Tangled in the Net?

Is the Internet’s ubiquitous presence in our individual and collective lives good or bad? Does it’s capacity for instant communication and social networking bring us closer together, or is it simply warping our precious, precious minds? Here are some people talking about just that: http://soundcloud.com/ajstream/web-of-addiction

If a Tree Falls in Space…

All of those galactic-horror-flick posters are right: in space, nobody can hear you scream… But if you’re sporting the right kind of “ears,” you can hear Jupiter sing! Sound can’t exist in a vacuum because it is a pressure wave within a medium, not an independent physical force itself. If you unwisely popped your helmet …

Hearing is Believeing?

Our auditory systems have played a vital role in the survival and evolution of our species. Hearing helps situate us within our immediate environment by detecting motion, recognizing voices and sensing threats. Hearing functions as both a compass and radar, endlessly informing us of the nature of our surroundings and our position within them. Without …

I-Cracked

So, I tried “crack” yesterday. I can explain: Yesterday morning, in the midst of my puffy-eyed, fog-brained morning stupor, I stumbled upon a random news video about a frightening new menace to high school children. Bullying? Anorexia? Unremoved asbestos? No: I-Dosing. Watch: That’s right. Digital drugs! Kids are getting are now getting their rocks off …

In and Of Sound

At 6:57 every morning, the timer on my auto-drip coffee maker flicks on, making my most faithful and punctual friend gurgle to life. The first drop falls from the tip of the cone filter, momentarily wobbling itself into a sphere before striking the bottom of the empty, glass pot. At the instant coffee strikes glass, …