Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Strep throat may have killed Mozart: study
Mon Aug 17, 10:17 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – The death of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 35 may have been caused by complications stemming from strep throat, according to a Dutch study published on Monday. Since the composer's death in 1791, there have been various theories about the cause of his untimely end, from intentional poisoning, to rheumatic fever, to trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork.
On his death certificate it was officially recorded that the cause of death was hitziges Frieselfieber, or "heated miliary fever," referring to a rash that looks like millet seeds.
But researchers from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands said studies on his death have generally been based on less-than-reliable evidence, like accounts from people who witnessed Mozart's final days, written decades after his death.
Their new study, reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was based on information from official death registers for Vienna in the winter of 1791 that places Mozart's death in a wider context. He died in Vienna.
"Our findings suggest that Mozart fell victim to an epidemic of strep throat infection that was contracted by many Viennese people in Mozart's month of death, and that Mozart was one of several persons in that epidemic that developed a deadly kidney complication," researcher Richard Zegers, of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, told Reuters Health.
Zegers and his colleagues said this "minor epidemic" of step throat, or streptococcal pharyngitis, may have begun in the city's military hospital.
According to witness accounts, Mozart fell ill with an "inflammatory fever," which is consistent with strep throat, Zegers and his colleagues wrote in their report.
The composer, who wrote more than 600 works during his life, eventually developed severe swelling, "malaise," back pain and a rash, consistent with a strep infection leading to kidney inflammation known as glomerulonephritis.
Zegers said it was also possible that Mozart had scarlet fever, which, like strep throat, can be caused by infection with streptococcal bacteria, but this was less likely because witnesses said Mozart developed a rash near the end of his illness and with scarlet fever, the rash appears early on.
(Reporting by Amy Norton from Reuters Health, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)
Source : Yahoo! News
Teori Waktu
Pernah merasa waktu berjalan cepat atau terasa begitu lambat? Seperti saat waktu berlalu begitu cepat ketika Anda sedang bersama teman- teman atau saat waktu terasa begitu lambat ketika Anda terjebak dalam hujan. Tapi Anda tidak bisa mempercepat atau memperlambat waktu kan?
Waktu selalu berjalan dalam kecepatan yang konstan. Einstein tidak berpikir demikian. Ide dia adalah semakin kita mendekati kecepatan cahaya, semakin lambat waktunya relatif dibandingkan kondisi orang yang tidak bergerak. Dia menyebutnya melambatnya waktu karena gerakan. Tidak mungkin, kamu bilang? Oke, bayangkan ini. Kamu berdiri di bumi, memegang jam. Teman baikmu ada di dalam roket dengan kecepatan 250.000 km/detik. Temanmu juga memegang sebuah jam. Kalau kamu bisa melihat jam yang dibawa temanmu, kamu akan melihat bahwa jam itu tampak berjalan lebih lambat daripada jam kamu. Sebaliknya temanmu akan merasa jam yang ia bawa berjalan biasa2 aja (tidak melambat), dia pikir malah jam kamu yang tampak berjalan lebih lambat.
Masih bingung? Ingat, Einstein butuh 8 tahun untuk menemukan hal ini. Dan dia dianggap jenius. Einstein memberikan contoh untuk menunjukan efek perlambatan waktu yang dia sebut “paradoks kembar”. Seperti permainan penjelajah waktu. Mari kita mencobanya dengan menganggap ada 2 orang kembar bernama Eyne dan Stine. Dua2nya kita anggap berumur 10 tahun. Eyne memutuskan dia sudah bosan di bumi dan perlu liburan. Dia mendengar bahwa ada hal yang menarik di sistem bintang Alpha3, yang berjarak 25 tahun cahaya. Stine yang harus mengikuti ujian matematika minggu depan, harus tinggal di rumah untuk belajar. Jadi Eyne berangkat sendiri. Ingin sampai secepatnya di sana, dia memutuskan untuk berjalan dengan kecepatan 99,99% kecepatan cahaya. Perjalanan ke sistem bintang itu bolak balik membutuhkan waktu 50 tahun. Apa yang terjadi ketika Eyne kembali? Stine sudah 60 tahun, tapi Eyen masih berumur 10 ½ tahun. Bagaimana mungkin? Eyne sudah pergi selama 50 tahun tapi hanya bertambah umur ½ tahun! Hey, apakah Eyne baru saja menemukan mata air awet muda!
Ide Einstein tentang waktu yang melambat tampak benar dan semua adalah teori, tapi bagaimana kamu tahu kalau dia benar? Salah satu cara adalah dengan naik roket dan memacu roket itu mendekati kecepatan cahaya. Tapi sampai saat ini, kita belum bisa melakukannya. Tapi ada satu cara untuk mengetestnya. Bagaimana kita tahu kalau Einstein tidak salah? Percobaan ini mungkin bisa memberikan penjelasan atas idenya. Jam atom adalah jam yang sangat akurat, bisa mengukur satuan waktu yang sangat kecil. Sepersejutaan detik bisa diukur. Di tahun 1971, ilmuwan menggunakan jam ini untuk mengetest ide Einstein. Satu jam atom diset di atas bumi, dan satu lagi dibawa keliling dunia menggunakan pesawat jet dengan kecepatan 966 km/jam. Pada awalnya kedua jam itu diset agar menunjukan waktu yang sama. Apa yang terjadi ketika jam dibawa mengelilingi dunia dan kemudian kembali ke titik di tempat jam satunya lagi berada? Sesuai perkiraan Einstein, kedua jam itu sudah tidak menunjukan waktu yang sama. Jam yang sudah dibawa keliling dunia, menunjukan keterlambatan waktu seperberapa juta detik!
Kamu mungkin bertanya kenapa kok bedanya begitu kecil? Pertanyaan yang bagus! Yah, 966 km/jam cukup cepat, tapi masih belum mendekati kecepatan cahaya. Untuk melihat perbedaan waktu yang signifikan, kamu harus melaju dengan sangat lebih cepat.
Waktu selalu berjalan dalam kecepatan yang konstan. Einstein tidak berpikir demikian. Ide dia adalah semakin kita mendekati kecepatan cahaya, semakin lambat waktunya relatif dibandingkan kondisi orang yang tidak bergerak. Dia menyebutnya melambatnya waktu karena gerakan. Tidak mungkin, kamu bilang? Oke, bayangkan ini. Kamu berdiri di bumi, memegang jam. Teman baikmu ada di dalam roket dengan kecepatan 250.000 km/detik. Temanmu juga memegang sebuah jam. Kalau kamu bisa melihat jam yang dibawa temanmu, kamu akan melihat bahwa jam itu tampak berjalan lebih lambat daripada jam kamu. Sebaliknya temanmu akan merasa jam yang ia bawa berjalan biasa2 aja (tidak melambat), dia pikir malah jam kamu yang tampak berjalan lebih lambat.
Masih bingung? Ingat, Einstein butuh 8 tahun untuk menemukan hal ini. Dan dia dianggap jenius. Einstein memberikan contoh untuk menunjukan efek perlambatan waktu yang dia sebut “paradoks kembar”. Seperti permainan penjelajah waktu. Mari kita mencobanya dengan menganggap ada 2 orang kembar bernama Eyne dan Stine. Dua2nya kita anggap berumur 10 tahun. Eyne memutuskan dia sudah bosan di bumi dan perlu liburan. Dia mendengar bahwa ada hal yang menarik di sistem bintang Alpha3, yang berjarak 25 tahun cahaya. Stine yang harus mengikuti ujian matematika minggu depan, harus tinggal di rumah untuk belajar. Jadi Eyne berangkat sendiri. Ingin sampai secepatnya di sana, dia memutuskan untuk berjalan dengan kecepatan 99,99% kecepatan cahaya. Perjalanan ke sistem bintang itu bolak balik membutuhkan waktu 50 tahun. Apa yang terjadi ketika Eyne kembali? Stine sudah 60 tahun, tapi Eyen masih berumur 10 ½ tahun. Bagaimana mungkin? Eyne sudah pergi selama 50 tahun tapi hanya bertambah umur ½ tahun! Hey, apakah Eyne baru saja menemukan mata air awet muda!
Ide Einstein tentang waktu yang melambat tampak benar dan semua adalah teori, tapi bagaimana kamu tahu kalau dia benar? Salah satu cara adalah dengan naik roket dan memacu roket itu mendekati kecepatan cahaya. Tapi sampai saat ini, kita belum bisa melakukannya. Tapi ada satu cara untuk mengetestnya. Bagaimana kita tahu kalau Einstein tidak salah? Percobaan ini mungkin bisa memberikan penjelasan atas idenya. Jam atom adalah jam yang sangat akurat, bisa mengukur satuan waktu yang sangat kecil. Sepersejutaan detik bisa diukur. Di tahun 1971, ilmuwan menggunakan jam ini untuk mengetest ide Einstein. Satu jam atom diset di atas bumi, dan satu lagi dibawa keliling dunia menggunakan pesawat jet dengan kecepatan 966 km/jam. Pada awalnya kedua jam itu diset agar menunjukan waktu yang sama. Apa yang terjadi ketika jam dibawa mengelilingi dunia dan kemudian kembali ke titik di tempat jam satunya lagi berada? Sesuai perkiraan Einstein, kedua jam itu sudah tidak menunjukan waktu yang sama. Jam yang sudah dibawa keliling dunia, menunjukan keterlambatan waktu seperberapa juta detik!
Kamu mungkin bertanya kenapa kok bedanya begitu kecil? Pertanyaan yang bagus! Yah, 966 km/jam cukup cepat, tapi masih belum mendekati kecepatan cahaya. Untuk melihat perbedaan waktu yang signifikan, kamu harus melaju dengan sangat lebih cepat.
Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang theory is an effort to explain what happened at the very beginning of our universe. Discoveries in astronomy and physics have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that our universe did in fact have a beginning. Prior to that moment there was nothing; during and after that moment there was something: our universe. The big bang theory is an effort to explain what happened during and after that moment.
According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. What is a "singularity" and where does it come from? Well, to be honest, we don't know for sure. Singularities are zones which defy our current understanding of physics. They are thought to exist at the core of "black holes." Black holes are areas of intense gravitational pressure. The pressure is thought to be so intense that finite matter is actually squished into infinite density (a mathematical concept which truly boggles the mind). These zones of infinite density are called "singularities." Our universe is thought to have begun as an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense, something - a singularity. Where did it come from? We don't know. Why did it appear? We don't know.
After its initial appearance, it apparently inflated (the Big Bang), expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and very, very hot, to the size and temperature of our current universe. It continues to expand and cool to this day and we are inside of it: incredible creatures living on a unique planet, circling a beautiful star clustered together with several hundred billion other stars in a galaxy soaring through the cosmos, all of which is inside of an expanding universe that began as an infinitesimal singularity which appeared out of nowhere for reasons unknown. This is the Big Bang theory.
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Big Bang theory. For example, we tend to imagine a giant explosion. Experts however say that there was no explosion; there was (and continues to be) an expansion. Rather than imagining a balloon popping and releasing its contents, imagine a balloon expanding: an infinitesimally small balloon expanding to the size of our current universe.
