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Simon's Blog - Hot news from the future!
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When you've run out of space in your brain, it's handy to be able to store thoughts somewhere else.

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Stone 16 Spiral
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 21:11 12/10/11 | Comments: 6
Since I originally posted this pic on Facebork (where it is nigh on impossible to search for things) I thought I'd better repost it here so I've got a chance of finding it back at a later date.

Photo was taken at 9.30am on 17th September 2011.

Numbers of days between solstices and equinoxes
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 23:48 20/09/11 | Comments: 1
I've been meaning to do this diagram for a while, showing why equinoxes aren't halfway between solstices. Finally got round to it.
Photons from a supernova
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 02:17 15/09/11 | Comments: 5
I thought "What the hell, let's give it a go", as I put my Lumix TZ-8 on a tripod and pointed it out of my back door in the general direction of new supernova PTF11kly in M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, 21 million light years away...
Round and round the Bulford Stone
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 19:29 29/08/11
Lying in a field about 2 miles from Stonehenge is the Bulford Stone aka the Torstone. Excavations in 2005 by the Riverside Project revealed the original site of this natural sarsen boulder a couple of metres away, the manmade stone hole in which it was once standing and an interesting burial within the 30m diameter ring ditch that surrounds it. (Facebook folks see "View original post" for more info and pics)
Time-symmetric QM again
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 22:12 23/08/11 | Comments: 4
"...And yet, as crazy as it sounds, this notion of reverse causality is gaining ground. A succession of quantum experiments confirm its predictions—showing, bafflingly, that measurements performed in the future can influence results that happened before those measurements were ever made."

From http://discovermagazine.com/2010/apr/01-back-from-the-future/article_view?searchterm=Tollaksen&b_start%3Aint=0

(Note for interested readers: the theory of time-symmetric QM first emerged in 1964)

Official Stonehenge Guidebook, 2nd Edition, 2011
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 17:59 07/08/11
The second edition of the official guidebook has been published recently, and a lot has changed since the first edition in 2005. I've gone through both editions to try and identify the significant changes and attached below are my eight pages of notes.

(Facebook people will need to click 'view original post' in FB to get to the attachment)

G+ to FB
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 08:49 12/07/11 | Comments: 4
Somewhere for me to put the script I wrote that uses G+ notification emails to post the same status update to FB.
ICUKNet to lead CIX into the sunlit uplands
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 22:39 07/06/11 | Comments: 17
Strike me purple and call me Frank.

It turns out that CIX looks like it might have some kind of future that doesn't simply conclude in the last two members simultaneously flouncing off in mutual annihilation.

A number of ex-CIXen have rejoined (confusingly, many under new nicknames) as a result of ICUKNet's buyout and expectation of a glorious new dawn has risen to unprecedented heights.

Total Lunar Eclipse June 15 2011 heads-up
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 22:20 19/05/11
By happy coincidence or rather, orbital mechanics, the full Moon on June 15th will not only be rising totally eclipsed (as seen from Stonehenge), but it will be rising at almost exactly the same spot on the horizon that the Winter Solstice Sun did in 2500BC.

(Facebook folks may need to click 'view original post' to read more)

Enviro'ment, surely?
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 19:12 10/04/11 | Comments: 1
This is a grocer's shop, after all.
Inappropriate sign
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 19:07 10/04/11 | Comments: 1
Just for fun.
Laser Scanning Stonehenge
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 16:37 22/02/11 | Comments: 8
For the next three weeks or so, a team of engineering surveyors will be laser scanning Stonehenge to create the highest resolution digital model of the monument and its landscape yet achieved.

(Facebook folks need to click the "View original post" link for more.)

Two for Bruce
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 13:57 27/01/11 | Comments: 4
OceanMaster and SewMaster
Timelapse of Partial Solar Eclipse Dawn at Stonehenge
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 19:16 04/01/11 | Comments: 2
Taken this morning (4th Jan 2011) at Stonehenge.
Arrangement for Winter Solstice 2010 at Stonehenge
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 11:57 26/11/10
Here's the info from EH for the Winter Solstice 2010 managed open access.

"2010 Winter Solstice

The celebration of the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge will take place at sunrise on Wednesday 22nd December 2010 (approximately 08:09 hrs)

English Heritage is pleased to be offering 'Managed Open Access' for those who wish to celebrate the Winter Solstice peacefully.

Visitors will be allowed into the Monument when it is considered sufficiently light to ensure safe access. Entry will be available from approximately 07:30 hrs until 09:00 hrs when visitors will be asked to vacate the site.

Access might not be possible if the ground conditions are poor or if it is felt that access might result in severe damage to the Monument.

Limited facilities are available at Stonehenge for the duration of the access although these facilities will not be available prior to access commencing (this includes the toilets). The cafe at Stonehenge will be open from 08:00 hrs"

I love LIDAR and PTM
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 19:03 04/10/10 | Comments: 6
Polynomial Texture Mapping combined with LIDAR data is a fabulous way to re-light landscapes and play "I can spot cool stuff" with :-)

For example, on Wessex Archaeology's website, Tom Goskar's blogged about using PTM with the LIDAR data of the Stonehenge World Heritage site. And it has a way cool Java applet you can have a go with.

Now, what I want to know is: Is that a new henge with an avenue aimed at the Winter Solstice sunrise I can see?

