The Tzaar nuclear explosion
Discovery Channel documentry about the biggest nuclear bomb ever made.
YouTube - The Ultimate Explosions: ""
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Historical Events,
Military
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Sinking of drug ship
Australian Air Force destroys a North Korean drug ship after being caught trying to smuggle drugs into Australia.
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Rare occurances
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Sri Lanka, sinking of terrorist ships
Sri Lankan navy destros a tamil tiger ship carrying weapons in February 2007
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Incredible Real Events,
Military
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The sinking of the Oriskany
The sinking of the 888' Oriskany to make an artificial reef off Pensacola, Florida
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Rare occurances
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The North Korean Human Rights Crisis
59 min 13 sec - Jun 29, 2007
North Korea today is home to a network of several dozen concentration camps rivaling those ... all » of Auschwitz and Dachau of days past, hosting over 250,000 political prisoners and their families. North Korea is a prison state- there are no freedoms of religion, speech, movement, assembly- even the right to leave the nation is barred from the people. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled to neighboring China, only to be hunted down by Chinese authorities and sent back to North Korea to face torture and death; or to be sold by brokers and smugglers as labor or sexual slaves.
MIT World: The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
VIDEO LINK
Perhaps no one comprehends the roots of depravity and cruelty better than
Philip Zimbardo. He is renowned for such research as the Stanford Prison Experiment, which demonstrated how, in the right circumstances, ordinary people can swiftly become amoral monsters. Evil is not so much inherent in individuals, Zimbardo showed, but emerges dependably when a sequence of dehumanizing and stressful circumstances unfolds. It is no wonder then, that Zimbardo has lent both his expertise and moral outrage to the case of U.S. reservists who perpetrated the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.
Zimbardo’s latest book, The Lucifer Effect, attempts to understand “how good people do evil deeds.” His talk outlines his involvement as expert witness for the defense team of one of the military police officers responsible at Abu Ghraib, and also provides a rich history of psychological research into the kind of behavior transformations evident in Iraq. First, Zimbardo presents a slideshow of Abu Ghraib abominations, including some digital photos that were not widely distributed by the media. Then he digs deep into the archives for a horrifically illustrated tour of experiments that make a persuasive case that certain, predictable situations corrupt people into wielding power in a destructive way.
He describes Stanley Milgram’s 1963 Yale-based research demonstrating that people will behave sadistically when confronted by “an authority in a lab coat.” A vast majority of the subjects delivered what they were told were dangerous electric shocks to a learner in another room, to the point of apparently killing the other person. Researchers skeptical of his results replicated them. This time, professors demanded that students shock real puppies standing on electrified grills. Zimbardo’s own prison experiment turned an ordinary group of young men into power-hungry “guards,” humiliating equally ordinary “prisoners” in the basement of Stanford’s psychology building. The descent into barbarity was so rapid that Zimbardo had to cancel the experiment after a few days.
The recipe for behavior change isn’t complicated. “All evil begins with a big lie,” says Zimbardo, whether it’s a claim to be following the word of God, or the need to stamp out political opposition. A seemingly insignificant step follows, with successive small actions, presented as essential by an apparently just authority figure. The situation presents others complying with the same rules, perhaps protesting, but following along all the same. If the victims are anonymous or dehumanized somehow, all the better. And exiting the situation is extremely difficult.
Ten Truths About Human Nature
Ten Truths About Human Nature
Why most suicide bombers are Muslim, beautiful people have more daughters, humans are naturally polygamous, sexual harassment isn't sexist, and blonds are more attractive.
Psychology Today: Ten Truths About Human Nature
After WWII Germany
Directed by It's A Wonderful Life's Frank Capra and written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, produced by the United States Information & Education Division of the Army Services Forces in 1946, this authentic film proposes, "War with Germany ends in victory, victory leads to peace ... Sometimes ... Sometimes not."
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History - Military
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Skydiving From The Edge Of The World
A video that I put together over many days. On August 16, 1960, Joe Kittinger lifted off from Earth more... in a helium balloon called Excelsior III (experimenting the effects of high altitude on the human body) and rose to a hight of 102,800 feet (31,300 m). Once he reached the edge of space, he did something incredibly brave and amazing...He JUMPED! Kittinger was in freefall for 4½ minutes and reached a maximum speed of 614 mph (988 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). The total time from jump to landing took 13 minutes and 45 seconds. According to Kittinger, he broke the speed of sound during that famous highest jump. This may be debatable, as other references give his peak speed at 614 (988 km/h) or 618 (994 km/h) miles per hour, or mach 0.9. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.
