth that “bumblebees cannot fly, according to conventional aerodynamics” - was announced by Cornell University physicist Z. Jane Wang.

(Read it here)

The term “boob tube” is a colorful phrase that people often use to describe television. Also, it rhymes! But most people have no clue where this term comes from. Nor do they care. But since a tiny minority of you might be interested…

(Read it here)

Cow cocoons were first used in Canada around the turn of the century. These first cocoons didn’t have enough hay around the cows, and many cows died during the cold winter months. Not one to give up, a plucky farmer named Jim tried again, this time with 2 tons of hay and 2 cows. He wrapped the cows up in the hay, tied it all up and left it for the winter.

In the spring, he noticed that the cows had not yet eaten their way out and decided to cut open the cocoons. Much to his dismay, he had discovered that you can’t tie the cows up before you put them in the cocoons.

(Read it here)