To Destroy, to Create

Destroying something is almost always easier to manage than creating something useful. It appeals to our inner animal. It's enticing. It makes you feel powerful. It looks flashy and lovely. We destroy in order to relieve pressure. We destroy to protest. We destroy because we CAN.

It takes a tree years to grow, and a score of seconds to be cut. Humans take some twenty years to be full grown adults, and that can end in a second. It takes months to build a house, and only minutes to demolish it.

Destruction is the work of an afternoon. Creation is the work of a lifetime.

And yet, we create. We keep creating. We never stop. We dare not, lest entropy actually catches up. But it won't.

Will it?

(Pics taken from www.reddit.com/r/DestructionPorn. Some of them are from Kiev, some from Madrid. One is just digital artwork. Best wishes to everyone)

The Dance of the Spirits

I'm a quarter Finnish.

Yeah, I know It doesn't quite show when I look like the hellspawn of Satan and some mediterranean woman, but I swear at some point that blood hadn't ran out on me yet.

But, alas, no blond hair or bright eyes for me. Shame. I did get a few things from them, though. I got pride for the Winter War, savage business as it was. I got a grudging respect for the cold and the snow, even if I love to feel them on my skin. I got a thing for long, dark nights and soft winds. I can drink like nobody's business.

And I FUCKING.LOVE.AURORAS.

I could go on and on the scientific explanation for auroras but I have several reasons not to:

a) We don't understand them fully yet.

b) It would defeat the pupose of this post.

c) That would be telling, and a good magician never ever reveals his secrets.

(Several is defined as "more than two, but not many", so sue me)

So I'm gonna go with the less scientific, more fantastic interpretations, mostly because they are more interesting, beautiful and cool, but also because I'm a sucker for mythology.

The Finnish name for the northern lights is "Revontulet", can be roughly translated as "Foxfire". According to a folk tale, an arctic fox is running far in the north and touching the mountains with its fur, so that sparks fly off into the sky as the northern lights. They also talk of how the snow its tail sweeps gets thrown into the sky, where the sparks and moonlight, reflected in the snow, make such a display

For the Saami (People who live in Lapland, in the artic circle) the northern lights are called Guovssahasah, which means both "The sun glowing in the sky at dawn or dusk" and "The fire lit by the Siberian Jay". This last one comes from the fact that, though no one has been able to confirm it with hard facts, everyone agrees that the aurora produce sounds that sound like a fast clap or a low shriek.

The Inuit in the Hudson Bay area think that the spirits of those who died a voluntary or violent death and, strangely, those of ravens hold torches for everyone else to follow into heaven, thus creating a path through the sky.

The Eskimos in the northern parts of Canada believe that the northern lights are merry spirits dancing and pranking each other because the sun is missing, so they can finally play. They dress themselves in that eerie light and fly through the sky. The dance of the spirits, they call it.

There are many more explanations. Scandinavians thought it was Freya, the goddess, riding her horse. Scots believed the spirits of the fallen in battle kept waging war across the skies. American indians, depending on the tribe, fashioned them as the spirit of their enemies, trying to have one last revenge, a benevolent giant fishing in the northern seas or a God that cared for pregnant women.

The fact is, whatever the explanation or the origin of these wonders, they are a sight to behold. One that most definetely would take anyone's breath away. One to watch with the right person, or people, by your side. Things like this can halt the turning of time. Can bring back faith. Can cast away all loneliness. Can set the world right.

If only for one night, of course. But sometimes, a night is all you need to pick yourself up.

(I've never seen the northern lights. I bolted like a rat the last chance I had. That's a mistake I intend to correct.)

Remember, remember

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot;
I see of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

UK celebrates tonight Guy Fawkes' Night. Fawkes was a catholic who tried to blow up the Parliament on this very day on 1605. Which, if you asked me, those damn pirates deserved. The only thing worse than having a brit for an enemy is having it for an ally. Ask us, we should now from the Napoleonic Wars.

