The Beacon Of the Rational Now (as advertised in the New Scientist) has a countdown to the Winter Solstice of 2021 (Final Countdown) and another to the Spring Equinox 2013 (Quest).
All very informative, but what was the point of kicking it off this Winter Solstice (at 11:11) after so much advertising? Maybe there's one B.O.R.N. a minute. The timers are at least 12 hours fast by my reckoning. Is this significant?
Nice Emily Dickinson poem though.
A kind anonymous contributor points out that 2020-21 is the next Chinese Year of the Rat in keeping with the RATional theme. To be precise, since that is what we are doing, 24 January 2020 – 11 February 2021.
For some reason I am getting to like the Beacon of the Rational Now a lot. It cheers me up and that takes something these days.
Update: the creator seems to be photographer Megan Axelsson. The B.O.R.N. site has closed, well in advance of the Final Countdown. One hopes all is well.
The site originally linked to a pamphlet "Being or Nothingness" by Joe K. An investigation (with links to it at the foot) by Luke Muehlhauser.
There is also a discussion of Joe K in Lucid Dogs.
5 comments:
Checked New Scientist and all I could find for 'countdown' was stuff about Mars landings and retiring Concorde.
Great song though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw
If a final countdown does actually come to pass, sane people will be wandering about asking sensible things like "Is Robbie Williams playing at this gig?"
Feb 2021 ends the next chinese year of the rat
Has anyone noticed that its owned by some photographer called Megan Axelsson in Kansas who, from what i can tell, has no scientific contact or interest. So why advertise in New Scientist?
Thank you for pointing this out. As for why advertise, who can say?
Unlikely but there is the possibility that is in relation to the doomsday predictions of 21/12/2012, as this timer ends on the 21/12/21. I make it to be at 11:10 (GMT/UTC). I believe this was also the time that the world was meant to end on that day in 2012.
Why someone would take out an add in New Scientist to advertise this is beyond me...
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