Firework Factory Explosion
Firework Factory Explosion
Firework Factory Explosion
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Rare occurances
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Exercise Desert Rock 1951
In 1951, the Army, working with the Atomic Energy Commission, carried out the Desert Rock more... Exercises, an experiment to "dispel much of the fear and uncertainty surrounding atomic radiation and the effects of gamma and x-rays."
A tent encampment was set up about 27 miles from where the atomic explosions were detonated on the Nevada Proving Grounds. The encampment housed about 5,000 Army soldiers, civilian observers and technicians. Troops spent hours in classes receiving training in radiation and nuclear weapons effects.
The following is a recorded interview between a sergeant and a training officer prior to a blast:
Question. "How many of your men would volunteer to go up and be in the
foxholes?" (one-half mile from ground zero)
Answer. "I guess about half a dozen."
Question. "It's quite a loud noise when that bomb goes off ... would it do
them any harm?"
Answer. "No sir, not the noise, no."
Question. "How about the radiation? Do you think there is much danger?"
Answer. "Radiation is the least of their worries that the men are thinking
about."
Question. "I think most thought radiation was the greatest danger, didn't
they? Where did they learn differently?"
Answer. "They were, prior to our instructions here. We received a very
thorough briefing."
For the Desert Rock I Exercise, the weapon was fired as an airburst. The majority of the troops were out in the open about seven miles away. The soldiers were told to crouch down and face away from the blast. The bomb flash blanked out the troops from view, and the flash was followed by blast winds and the noise of the explosion. Interviews with soldiers were conducted after the test.
Following the test, the troops were trucked toward the stationary military equipment used for experiments. The experiments were set up one-half mile and also at three miles from the blast. At three miles, the gun emplacements and military vehicles were undamaged, but at on-half mile damage was moderate to heavy.
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Military
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Demolisions
In 2000, Controlled Demolition Inc. took Seattle's Kingdome out with over two tons of dynamite.
This demolition of a public housing project in San Juan, Puerto Rico set a Guinness World Record for the most buildings destroyed in a single blast.
The old Las Vegas hotel and casino is demolished by a controlled implosion on January 11, 2006.
Pandemonium breaks out when spectators get too close to the implosion of the New Haven Coliseum.
Before it was imploded, Detroit's JL Hudson Department Store was the tallest department store in the United States.
The Trojan Nuclear Power Plant in Oregon is destroyed by a controlled implosion.
Nearly a ton of explosives are used in China to demolish sixteen buildings at once.
Unoccupied since its construction in 1975, the Hilton in Beirut was finally reduced to rubble in 2002.
The bridge over Narragansett, Rhode Island gets taken out by explosives.
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Rare occurances
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Detonations
426 Ton EOD Detonation
A series of ridiculously large bombs is detonated in Iraq by an EOD team.
Huge EOD Explosion in Iraq
100 Ton Detonation
A civilian EOD team detonates 100 tons of ordnance in the desert.
Amazing Depth Charge Detonation
A sunken WWII barge is blown to bits with 10 tons of explosives.
Pure TNT Pleasure: Vanish 3
A rocket explodes, showering the camera with rubble and producing a massive crater.
Torpedo Greeting
A Norwegian torpedo "greets" a 2700-ton Destroyer Escort.
Baghdad Car Bomb
This silent footage of an impossibly large car bomb explosion in Baghdad.
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Military
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Dan Dennett: Ants, terrorism, and the awesome power of memes. TED - Talks
Philosopher and scientist Dan Dennett argues that human consciousness and free will are the result of physical processes and are not what we traditionally think they are. His 2003 book Freedom Evolves explores the way our brains have evolved to give us -- and only us -- the kind of freedom that matters, while 2006's Breaking the Spell examines religious belief through the lens of biology.
About this Talk
Here's one of those talks that can change your view of the world forever. Starting with the deceptively simple story of an ant, Dan Dennett unleashes a dazzling sequence of ideas, making a powerful case for the existence of "memes" -- a term coined by Richard Dawkins for mental concepts that are literally alive and capable of spreading from brain to brain. On the way, look out for:
+ a powerful one-sentence secret of happiness
+ a compelling insight into terrorists' motivation
+ a chilling view of Islam
And just when you think you know where the talk's heading, it dramatically shifts direction and questions some of western culture's fundamental assumptions.
This. Is. Unmissable.
Labels:
Forums - TED Talks,
Our Mind,
Pragmatism
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Dual inheritance theory. Gene-Culture evolution
Dual inheritance theory
Dual inheritance theory, (DIT), sometimes called gene/culture coevolution, posits that humans are products of the interaction between genetic evolution and cultural evolution. DIT assumes that culture, (including cultural transmission and cultural evolution), is both influenced by and constrained by genes via psychological adaptations and that culture, in turn, contributes to selection pressures on genes. The results of these interactions can be a mix of both adaptive and maladaptive traits within a population. Another way of conceiving DIT is as an approach that integrates evolutionary theory, cultural theory, and learning theory.