Thanks to V for vendetta, Anonymous and pop culture the guy (see what I did there) has become an icon for rebellion against the goverment, which has nearly nothing to do with Guy's original intent: killing the King and Parliament to put a catholic monarch in place. He was also a pawn, not the head of the conspiracy, but he made for a great scapegoat.

All in all, the whole thing has lost its original meaning and taken on a completely different one. One I couldn't care less about. That is not bad, and it isn't good. It's just the way of things.

On the other hand, this night is also called the Bonfire night. A night to light bonfires, throw fireworks and celebrate just 'cause. A night when the turning of the world stops, when dancing, dreaming, drinking are the norm and fire is a dear friend. Now that I can get behind just fine.

Who wouldn't want to?

All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween, All Hallows' Eve, Día de todos los Santos, Samhain o whatever you wish to call it.

Tonight, the Darkness shows a wolfish, impish smile. The moon half-shines upon the world and reminds us that the night is cold, and dangerous, and wild. But it's also when we are closer to each other, when we better kiss, and love, and whisper, and talk of forbidden and secret things.

Nothing in the world should hurt us this night. Our loved ones, present or gone, are around us. The family we were born with and the one we've chosen along the way.

Many, many masks and mantles are taken up, or discarded, on this very night. Some dress up and pretend to be other people. Some of us can finally be ourselves.

If you have lost someone recently, I'm very sorry for your loss. I've been there. But do not worry, they are alright and, more importantly, they want you to be. They want you to be merry, play pranks, have a quick wit, a sharp tongue and the season of mists by your side tonight. Be amazing.

Enjoy your night and cherish your loved ones, everyone.

(Even the Sun gave us all a wink and a devilish smile, even if it was 20 days ago, the 8th. Image taken by NASA)

Should we go to Mars?

I am never going to set foot on Mars.

I am part of a generation that came too late to explore the world but too early to pioneer the stars. That right there is a tough thought to stomach, but I know it to be true. It's okay, it's no one's fault. On the other hand, our children, or our children's children, should go. And if they don't get to, that will be our fault.

It's difficult nowadays to say anything about the space race, or rather the space slow-as-hell-stroll-through-the-park, without cringing. We were well on our way. We went to the Moon and back, several times. We sent the Voyager to boldly go where no man has ever been. We looked upon the skies and filled ourselves with new hopes and challenges.

But we stopped going. We gave up on space exploration. Poorly-founded astronomers (How did someone miss the opportunity of calling them skyentists and why isn't he or she in the gallows?) are the only ones looking out for anything up there anymore. That beggars the question, do we really have to go to Mars?

Yes, of course we do. And we are trying to. We sent the Curiosity out there. We landed. We are exploring Mars right now, even if it's in such a roundabout way. We are really, really trying. But that isn't enough. Mars is our future. Mars will be the place to go after we have filled the Earth. One day we will turn this:

into this:

But that's not it.

Wanna know why we have to go?

Cause it's next.

We came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill and we saw fire. We climbed mountains and dove into the seas unknown. We crossed the Ocean and we pioneered a whole new continent, finding what should have been long-lost brothers we didn't even knew we had, even if it sadly didn't go that way. We took in the whole of the world and mapped it out and then, we took to the skies. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next. Of course we have to go.

Why wouldn't we want to?

(Pics taken from http://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn)

Humankind in Science Fiction

I'm a nerd. No news there, I know, but I think sometimes it's important to demonstrate how much of a nerd I am. Hence, this post.

There are different views about humankind in science fiction. It depends in the hardness of the science fiction, how far away in the future the work is set or if its a Space Opera, cosmic horror story or anything in between. Usually, as long as there are also aliens in there, you find two types of humans:

1) Humans are average/Humans are diplomats: A staple of the far-future works, humanity is usually the baseline race for everything: smart, but not the smartest, strong, but not the strongest, etc. We are a kind of Jack-of-all-trades.

