Brandon E Taylor's Weblog Cogitations, Meditations, and Ruminations

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Shroud of Turin Dating

Raymond N. Rogers, a retired fellow of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, has published a paper entitled: "Studies on the radiocarbon sample from the Shroud of Turin". The paper was published on January 20 in the peer-reviewed journal Thermochimica Act. Rogers' paper concludes:

"As unlikely as it seems, the sample used to test the age of the Shroud of Turin in 1988 was taken from a rewoven area of the Shroud. Pyrolysis-mass spectrometry results from the sample area coupled with microscopic and microchemical observations prove that the radiocarbon sample was not part of the original cloth of the Shroud of Turin. The radiocarbon date was thus not valid for determining the true age of the Shroud."

While this does not prove the authenticity of the Shroud, it indicates that certain skeptics should be consistent by applying a level of skepticism to not only the bases of claims of authenticity, but also to the bases of counterclaims.
( Mar 08 2005, 02:41:35 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Things Shot with a .22

• crayons
• frosted white light bulb
• red light bulb
• Coke can
• matchsticks
• bar of soap

The images were shot, no pun intended, using 400 speed film and a delay timer.
( Feb 04 2005, 08:53:45 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

LEGO Creations

As a LEGO-phile, I am always appreciative of clever and interesting things folks are doing with those wonderful plastic bricks. Here is a sampling of some of the things I have stumbled upon lately:

• LEGO PCs: various PC cases developed with LEGO components
• LEGO Logic Gates: Mechanical logic gates built with LEGO components
• Grandfather Clock: 7 foot working grandfather clock built entirely from LEGO components
• LEGO Goes to Hollywood: Short animated films starring LEGO creations.

Online 20 Questions

20Q.net is an online version of 20 Questions. The AI is purportedly "very simple, but its behavior is complex". Players can enter new questions to assist the AI in learning about new items. Quite entertaining!
( Jan 21 2005, 11:36:22 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

Tsunami Satellite Images

DigitalGlobe has a number of incredible satellite images of the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka before and after the recent - and unfortunately tragic - tsunami impact.
( Dec 28 2004, 07:39:40 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [2]

Theme Park Information

The 'Theme Park Brochures' website has brochures, maps, etc. for a large number of theme parks, past and present.

Here are some of the parks that I have visited:

• Silver Dollar City (Branson, MO) (brochure from 1986)
• Worlds of Fun (Kansas City, MO) (brochure from 1987)
• Six Flags St Louis (Eureka, MO) (map from 1997)
• Elitch Gardens (Denver, CO) (map from 1997)
• Epcot (Orlando, FL) (map from 2003)
• Disneyland (Orlando, FL) (map from 2004)

Siloam Pool Found?

Archaeologists in Jerusalem believe that they have discovered remnants of the Siloam Pool mentioned in the following bible passage:

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Silo'am" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. - John 9:1-7
( Dec 25 2004, 12:10:04 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

World's Tiniest Baby

The premature baby that is being called 'the smallest baby ever to survive' is getting ready to go home. The baby was 8.6 ounces when she was born in September. She now weighs over 2 pounds. Her twin was 20 ounces at birth and now weighs over 5 pounds.

Check out pictures of the twins, Rumaisa and Hiba, here.
( Dec 22 2004, 01:33:24 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [0]

VeggieTales CD

For those of you looking for a fantastic gift for a young child, I highly recommend a personalized VeggieTales CD. VeggieTales, if you are not familiar with it, is a series of products intended to teach life lessons using stories rooted in the Bible. The VeggieTales series is developed by Big Idea, a company dedicated to 'markedly enhanc[ing] the moral and spiritual fabric of our society through creative media' (read their inspiring mission statement here).

I first heard the VeggieTales 'Interactive Learning' CD when I was visiting my family in Missouri. One of my brothers had bought the CD for his daughter. Once I heard the tracks 'God is so Good' and 'The Thankfulness Song', I became intent on purchasing a copy for my son Caleb (due in early Feb, btw). I suspect that this is the first of many VeggieTales items to be purchased for the Taylor household.
( Dec 13 2004, 03:33:19 PM PST ) Permalink Comments [1]

Handheld Games Site

The Handheld Games Museum site is dedicated to 'document[ing] (primarily photographically) every electronic handheld game made in the late 1970's to the mid 1980's'. I am a sucker for nostalgia and this site really brought back some memories for me.

Now if I could just find a site that includes schematics.
( Nov 29 2004, 04:32:10 PM PST ) Permalink

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. I, for one, am extraordinarily grateful to our veterans for their valor and the sacrifices that they have made to defend our great nation and the divinely granted rights of its populace.

I urge American readers of this blog to join me in signing this open letter in support of our troops. Our troops deserve our support irrespective of our political affiliations or ideologies.

'Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.' - George Patton
( Nov 11 2004, 02:37:41 AM PST ) Permalink

Welcome

I have finally decided to take the plunge and join the ever-swelling ranks of bloggers. I have been journaling for years and blogging seems to me a logical 'next step'.

Why Journal?
There are many reasons why I journal. Some of the more compelling reasons are as follows:

• Self-Reflection - Journaling for me is, first and foremost, a form of introspective writing. Through journaling, I become more aware of myself and my spiritual, intellectual, and emotional maturation.

• Improved Understanding - Journaling allows me to elaborate and expand upon the things I experience. Moreover, journaling helps me to identify patterns in my thinking.

• Stimulated Creativity

• Self-Expression

Why Blog?
My decision to capture a portion of my journal as a blog is motivated primarily by a desire to share information in a variety of forms - facts, ideas, beliefs, etc. I am particularly interested in discovering the role blogging might play in the decentralized development of rich knowledge bases.

What to Expect?
I am a man of many passions and eclectic tastes. Consequently, readers of this blog should expect volume and variegation.
( Oct 31 2004, 02:01:31 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [3]