Dual inheritance theory - Wikipedia
Diffusion of innovations - Wikipedia
Theories of innovation diffusion
French sociologist Gabriel Tarde originally claimed that sociology was based on small psychological interactions among individuals, especially imitation and innovation.
Diffusion of innovations theory was formalized by Everett Rogers in a 1962 book called Diffusion of Innovations. Rogers stated that adopters of any new innovation or idea could be categorized as innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%) and laggards (16%), based on a bell curve. Each adopter's willingness and ability to adopt an innovation would depend on their awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption. Some of the characteristics of each category of adopter include:
innovators - venturesome, educated, multiple info sources, greater propensity to take risk
early adopters - social leaders, popular, educated
early majority - deliberate, many informal social contacts
late majority - skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status
laggards - neighbours and friends are main info sources, fear of debt
Diffusion of innovations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GAPMINDER.COM. Graphics of our recent trends and history.
A new view of our world and societies using graphic statistics. Amazing work.
Explore the variations of data
http://www.gapminder.org/
911... ingenuity
Noun
Ingenuity
the ability to come up with (especially original and creative) solutions to difficult problems
The pyramids demonstrate the ingenuity of the Old Egyptians.
Impecunity is the mother of ingenuity.
Labels:
Conspiracy Theories,
Pragmatism
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Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling.
Every year daring competitors throw themselves down an almost vertical hill in Gloucester, UK, chasing an 8lb Double Gloucester Cheese.
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Stupidity
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Ballooning Over Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia's landscape is unlike any other place in this world! Hike through deep canyons and lush fertile valleys, explore long abandoned cave houses and decorated churches.
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Aviation,
Incredible Places
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Sulawesi, Indonesia. Wakatobi Reefscapes
tour of the stunning reefs of Wakatobi in SE Sulawesi, Indonesia. Amazing corals, abundant reef fish and stunning visibility.
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Incredible Places,
Nature things
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Scuba dive Papua New Guinea
the island of Kri in the Raja Ampats
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Incredible Places,
Nature things
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Hot Air Balloon over Machu Picchu
At the end of the century November 1999 Globos de los Andes hot air balloon company of Cusco Peru were contracted by a team of Lima photographers to make flights for an aerial registry of the lost city of the Incas Machu Picchu.
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Aviation,
History,
Incredible Places
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Reno Balloon Race 2006
Time-lapse. One hundred six balloons in a mass ascension at the Reno Balloon Race.
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Aviation,
Incredible Places
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Nile River Cruise
This 3 days Nile cruise stars from Luxor and ends at Aswan.
Scenes from a cruise on the river nile in Egypt from Luxor to Aswan and back again. Pass through the lock at Esna. The cruise was on the ship RA II.
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Incredible Places
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The Great Pyramids of Giza, Cairo, Egypt
5 milleniums... hard to understand and a true testimony of ingenuity...
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History,
Incredible Places,
Things We've Built
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NASA's Constellation Program
NASA animation of the Ares I and V vehicles. Also known as the crew and cargo launch vehicles. These are the proposed vehicles to supersede the Space Shuttle program which ends in 2010. This animation depicts the proposed lunar exploration mission scenario
Comet Tempel 1 Impact
On July 4, 2005 at 05:52 UTC (01:52 EDT), Tempel 1 was impacted by the NASA Deep Impact probe, one day before perihelion. Earth-bound and space telescopes observed brightening of several magnitude after the impact while Deep Impact's observation section recorded a bright spray from the impact site.
The crater that formed was up to 200 meters in diameter and 30-50 meters deep.
Amazon River adventure
A video travelogue of this mysterious and intriguing part of Brazil.
Piranha fishing,
Discovery Channel
Dolphins
345ft deep waters where the blackwater Rio Negro meets the chocolate coloured Amazon some 1600 kms (1000 miles) upstream from the Atlantic.
Sun Rise over rio Negro (Amazon)from the Ariau Lodge
Sounds of the Amazon
Great Wall, China
One of the most marvelous human acheivements
Badaling Pass
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History,
Incredible Places,
Things We've Built
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Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors at Xian, China
The Terracotta Army was buried with the first Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huangdi) in 210-209 BC (his reign over Qin was from 247 BC to 221 BC and over unified China from 221 BC to his death).
Labels:
History,
Incredible Places,
Things We've Built
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