Another misconception is that we tend to image the singularity as a little fireball appearing somewhere in space. According to the many experts however, space didn't exist prior to the Big Bang. Back in the late '60s and early '70s, when men first walked upon the moon, "three British astrophysicists, Steven Hawking, George Ellis, and Roger Penrose turned their attention to the Theory of Relativity and its implications regarding our notions of time. In 1968 and 1970, they published papers in which they extended Einstein's Theory of General Relativity to include measurements of time and space. According to their calculations, time and space had a finite beginning that corresponded to the origin of matter and energy. The singularity didn't appear space; rather, space began inside of the singularity. Prior to the singularity, existed, not space, time, matter, or energy - nothing. So where and in what did the singularity appear if not in space? We don't know. We don't know where it came from, why it's here, or even where it is. All we really know is that we are inside of it and at one time it didn't exist and neither did we.
What are the major evidences which support the Big Bang theory?
First of all, we are reasonably certain that the universe had a beginning.
Second, galaxies appear to be moving away from us at speeds proportional to their distance. This is called Hubble's Law, named after Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) who discovered this phenomenon in 1929. This observation supports the expansion of the universe and suggests that the universe was once compacted.
Third, if the universe was initially very, very hot as the Big Bang suggests, we should be able to find some remnant of this heat. In 1965, Radioastronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a 2.725 degree Kelvin (-454.765 degree Fahrenheit, -270.425 degree Celsius) Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) which pervades the observable universe. This is thought to be the remnant which scientists were looking for. Penzias and Wilson shared in the 1978 Nobel Prize for Physics for their discovery. Finally, the abundance of the "light elements" Hydrogen and Helium found in the observable universe are thought to support the Big Bang model of origins.
Is the standard Big Bang theory the only model consistent with these evidences? No, it's just the most popular one. Internationally renown Astrophysicist George F. R. Ellis explains: "People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations….For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations….You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that
In 2003, Physicist Robert Gentry proposed an attractive alternative to the standard theory, an alternative which also accounts for the evidences listed above. Dr. Gentry claims that the standard Big Bang model is founded upon a faulty paradigm (the Friedmann-lemaitre expanding-spacetime paradigm) which he claims is inconsistent with the empirical data. He chooses instead to base his model on Einstein's static-spacetime paradigm which he claims is the "genuine cosmic Rosetta." Gentry has published several papers outlining what he considers to be serious flaws in the standard Big Bang model. Other high-profile dissenters include Nobel laureate Dr. Hannes Alfvén, Professor Geoffrey Burbidge, Dr. Halton Arp, and the renowned British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, who is accredited with first coining the term "the Big Bang" during a BBC radio broadcast in 1950.
Any discussion of the Big Bang theory would be incomplete without asking the question, what about God? This is because cosmogony (the study of the origin of the universe) is an area where science and theology meet. Creation was a supernatural event. That is, it took place outside of the natural realm. This fact begs the question: is there anything else which exists outside of the natural realm? Specifically, is there a master Architect out there? We know that this universe had a beginning. Was God the ? First Cause? We won't attempt to answer that question in this short article. We just ask the question:
Does God exist? An answer to this fundamental question is a prerequisite for answering the other big questions of life: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Do we serve a purpose? Do we have any intrinsic value? What happens after we die? The question of the existence of God is fundamental.
Before we ask the question ;Does God exist? we first have to deal with our philosophical predispositions. If, for example, I am already dedicated to the philosophical idea that nothing can exist outside of the natural realm (i.e. there can be no supernatural God), no amount of evidence could convince me otherwise. Asking the question "does God exist?" would be pointless. My answer would be "No, He doesn't," regardless of whether God truly exists or not. The question would be impossible to answer from an evidentiary standpoint simply because anything which God might have done (that is, any supernatural act which might serve as evidence for His existence) would have to be explained away in terms of natural causes, not because we know what those natural causes could possibly be, but simply because a supernatural God is not allowed to exist!
Dr. Richard Lewontin, the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University, put it like this: "It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door (Richard Lewontin, "Billions and Billions of Demons, January 9, 1997, p. 28).
If, on the other hand, I were neutral, and didn't already have an "a priori adherence" to a particular worldview (be it naturalistic or otherwise), the question "does God really exist?" wouldn't be pointless at all. Rather, it would be the first step in an objective and meaningful search for ultimate truth. Our willingness to ask the question with an open mind is fundamental to our ability to discover the truth behind the answer. So first of all, before you even ask the question, decide whether or not you're really willing to accept the answer.
Does God Exist - Things to Consider
According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. What is a "singularity" and where does it come from? Well, to be honest, we don't know for sure. Singularities are zones which defy our current understanding of physics. They are thought to exist at the core of "black holes." Black holes are areas of intense gravitational pressure. The pressure is thought to be so intense that finite matter is actually squished into infinite density (a mathematical concept which truly boggles the mind). These zones of infinite density are called "singularities." Our universe is thought to have begun as an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense, something - a singularity. Where did it come from? We don't know. Why did it appear? We don't know.
After its initial appearance, it apparently inflated (the Big Bang), expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and very, very hot, to the size and temperature of our current universe. It continues to expand and cool to this day and we are inside of it: incredible creatures living on a unique planet, circling a beautiful star clustered together with several hundred billion other stars in a galaxy soaring through the cosmos, all of which is inside of an expanding universe that began as an infinitesimal singularity which appeared out of nowhere for reasons unknown. This is the Big Bang theory.
There are many misconceptions surrounding the Big Bang theory. For example, we tend to imagine a giant explosion. Experts however say that there was no explosion; there was (and continues to be) an expansion. Rather than imagining a balloon popping and releasing its contents, imagine a balloon expanding: an infinitesimally small balloon expanding to the size of our current universe.
Another misconception is that we tend to image the singularity as a little fireball appearing somewhere in space. According to the many experts however, space didn't exist prior to the Big Bang. Back in the late '60s and early '70s, when men first walked upon the moon, "three British astrophysicists, Steven Hawking, George Ellis, and Roger Penrose turned their attention to the Theory of Relativity and its implications regarding our notions of time. In 1968 and 1970, they published papers in which they extended Einstein's Theory of General Relativity to include measurements of time and space. According to their calculations, time and space had a finite beginning that corresponded to the origin of matter and energy. The singularity didn't appear space; rather, space began inside of the singularity. Prior to the singularity, existed, not space, time, matter, or energy - nothing. So where and in what did the singularity appear if not in space? We don't know. We don't know where it came from, why it's here, or even where it is. All we really know is that we are inside of it and at one time it didn't exist and neither did we.
What are the major evidences which support the Big Bang theory?
First of all, we are reasonably certain that the universe had a beginning.
Second, galaxies appear to be moving away from us at speeds proportional to their distance. This is called Hubble's Law, named after Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) who discovered this phenomenon in 1929. This observation supports the expansion of the universe and suggests that the universe was once compacted.
Third, if the universe was initially very, very hot as the Big Bang suggests, we should be able to find some remnant of this heat. In 1965, Radioastronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered a 2.725 degree Kelvin (-454.765 degree Fahrenheit, -270.425 degree Celsius) Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) which pervades the observable universe. This is thought to be the remnant which scientists were looking for. Penzias and Wilson shared in the 1978 Nobel Prize for Physics for their discovery. Finally, the abundance of the "light elements" Hydrogen and Helium found in the observable universe are thought to support the Big Bang model of origins.
Is the standard Big Bang theory the only model consistent with these evidences? No, it's just the most popular one. Internationally renown Astrophysicist George F. R. Ellis explains: "People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations….For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations….You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that
In 2003, Physicist Robert Gentry proposed an attractive alternative to the standard theory, an alternative which also accounts for the evidences listed above. Dr. Gentry claims that the standard Big Bang model is founded upon a faulty paradigm (the Friedmann-lemaitre expanding-spacetime paradigm) which he claims is inconsistent with the empirical data. He chooses instead to base his model on Einstein's static-spacetime paradigm which he claims is the "genuine cosmic Rosetta." Gentry has published several papers outlining what he considers to be serious flaws in the standard Big Bang model. Other high-profile dissenters include Nobel laureate Dr. Hannes Alfvén, Professor Geoffrey Burbidge, Dr. Halton Arp, and the renowned British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, who is accredited with first coining the term "the Big Bang" during a BBC radio broadcast in 1950.
Any discussion of the Big Bang theory would be incomplete without asking the question, what about God? This is because cosmogony (the study of the origin of the universe) is an area where science and theology meet. Creation was a supernatural event. That is, it took place outside of the natural realm. This fact begs the question: is there anything else which exists outside of the natural realm? Specifically, is there a master Architect out there? We know that this universe had a beginning. Was God the ? First Cause? We won't attempt to answer that question in this short article. We just ask the question:
Does God exist? An answer to this fundamental question is a prerequisite for answering the other big questions of life: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Do we serve a purpose? Do we have any intrinsic value? What happens after we die? The question of the existence of God is fundamental.
Before we ask the question ;Does God exist? we first have to deal with our philosophical predispositions. If, for example, I am already dedicated to the philosophical idea that nothing can exist outside of the natural realm (i.e. there can be no supernatural God), no amount of evidence could convince me otherwise. Asking the question "does God exist?" would be pointless. My answer would be "No, He doesn't," regardless of whether God truly exists or not. The question would be impossible to answer from an evidentiary standpoint simply because anything which God might have done (that is, any supernatural act which might serve as evidence for His existence) would have to be explained away in terms of natural causes, not because we know what those natural causes could possibly be, but simply because a supernatural God is not allowed to exist!
Dr. Richard Lewontin, the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology at Harvard University, put it like this: "It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door (Richard Lewontin, "Billions and Billions of Demons, January 9, 1997, p. 28).
If, on the other hand, I were neutral, and didn't already have an "a priori adherence" to a particular worldview (be it naturalistic or otherwise), the question "does God really exist?" wouldn't be pointless at all. Rather, it would be the first step in an objective and meaningful search for ultimate truth. Our willingness to ask the question with an open mind is fundamental to our ability to discover the truth behind the answer. So first of all, before you even ask the question, decide whether or not you're really willing to accept the answer.
Does God Exist - Things to Consider
10 Unsolved Mystery
1. Shroud of Turin
The shroud of Turin is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who had apparently died of crucifixion. Most Catholics consider it to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. It is currently held in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. Despite many scientific investigations, no one has yet been able to explain how the image has been imprinted on the shroud and despite many attempts, no one has managed to replicate it. Radiocarbon tests date it to the middle ages, however apologists for the shroud believe it is incorrupt - and carbon dating can only date things which decay.
Prior to the middle ages, reports of the shroud exist as the Image of Edessa - reliably reported since at least the 4th century. In addition, another cloth (the Sudarium) known even from biblical times (John 20:7) exists which is said to have covered Christ’s head in the tomb. A 1999 study by Mark Guscin, a member of the multidisciplinary investigation team of the Spanish Center for Sindonology, investigated the relationship between the two cloths. Based on history, forensic pathology, blood chemistry (the Sudarium also is reported to have type AB blood stains), and stain patterns, he concluded that the two cloths covered the same head at two distinct, but close moments of time. Avinoam Danin (a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) concurred with this analysis, adding that the pollen grains in the Sudarium match those of the shroud.
2. Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste was launched in Nova Scotia in 1860. Her original name was “Amazon”. She was 103 ft overall displacing 280 tons and listed as a half-brig. Over the next 10 years she was involved in several accidents at sea and passed through a number of owners. Eventually she turned up at a New York salvage auction where she was purchased for $3,000. After extensive repairs she was put under American registry and renamed “Mary Celeste”.
The new captain of Mary Celeste was Benjamin Briggs, 37, a master with three previous commands. On November 7, 1872 the ship departed New York with Captain Briggs, his wife, young daughter and a crew of eight. The ship was loaded with 1700 barrels of raw American alcohol bound for Genoa, Italy. The captain, his family and crew were never seen again. The ship was found floating in the middle of the Strait of Gibraltar. There were no signs of struggle on board and all documents except the captain’s log were missing.
In early 1873, it was reported that two lifeboats grounded in Spain, one with a body and an American flag, the other containing five bodies. It has been alleged that these could have been the remains of the crew of the Mary Celeste. However, the bodies were apparently never identified.
3. The Taos Hum
The ‘Taos Hum’ is a low-pitched sound heard in numerous places worldwide, especially in the USA, UK, and northern europe. It is usually heard only in quiet environments, and is often described as sounding like a distant diesel engine. Since it has proven indetectable by microphones or VLF antennae, its source and nature is still a mystery.
In 1997 Congress directed scientists and observers from some of the most prestigious research institutes in the nation to look into a strange low frequency noise heard by residents in and around the small town of Taos, New Mexico. For years those who had heard the noise, often described by them as a “hum”, had been looking for answers. To this day no one knows the cause of the hum.
4. Black Dahlia
In 1947 the body of 22 year old Elizabeth Short was found in two pieces in a parking lot in Los Angeles. According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Short received the nickname “Black Dahlia” at a Long Beach drugstore in the summer of 1946, as a play on the then-current movie The Blue Dahlia. However, Los Angeles County district attorney investigators’ reports state the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering the murder. In either case, Short was not generally known as the “Black Dahlia” during her lifetime.
Many rumours and tales have spread about the Black Dahlia, and the investigation (one of the largest in LA history) never found the killer.
5. The Count of St. Germain
The Count of St. Germain (allegedly died February 27, 1784) was a courtier, adventurer, inventor, amateur scientist, violinist, amateur composer, and a mysterious gentleman; he also displayed some skills with the practice of alchemy. He was known as ‘Der Wundermann’ — ‘The Wonderman’. He was a man whose origin was unknown and who disappeared without leaving a trace.
Since his death, various occult organizations have adopted him as a model figure or even as a powerful deity. In recent years several people have claimed to be the Count of St. Germain. (Note that St Germain was never regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church - the “st.” before his name refers to his alleged home).
6. The Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich Manuscript is a medieval document written in an unknown script and in an unknown language. For over one hundred years people have tried to break the code to not avail. The overall impression given by the surviving leaves of the manuscript suggests that it was meant to serve as a pharmacopoeia or to address topics in medieval or early modern medicine. However, the puzzling details of illustrations have fueled many theories about the book’s origins, the contents of its text, and the purpose for which it was intended.
The document contains illustrations that suggest the book is in six parts: Herbal, Astronomical, Biological, Cosmological, Pharmaceutical, and recipes.
7. Jack The Ripper
In the later half of 1888, London was terrorrised by a series of murders in the east end (largely in the Whitechapel area). The name Jack the Ripper was taken from a letter sent to a newspaper at the time by someone claiming to be the killer. The victims were typically prostitutes who had their throats cut and bodies mutilated. In some cases the bodies were discovered just minutes after the ripper had left the scene.
The police at the time had many suspects but could never find sufficient evidence to convict anyone. In modern times there has even been some speculation that Prince Albert Victor was the murderer. Even with modern police methods, no further light has been shed on the murders in recent times. To this day no one knows who the ripper was.
8. The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda triangle is an area of water in the North Atlantic Ocean in which a large number of planes and boats have gone missing in mysterious circumstances. Over the years many explanations have been put forward for the disappearances, including bad weather, alien abductions, time warps, and suspension of the laws of physics.
Although substantial documentation exists to show that many of the reports have been exaggerated, there is still no explanation for the unusually large number of disappearances in the area.
9. The Zodiac Killer
The Zodiac killer was active in Northern California for ten months in the late 1960s. He killed at least five people, and injured two. He comitted the first two murders with a pistol, just inside the Benecia border. In his second shooting in Vallejo, he attempted to kill two people, but one survived despite gunshots to the head and neck. 40 minutes later the police recieved an anonymous phone call from a man claiming to be their killer and admitting to the murders of the previous two victims. One month three letters were sent to Newspapers in California containing a cypher that the killer claimed would give them his name. They cypher was decrypted to read:
“I LIKE KILLING PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH FUN IT IS MORE FUN THAN KILLING WILD GAME IN THE FORREST BECAUSE MAN IS THE MOST DANGEROUE ANAMAL OF ALL TO KILL SOMETHING GIVES ME THE MOST THRILLING EXPERENCE IT IS EVEN BETTER THAN GETTING YOUR ROCKS OFF WITH A GIRL THE BEST PART OF IT IS THAE WHEN I DIE I WILL BE REBORN IN PARADICE AND THEI HAVE KILLED WILL BECOME MY SLAVES I WILL NOT GIVE YOU MY NAME BECAUSE YOU WILL TRY TO SLOI DOWN OR ATOP MY COLLECTIOG OF SLAVES FOR MY AFTERLIFE EBEORIETEMETHHPITI” The last eighteen letters have not been decrypted.
While Arthur Leigh Allen was the prime suspect, all of the evidence was against him being the killer. To this day the Zodiac murders have not been solved.
10. Babushka Woman
During the analysis of the film footage of the assasination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, a mysterious woman was spotted. She was wearing a brown overcoat and a scarf on her head (the scarf is the reason for her name as she wore it in a similar style to Russian grandmothers - also called babushkas). The woman appeared to be holding something in front of her face which is believed to be a camera. She appears in many photos of the scene. Even after the shooting when most people had fled the area, she remained in place and continued to film. Shortly after she is seen moving away to the East up Elm Street. The FBI publically requested that the woman come forward and give them the footage she shot but she never did.
In 1970 a woman called Beverly Oliver came forward and claimed to be the Babushka Woman, though her story contains many inconsistencies. She is generally regarded as a fraud. To this day, no one knows who the Babushka Woman is or what she was doing there. More unusual is her refusal to come forward to offer her evidence.
锦瑟 李商隐
"不识识庐山真面目,只缘身在此山中"，看风景如此，其实爱情何尝不是如此呢.身陷爱情中的男女,对当时自己的情感、爱人的情感往往是患得患失，分辩不清 的。很多美好的姻缘，也常常因此而错过了。只有当情感逝去之后，回首往事，才能体会到当初那份情的真挚与可贵。但是，心是明白了，人却不可能再回到从前 了。"此情可待成追忆，只是当时已惘然"，这哪里是平心静气之语，从这话中，透露出了多少的伤感、无奈、懊悔和梦萦魂牵呀。
