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Archive for December, 2007
Origins of magic: review of genetic and epigenetic effects
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Methods and results
Discussion
References
Objective To assess the evidence for a genetic basis to magic. Design Literature review.
Setting Harry Potter novels of J K Rowling.
Participants Muggles, witches, wizards, and squibs.
Interventions Limited.
Main outcome measures Family and twin studies, magical ability, and specific magical [...]
Chemical to replace sleep?
Darpa, those wonderful people who helped give us the Internet among many other things, may have made another interesting breakthrough: a chemical that can replace lost sleep. If it works it could seriously help the very many people who suffer from severe narcolepsy and insomnia, not to mention those like myself with perennial jet-lag. And [...]
Egypt tries to copyright the pyramids
Zahi Hawass, the “controversial” (and that’s the most diplomatic phrase I’ve heard to describe him) head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced a plan for Egypt to demand royalties for the use of images of Egyptian antiquities. Quite how this is supposed to work I don’t know - copyright is normally for 75 [...]
Peace on Earth, goodwill to all men?
Christian priests have been celebrating the birth of their saviour by having a punch-up in the Church of the Nativity. They fought each other for over an hour with fists, brooms, and iron rods, eventually injuring five people. Unfortunately they got caught on camera during it… The whole thing eventually was broken up by police.
Blessed [...]
An Invitation To The Electric Seance
An interesting overview of a musical current I hadn’t previously been aware of…
…a largely unobserved current of inspiration running through the margins of British electronic music in recent years. A loose network of musicians have been following similar paths of interest or obsession, paths that frequently end up in places where ritual, magick and paranormal [...]
Germany may ban Scientology
It looks like Germany will take steps to formally ban Scientology. It’s had it in for Scientologists for years - if you apply for a job in the German government you get asked “Have you ever studied works by L. Ron Hubbard?” and if you answer in the affirmative you won’t get employed. This applies [...]
Raelian Gets ‘God-Free’ U.S. Citizenship Ceremony
For a country founded on the separation of god and state, it’s remarkable that it took until last week for the citizenship ceremony to remove all references to god. But Thomas Kaenzig has managed it, thanks to the teachings of Rael (and perhaps alien intervention?). He convinced officials to not only take out swearing to [...]
Thieves cut off man’s ‘holy leg’
Police in southern India are hunting for two men who attacked a Hindu holy man, cut off his right leg and then made off with it. The 80-year-old holy man, Yanadi Kondaiah, claimed to have healing powers in the leg.
He is now recovering from his ordeal in hospital in the city [...]
Fortean Times Crowley Special
I just picked up issue 231 of Fortean Times, a special issue on Aleister Crowley. If you’ve read a lot of Crowley you won’t find anything you didn’t know already, although Gary Lachman’s piece on his Thelemic experiences while playing with Blondie might prove enlightening… There’s some silly stuff as usual, but overall not a [...]
The Secret Source
The latest book from Feral House offshoot Process Media is The Secret Source
The Secret Source goes above and beyond the media phenomenon known as The Secret to reveal the powerful occult doctrines that gave birth to “The Law of Attraction.”
The Secret Source traces the seven Hermetic Laws back to ancient Greece and Egypt [...]
