10 Classic American Muscle Cars

Ah yes, Detroit muscle. American automobile ingenuity at its finest. I’m talking 1960s era Chevys, Fords, and Mopars, and I’m talking ones that go fast. Ok, I expect the typical Listverse flak about this list being “too American”, but cry me a river. If someone wants to do a European Sports Car list, more power to ya, but these machines are my idea of heaven on four wheels.

This is of course not a definitive list but before you comment, please note: you’ll find no pony-cars here, my friends. Maybe I’ll do a follow-up list of Camaros, Mustangs, etc. if this one is well received, but for this one I wanted to profile the more humble looking street machines. And sorry, I love ‘em, but in my world ‘vettes are “sports cars”, not muscle cars, so that marque is likewise omitted. And so without further ado, here are ten of my favorite muscle machines, right down to specific model-years that are of special appeal to collectors and enthusiasts. And yes, they are in no particular order (well maybe slight consideration) so don’t obsess about the ranking.

10. 1963 Impala Z11 427

Chevrolet’s famed 409 engine was immortalized in the 1962 Beach Boys song of the same name, and was the desire of many muscle car enthusiasts in the early 60’s. In ‘62 the hot set-up was to order the 409 in the lightweight “bubble-top” Bel Air 2-door hardtop. Well, kicking it up a notch in 1963, Chevrolet introduced the Z11 option package for its Impala line. The package included a modified 409 increased to 427 cid by way of a stroked crank, and had special heads, valves and a two-piece aluminum intake manifold sporting dual quads. Output was rated at 430 hp. The additional Z11 features were not limited to the engine compartment however, as the hood, fenders bumpers and other items were made of aluminum to lighten its overall curb weight. This was a RPO (regular production option) package supposedly available to the general public, but appears to have only been selectively sold to racers with the intent of furthering Chevrolet’s cause at the drag strip. No matter, the ‘63 Impala SS with a standard 425 hp 409 was plenty fast for the average joe, regularly turning sub-15’s in the quarter mile. Only 50 or so (qtys vary by source) Impala Z11s were sold in 1963, and there are 7 known to be still in existence today.

9. 1964 Ford Thunderbolt

Fomoco’s answer to keep pace with the lighter and faster Chevys and Mopars of the day was to cram its biggest motor, the big-block 427, into one of its smallest models, the mid-sized Fairlane 2-door coupe. Major front-end frame modifications were needed to accomplish this, as well as a large hood bulge necessary to accommodate the hi-rise manifold and twin fours, with air induction routed through dummy headlight openings in the grill. But nonetheless it was a factory-produced car available to anyone from their local dealership, listing at $3,750. Even so, it was purely designed for racing, with plexiglass windows, fiberglass body panels, and a spartan interior that lacked armrests, sun-visors, mirrors, sound-dampening insulation, and was radio- and heater-delete. Imagine those kinds of shortcuts in comfort and especially safety features being allowed in this day and age. Truth be told, the Thunderbolt was not really suitable for everyday use. Perhaps that’s why only 100 T-bolts were sold in 1964. But beware; these cars could pull down mid 11s in the quarter mile!

8. 1969 AMC SC/Rambler

It is easy to forget that muscle cars (and cars in general) in the U.S. weren’t limited to the “Big Three” automakers. In 1969 American Motors Corp. joined forces the well known parts company Hurst Performance and surprised everyone with the SC/Rambler (aka “Scrambler”). The SC stood for “stock-car”, but this was a race-ready production vehicle. Maintaining the typical small-car-big-engine strategy, AMC stuffed their 390 cid 315 hp V8 power-plant into its light-weight Rambler Rogue hardtop coupe. This car could hold court with many of the more popular machines of the day, as stock vehicles regularly turned low 14s at the strip. No options were available (except an AM radio), which kept the price below $3,000. All cars had plain grey vinyl interior with bench seats and red white and blue headrests, carpeting, and a Borg-Warner 4-speed with a Hurst shifter. But perhaps the car’s most striking feature was its bold paint scheme and a large, functional “Ram Air” induction hood scoop. The first 500 units all were a base white with a wide red side panel running the length of the car, and had a blue stripe running front to back across the top of the car. An arrow graphic pointed towards the scoop and lettering noted the engine size. Additionally striking were the blue two-toned mag wheels. When these cars quickly sold out, AMC released a second batch of 500, this time with “B” trim, which was mostly white with narrow red and blue side stripes. A third batch of 512 units was later released which are thought to have gone back to the “A” trim, though this is a source of controversy among enthusiasts, as vehicle VIN codes do not differentiate between the two paint schemes. What is known is that of the total 1,512 SC/Ramblers built, the majority of surviving examples today have the “A” trim. The SC/Rambler is perhaps one of the least remembered muscle cars from the era.