锦瑟 李商隐
锦瑟无端五十弦，
一弦一柱思华年。
庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶，
望帝春心托杜鹃。
沧海月明珠有泪，
蓝田日暖玉生烟。
此情可待成追忆，
只是当时已惘然。
【注释】：
古瑟有弦五十条。柱，调整弦的音调高低的支柱；思读去声，因律诗不得一连出现三个平声。蓝田：在今陕西省蓝田县东南，古代著名的美玉产地。
【简析】：
本诗属于一首晚年回忆之作，虽然有些朦胧，却历来为人传诵。
诗 的首联由幽怨悲凉的锦瑟起兴，点明"思华年"的主旨。无端，无缘无故，没有来由。五十弦，《 史记・封禅书 》载古瑟五十弦，后虽一般为二十五弦，但仍有其制。诗的一、二两句是说：绘有花纹的美丽如锦的瑟有五十根弦，我也快到五十岁了，一弦一柱都唤起了我对逝水 流年的追忆。
诗的颔联与颈联是全诗的核心。在颔联中，庄周梦蝶的故事见《庄子・齐物论》："昔者庄周梦为蝴蝶，栩栩然蝴蝶也。……俄 而觉，则蘧蘧然周也。不知周之梦为蝴蝶欤，蝴蝶之梦为周欤 ？"诗句中的"晓梦"，指天将亮时做的梦。" 迷蝴蝶"，指对自己与蝴蝶之间的关系迷茫。面对群雄逐鹿，变化剧烈的战国社会，庄周产生了人生虚幻无常的思想，而李商隐则是有感于晚唐国势衰微，政局动 乱，命运如浮萍而用此典故的。用此典故，还包含着他对爱情与生命消逝的伤感。他似乎已预感到自己将不久于人世了，要把深深的痛苦与怨愤倾泄出来 。望帝的传说见《 寰宇记》说 ：" 蜀王杜宇，号望帝，后因禅位，自亡去，化为子规 。"子规即杜鹃。诗人笔下美丽而凄凉的杜鹃已升华为诗人悲苦的心灵。深沉的悲伤，只能托之于暮春时节杜鹃的悲啼，这是何等的凄凉。
颈 联紧接颔联，《 新唐书・狄仁杰传》载："(狄仁杰 )举明经，调汴州参军，为吏诬诉黜陟。使阎立本召讯，异其才，谢曰：'仲尼称观过知仁，君可谓沧海遗珠矣。'"《三国志・吴志・诸葛恪传》："恪少有才 名，孙权谓其父瑾曰：'蓝田生玉，真不虚也。'""珠"、"玉 "乃诗人自喻，不仅喻才能，更喻德行和理想。诗人借这两个形象，体现自己禀具卓越的才德，却不为世用的悲哀。诗的尾联，采用反问递进句式加强语气，结束全 诗。"此情 "总揽所抒之情，" 成追忆"则与"思华年"呼应。可待即岂待，说明这令人惆怅伤感的"此情"，早已迷惘难遣，此时当更令人难以承受。
这首诗在艺术上极富个性 ，运用了典故、比兴、象征手法，诗中蝴蝶、杜鹃是象征，珠、玉属比兴，它们创造出明朗清丽、幽婉哀怆的艺术意境。
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这首《锦瑟》，是李商隐的代表作，爱诗的无不乐道喜吟，堪称最享盛名；然而它又是最不易讲解的一篇难诗。自宋元以来，揣测纷纷，莫衷一是。
诗 题"锦瑟"，是用了起句的头二个字。旧说中，原有认为这是咏物诗的，但近来注解家似乎都主张：这首诗与瑟事无关，实是一篇借瑟以隐题的"无题"之作。我以 为，它确是不同于一般的咏物体，可也并非只是单纯"截取首二字"以发端比兴而与字面毫无交涉的无题诗。它所写的情事分明是与瑟相关的。
起 联两句，从来的注家也多有误会，以为据此可以判明此篇作时，诗人已"行年五十"，或"年近五十"，故尔云云。其实不然。"无端"，犹言"没来由地"、"平 白无故地"。此诗人之痴语也。锦瑟本来就有那么多弦，这并无"不是"或"过错"；诗人却硬来埋怨它：锦瑟呀，你干什么要有这么多条弦？瑟，到底原有多少条 弦，到李商隐时代又实有多少条弦，其实都不必"考证"，诗人不过借以遣词见意而已。据记载，古瑟五十弦，所以玉溪写瑟，常用"五十"之数，如"雨打湘灵五 十弦"，"因令五十丝，中道分宫徵"，都可证明，此在诗人原无特殊用意。
"一弦一柱思华年"，关键在于"华年"二字。一弦一柱犹言一 音一节。瑟具弦五十，音节最为繁富可知，其繁音促节，常令听者难以为怀。诗人绝没有让人去死抠"数字"的意思。他是说：聆锦瑟之繁弦，思华年之往事；音繁 而绪乱，怅惘以难言。所设五十弦，正为"制造气氛"，以见往事之千重，情肠之九曲。要想欣赏玉溪此诗，先宜领会斯旨，正不可胶柱而鼓瑟。宋词人贺铸说： "锦瑟华年谁与度？"（《青玉案》）元诗人元好问说："佳人锦瑟怨华年！"
（《论诗三十首》）华年，正今语所谓美丽的青春。玉溪此诗最要紧的"主眼"端在华年盛景，所以"行年五十"这才追忆"四十九年"之说，实在不过是一种迂见罢了。
起联用意既明，且看他下文如何承接。
颔 联的上句，用了《庄子》的一则寓言典故，说的是庄周梦见自己身化为蝶，栩栩然而飞……浑忘自家是"庄周"其人了；后来梦醒，自家仍然是庄周，不知蝴蝶已经 何往。玉溪此句是写：佳人锦瑟，一曲繁弦，惊醒了诗人的梦景，不复成寐。迷含迷失、离去、不至等义。试看他在《秋日晚思》中说："枕寒庄蝶去"，去即离、 逝，亦即他所谓迷者是。晓梦蝴蝶，虽出庄生，但一经玉溪运用，已经不止是一个"栩栩然"的问题了，这里面隐约包涵着美好的情境，却又是虚缈的梦境。本联下 句中的望帝，是传说中周朝末年蜀地的君主，名叫杜宇。后来禅位退隐，不幸国亡身死，死后魂化为鸟，暮春啼苦，至于口中流血，其声哀怨凄悲，动人心腑，名为 杜鹃。杜宇啼春，这与锦瑟又有什么关联呢？原来，锦瑟繁弦，哀音怨曲，引起诗人无限的悲感，难言的冤愤，如闻杜鹃之凄音，送春归去。一个"托"字，不但写 了杜宇之托春心于杜鹃，也写了佳人之托春心于锦瑟，手挥目送之间，花落水流之趣，诗人妙笔奇情，于此已然达到一个高潮。
看来，玉溪的"春心托杜鹃"，以冤禽托写恨怀，而"佳人锦瑟怨华年"提出一个"怨"字，正是恰得其真实。玉溪之题咏锦瑟，非同一般闲情琐绪，其中自有一段奇情深恨在。
律 诗一过颔联，"起""承"之后，已到"转"笔之时，笔到此间，大抵前面文情已然达到小小一顿之处，似结非结，含意待申。在此下面，点笔落墨，好象重新再 "起"似的。其笔势或如奇峰突起，或如藕断丝连，或者推笔宕开，或者明缓暗紧……手法可以不尽相同，而神理脉络，是有转折而又始终贯注的。当此之际，玉溪 就写出了"沧海月明珠有泪"这一名句来。
珠生于蚌，蚌在于海，每当月明宵静，蚌则向月张开，以养其珠，珠得月华，始极光莹……。这是 美好的民间传统之说。月本天上明珠，珠似水中明月；泪以珠喻，自古为然，鲛人泣泪，颗颗成珠，亦是海中的奇情异景。如此，皎月落于沧海之间，明珠浴于泪波 之界，月也，珠也，泪也，三耶一耶？一化三耶？三即一耶？在诗人笔下，已然形成一个难以分辨的妙境。我们读唐人诗，一笔而有如此丰富的内涵、奇丽的联想 的，舍玉溪生实不多觏。
那么，海月、泪珠和锦瑟是否也有什么关联可以寻味呢？钱起的咏瑟名句不是早就说"二十五弦弹夜月，不胜清怨却飞来"吗？所以，瑟宜月夜，清怨尤深。如此，沧海月明之境，与瑟之关联，不是可以窥探的吗？
对 于诗人玉溪来说，沧海月明这个境界，尤有特殊的深厚感情。有一次，他因病中未能躬与河东公的"乐营置酒"之会，就写出了"只将沧海月，高压赤城霞"的句 子。如此看来，他对此境，一方面于其高旷皓净十分爱赏，一方面于其凄寒孤寂又十分感伤：一种复杂的难言的怅惘之怀，溢于言表。
晚唐诗 人司空图，引过比他早的戴叔伦的一段话："诗家美景，如蓝田日暖，良玉生烟，可望而不可置于眉睫之前也。"这里用来比喻的八个字，简直和此诗颈联下句的七 个字一模一样，足见此一比喻，另有根源，可惜后来古籍失传，竟难重觅出处。今天解此句的，别无参考，引戴语作解说，是否贴切，亦难断言。晋代文学家陆机在 他的《文赋》里有一联名句："石韫玉而山辉，水怀珠而川媚。"蓝田，山名，在今陕西蓝田东南，是有名的产玉之地。此山为日光煦照，蕴藏其中的玉气（古人认 为宝物都有一种一般目力所不能见的光气），冉冉上腾，但美玉的精气远察如在，近观却无，所以可望而不可置诸眉睫之下，―这代表了一种异常美好的理想景色， 然而它是不能把握和无法亲近的。玉溪此处，正是在"韫玉山辉，怀珠川媚"的启示和联想下，用蓝田日暖给上句沧海月明作出了对仗，造成了异样鲜明强烈的对 比。而就字面讲，蓝田对沧海，也是非常工整的，因为沧字本义是青色。玉溪在词藻上的考究，也可以看出他的才华和工力。
颈联两句所表现的，是阴阳冷暖、美玉明珠，境界虽殊，而怅恨则一。诗人对于这一高洁的感情，是爱慕的、执着的，然而又是不敢亵渎、哀思叹惋的。
尾 联拢束全篇，明白提出"此情"二字，与开端的"华年"相为呼应，笔势未尝闪遁。诗句是说：如此情怀，岂待今朝回忆始感无穷怅恨，即在当时早已是令人不胜惘 惘了―话是说的"岂待回忆"，意思正在：那么今朝追忆，其为怅恨，又当如何！诗人用两句话表出了几层曲折，而几层曲折又只是为了说明那种怅惘的苦痛心情。 诗之所以为诗者在于此，玉溪诗之所以为玉溪诗者，尤在于此。
玉溪一生经历，有难言之痛，至苦之情，郁结中怀，发为诗句，幽伤要眇，往 复低徊，感染于人者至深。他的一首送别诗中说："瘐信生多感，杨朱死有情；弦危中妇瑟，甲冷想夫筝！……"则筝瑟为曲，常系乎生死哀怨之深情苦意，可想而 知。循此以求，我觉得如谓锦瑟之诗中有生离死别之恨，恐怕也不能说是全出臆断。
Mexico, A Strange Country
Mexico is a strange country that contains many secrets. On March 4 1519 Hernan Cortes, with 11 ships, 600 foot soldiers, 16 horses and some artillery landed on the coast near what was to become Vera Cruz. By August 13 1521 he had conquered the Aztec Empire, the most powerful state in all of the Americas. Part of the reason for his success was a case of mistaken identities, the Indians believing that he was a god named Quetzalcoatl whose return had long been prophesied.
The Spanish for their part were both fascinated and appalled by what they found in this 'New World'. To them the indigenous religion, which included human sacrifice on a grand scale, was both barbarous and satanic.
Accordingly they set about destroying it without trace. Whole libraries of colorful bark-books were burnt and those natives who did not die from disease, hunger and over-work were forcibly converted to Catholicism.
Fortunately not all the Spanish were as unsympathetic towards the Indians as Cortes. A few, such a friar named Bernadino Sahagun, made friends with the natives and attempted to record for posterity their traditional beliefs and ideas.
He discovered that central to their philosophy was a belief in the cyclical nature of time and an awesome fear that one day, possibly sooner rather than later, their world would come to an end. It seems that they believed that the sun, which they nourished with their sacrifices, would one day no longer send its life force, there by bringing to an end the fifth and last age of man. They counted the days according to two calendars, one a "vague" year of 365 days and the other a shorter cycle of 260 days.
Every day had two names, one according to each calendar so that the same combination of names would not recur for 52 years. When one of these 52 year time periods, known as an Aztec century, came to an end they would leave their cities and, going up into the surrounding hills, anxiously watch the stars. The sign they were looking for was the Pleiades star-group, symbolising for them a cosmic snake's rattle, crossing the southern meridian at midnight. This, they believed, meant that the heavens had not stopped turning and the sun would rise again. The Aztecs celebrated the birth of this new 'century' with rejoicing and the lighting of fires, symbolising the rebirth of the world.
Most native Meso-American documents were destroyed in the early years of the Spanish occupation but a few priceless books and relics did survive the destruction, either having been hidden by the Indians or exported back to Europe as presents for the King. The most important of these was what is now called the Dresden Codex, named after the town in
whose library it was lodged. This strange book, inscribed with unknown hieroglyphs, was written by Maya Indians who once ruled over much of Central America, the ruins of their once grand civilization littering the jungle. In 1880 a brilliant, German scholar, who was working as a librarian in Dresden, turned his attention to this codex. By a process of extraordinary detective work he cracked the code of the Mayan calendar making it possible for other scholars and explorers to translate the many dated inscriptions to be found on buildings, stelae and other ancient Mayan artifacts. He discovered that the Dresden Codex itself was concerned with astronomy providing detailed tables of lunar eclipses and other phenomenon.
These were so accurate that they put our own calendar to shame. He also found evidence for a curious "magic number"- 1,366,560 days, which could be factorized in a number of ways and which harmonized the cycles of Venus and Mars with two "yearly" cycles also used by the Maya: the sacred tzolkin of 260 days and the Haab of 365 days. However, he also found that they had another system of counting the days relative to a starting date, called the Birth of Venus and now known to be 13 August 3114 BC. This calendar was divided into "months" or uinals of twenty days, "years" or tuns of 360 days and longer periods of 7200 days, the katun and 144,000 days, the baktun. The number 13 was magically important to them and they believed that, starting from the Birth of Venus, after 13 of these longest periods, or baktuns, the world would come to an end. Working from their start date this Mayan Prophecy points to a date in our own time, 22 December 2012.
