According to Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, teleportation was used as means of quickening up the pace of the storyline by getting the actors from one place to another and conserving resources (money). He left the task of explaining its basis in science to the writers,  although academics have already identified the challenges.

Scientists use the hydrogen atom as the simplest model. At its center, is the proton with one circulating electron. In two dimensions, the electron’s path is described as a circle with a central point. In three dimensions the path is far more irregular. Plotting its course from where it had traveled at any given measured instant reveals the form of an asymmetrical cloud. Perhaps the force of magnetism exerted on the electron’s path isn’t equal at all time or maybe there are smaller, much tinier elements that also effects the electron’s course.

In order to teleport a person from one place to another, the location of every electron of every atom and all the other unseen particles would have to be charted, then rematerialized without interrupting their velocity, to another place.

If this could be done, it would reaffirm one of the fundamental laws of science: matter can neither be created nor destroyed; whatever exists now is what existed millions of years ago, just in different form. This balance would have to be maintained. So, in order to teleport someone, they would have to be dematerialized (killed) and the atoms rematerialized in another place and hopefully the person would be brought back to life. But how would all this relate to the soul? where would it go when the body is between the state of dis-assembly and reconstruction?

Long ago, the Ancients created visual logos reflecting principles comprised of symbols embedded with infinite meaning. When used in meditation its possible to discover noticeable insights, although meditation is not easy. It takes a great deal of practice and discipline to clear the mind of  distractions and stress. Hopefully, a repeated focus on an image of choice can, over time, help one detach from daily preoccupations and perhaps create a doorway. What is seen on the other side depends on one’s ability to dismiss all boundaries of what is thought possible.

All anyone knows about the Ancients is that they probably existed a very long time ago perhaps in human form, then as some kind of deities representative of either a law of nature or as some kind of observation about the universe that serves a fundamental premise for existence.

The hardest part of the search for the traveler is to discover the symbol that works best for them.When it is found, it’s possible to unfold the corresponding relationships between what happens here with the more expansive principles that structure the universe.

A symbol could be a picture, an object, a sound, perhaps words on a page. Examples of common symbols include, the cross, the square, the triangle, the six pointed star and many more all of which can be accurately inscribed within the circle using the same central point, although many symbols are not symmetrical.

One of the earliest cinematic adaptations focusing on the discovery and research of symbols is Forbidden Planet (1956), a science fiction interpretation of Shakespeare’s Tempest that surrounds a philologist, Dr. Edward Morbius, portrayed by Walter Pidgeon who uncovers the lost civilization called the Krell. Over the course of twenty years, he reconstructs some of their technology from   ancient symbols and unleashes “the monsters from the Id,” Freud’s symbol for the subconscious mind.

The crew of United Planets Cruiser C-57D and its commander, John J Adams, played by Leslie Nielsen in his first starring role arrive to investigate the fate of the lost landing party and encounters resistance from Morbius, a passionate anthropologist who insists that he alone should decide when and how his discoveries are to be shared. Only when forced to accept the power of his own unbridled subconscious emotions enhanced by the Krell technology does he see the symbols that lie below the surface of his mind.

A well crafted classic directed by Fred M. Wilcox and a screenplay by William Hume, its a science fiction epic that attempts to deal with symbols on a variety of levels including a groundbreaking electronic score by Louis and Bebe Baron. One theme of the film that evokes mythological overtones is, “Be careful what you wish for because if it happens before you’re ready, it can increase unanticipated results, many of which have the potential to cause remorse.”

Social Commentary has often been at the center of many films – Morality, insight and wisdom gained from mistakes made and lessons learned when common themes are explored. Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is approaching and Christmas lists are being planned, its appropriate to pick a holiday that speaks sociologically to cultural values. Especially unique are the movies involving the myth of St. Nicholas, known by many names in different cultures as Santa Claus or Papa Noel, El Espiritu De La Navidad.

All legends about Christmas resonate the themes of sharing, sacrifice and generosity. Over time, Santa Claus became the image of great wisdom  reflected as an old man always ready to offer millions of gifts every year. “I have been coming to this planet for thousands of years  from a distant galaxy, to be on Earth,  a beautiful place to exist. Blessed with the power of precipitation,  my mission is to radiate contagious joy and share with everyone my knowledge of life in other parts of the universe.”

A cinematic version of this fable was explored in a 1964 Science Fiction film, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians. Directed by Nicholas Webster,     the screenplay was unknown. It received notice at the Canned Film Festival in 1986, and appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The plot originates on Mars and covers several themes using martian family relationships, exploring how the martian culture educates its youth. Momar and Kimar are unhappy about their kids watching too much Earth TV, but they notice the positive effects that Old St. Nicholas have  on their children when he is interviewed on Nickelodeon from his workshop in the North Pole. The couple seeks the  counsel of the 800 year old sage, Chochem the wise.  He had long  criticized martian culture for being too strict in the methods of educating their children, “fed knowledge into their brains through electrodes connected to machines,  they are not allowed individuality or freedom of thought.” He suggests this path is stifling their creativity. “The only way to correct this control is to allow the children freedom to have fun.” He argues that a Santa Claus figure like the one on Earth would give the children the spirit they need, enhancing joy and happiness in their lives. One of the martian children, Girmar, is played by six-year old Pia Zadora, in her dramatic film debut.