Solving Stonehenge Debate
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 23:18 02/10/10 | Comments: 18
Some interesting points arose from tonight's debate between Tim Darvill, Mike Parker Pearson, Mike Pitts and Julian Richards which was chaired by Andrew Lawson and hosted as part of Salisbury Museum's 150th Anniversary Conference.

I'll mention a few here, and if you want to hear the whole hour long thing I've a (poor quality) audio recording of it.

(Facebook folks click 'View original post' to continue)

Once every 19 years, there's an extra bit of balance in September.
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 12:39 09/09/10 | Comments: 3
This year, there's a Full Moon on the day of the Autumn Equinox.

Very pleasing symmetry.

(Facebook folks click 'View original post' for the pic.)

Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project first results
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 08:28 22/07/10 | Comments: 6
Well, that was quick - they've already discovered a new timber circle and henge about 900m NW of Stonehenge.

See this article and this one for some pics.

I reckon it's just visible on Google Earth immediately southwest of the Cursus Barrows, but I'll try to confirm the location if I get a chance to speak to the guys on site today.

Amenhotep III's DNA profile - whoops, who let the sacred cat out of the bag?
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 10:31 15/07/10
This is interesting - the DNA profiles of Amenhotep III and the 'mystery mummy' from Tomb KV55 (supposedly Akhenaten) have leaked via a documentary aired on the Discovery Channel about pharaohnic paternity.

What's been unintentionally revealed by the camera panning across the results is that the Y chromosome data is a 99.6% fit with the R1b haplogroup.

See this article for an explanation and a really excellent map :-)

(Facebooky folks hit "View original post" for a bit more)

Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes Project
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 09:37 08/07/10
I wandered over to chat to these guys the other day as they were working in the Cursus Barrows field, very interesting stuff - high res. ground penetrating radar that can be towed behind a quadbike at 20kph.

Can't wait to see the results!

http://www.newscentre.bham.ac.uk/press/2010/07/05Jul10Stonehenge.shtml

http://www.iaa.bham.ac.uk/news/news.shtml

http://www.decodingtheheavens.com/blog/post/2010/07/06/Circles-around-Stonehenge.aspx

Another one for Bruce
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 13:37 07/07/10 | Comments: 1
BadgeMaster

Not quite BdgeMaster, but close :-)

One for Bruce - laminator
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 07:45 20/06/10 | Comments: 1
Thought you might like this one :-)

PouchMaster

Stonehenge Visitor Centre project in doubt
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 22:06 17/06/10
The announcement today that the new Govt has withdrawn the funding promised by its predecessor is extremely disappointing.

I can't understand it - Stonehenge desperately needs to have the visitor experience improved, and the new visitor centre project was specifically designed to be extremely cost-effective while achieving that aim, especially when compared to previous attempts over the last many decades.

(Facebook folks, click 'view original post' for more)

Stonehenge Redated
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 11:31 10/06/10
Here's the latest summary of the thinking on when and in what order Stonehenge, West Amesbury Henge and Durrington Walls were constructed.

http://mikepitts.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/a-really-new-stage-in-stonehenge-history/

Mithras the Mediator
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 13:45 01/06/10 | Comments: 1
Extract from http://www.backyardprofessor.com/the_masonic_scholar/2010/05/is-freemasonry-just-reborn-paganism-and-hence-antichristian.html reads:

"Harold Bayley demonstrated that Mithras of the Mithraic Mysteries [pre-Christian religion by several centuries] was known as the Mediator between Light and Darkness"

(Facebookey folks, click 'view original post' for more)

Death of Microsoft predicted, news at 11...
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 10:00 01/06/10 | Comments: 1
In a stunning move, cementing its ultimate fate as the successor to the crown of 'purveyor of all things evil' and citing 'security concerns', Google has apparently decided to abandon the use of MS Windows on its internal desktop computers in favour of using Macs instead.

The FT has the story, such as it is.

In other news, Apple is now worth £154Bn - about the same as the UK's annual deficit. They should buy us.

iUK anyone?

Well, that seemed to go all right
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 12:48 25/05/10 | Comments: 6
Regular readers (if there are such) of my blog will know I'm slightly obsessed with Stonehenge :-)

Having recently been accepted on to the English Heritage Education Volunteer programme at the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, I've just had an interview to become a paid part-time employee in the Visitor Operations Team.

It's the first actual job interview I've had in something like 11 years (bidding for new work for Novacaster isn't the same by any stretch), and I think it went quite well - although I won't know until Friday if I've been successful or not.

(Facebook readers click 'View original post' for more)

Banging a bishop in the street
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 09:51 24/04/10
Irrespective of your political views, you've got to admit this is funny :-)

(Facebooky folks, to find the video you need to click the 'view original post' link)

Certain forms have arrived...
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 12:29 01/04/10 | Comments: 2
... and boy are they extensive.
New Garden Wall
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 11:54 16/03/10 | Comments: 2
The results of 4 days' work by the exceptional Andy May, bricklayer extraordinaire. (Facebookeyfolks need to 'view original post' for the pics)
Haradon Hill
Simon [Blogs::Simon] 12:47 03/03/10 | Comments: 9
I found the text of William Stukeley's book "Stonehenge - A Temple Restor'd to the British Druids" online along with images of the engravings from that work. Fascinating, and I have a new respect for Stukeley's attention to detail in his drawings of the landscape.

(Facebook-viewing folks, you'll need to click through and "view original post" for the rest)

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