Peoii’s Place

Seems as though one question that’s always coming to mind when people first start getting to talk to me is “What religion are you?” See, now that’s a tough question to answer… I’m… not really much of anything, but I’m the culmination of many different beliefs that are held throughout the world. Allow me to explain:

When given a multiple choice drop down box on so many community sites, I always pick out Agnostic. Funny thing is, not a lot of people actually understand what the hell this is. So here, to clear things up, is the dictionary.com definition:

ag·nos·tic Audio pronunciation of “agnostic” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (g-nstk)
n.

1. 1. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
   2. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.

adj.

1. Relating to or being an agnostic.
2. Doubtful or noncommittal: “Though I am agnostic on what terms to use, I have no doubt that human infants come with an enormous ‘acquisitiveness’ for discovering patterns” (William H. Calvin).

The definition in all of that which fits me best is n.1.1 or “One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.” Why? Because I’m of the firm belief that religion isn’t something people need proof of, it’s simply enough to believe in the power of it. Now whoa! Careful people, read that VERY clearly. I’m never going to be one to slander you for your beliefs, I only ask that you respect mine for being what they are. Each person believes in religion in their own way, and my way is unique unto me. Alrighty then, with the security warning out of the way, on to why I believe it needs no proof.

Religion isn’t as much about gathering facts about something, or something someone may or may not have done, but more about a set of guidelines by which we as “responsible humans” should conduct ourselves to live in a harmonious world. Will this ever truly happen? Nope. Sorry, there are far to many religions that hold drastically different beliefs about what is harmonious that we’ll never achieve total harmony. But we can come close… It’s amazing in my studies of religions how many times there are parallels from one religion to another, even across the globe in a time where communication at that level was impractical. (I’d almost go as far as impossible, but you never know, the human spirit is a mighty beast indeed.)

Anyway, so yea, I usually pick Agnostic. However, when the truth comes down to it, I’m really more a melting pot… Strange too, I was raised going to church every Sunday at a Roman Catholic School, I attended their Sunday Schools, and still and all I came out finding the narrow vision rather lacking. So here, for your browsing interest, is the list of the religions/beliefs which have had the largest impact on the way I am right now:

• Buddhism
• Druidism
• Taoist
• Wiccan

More information will follow in this new “Religion” topic here at Peoii.com, covering what bits of each religion and what significances it’s had on my life. But for now, I just kinda wanted to get that off my chest and let everyone know who’s been asking where I stand on that. I’m not usually one for talking about religion, as I feel it’s a very personal thing, but hey, people have asked, and I’m here to answer.

More later.

Anyone who’s ever seen the movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home will remember that fantastic scene in which James Doohan has that great interaction with a computer:

[faced with a 20th century computer]
Scotty: Computer. Computer?
[Bones hands him a mouse and he speaks into it]
Scotty: Hello, computer.
Dr. Nichols: Just use the keyboard.
Scotty: Keyboard. How quaint.

And what was he trying to do with that computer? Why lay out the design for Transparent Aluminum of course, something which in their time was a simple compound they created, yet in the time frame of the movie seemed light years ahead of itself. The audience watched in awe as this material was used to hold back a tank for whales, all the while dreaming of what could possibly come from such a discovery.

Well now it appears, Transparent Aluminum is becoming a reality, thanks in no small part to a group of engineers working for none other than the Air Force. As posted over on the Air Force Link:

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s materials and manufacturing directorate is testing aluminum oxynitride — ALONtm — as a replacement for the traditional multi-layered glass transparencies now used in existing ground and air armored vehicles.

So it’s aluminum, and it’s being used to replace glass transparencies. Yup, sounds like science fiction is becoming science fact! Talk about a leap in technology. And not only is it transparent, but it appears as though it’s VERY durable, as is stated later in the article:

Traditional transparent armor is thick layers of bonded glass. The new armor combines the transparent ALONtm piece as a strike plate, a middle section of glass and a polymer backing. Each layer is visibly thinner than the traditional layers.

ALONtm is virtually scratch resistant, offers substantial impact resistance, and provides better durability and protection against armor piercing threats, at roughly half the weight and half the thickness of traditional glass transparent armor, said the lieutenant.

In a June 2004 demonstration, an ALONtm test pieces held up to both a .30 caliber Russian M-44 sniper rifle and a .50 caliber Browning Sniper Rifle with armor piercing bullets. While the bullets pierced the glass samples, the armor withstood the impact with no penetration.

So give it about 10 years or so, and let them get the price point down (currently sitting at about 5 times more expensive than the traditional glass product), and we might actually see this being used in commercial applications. Can we say bullet proof windows in your standard home? What other applications could come from this miracle material? Leave your opinions, and lets see what we can come up with for this stuff.