In 1986 Maurice Cotterell put forward a revolutionary theory concerning astrology and sun cycles. He had for some years suspected that the sun's variable magnetic field had consequences for life on earth. The sun has a complex field which loops and twists itself into knots. It has long been suspected that these loops give rise to sunspots, which are dark blemishes on the sun's skin. The number, size and location of sunspots are constantly changing and as a former Radio Officer, Cotterell was well aware that they have profound effects upon the earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere. Whilst working as Head of Electrical and Communications Engineering (Estates) at Cranfield Institute of Technology, he devised a program that would compute the relationship between the sun's magnetic field and the Earth.
As expected his model predicted that there should be a sunspot cycle of roughly eleven and a half years, closely corresponding to what has been observed over several centuries. However, he also found graphic evidence for longer cycles including a period of 1,366,040 days. His work took a new turn when he read about the Mayan super number from the Dresden Codex: 1,366,560 days. This was exactly two 260 day cycles larger than his theoretical sunspot period. He therefore proposed that the two were related. As his earlier work on what he called Astrogenetics indicated that human fertility was dependent on the presence of sunspots, he now had evidence that the Mayan calendar was not
arbitrary but was based on a knowledge of the effects of sunspots. This explained the near obsession they had for long cycles of time and their belief in the rise and fall of four previous ages of man.
Travelling in Mexico, Cotterell extended his ideas and gave them a public airing on television. After giving a lecture at the Voluntary Cultural society, he was awarded a medal by the wife of the President. By now his work included some very esoteric investigations into the 'Lid of Palenque', a mysterious sarcophagus cover made famous in the 1960s by Eric von Däniken, who believed it showed the picture of an ancient astronaut. Cotterell now identified the lid as a graphic representation of Mayan philosophy and as containing many hidden messages and codes.
In 1994 he met up with Adrian Gilbert, who had recently co-authored a book on the Egyptian pyramids called The Orion Mystery. Gilbert too went to Mexico and was fascinated to discover the extent to which the ancient Mexicans venerated the rattlesnake. He discovered some curious cultural similarities between the early Maya and the ancient Egyptians, even though their civilizations are separated by millennia. Whereas the Egyptians studied the movements of the Hyades, Orion and its companion star Sirius, the Maya were more interested in the nearby Pleiades star-cluster. They viewed it as the warning rattle of a great cosmic serpent, which seems to have corresponded to the ecliptic. The head of this serpent was the sun and they believed that it was the source of all life on earth.
The Maya, like the Aztecs, believed there had been four ages prior to our own. Gilbert was able to relate the first of these to Atlantis and investigated certain prophecies relating to this fabled civilization. It seems that the serpent religion, which the early Spanish conquistadors attempted to eradicate, may well owe its origins to survivors of this lost race, some of whom went to Egypt and some to Central America. The original Quetzalcoatl, whose name means 'plumed serpent' and who was identified with the planet Venus, probably lived at the start of the fourth age, around 3114 BC and initiated a highly ethical religion of penance. This later degenerated into human sacrifice: physical hearts instead of emotions being offered to the sun. Other prophets of the same name lived later and Cortes was mistaken for his reincarnation. The Mayan calendar points to 22 December 2012 as being the end of our present age. Changes around that time to the sun's magnetic field could have consequences for us all. Perhaps we are already witnessing the beginnings of this change with the desertification of more and more land. This seems to have happened in a more localized way at the time of another sun spot minim a, leading to the collapse of the Mayan civilization.
Their ruined, jungle cities are a warning to us all.
Source : Yahoo! News
Misteri angka : informasi menarik mengenai angka
Misteri angka
Tahukah kamu ada beberapa fakta menarik dari angka yang biasa kita gunakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Ini beberapa di antaranya:
FAKTA 1
Tahukan kamu fakta menarik dari angka: 142 857
ketika anda kalikan angka tersebut dengan angka 1 s.d 6 hasilnya angka2 di dalam
bilangan tersebut hanya berubah tempat aja.(tapi semua digit angkanya sama)
142 857 * 1 = 142 857
142 857 * 2 = 285 714
142 857 * 3 = 428 571
142 857 * 4 = 571 428
142 857 * 5 = 714 285
142 857 * 6 = 857 142
dan ketika anda kalikan dengan "7" maka hasilnya adalah 999 999.
juga, 142 + 857 = 999,
14 + 28 + 57 = 99.
dan: 142 857 pangkat dua = 20408122449.
20408+122449 = 142 857.
FAKTA 2
11.111.111 x 111.111.111 = 12.345.678.987.654.321
FAKTA 3
Perkalian angka 37 dengan angka kelipatan 3
3 x 37 = 111
6 x 37 = 222
9 x 37 = 333
12 x 37 = 444
15 x 37 = 555
18 x 37 = 666
21 x 37 = 777
24 x 37 = 888
27 x 37 = 999
FAKTA 4
Trapeze #1:
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
Trapeze #2:
1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321
Trapeze #3:
0 x 9 + 8 = 8
9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888
987654321 x 9 - 1 = 8888888888
9876543210 x 9 - 2 = 88888888888
FAKTA 5
123456789 x 0.9 = 11111111
123456789 x 1.8 = 22222222
123456789 x 2.7 = 33333333
123456789 x 3.6 = 44444444
123456789 x 4.5 = 55555555
123456789 x 5.4 = 66666666
123456789 x 6.3 = 77777777
123456789 x 7.2 = 88888888
123456789 x 8.1 = 99999999
Abraham Lincoln's Dopplegaenger..
Carl Sandburg's biography of Abraham Lincoln contains the following:
A queer dream or illusion had haunted Lincoln at times through the winter. On the evening of his election he had thrown himself on one of the haircloth sofas at home, just after the first telegrams of November 6 had told him he was elected President, and looking into a bureau mirror across the room he saw himself full length, but with two faces.
It bothered him; he got up; the illusion vanished; but when he lay down again there in the glass again were two faces, one paler than the other. He got up again, mixed in the election excitement, forgot about it; but it came back, and haunted him. He told his wife about it; she worried too.
A few days later he tried it once more and the illusion of the two faces again registered to his eyes. But that was the last; the ghost since then wouldn't come back, he told his wife, who said it was a sign he would be elected to a second term, and the death pallor of one face meant he wouldn't live through his second term.
Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years.Harcourt, Brace and Co., New York, 1926. Volume 2, Chapter 165, pp.423-4)
This is adapted from Washington in Lincoln's Time (1895) by Noah Brooks, who claimed that he had heard it from Lincoln himself on 9 November 1864, at the time of his re-election, and that he had printed an account directly after. He also claimed that the story was confirmed by Mary Todd Lincoln, and partially confirmed by Private Secretary John Hay (who thought it dated from Lincoln's nomination, not his election). Brooks's version is as follows (in Lincoln's own words):
It was just after my election in 1860, when the news had been coming in thick and fast all day and there had been a great hurrah, boys, so that I was well tired out, and went home to rest, throwing myself down on a lounge in my chamber. Opposite where I lay was a bureau with a swinging glass upon it (and here he got up and placed furniture to illustrate the position), and looking in that glass I saw myself reflected nearly at full length; but my face, I noticed had two separate and distinct images, the tip of the nose of one being about three inches from the tip of the other. I was a little bothered, perhaps startled, and got up and looked in the glass, but the illusion vanished. On lying down again, I saw it a second time, plainer, if possible, than before; and then I noticed that one of the faces was a little paler say five shades than the other. I got up, and the thing melted away, and I went off, and in the excitement of the hour forgot all about it nearly, but not quite, for the thing would once in a while come up, and give me a little pang as if something uncomfortable had happened. When I went home again that night I told my wife about it, and a few days afterward I made the experiment again, when (with a laugh), sure enough! the thing came back again; but I never succeeded in bringing the ghost back after that, though I once tried very industriously to show it to my wife, who was somewhat worried about it. She thought it was a "sign" that I was to be elected to a second term of office, and that the paleness of one of the faces was an omen that I should not see life through the last term.
Lincoln was known to be superstitious, and old mirrors will occasionally produce double images; whether this Janus illusion can be counted as a doppelglangnger is perhaps debatable, though probably no more than other such claims of doppelglangngers.
A queer dream or illusion had haunted Lincoln at times through the winter. On the evening of his election he had thrown himself on one of the haircloth sofas at home, just after the first telegrams of November 6 had told him he was elected President, and looking into a bureau mirror across the room he saw himself full length, but with two faces.
It bothered him; he got up; the illusion vanished; but when he lay down again there in the glass again were two faces, one paler than the other. He got up again, mixed in the election excitement, forgot about it; but it came back, and haunted him. He told his wife about it; she worried too.
A few days later he tried it once more and the illusion of the two faces again registered to his eyes. But that was the last; the ghost since then wouldn't come back, he told his wife, who said it was a sign he would be elected to a second term, and the death pallor of one face meant he wouldn't live through his second term.
Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years.Harcourt, Brace and Co., New York, 1926. Volume 2, Chapter 165, pp.423-4)
This is adapted from Washington in Lincoln's Time (1895) by Noah Brooks, who claimed that he had heard it from Lincoln himself on 9 November 1864, at the time of his re-election, and that he had printed an account directly after. He also claimed that the story was confirmed by Mary Todd Lincoln, and partially confirmed by Private Secretary John Hay (who thought it dated from Lincoln's nomination, not his election). Brooks's version is as follows (in Lincoln's own words):
It was just after my election in 1860, when the news had been coming in thick and fast all day and there had been a great hurrah, boys, so that I was well tired out, and went home to rest, throwing myself down on a lounge in my chamber. Opposite where I lay was a bureau with a swinging glass upon it (and here he got up and placed furniture to illustrate the position), and looking in that glass I saw myself reflected nearly at full length; but my face, I noticed had two separate and distinct images, the tip of the nose of one being about three inches from the tip of the other. I was a little bothered, perhaps startled, and got up and looked in the glass, but the illusion vanished. On lying down again, I saw it a second time, plainer, if possible, than before; and then I noticed that one of the faces was a little paler say five shades than the other. I got up, and the thing melted away, and I went off, and in the excitement of the hour forgot all about it nearly, but not quite, for the thing would once in a while come up, and give me a little pang as if something uncomfortable had happened. When I went home again that night I told my wife about it, and a few days afterward I made the experiment again, when (with a laugh), sure enough! the thing came back again; but I never succeeded in bringing the ghost back after that, though I once tried very industriously to show it to my wife, who was somewhat worried about it. She thought it was a "sign" that I was to be elected to a second term of office, and that the paleness of one of the faces was an omen that I should not see life through the last term.
Lincoln was known to be superstitious, and old mirrors will occasionally produce double images; whether this Janus illusion can be counted as a doppelglangnger is perhaps debatable, though probably no more than other such claims of doppelglangngers.
Doppelgaenger
Doppelgaenger adalah kata yang berasal dari bahasa Jerman, yaitu doppel (ganda) dan Gaenger (pejalan).
