Christopher Vera’s Mystic Nebula

I’m sure this math is trivial to most statisticians, physicists and mathematicians, but some friends and I determined how to calculate the edges of any 3 dimensional polyhedral. We used my AD&D dice to verify.

(E * F) /2

where

E = the number of edges on a single face of the shape, and
F = the number of faces on the shape.

For example, a six-sided die has 12 edges, a 20-sided die has 30 edges.

The study of dark energy is enlightening.

We speculative poets (that is, poets that write about subjects that may or may not exist, such as the fantastical or science fiction) sometimes play the role of forgotten stepchildren locked in the basement while “real” poets collect all the fame and glory (in reality there’s not much of either, even for “real” poets!). So we always love to see our favorite topic being discussed by “mainstream” literary publications.

Check out this article I ran across on Poets.org called Poems about Aliens.

Ironically, if speculative poetry should ever become mainstream, and everyone starts doing it, we cutting edge poets may need to find even more bizarre topics to write about.

If you’re like me, you enjoy writing poetry to music. Its best of we can’t understand the words to the music so it doesn’t influence our writing. try listening to this piece WITHOUT watching the video that goes with it so it doesn’t influence you. Let your mind wander…

After watching the Earth series of videos, I was struck by the fantastic mix of science and surreal science fiction of this piece. Imagine a cordyceps fungi that attacks humans…

Yes, this is a dead ant with a fungal mushroom pseudo-pod coming out of its head. Its nothing like the video though. Be sure to check it out. All your ant are belong to us!

Thanks to geekologie.com for the pic.

Just learned about artist trading cards. Here’s my first crude attempt at creating one.

Although I’ve used Twitter for some time to communicate, I’ve decided to integrate it with Mystic Nebula.

You won’t find the play-by-play moments of my day here. I wouldn’t dare bore you with that.

But I find Twitter is a great notepad to leave a thought that could in turn become a poem, a story or a work of art.

My brother is serving faithfully in Afghanistan. He was so moved by a recent Fallen Comrade ceremony–a ceremony he has performed several times–he felt the need to write about it, and after reading it, and with his permission, I felt the need to print it.

A Sad Tradition
By Thomas David Vera II

The warriors moved slowly in the darkness
A melancholy mood was tangible in the air
slowly lining up, side by side
As far as the eye can see
Standing patiently, restlessly, still
The flashing lights slowly approach
The misty drizzle hits my face
It starts to collect like cold tears
A yell breaks the silence
The line of warriors snap to attention
Slowly arms raise to salute
My eyes drift to the eight somber faces
Accompanying the flag draped aluminum casket
Farewell my fallen comrade
The precession passes and salutes fall
The warriors disperse to go back to work
To go on living

Years ago I was driving on a San Diego freeway. It was raining something terrible and visibility was poor. Before I knew it, the traffic ahead of me had stopped and I slammed my brakes and veered into another lane to avoid collision. My car stalled and the vehicles behind me narrowly avoided me.

A week later, not far from that very location, a friend got into a car accident that totaled his car and one that hit him. That got me to thinking about the possibility that a dangerous spirit, unsatisfied after my near-miss, continued until it had achieved its evil purpose.

Then I read with wonder about the U.S. Airways plane that crash landed in the Hudson river with no casualties. It was certainly a miracle to those on board!

Now we hear that another plane has gone down in Buffalo New York not far (relatively speaking) from the first crash site. Many have died.

I can’t help but wonder whether there was an unsatiated spirit frustrated by its first failure that caused the destruction we have witnessed.

Perhaps some forces can only be placated by negative energy?

A friend pointed me to an pessimistic view of technological superhuman intelligence.

The main thrust of the article is that in the very near future humankind will develop technology that will create computers that are superhumanly intelligent, resulting in the demise of the human race. Written in 1993, this article was six years ahead of The Matrix.

While the more cynical of us may believe that if and when computers can think they will naturally conclude humankind is worthy only of extermination, there are of course, other possibilities.

Will great networks of computers suddenly “wake up” once a certain critical mass of programming and information has been input? Unlikely.

However, as more human beings interconnect with technology to each other, via mobile devices and even blogs like this one, I see communication becoming more like an ocean, with tides and swells and currents. Information–ideas–will flow in predictable and liquid (or perhaps viral) fashions.

I see computers and humankind becoming inherently dependent on each other. Someday philosophers may ask, “Where does the computer end, and the mind begin?”

Until then, let’s not fear the unfortunately named “Singularity” (for which physicists must be slapping their foreheads!). Let us embrace the possibility that the sum of the knowledge collected by the human race may one day be available at our fingertips, resulting not in a super intelligence, but in an efficient repository of collected memories that enhance–not replace–our individual genetic ancestral memories.

And never forget that no amount of intelligence is a replacement for wisdom. The ability to creatively and thoughtfully apply knowledge is as important as the knowledge itself.