Unfortunately, advice is often not interpreted as intended. The leaders devise a plan to kidnap Santa Claus and bring him to Mars to work in one of their factories created for him, to make toys for martian children, and bring laughter and happiness to all the land.

Kimar flies to earth with other members of “the council”, and Torg, a robot, (an anagram of Gort, the beloved robot appearing in  The Day The Earth Stood Still, 1951), and use a freezing ray on Mrs. Claus forcing Santa to go Mars.

There are many complex subplots, the special effects, makeup, and robotics are   cheesy, however the morals conveyed by the movie supersedes all that. Perhaps this film contains wisdom for adults and children alike. Don’t use TV as a babysitter; Be careful how you interpret the words of great sages, oracles and mystics; Don’t steal Santa Claus’s from other planets, and “It really is” all about education, not assimilation (as in the Borg Collective).

As the film ends Santa is returned to earth as the martians choose one of their own to become the Santa Claus of Mars. Chochem, the guru would probably have said: “Listen up folks, you can’t find laughter and happiness by stealing it from someone else, but by finding it within.”

And so the tale ends as the spirit of Santa Claus conquers Mars, bringing laughter and cheer and a Ho Ho Ho.

Eel hunting is called eeling and is a popular sport practiced by eelers – people trained in catching eels and surviving the shock.

Although an electric eel can be mistaken for a snake, its more accurately classified as a fish, an aquatic vertebrate animal with scales that has a capacity to produce an electric field using specialized cells distributed throughout its body. The larger the eel, the greater the charge, serving as a major defense against predators and incapacitating prey up to 15 feet away.

Now, engineers from Yale University have designed a man made tool adapting the principles of the electric eel cell by not only replicating them but improving on their design. They claim that artificial versions of the eel’s electricity generating cells could be developed as a power source for medical implants and other tiny devices.

Other engineers of the new field of systems biology question if we really understand enough about how a cell produces electricity to do a better job of designing them than nature has.  In an experiment at the Kakamigahara institute, Japanese scientists wondered if it were possible to harness the eel’s power for economic use. They attached a conductive copper wire from a fish tank to a Christmas tree fully ornamented with lights. Every time the eel scraped against the wire, the tree lit up. Despite all this science, a more common place to find an eel is marinated and served on a sushi plate.

According to Japanese myth “good fortune follows a child conceived under the fiery plasma emanating from the Earth’s magnetosphere.” On the other hand western scientists and theologians might argue that it is not possible to know the precise correlation between “expelling billions of electrons funnelling to and from a pole,” and mitosis, immersed in a field of magnetically charged particles under the Aurora Borealis.

A peaceful place, calm and harmonious, where the energy of the planet is as vibrant and subtle as the stars flickering  through the  aqua red  sky of the northern lights, an ideal place to think about philosophy, religion or contemplate the breath of Japanese myth and the Ho Ho Ho of Old St. Nick.

Unfortunately, busy professionals are often unable to travel to the Arctic regions to find the northern lights to breed a child of good fortune. For them, a unique solution has been devised to bring the lights to their location by thinkgeek.com called the Aurora Projector. “This unique object uses three colored LED’s and a frosted lenses to simulate the ice of the northern region that is now melting due to global warming from the products of the industrial revolution,  to project twisting swirling misty lights on your wall or ceiling. Four triple-a batteries power it for up to 20 hours to avoid any interruptions in a thoughtful conception. The controls are simple to master – On, Off, and  a Timer  which  shuts it off after 30, 60, 90 and  120 minutes, especially thoughtful  for those who are in the geriatric age range. Plus, the lamp is hinged, so if you are concerned about straining your neck muscles or pinching the wrong nerve to stare at the light show on the ceiling, you can tilt it vertically, and project the pretty colorful lights on the wall instead. The size of the contraption: H13 x W18.5 x D11 cm. The 4 AA batteries it takes to run this thing are not included and it doesn’t appear to have any plug in components.”

Now for the right yen and $39.00 you too can conceive a child of good fortune that will make parenting as easy as baking a souffle.

During the Roman Empire, a group of large carp like fish known as genus Barbus were domesticated in marble tanks under the bed of guests invited to lavish Roman Orgies  signifying their fascination with underwater life that led to aquariums. But, it wasn’t known until much later that goldfish like others in the Carp family are social animals who frequently become bored with their environment when left alone without other fish to interact. For them, a stark, un-embellished bowl of water just wont do because their inclination when happy is to be curious. In fact this quality is believed to have encouraged the development of elaborate fish tank rock formations, miniature sunken ships and the R2 Fish Training Kit. which made Albert the goldfish pictured above a member of the Guinness Book Of Records as the fish with the largest repertoire of tricks of any aquatic vertebrate with scales.

