The Chatter Box

Google Earth Mystery Object? - Hardly!What is it that you can see in this snapshot of Google Earth in the vicinity of Amsterdam Island?If you think it's a special antenna for transmitting earthquake waves in the general direction of people that a Secret Government AgencyTM hates, or if you just know that it's a secret underwater base you are probably a conspiracy theorist.If you think it's Atlantis you are probably some kind of new age hippie.If you think it's an image artifact you are probably very good at image analysis.  But wrong.

Could A Fire Have Caused The Loss Of MH370?Ever since Malaysia Airlines MH370 disappeared there has been much speculation in the media and across the web about what may have happened.  Unfortunately, the somewhat spasmodic release of official information, together with too many reports citing anonymous sources, has blurred the true picture.

Perfect Rebuttal  Wouldn't it be nice if you could find a perfect rebuttal, a perfect test of truth, a piece of evidence which perfectly, completely and utterly negates what a witness has said in court.  I have found such a rebuttal.  It is a litmus test for perjury.  I have recently discovered a most peculiar fact of law which has been staring me in the face for very many years.  The reason, perhaps, that I did not notice it before is that my focus was more on the forensic scientific methods, rather than the lawyerly methods of proving that there has been a miscarriage of justice.

Party Like It's 1776"These colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states"

Is Law A Science ?In a recent article The Science Of Law I asserted that law, or more properly jurisprudence, is a science.  The basis for that assertion was that both science and law are founded in the Baconian method.In this comment, A Bear In The Woods, said in rebuttal:

Phone Hacking Scandal - Appeal DismissedRebekah Brooks, News International’s former chief executive,  Andy Coulson, former No. 10 spin doctor (Downing Street communications chief), and others have lost an appeal which attempted to redefine what is meant by the ordinary words which define  the unlawful interception of communications.They, or rather their lawyers, tried to persuade the Appeal Court that the legal and technical definitions concerning the transmission of telecommunications did not cover voicemails.

The Science of Law  Scattered throughout the pages of the history of the common law are many references to it being a science.  Science may be called the pursuit of fact by means of well-defined procedures.  Anyone who has ever visited any two courts of common law jurisprudence will have seen at first hand that their procedures inevitably differ somewhat.  The greatest difference will be found between English and American criminal courts.  Whereas in America the trial proper begins when the prosecutor addresses the jury, followed by the defence, in English Crown Courts the defence is not allowed to address the jury until all evidence has been shown or heard.

Laws and FlawsThe roots of miscarriages of justice.  Although this article is about the common law, the author hopes that it may be of more than passing interest to scientists and to all seekers after truth.  Over the course of some twenty years the author has used his skills in logic, science and literature research to carry out an in-depth study of the history of English law and of the causes of miscarriages of justice.  The main focus has been on English case law, but many cases from other common law jurisdictions have also been studied.

Electric Batteries - by A. VoltaIn this article I present my translation of Alessandro (Alexander) Volta's original French paper, which I published as -Batteries électriques - By A. Volta

Batteries électriques - by Alexander VoltaIn 1800 the Royal Society published Alexander Volta's description of how he built his batteries.It is not widely known that Volta invented both the 'wet' and the 'dry' battery.  Most writers mention Volta's pile - a 'dry' battery, but omit to mention his 'crown of cups', or 'wet' battery.

Around The Arctic June 2013The Arctic is currently primed for rapid and extensive ice loss, unless we see some very unusual weather conditions this Summer.The state of the ice can be seen in the following series of satellite images from NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System - EOSDIS.  EOSDIS produces near real-time data and makes images such as the Arctic mosaic and the Near Real Time (Orbit Swath) Images available on the web.

Glacier Changes in NE GreenlandSubstantial cracks in the Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier ice tongue appear to be growing in extent and number.  While not as spectacular as the 2010 calving of the Peterman Ice Island, it is more closely linked to global warming than Otherwise known as 79 North, Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier is a floating outlet glacier, about 60 km long and 20 km wide located at 79°30'N, 22° W, draining a large area of the northeast Greenland ice sheet.