Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The God Helmet (I want one of these)

The term God Helmet refers to a controversial experimental apparatus in neurotheology. The apparatus, placed on the head of an experimental subject, stimulates the brain with magnetic fields. Some subjects reported experiences similar to spiritual experiences. The leading researcher in this area is Michael Persinger. Persinger uses a modified snowmobile helmet or a head-circlet device nicknamed the Octopus that contain solenoids which create a weak but complex magnetic field over the brain's right-hemisphere parietal and temporal lobes. Persinger reports that at least 80 percent of his participants experience a presence beside them in the room, which they variously say feels like God, or someone they knew who had died.

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Yoko Ono to Judge First-Ever Twitterku Contest

Micro-blogging phenomena Twitter is to host the first ever real-time haiku poetry competition, with judges Yoko Ono and British poet Jackie Kay deciding the best verses from various entries posted live on the digital billboard at London’s King’s Cross Station.

The competition, which started on Monday 18th May and will run until Friday 22nd May, invites commuters to tweet their three line haiku-style verses to Twitter, prefixing with @kingsplace for it to be picked up by the Kings Palace Twitter account.

The initiative has been introduced by Kings Place, a cultural and conference centre, with all the entries will be collected by Kings Place Twitter account.

Judges will select three haikus at the close of the competition, with winners receiving free entry for two to the "Words on Monday" weekly poetry event at Kings Place for the rest of the year.

Commenting upon this innovative form of competition, Jackie Kay said in a statement, “I liked the idea of doing something that combined an old form with a very new form. People could do a haiku on the way to work and it’s a good way to exercise the brain”.

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