Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Were your ancestors stacked?

Anthony Peratt, a specialist in plasma phenomena, writes, “a shock pulse initiates a series of hydrodynamic instabilities that differ from the plasma column instabilities. In hydrodynamics, these are the Richtmeyer-Meshkov instabilities recorded by Budzinskii and Benjamin … Initially, a pulsed perturbation on a denser layer causes a rippling of the layer that rapidly develops into periodically spaced spike like features. These features, or 'spikes' then evolve … the shock impulse causes the generation of yet more instability spikes that themselves morph into yet more complex instability shapes.”

I know this doesn't sound very genealogical...but it all has something to do with whether or not your ancestors were stacked.

I was with the article up until the last paragraph, then I got lost.

update: With a little more time to do some research I have found some information on the theory behind the connection between mythology and plasma. It is certainly a fascinating concept, though I have no inkling how far in or out of the scientific mainstream it is. (Beyond the low number of Google hits for 'Auroral Pillar')

1 comment:

Terry Thornton said...

John, Thanks for the link to this super interesting article (and the photo there is outstanding!). I, too was enjoying the read until the end. The sentence near that last paragraph of greatest intrigue is

"A case is made that this class of traditions derives from observations of a so-called "auroral pillar" of unusual proportions, that may have been visible for a prolonged period of time – possibly decades or even a few centuries – as the earth experienced an excessive influx of charged particles from space." I've got to read more about "auroral pillar" and their appearance.

But that final paragraph left me with the ole Southern saying, "Do what?!!"

Thanks.
Terry Thornton