Doppelgaenger bukanlah suatu bayangan. Mereka biasanya terlihat oleh orang itu sendiri, karena Doppelgaenger merupakan sebuah pantulan. Doppelgaenger orang tersebut akan memberi nasihat seputar masa depan orang yang melihatnya. Biasanya, orang yang melihat Doppelgaenger akan mati beberapa tahun setelah ia didatangi oleh Doppelgaenger.
Doppelgaenger pernah dialami oleh beberapa orang penting, diantaranya Abraham Lincoln dan John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Mereka pun meninggal dunia setelah melihat Doppelgaenger beberapa tahun terakhir.
Doppelganger adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk menggambarkan sosok hantu yang sangat mirip dengan seseorang, akan tetapi sering digambarkan sebagai sosok kembaran jahatnya. Doppelganger atau biasa ditulis sebagai doppelgaenger, berasal dari bahasa jerman dari kata doppel (ganda) dan gaenger (pejalan). Doppelganger biasanya terlihat oleh orang itu sendri dalam wujud nyata dan bukan refleksi. Para doppelganger biasanya memberikan nasihat atau saran seputar dengannya. Jika seseorang melihat atau didatangi oleh doppelganger nya sendiri, biasanya orang itu akan mati dalam waktu dekat.
Refleksi jadi ciri utama untuk membedakan manusia asli dengan doppelganger, dimana si kembaran palsu biasanya digambarkan tidak memiliki pantulan dicermin atau air. Para doppelganger biasanya memberikan saran atau nasihat pada orang yang ditirunya tapi berupa arahan yang sesat. Mereka juga bisa menciptakan ide dan menyalurkan pada korban atau kerabat orang yang ditiru dengan tujuan untuk membuat mereka binggung. Dalam beberapa kasus, orang yang melihat kembaran mistisnya sendiri (meski sekali saja) maka ia akan terus dihantui oleh sosok tersebut. Kejadian melihat doppelganger juga biasa diartikan sebagai pertanda buruk. Jika yang melihat doppleganger adalah kerabat atau teman maka itu merupakan pertanda bahwa orang yang ditirunya akan menderita sakit atau terancam bahaya. Jika orang melihat doppelganger -nya sendiri, itu adalah pertanda bahwa ia akan mati dalam waktu dekat. Pasalnya, doppelganger dikenal sering membawa halburuk dan berkomunikasi dengan mereka merupakan tindakan nekat!
Pada bulan september 2006 dilaporkan bahwa Shanar Arzy dan beberapa rekannya dari University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, telah menemukan penyebab fanomena Doppelgänger dengan jalan menstimulasi otak pasien dengan gelombang elektromagnetik, Ia mengaplikasikan stimulasi elektris pada bagian cabang otak temporoparietal seblah kiri kepada seorang pasien wanita yang diminta untuk berbaring. Si pasien merasakan kehadiran orang lain di exrapersonal space. tidak seperti penderita epilepsi yang memang banyak dirawat di tempat tersebutm pasien wanita tersebut betul-betul sehat. Kembarannya itu digambarkan si pasien memiliki tampilan lebih muda , tidak jelas laki-laki atau perempuan, tidak bergerak , dengan postur tubuh mirip dengan dirinya. Orang itu berada tepat di belakangnya, bahkan hampir menyentuh dirinya !! Stimulasi elektris kedua diaplikasikan dengan tingkat intensitas yang lebih tinggi dimana posisi pasien tetap berbaring dengan tangan diikat. Kali ini pasien marasakan kehadiran seorang pria yang memegang tangannya erat-erat!! terakhir, dalam posisi duduk, stimulasi elektris kembali dilakukan si pasien diminta untuk menyelesaikan serangkaian tes bahasa dengan satu set kartu. Si pasien merasakan kehadiran orang lain yang duduk di belakangnya dan meminta dirinya untuk tidak membaca !!
meyimpulkan bahwa ketika bagian cabang temporoparietal terganggu maka sensasi kehadiran orang lain yang serupa dengan si penderita akan muncul. Ia memaparkan bahwa fenomena Doppelgänger dapat dipicu oleh kelainan mental seperti Shizophrenia, yang berkelanjutan dengan paranoia dan delusi. Singkatnya fenomema Doppelgängers ,umgkin disebabkan oleh adanya gangguan pada cabang temporoparietal sebelah kiri.
Doppelgaenger bukanlah suatu bayangan. Mereka biasanya terlihat oleh orang itu sendiri, karena Doppelgaenger merupakan sebuah pantulan. Doppelgaenger orang tersebut akan memberi nasihat seputar masa depan orang yang melihatnya. Biasanya, orang yang melihat Doppelgaenger akan mati beberapa tahun setelah ia didatangi oleh Doppelgaenger.
Doppelgaenger pernah dialami oleh beberapa orang penting, diantaranya Abraham Lincoln dan John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Mereka pun meninggal dunia setelah melihat Doppelgaenger beberapa tahun terakhir.
Doppelganger adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk menggambarkan sosok hantu yang sangat mirip dengan seseorang, akan tetapi sering digambarkan sebagai sosok kembaran jahatnya. Doppelganger atau biasa ditulis sebagai doppelgaenger, berasal dari bahasa jerman dari kata doppel (ganda) dan gaenger (pejalan). Doppelganger biasanya terlihat oleh orang itu sendri dalam wujud nyata dan bukan refleksi. Para doppelganger biasanya memberikan nasihat atau saran seputar dengannya. Jika seseorang melihat atau didatangi oleh doppelganger nya sendiri, biasanya orang itu akan mati dalam waktu dekat.
Refleksi jadi ciri utama untuk membedakan manusia asli dengan doppelganger, dimana si kembaran palsu biasanya digambarkan tidak memiliki pantulan dicermin atau air. Para doppelganger biasanya memberikan saran atau nasihat pada orang yang ditirunya tapi berupa arahan yang sesat. Mereka juga bisa menciptakan ide dan menyalurkan pada korban atau kerabat orang yang ditiru dengan tujuan untuk membuat mereka binggung. Dalam beberapa kasus, orang yang melihat kembaran mistisnya sendiri (meski sekali saja) maka ia akan terus dihantui oleh sosok tersebut. Kejadian melihat doppelganger juga biasa diartikan sebagai pertanda buruk. Jika yang melihat doppleganger adalah kerabat atau teman maka itu merupakan pertanda bahwa orang yang ditirunya akan menderita sakit atau terancam bahaya. Jika orang melihat doppelganger -nya sendiri, itu adalah pertanda bahwa ia akan mati dalam waktu dekat. Pasalnya, doppelganger dikenal sering membawa halburuk dan berkomunikasi dengan mereka merupakan tindakan nekat!
Pada bulan september 2006 dilaporkan bahwa Shanar Arzy dan beberapa rekannya dari University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, telah menemukan penyebab fanomena Doppelgänger dengan jalan menstimulasi otak pasien dengan gelombang elektromagnetik, Ia mengaplikasikan stimulasi elektris pada bagian cabang otak temporoparietal seblah kiri kepada seorang pasien wanita yang diminta untuk berbaring. Si pasien merasakan kehadiran orang lain di exrapersonal space. tidak seperti penderita epilepsi yang memang banyak dirawat di tempat tersebutm pasien wanita tersebut betul-betul sehat. Kembarannya itu digambarkan si pasien memiliki tampilan lebih muda , tidak jelas laki-laki atau perempuan, tidak bergerak , dengan postur tubuh mirip dengan dirinya. Orang itu berada tepat di belakangnya, bahkan hampir menyentuh dirinya !! Stimulasi elektris kedua diaplikasikan dengan tingkat intensitas yang lebih tinggi dimana posisi pasien tetap berbaring dengan tangan diikat. Kali ini pasien marasakan kehadiran seorang pria yang memegang tangannya erat-erat!! terakhir, dalam posisi duduk, stimulasi elektris kembali dilakukan si pasien diminta untuk menyelesaikan serangkaian tes bahasa dengan satu set kartu. Si pasien merasakan kehadiran orang lain yang duduk di belakangnya dan meminta dirinya untuk tidak membaca !!
meyimpulkan bahwa ketika bagian cabang temporoparietal terganggu maka sensasi kehadiran orang lain yang serupa dengan si penderita akan muncul. Ia memaparkan bahwa fenomena Doppelgänger dapat dipicu oleh kelainan mental seperti Shizophrenia, yang berkelanjutan dengan paranoia dan delusi. Singkatnya fenomema Doppelgängers ,umgkin disebabkan oleh adanya gangguan pada cabang temporoparietal sebelah kiri.
The Beatles
Grup lawas asal kota liverpool the beatles, hingga kini masih meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam bagi para pecinta musik. Mulai dari musiknya yang inovatif pada jamannya hingga ke gaya hidup para personilnya yang tak luput dari perhatian dunia. Dibentuk di Liverpool tahun 1959 the beatles terdiri dari Paul McCartney (Vocal & Gitar/Bass), John Lennon (Vocal & Gitar), george Harrison (Gitar), Stuart Sutcliffe (Bass) yang kemudian hijrah ke jerman dan meninggal pada tahun 1962 dan Pete Best (Drum) yang kemudian hengkang pada tahun 1962 dan digantikan posisinya oleh Richard Starkey / Ringo Star (Drum), kebanyakan lagu mereka ditulis oleh Lennon dan McCartney.
Dalam perjalanannya di kancah musik dunia the beatles adalah salah satu grup musik rock paling awal sekaligus paling berpengaruh di era modern. Lahir di era perang dingin sedikit banyak mempengaruhi tema musik Grup The Beatles yang acap kali mengusung nuansa cinta dalam setiap lagunya. Dalam era tersebut pula Rock and roll sedang panas2nya dikalangan anak muda, yang membuat lagu-lagu the beatles cukup mudah untuk disukai dan cepat mendapat penggemar yang luas. Popularitas mereka sedemikian tingginya di Britania Raya sehingga di tahun 1963 pers menelurkan istilah “Beatlemania”. Mereka juga kemudian meraih sukses di Amerika Serikat dan seluruh dunia.
Lagu-lagu The beatles yang sering mengusung Tema cinta tak urung menimbulkan kontroversi. Yang hingga kini masih di perdebatkan adalah perihal pesan2 misterius yang di sisipkan dalam lagu-lagu the beatles dalam era tahun 1966 keatas. Konon pada tahun tersebut, personil The Beatles Paul McCartney dikatakan Meninggal Dunia dalam sebuah kecelakaan mobil.
Isu ini dimulai pada tahun 1969. Cetakan pertama perihal isu ini dimuat dalam koran Kampus DRAKE UNIVERSITY, The Times-Delphic pada tanggal 17 september 1969. Dan isu ini mulai populer ketika seseorang menelepon Russ Gibb, seorang DJ di sebuah radio di Detroit, Amerika Serikat, penelpon ini menyatakan bahwa, “Paul McCartney meninggal!” dan ia pun meminta untuk memain kan Revolution Number 9 secara terbalik, dan gibb menyadari bahwa ia mendengar “turn me on, dead man”. Gibb lalu memproduser acara radio berdurasi 1 jam yang mebahas hal tersebut dengan judul “The Beatle Plot”, acara tersebut disiarkan WKNR-FM pada akhir tahun1969, dan terus berlanjut di tahun2 setelahnya. Semenjak isu tersebut merebak banyak bukti mulai bermunculan perihal kebenarannya. konon dalam beberapa lagu The Beatles disisipkan pesan2 yang hanya dapat didengarkan dengan memutar lagu tersebut secara terbalik. Dalam salahsatu lagu yang diputar terbalik tersebut akan terdengar kalimat yang menyebutkan “paul is dead, miss him, miss him” atau “we buried paul” atau sekedar “paul is really dead”. Dan tak hanya itu, konon banyak bukti yang disimpulkan penggemar pada saat itu yang diambil dari cover album The Beatles. Walaupun sampai sekarang belum benar2 terbukti dengan pasti, topik ini menjadi bahan pergunjingan para penggemarnya. Yang jelas, bukti2 yang ditunjukkan cukup membuat merinding.