7. 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

Sleek “coke-bottle” body styling and a mean-looking black-out front grill with hidden headlights sets the Dodge Charger apart from the competition. The R/T (road/track) designation is what Dodge used to denote a car equally suited for street performance or drag racing. Heavy duty suspension provided superior handling (compared to the typical muscle car), and with a powerful 375 hp 440 Magnum V-8, this car ran the quarter-mile in just under 15 seconds, and listed for about $3,500. Not good enough? R/T Chargers with a Hemi under the hood (only 475 produced) would cost you an extra $600, but dropped that quarter time down to the mid 13s. A total of 96,100 Chargers were built in 1968, with 17,000 of them having the R/T designation. Fans of the 1968 movie Bullit might recall that Steve McQueen’s nemisis drove an awesome black 440 Magnum R/T Charger in perhaps one of the best chase scenes ever put on film. You can watch it here.

6. 1969 Ford Fairlane/Torino Cobra

Officially, these are known simply as Cobras, according to period Ford advertising and sales brochures, and more importantly, the dealer winder-sticker. Really though, these are Fairlanes, as the Torino designation was an option package for the Fairlane body-code and was not yet a separate model line in 1969. Sometimes also referred to as the Torino GT or Fairlane Cobra, this naming convention generates some debate in collector circles. This line featured two body styles: the hardtop (aka “formal roof”) and the much more common “sports roof” fastback. The Cobra performance package included as standard the 335 hp 428 Cobra Jet V-8 with a Holly 4bbl. Optional Ram Air didn’t increase horsepower, but it boosted the performance peak to 5,600 rpm. Also included was a locking rear differential, which was exclusive to Ford. Quarter mile times were typically in the 14.5 second range. Exact production figures are difficult to come by, but it is estimated that about 14,000 Cobras were sold in 1969, with the vast majority of them being the fastback version. Naturally, I prefer the rare hardtop (pictured here), which number about 3,000.

5. 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner

Mopar struck paydirt when it came up with the idea of capitalizing on the muscle car wave of popularity by offering the low-priced Roadrunner to the masses in 1968, with 1969 being a particularly stellar sales year. They were definitely marketing the younger audience with better affordbility, as well as licencing the Warner Brothers cartoon character as its namesake and mascot, including the well-known “beep-beep” sound for its horn. To keep the price down, Roadrunners were minimally appointed, but these cars weren’t toys, as performance and suspension features were not compromised. Base stickered at under $3,000, the price quickly went up when you started beefing it up with power options. Who wants the standard 383 cid mill when you could get a 390 hp 440 with a three-two “Six-pack”? Well forget even that; what you really wanted under the hood was the 426 Street Hemi. Featuring hi-po goodies such as Hemi heads, 10.25:1 compression and two fours, its rated output boosted to 425 hp at 5,000 rpm. It could run the quarter in 13.5 seconds and had a top speed of 140+ mph! Over 80,000 units of the various configurations were sold in 1969, with the “no-post” hardtops being the most desirable among collectors. But the real find today is the rag-top, of which only about 2,200 were produced.