According to historical records, The concept of fish school, not to be confused with a school of fish was first founded by Dean and Kyle Pomerleau in 2004. Kyle who was seven years old at the time won two common goldfish at a school fair spending hours watching them for several weeks. He suspected that there was more going on in their brains then most people were willing to give them credit for. On a whim, he and his father decided to see if it was possible to train fish to do tricks using techniques frequently associated with  training dogs, cats, and circus animals.

In an attempt to give fish their just due as responsive pets rather than some kind of decoration at risk for being flushed down the toilet or eaten by a house cat, their scientific investigation led to the Fish School Training Manual, initially written in French. The basic principles set forth in the pamphlet are positive reinforcement and shaping which uses the fish’s innate curiosity to encourage behavior modification. After all, Kyle  claimed,  “Fish have often been served in various cultures as religious symbols, deities and the subject of art, books and films such as The Incredible Mr. Limpit,” a 1964 live action/animated film by Warner Brothers about a human who mysteriously turns into a talking fish and helps the US Navy defeat the Nazis using his “thrum,” an intense  noise that disrupts underwater  instruments and weapons long before Finding Nemo won the Oscar as best animated feature in 2005.

The notion that humans only use approximately 10% of their brain has been perpetuated without any evidence. No one really knows its origin, perhaps a misunderstanding of the words of William James (1842-1910), an American psychologist and philosopher who wrote in his 1908 essay, The Energies Of Men, “We are making use of only a small part of our potential mental and physical resources.” Among his other notable works is, The Subjective Effects Of Nitrous Oxide.

Myths are notoriously difficult to trace, partially because they have multiple sources and are often culturally defined, adding and synthesizing the moral implications at its core, but, assuming it was true, it would mean we could still function if 90% of the brain were removed. A difficult statement for any credible scientist to agree with, and yet so many people still believe we only use a fraction of our brain.

Ask any neurologist and they would probably say, “Neural pathways are difficult to map although removing part of the brain can have devastating effects on behavior,” a meaningless statement to co-notate that science still knows very little about the brain, suggesting we probably have not tapped its true capability assuming that it could be measured scientifically. When was the last time you heard anyone say, “I’ve lived up to my full potential.”

On the other hand, it is difficult to disagree that education affords the opportunity to increase latent ability, it’s still unclear whether that means more brain utilization is involved. Perhaps motivation or some unknown force is at play, although intelligence is known to be more than what is measured by the IQ test. Parents however still proudly beam when their children achieve a high mark. Many still associate increased brain capacity with smartness and imagine super human abilities of memory, telepathy or telekinesis. Whether this is delusion, the work of science fiction or fact yet to be revealed, there is always hope that brain function can be enhanced as evolution proceeds.

One way to increase and train brain skills in the privacy of your own home, aside from reading, is known as The Brain Fitness Kit, a wonderful gift idea for Christmas found on latestbuy.com. “It contains 108 fully illustrated giant puzzle cards designed to test both logical and lateral thinking! Plus it comes complete with a set of instructions and a timer. Play it on your own and beat the clock or compete with a friend and beat them senseless by showing off your grey matter at an affordable $14.95.”

Read more about brain myths at neuroscience for kids (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html)

It was Friday afternoon, preparing for the big prom night dance, driven there by a black chauffeur, chilled orchard in hand for my honey. I was feeling pumped, looking sharp, grabbing my lucky shirt from the closet, the one with the scent of musk, only to discover it’s covered in enough dog hair and funky lint to make it look like another dog and perhaps attract the wrong bitch.

No time to clean the lucky shirt a ritualistic artifact of conquest, a blight for this night until, surfing the net, a page is encountered about “Le Glove.” Ah,  triumph invades my thought, for Le Glove is well known to pet owners and dandruff sufferers as “your very own lint removal system. An invention, created by some unnamed Australian company ‘is engineered from polypropylene effectively turning your grooming regime into a dream. Simply slip on Le Glove, peel off the paper surface, dab the offending foreign bodies and put it in the garbage,’” and the claim is also made that Le Glove is biodegradable!

The unnamed company adds, “Le Glove” is disposable, recyclable, affordable. It will remove lint, dandruff, dust, hair, fur and fibres from clothing, upholstery, carpets even bathroom floors. Every hotel worth its room rate should have them! Every exec worth their golden handshake should keep a pack in their briefcase. In fact, you should be able to open every handbag and see a pack of Le Glove ready to use.

Product Specifications clearly state, “Le Glove is made of polypropylene material featuring an adhesive (sticky) surface designed to easily remove lint, hair, dandruff and any other foreign particles from clothing, upholstery and carpets.”

When you purchase your pack of Le Gloves, also consider buying your very own For Real Spider Catcher. The price for each is cheap, so why worry about it?

This amazing product, “allows you to quickly and gently trap the spider from a safe distance (65 cm) – it also means you can reach under furniture and up to ceilings without balancing precariously. You simply press the trigger on the easy grip handle to spread the bristles, place it over the insect, release, and you’ve got him! Even if it’s making a break for it, you can still catch the little sucker and release him back into the wild where he should be.” Or you can regress to your early childhood and recite that old nursery rhyme,

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.