Anda penasaran? Silahkan kunjungi situs www.youtube.com kata kunci: Paul is Dead disana terdapat kumpulan video dokumentasi perihal isu pesan misteri lagu the beatles dan kematian Paul McCartney dan unduh videonya melalui www.keepvid.com , atau unduh beberapa lagu the beatles sekarang dan coba putar beberapa lagu ini terbalik:
1. A Day In A Life
2. Revolution Number 9
3. She’s Leaving Home
4. Lady Madonna
5. I Am The Walrus
Jika anda beruntung, anda akan menemukan pesan miterius perihal kebenaran kematian Paul McCartney, selamat mengunduh dan merinding!
Gambar diatas adalah cover album the beatles yang berjudul Abbey Road. Album ini direkam pada 1966 dan diluncurkan tahun1969 dan menjadi salah satu album terbaik the beatles. Tapi juga menjadi kisah misteri tentang salah satu personilnya yang konon meninggal dunia.
Kisah misteri ini dimulai saat sebuah stasiun radio mendapatkan telepon dari seorang yang mengaku bernama “tom”. Dia mengatakan bahwa Paul Mccartney sudah meninggal dunia dan meminta untuk memutarkan lagu revolution no 9 secara terbalik.
Setelah diputar! Stasiun radio mengaku mendengar sebuah kalimat seperti “turn me on, dead man“.
Tak lama berselang muncul rumor yang mengatakan bahwa petunjuk kematian Paul McCartney ada di cover album abbey road. Pakaian yang digunakan masing-masing personil the beatles di cover itu adalah petunjuk tentang kisah misteri ini.
Lihat Gambar Diatas! Supaya nggak bingung dengan tulisan bintang di bawah ini :
Dimulai dari John Lennon yang berpakaian serba putih, menandakan dia sebagai “Tuhan”. Ringo Star yang memakai jas hitam rapi dan sepatu mengkilap, seakan dia sedang menjadi “Pendeta”. Lalu Paul McCartney berpakaian jas (tidak rapi) namun tidak bersepatu hitam, seperti orang yang akan dikubur “Orang Mati”. Personil terakhir the beatles adalah Goerge yang hanya berpakaian jeans dan baju tidak resmi, seperti seorang “Penggali kubur”.
Ditambah! jika kamu melihat secara seksama cover album the beatles diatas. Kamu akan melihat ada sebuah mobil dibelakang yang lurus dengan arah Paul McCartney. Yang menjadi rumor inilah cara kematiannya.
Lalu di sebelah kanan terdapat mobil hitam, dalam kebudayaan inggris ini mobil jenazah. Di sebelah kiri ada mobil berwarna putih bernomor plat 28, angka yang sama dengan usia Paul McCartney saat itu.
Dan bisa ditebak ini menjadi rumor dan gosip HOT di seluruh dunia pada waktu itu. Walau begitu akhirnya kisah cover album the beatles ini hanya menjadi hoax. Seperti kita tahu Paul McCartney masih hidup, bahkan ketika bintang menulis kisah misteri ini.
Sir Paul McCartney, KBE (lahir di Liverpool, Inggris, 18 Juni 1942; umur 67 tahun) merupakan penyanyi berkebangsaan Inggris. Ia terkenal sebagai salah satu personil The Beatles. Bersama John Lennon di dekade 1960an, ia membentuk partnership pencipta lagu paling sukses. Ia masih aktif bermusik dan sebagai musikus hingga kini, pendapatannya adalah salah satu yang tertinggi di Inggris. Setelah The Beatles bubar, McCartney bersama istrinya, Linda McCartney membentuk grup musik Wings yang cukup sukses di media tahun 1970an. Setelah Wings bubar, ia bersolo karir hingga sekarang.
Pada Guinness Book of Records, McCartney tercatat sebagai musisi dan pencipta lagu tersukses sepanjang masa dengan 60 platinum dan penjualan singel 100 juta. Lagu 'Yesterday' yang ditulisnya pada tahun 1964 menjadi lagu yang paling sering dinyanyikan kembali dan diputar di radio Amerika Serikat.
McCartney juga aktif dalam kegiatan pembelaan hak hewan dan vegetarianisme, terutama dalam PETA, bersama istri dan anak-anaknya. Ia juga menulis, seperti dalam buku kumpulan puisi dan liriknya 'Blackbird Singing', dan juga seorang pelukis.
James Paul McCartney lahir di Walton General Hospital di Liverpool, Inggris, tanggal 18 Juni 1942. Ibunya, Mary, bekerja sebagai perawat di rumah sakit tersebut. McCartney memiliki seorang adik laki-laki, Michael, yang lahir pada tanggal 7 Januari 1944. McCartney dibaptis dalam agama Katolik Roma, namun dibesarkan tanpa pengaruh kental agama tersebut, karena ibunya seorang Katolik Roma dan ayahnya, James 'Jim' McCartney, adalah seorang Protestan yang kemudian menjadi agnostik. McCartney memiliki keturunan Irlandia.
Di tahun 1947, ketika McCartney berusia lima tahun, ia masuk ke Stockton Wood Road Primary School, kemudian Joseph Williams Junior School, dan kemudian lulus ujian di tahun 1953. Ia adalah salah satu dari empat orang yang lulus ujian tersebut, dengan 90 orang pendaftar, yang kemudian menempatkan dia di Liverpool Institute, institut yang cukup bergengsi di Liverpool.Ia bertemu dengan George Harrison pada bus menuju ke Institut, karena Harrison tinggal di dekatnya.
Di tahun 1955, keluarga McCartney pindah ke Forthlin Road nomor 20 di Allerton, yang kini dimiliki oleh National Trust. Mary McCartney wafat di tahun 1956, ketika McCartney masih berusia 14 tahun. Peristiwa ini yang kemudian membuat McCartney 'terhubung' atau 'merasa dekat' dengan John Lennon, yang ibunya wafat ketika Lennon berusia 17 tahun.
Ayah McCartney adalah seorang peniup terompet dan juga pianis, yang memimpin 'Jim Mac's Jazz Band' di tahun 1920an, dan mendidik kedua anaknya dengan musik. Jim memiliki piano di rumahnya, dan kakek McCartney, Joe, bermain tuba. Jim pernah membelikan putranya terompet, namun ketika musik skiffle populer di Liverpool, McCartney menukarnya dengan gitar akustik Zenith..
McCartney menemukan bahwa ia kidal ketika ia terus kesulitan bermain dengan tangan kanan. McCartney menulis lagunya yang pertama 'I Lost My Little Girl' dengan gitar Zenithnya, dan menggunakan gitar ayahnya saat menulis lagu-lagu pertamanya dengan John Lennon. Ia kemudian bermain piano dan menulis 'When I'm Sixty-Four', yang kemudian menjadi salah satu lagu The Beatles di album ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ yang terkenal. Ayahnya menyarankan untuk mengambil pelajaran musik, yang dituruti oleh McCartney. Namun McCartney kemudian menyadari bahwa ia lebih mampu belajar 'dengan telinga' dan tidak pernah memperhatikan kelas musiknya.
1957-1960 : The Quarrymen & The Silver Beetles
McCartney bertemu John Lennon untuk pertama kalinya saat ia melihat Lennon dan bandnya Quarrymen tampil di Woolton, di tanggal 6 Juli 1957. Mereka pun mulai bersahabat, dan Lennon menerima McCartney dalam Quarrymen. Pada awal persahabatan mereka, bibi Lennon, Mimi Smith, tidak menyukai McCartney karena ia berasal dari kelas pekerja. Sementara, ayah McCartney berkata pada putranya bahwa Lennon akan 'membawanya pada masalah' walaupun pada akhirnya Jim McCartney mengizinkan Quarrymen berlatih di kamar depan rumahnya.
McCartney membentuk suatu partnership yang akrab dengan Lennon, dan mereka berkolaborasi dalam banyak lagu. Ia meyakinkan Lennon untuk mengizinkan Harrison bergabung dengan Quarrymen. Harrison pun bergabung sebagai lead guitarist, diikuti oleh teman Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe di bass, yang tidak disetujui McCartney karena Sutcliffe tidak memiliki kemampuan bermusik yang baik. Hingga bulan mei tahun 1960, mereka telah mencoba beberapa nama, termasuk The Silver Beetles. Band itu menjadi The Beatles saat mereka tampil di Hamburg, di tahun 1960.
Quarrymen berganti nama beberapa kali, hingga bernama 'The Beatles', nama yang konon ditemukan oleh Lennon. Allan Williams, manajer mereka saat itu, memperoleh kontrak dengan sebuah klab di Hamburg untuk band yang saat itu beranggotakan John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, dan Pete Best (drummer). Ayah McCartney ragu untuk mengizinkan McCartney yang masih remaja, hingga ia mengatakan bahwa ia akan memperoleh 2 pounds dan 10 shillings per hari. Penghasilan ini lebih dari penghasilan Jim, hingga akhirnya sang ayah mengizinkan McCartney pergi ke Hamburg.
Di Hamburg, The Beatles tampil setiap malam di klab malam yang kotor, dan tinggal bagai pengamen di penginapan kecil di dekatnya. Namun kemudian mereka dideportasi dari Hamburg, karena George Harrison masih di bawah umur untuk bekerja di sana.
Sekembalinya ke Liverpool, mereka tampil di Cavern Club. Di klab inilah The Beatles menjadi sangat terkenal di Liverpool, setiap show mereka selalu ramai dan panjang antriannya. McCartney mulai menulis lagu bersama dengan Lennon. Namun tak lama kemudian, di paruh akhir tahun 1961, The Beatles kembali ke Hamburg dan merekam 'My Bonnie' bersama Tony Sheridan. Stuart Sutcliffe memilih untuk tetap di Hamburg bersama pacarnya, Astrid Kircherr, ketika The Beatles akan pulang ke Liverpool. Maka McCartney mengambil alih bass. Beberapa bulan kemudian, Sutcliffe wafat di Hamburg karena gangguan otak.
The Beatles kembali tampil secara rutin di Cavern Club. Di klab ini, pada bulan November 1961, untuk pertama kalinya Brian Epstein menyaksikan penampilan band ini. Epstein adalah pemilik toko musik NEMS di Liverpool, yang mengenal The Beatles karena seorang pelanggannya menanyakan rekaman 'My Bonnie' yang direkam band ini bersama Tony Sheridan. Epstein terpesona melihat penampilan The Beatles, dan kemudian menjadi manajer band ini. Epstein menawarkan tape demo The Beatles ke studio-studio rekaman, dan berulang kali ditolak, seperti di Decca Records.