4. 1966 Oldsmobile 442

Technically, pre-1968 Olds 442s weren’t an actual model, but rather “442″ was an option package available for the Oldsmobile Cutlass. The standard L78 400 cid engine incorporated a single 4bbl carburetor and was rated at 350 hp. The favored set-up for muscle car buyers was the upgraded L69, which was a one-year-only configuration that featured a hotter cam and a triple 2bbl carb “tri-power” arrangement, which helped increase the power rating by another 10 horses. Quarter-mile runs were as quick as 14.8 seconds. Rarest of the rare was the W-30 version of the tri-power motor, which also incorporated an air induction system via tubing from the front bumper. There were only 54 factory-released copies of the W-30, although another 97 were dealer-modified installations. Finding a W-30 442 today is next to impossible (at this writing, one is available on eBay for $70k!), but lacking that, the “regular” tri-power L69’s are most desired by collectors.

3. 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee

I’m listing both versions of the ‘69 Coronet muscle car here, because they are both very similar (and very cool), but each one has its own unique advantages. The R/T option designation was available on several Dodge models starting back in 1967, and signified “road/track” performance. In 1969, many Mopar fans opted for the slightly less expensive Coronet Super Bee (boasting its unique logo in the rear-end bumble-bee striping). This was Dodge’s equivalent to the Plymouth Roadrunner, and as such, was equally minus many luxury features, making it lighter in weight as compared to the R/T. Super Bees are also much more common, especially those equipped with the base 383 cid (over 24,000 units sold), which was not even available in the R/T. A few Super Bees came with either the bigger 440 six-pack or the 426 twin-four Hemi. The R/T was only offered with the 440 Magnum or the Hemi. These burners routinely ran the quarter-mile in the mid-13s. As for the R/T being the rarer of the two models, about 6,800 R/Ts were produced in 1969, 400 of which were the R/T convertible (all Super Bees were hardtops). Ten of those rag-top R/Ts had the Hemi, and only four of those left the factory with the four-speed tranny.

2. 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396

Chevrolet’s “Super Sport” option package was first introduced for the 1961 Impala and soon spread to its other model offerings including the Chevelle, which began life in 1964. The 1966 model year saw the Chevelle take on what I consider to be its best looking body style, with its most-recognizable feature, the classic forward-thrusting front fenders. The Super Sport version also included special wheel covers, red-line tires, and a black-out grill which showed off the SS badging to further compliment its bold appearance. Enginewise, the 396 was basically a de-stroked big-block 409, and was available in several configurations starting with the base-rated 325 hp version. The top option was the RPO L78 which was a mid-year release. Thanks to its 11.0:1 compression ratio, a hot cam, and other tweaks, this baby generated 375 hp at 5600 rpm, could go 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds and ran 14.5 second quarters. In 1966, Chevelle SS 396s with the L78 engine option numbered only about 100 units, and accordingly are highly prized today.

1. 1967 Pontiac GTO

Photo courtesy of Rob H. of Connecticut

Many enthusiasts consider the “Goat” to be the first muscle car, and its classic split grill front-end design is among the most recognizable features of all muscle cars. Starting life as an option package for the 1963 Pontiac LeMans, the GTO became its own model series in 1966. Model year 1967 was the last year of this first-generation look with the stacked headlight design, and is showcased here. Standard equipment included bucket seats, a walnut-grained dash panel, duel exhaust, and a beefy suspension. A look under the hood found a bigger 400 cid motor than the prior year’s 389. Pontiac also went from a tri-power (three 2bbls) carb setup to a single 4bbl for the 1967 edition. The top performance option in 1967 was the 400 HO, rated at 360 hp at 5,100 rpm. Adding the Ram Air induction option slightly increased peak rpm. These GTOs typycally ran the quarter-mile in the low 14s. Almost 82,000 GTOs were sold in 1967, 13,872 of which had the 400 HO, with Ram Air installed in only 751 of these units.