This is has a clear parallelism with fantasy stories, elves, dwarves and so on. Here you can find humanity as diplomats, creators of an empire or a republic that spans the galaxies. Most clearly seen in Star Wars and Star Trek.

2) Humans are helpless/Humans are survivors: Usually found in First Contact or Invasion stories, here humanity is clueless about everything, having gone to space just a few decades back or being set in the present day. We do not have the tech, the knowledge, hell, we have nothing. We are outmatched, outgunned and outnumbered.

We survive anyway through guile, inteligence or plain dumb luck. You can see it in War of the Worls, Independence Day, etc.

But, a few years back, a different proposal emerged. One I quite like, because it shows humanity the way I enjoy it the most: unrestrained, untamed, completely do-not-fuck-with-us:

3) Humas are monsters/Humans are warriors: Contrary to Humas are Diplomats, here humanity is badass. Humanity is a bunch of violent, warlike savages who revel in chaos and destruction.

This is not, however, a bad thing. And, most likely, it's the way it would end up. Think here for a second.

Humans breathe oxygen, one of the most poisonous materials in the universe. It's the same fucking thing that makes fire. It kills metals. We need it to BREATHE.

From a totally alien being's viewpoint that must be at least startling, if not outright scary. Also, check out the local fauna, which from a sci-fi viewpoint, was turned into wallets and clothes. Even our cows, which we eat, are fucking 500kg slab of muscle and fat, capable of crushing a man to death. We made an industry of killing , eating, and using their bodily remains.

We roll poison into little cylinders and smoke it to relax. We drink poison too, and derive enjoyment from the temporary malfunctioning it causes in our higher brain functions. The higher the toxin level the greater the beverage; diluting the toxin with water is severely frowned upon by society. Humans preferentially select foods that mimic their response to damage. For the flavor.

We expose ourselves to sunlight in order to damage our skin and make it assume a darker hue for the sake of perceived beauty. We expose ourselves to harsh environments with nothing but nylon for shelter for pleasure.

It took 50 years since the invention of a motorised vehicle for us to develop laws about where and how to drive them safely. We just didn't care til then.

Humans are constantly conditioned almost from birth to regard lethal violence as valid entertainment, Action movies, violent video games, even sports like martial arts or fencing are all derived from actions which, in the end, are intended to end the lives of sentient beings. and we enjoy them in our spare time. We even make our kids pay for them in order to play.

Rather than fight disease directly, humans deliberately inject themselves with crippled versions of deadly plagues, so that their bodies will shrug them off with minor effects. Our immune systems are so hardy that even the quickest-mutating pathogen barely affects us; we call it "just a cold" and treat our infection like a minor inconvenience. We put all sorts of chemichals in our body to cure ailments, and sometimes we don't even know how any of it works. We know it doesn't kill us, and that's enough.

A single inescapable fact is that humanity unites with infinitely greater purpose in pursuit of war, than we ever do in pursuit of peace. I mean, we're able to fly into space now and have been killing each other for thousands of years. What makes anyone think we would drop that habit once we can fly out a bit further?

We poison our air and water to weed out the weak.

We set off fission bombs in our only biosphere.

We nailed our god to a stick.

Don't fuck with the human race.

Space Engine - First Journey

Algún ruso loco ha tenido la decencia y desfachatez de crear un simulador que incluye todas las estrellas, nebulas, galaxias y cuerpos celestes que tenemos catalogados y genera aleatoriamente más por si quieres ir a verlos.

Acto seguido, te pone en ese mundo y te dice "Ve y disfruta". Como quien le da a un niño un arma, una habitación a dos amantes vírgenes o una nave espacial a un yonqui de la ciencia ficción.

Oh, espera.

Puedes descargar Space Engine aqui

Galería de imágenes con mi primera exploración

Pequeño video de exploración



Si tenéis un rato, dadle una vuelta. Es sencillamente precioso.