Akhirnya The Beatles diterima di Parlophone Records, label yang ada di bawah pengawasan EMI, dengan produsernya George Martin. Syarat yang diberikan Martin adalah mengganti drummer mereka, Best, yang dianggap kurang berkompeten. Best kemudian diganti oleh Ringo Starr (nama aslinya Richard Starkey), drummer asal Liverpool yang sebelumnay bergabung dengan Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. The Beatles meluncurkan singel 'Love Me Do' yang langsung mencapai nomor 17 di tangga lagu Inggris. Single mereka yang kedua, 'Please Please Me', menjadi single pertama mereka yang mencapai peringkat teratas di tangga lagu.
Kesuksesan ini terus berlanjut. Nyaris semua singel mereka mencapai peringkat teratas di tangga lagu Inggris, namun 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' di tahun 1964 adalah singel pertama yang berhasil menembus industri musik Amerika Serikat, sekaligus mengawali apa yang disebut sebagai 'British Invasion'. Sejak saat inilah musik The Beatles tersebar ke seluruh dunia, meraih sukses di mana-mana, terkenal di setiap penjuru. Konser mereka selalu dipadati fans yang sangat fanatik, yang mengejar-ngejar band ini ke mana pun mereka pergi. Teriakan fans membuat The Beatles bahkan tidak dapat mendengarkan suara mereka sendiri di atas panggung.
Lennon dan McCartney sendiri semakin mapan sebagai partnership penulis lagu yang amat sukses. Mereka berdua menciptakan mayoritas lagu-lagu The Beatles. Mereka biasanya membutuhkan satu atau dua jam untuk menulis sebuah lagu, dan biasanya mereka menulis di kamar hotel setelah konser, di Wimpole Street, Cavendish Avenue, atau di Kenwood (rumah John Lennon). McCartney juga menulis lagu untuk artis lain, seperti Billy J. Kramer, Cilla BLack, Badfinger, dan Mary Hopkin. Yang mungkin paling diingat publik adalah dua lagu hit yang ditulisnya untuk Peter & Gordon. Peter adalah saudara Jane Asher, pacar McCartney saat itu.
McCartney sering pergi ke klab-klab malam sendirian, menonton kabaret, makan dan berdansa hingga pukul 4. McCartney sering mendapat perlakuan istimewa ke manapun mereka berada, yang biasanya diterimanya dengan senang hati. Ia bahkan pernah menerima tawaran seorang polisi yang ingin memarkir mobil McCartney. McCartney kemudian sering mengunjungi klab judi setelah pukul 4, seperti 'The Curzon House' dan sering bertemu Brian Epstein di sana. Kemudian ia berpindah ke 'the Scotch of St. James' di 13 Masons Yard. Ia juga sering pergi ke klab 'The Bag O' Nails' di Kingly Street, di Soho, London, di mana ia bertemu Linda Eastman.
Di tahun 1966, akhirnya The Beatles memutuskan untuk berhenti mengadakan konser. Selain karena begitu ributnya penonton sehingga musik mereka menjadi tidak terdengar jelas, musik The Beatles juga telah menjadi amat berkembang sehingga tidak dapat dimainkan secara langsung dengan teknologi pertunjukan live di masa itu. McCartney menjadi beatle terakhir yang menyetujui usulan itu. Keputusan ini ditanggapi secara luas di dunia, yang menyangsikan kelanjutan band ini. Namun The Beatles menjawabnya dengan album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band di tahun 1967, yang hingga kini masih diakui banyak kalangan sebagai salah satu album terbaik sepanjang masa.
McCartney adalah beatle pertama yang ikut serta pada proyek musik di luar grup tersebut, ketika ia menulis lagu-lagu untuk film 'The Family Way' di tahun 1966. Soundtracknya kemudian dirilis sebagai album dan memenangkan Ivor Novello Award untuk 'Lagu Tema Instrumental Terbaik', mengungguli musisi jazz ternama Mike Turner. McCartney menulis lagu dan memproduksi artis-artis lain, seperti Mary Hopkin, Badfinger, dan the Bonzo Dog Band, dan di tahun 1966 ia diminta untuk menulis lagu untuk produksi National Theatre, As You Like It dari William Shakespeare, namun ia menolaknya.
Setelah kematian Epstein di tahun 1967, McCartney mengambil alih kepemimpinan band itu dari Lennon. McCartney lah yang menggagas album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, film Magical Mystery Tour, film animasi Yellow Submarine, dan juga konsep serta pemfilman album Let It Be.
McCartney kemudian berusaha untuk meyakinkan Lennon, Harrison dan Starr untuk kembali mengadakan konser, namun ketiga anggota lain tidak menyetujuinya. Walaupun Lennon telah meninggalkan grup itu di bulan September 1969, dan Harrison serta Starkey telah meninggalkan grup itu beberapa kali, McCartney adalah orang pertama yang mengumumkan pada publik bubarnya The Beatles di tanggal 10 April 1970 - seminggu sebelum merilis album solonya, McCartney. McCartney mengajukan tuntutan hukum di tanggal 31 Desember 1970, menuntut pembubaran partnership The Beatles secara legal oleh pengadilan.
垓下歌
垓1下歌 項羽
力拔山兮2氣蓋世3，時不利兮騅不逝4。騅不逝兮可奈何5，虞6兮虞兮奈若何7！
一 作者簡介
項羽（公元前232—202），名籍，字羽，下相（今江蘇省宿遷縣西）人，祖先是戰國時楚國的貴族。秦末群雄並起，項羽率兵起義，屢破秦軍。秦滅亡後，項羽自立為西楚霸王。他和另一支起義隊伍的領袖漢王劉邦爭天下。楚、漢兩軍相爭五年，最初漢軍屢為楚軍所敗，後來卻反敗為勝。最後一戰，楚軍被圍於垓下（今安徽省靈璧縣東南），兵少糧盡，楚軍瓦解，項羽逃至烏江（今安徽省和縣東北）自殺。
二 背景資料
這首詩是項羽被圍於垓下時所作的。當時項羽被漢軍重重包圍，夜中聽到四面傳來漢軍高唱楚歌的歌聲，驚異漢軍中楚人之多，疑心自己的根據地楚國已被漢軍佔領，於是披衣起來，坐在帳中飲酒，慷慨悲歌。項羽把這首歌自吟數遍，在他身邊的愛妾虞姬也跟他一起吟唱。在他身邊屈指可數的士卒，聽後泣不成聲。
項羽在突出重圍後，覺得無面目見江東父老，在烏江（今安徽省和縣東北）邊自刎。其實項羽至死仍沒有認識到他失敗的真正原因，最後還說：「今天被困在這裏，乃是上天要我滅亡，不是我用兵之過。」項羽的失敗並非偶然。他雖勇武過人，但缺乏遠見，又不善於用人，亦不能順應民心，終於陷入孤立，戰敗自殺。
三 注釋
1. 垓：粵[該]，
；漢
。
2. 兮：粵[奚]，
；漢[xī]。是楚國人的慣用語助詞，相當於「啊」，戰國時代屈原的作品，也是將兮字放在連句的轉折處的。所以本詩是用楚國人口吻，直抒胸臆的作品。朗讀此類篇章，在兮字處應略作停頓。
3. 氣蓋世：氣字此處解才能、功績。項羽自負他的才能、功績超越同一時代的人。
4. 騅不逝：戰局不得利，坐騎不能衝出重圍。
騅：粵[錐]，[dzœy1]；漢[zhuī]。毛色青白相雜的馬。這裏指跟隨項羽多年的戰馬。
逝：奔馳。
5. 可奈何：可以怎麼辦？
6. 虞：項羽的侍姬，姓虞，故稱為虞姬。
7. 奈若何：該為你作甚麼安排呢？
若：你。
四 賞析重點
這是一曲末路英雄的悲歌。項羽在八年的領兵生涯中，所向披靡，身經大小七十餘戰，未嘗敗北，尤其是與劉邦的爭霸天下，劉邦每戰皆敗，自己卻屢戰屢勝，但如今被圍在垓下，耳聞四面楚歌，面臨一敗塗地的局面，就連愛妾虞姬亦且不保，憤慨之情難以抑制，深深覺得命運弄人。
「力拔山兮氣蓋世」，項羽不僅自誇力氣大，足可以拔山，也自負有叱吒風雲，逐鹿中原的蓋世才幹，但這一切都已成為過去。「時不利兮騅不逝」，項羽不能檢討自己失敗的原因，事到臨頭，祇慨歎時運不濟，連自己心愛的烏騅馬也不能到處馳騁。烏騅馬不能再馳騁疆埸，其實也就意味
自己事業的終結。不但事業終結，就連自己身邊最親近的人也不能保護。「虞兮虞兮奈若何」，這是對愛姬最後絕望的呼喚，亦是自己痛苦的反問。據說虞姬聽罷這首歌，也立刻和唱了一首歌：「漢兵已略地，四方楚歌聲。大王意氣盡，賤妾何聊生。」歌罷即當場自殺。且不管這是真是假，但這悲淒場面，已成為後世很多小說戲曲的題材。
這首詩的首句，是項羽發自內心深處的仰天長嘯，追述自己一生的功業，詩意氣勢磅礡。接三句語氣一轉，感歎天時對他「不利」，「騅不逝」三字在兩句重複，反映了他無可奈何的沉重心情就追隨自己多年的駿馬及愛妾，也不再能馳騁疆埸和妥善照顧。「虞兮」二字重疊使用，充滿了傷感的情調。詩的每一句都以「兮」字加強語氣，增強詠嘆的色彩。這首詩充分表現了項羽陷入絕境的悲涼心境，使人強烈地感受到末路英雄的哀痛。
無論歷史對項羽的評價怎樣，從藝術的角度看，他在這首詩所表現出的英雄氣概、悲壯情懷，已足以感動後世無數的讀者。
【跟進活動】
1. 錄影帶欣賞：
《穿梭三千年：項羽》，光啟社製作；公共電視小組監製。台北：財團法人廣播電視事業發展基金，1989。
2. 閱讀：
《漫畫中國的歷史：v.2.項羽與劉邦之戰》，牛頓編譯中心編譯；王明蓀等審訂；蔡志忠監修。台北：牛頓出版股份有限公司，1989。
【想一想】
1. 你認為怎樣的行為或人物才配稱得上是英雄？
2. 在你心目中，從事哪些行業的人是比較有英雄氣概的？為甚麼？
3. 請舉出一則發生在香港的新聞，事件中的人物你認為可稱得上英雄。請簡單說明事件經過，並談談你的感受。
4. 你最喜歡哪個古代或現代的英雄？為什麼？
5. 劉邦屢敗屢戰，終底於成。項羽屢戰屢勝，卻一敗塗地，你贊成那一位做人做事的作風？如果你試過測驗或考試失敗，你認為是甚麼原因呢？
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