bonus

1963 Plymouth/Dodge 426 Max Wedge

This entry is more about an engine, rather than a specific vehicle model line, hence the entry as a bonus item (plus, I couldn’t think of any other way to squeeze it onto the list!). The 426 RB Wedge (aka Max Wedge) was introduced by Mopar in 1963 as a factory produced “racing only” engine, and was sold through 1964, until it was replaced by the more famous 426 Hemi. According to sales brochures, cars ordered with the Wedge were “not a street machine” but were “designed to be run in supervised, sanctioned drag-strip competition”. The usual combo was to order it in Plymouth’s lightest weight model, the Savoy (pictured here), but it could also be found in the more luxerious Belvedere and Sport Fury models. The Dodge equivilent was typically found in the Polara, but in both marques, it could be ordered in any model offered (including wagons and convertables). 2,130 Mopar vehicles with this motor installation were produced in 1963. Boasting dual quads and 13.5:1 compression, this power-plant produced 425 hp at 5,600 rpm. Lightweight stockers with this motor flew down the strip in a blinding 12 seconds.

Source: http://listverse.com/2009/08/15/10-classic-american-muscle-cars/

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Top 10 Loudest Noises

Loud noises occur every day. Wincing at the annoyance of a dog bark, or covering your ears as you pass a construction sight is the standard way to guard against the harsh sounds. The pain threshold for humans is 120-130 Decibels. Any sound above 85 dB can cause hearing loss, and the loss is related both to the power of the sound as well as the length of exposure. Here are 10 sounds produced throughout history and how incredibly loud they are. Just remember, human speech is only registered at about 25-35decibels.

10. Rock Concert/Speakers

A 400,000 Wat rock concert or a similar set of speakers mounted in a vehicle can reach ear-splitting decibel levels. Is it any reason most promoters recommend you wear ear protection to stave off the 135-145 decibel sound waves?

9. Fireworks

Though not typically heard up close, fireworks are still explosions and are very loud. The sound heard from the sky is pretty loud, though not damaging, but at the bursting point the decibel levels reach a staggering 145-150. Even tests are performed under strict sound proofing to avoid any ear injury.

8. Gunfire

Gunfire for anyone unfortunate enough to be standing near it can be quite damaging to the ears registering at a quite loud 145-155decibels. This is the very reason why you should always wear ear protection when on a firing range.

7. NHRA Dragsters

Sitting next to a dragster as it fires up its engines and screams down the raceway can be more than just loud; it can be damaging to your entire body. At the 155-160 Decibel range not only will it severely to permanently damage your hearing, but it also vibrates your vision and makes it temporarily difficult to swallow. That’s why no one stands next to them.

6. Space Shuttle Launch

When the rockets fire, it is wise and, in fact, fully enforced, that you stand at least a half-mile away lest you get inundated by 165-170decibels of painful sound. Unlike many other loud noises, the shuttle rocket sound is constant as it creates the thrust necessary to lift itfrom the ground.

5. The Blue Whale

Blue whales mostly emit very loud, highly structured, repetitive low-frequency rumbling sounds that can travel for many miles underwater. These songs may be used for communicating with other blue whales, especially in order to attract and find mates. The call of the blue whale reaches levels up to 188 decibels. This extraordinarily loud whistle can be heard for hundreds of miles underwater. The whale is the loudest, and, the largest animal on earth.

4. Volcano – Krakatoa

The 1883 the Krakatoa eruption ejected more than 25 cubic kilometres of rock, ash, and pumice and generated the loudest sound historically reported at 180Decibels : the cataclysmic explosion was distinctly heard as far away as Perth in Australia approx. 1,930 miles (3,110 km), and the island of Rodrigues near Mauritius approx. 3,000 miles (5,000 km).

3. 1-Ton TNT Bomb

Standing as close as 250 feet away from the impact, the resulting explosion from a 1 ton bomb creates a decibel count of 210. Without sufficient hearing protection, not to mention a complete sound-resistant bunker surrounding you, you could quite literally die from the intense vibrations that would literally shake you apart. Unless, of course, you were under the bomb.

2. 5.0 Richter Earth Quake

A sufficient enough quake to rend the ground in twain and destroy buildings, whole rock, and human life reaches a decibel level of 235. If you are caught in the epicenter and are unlucky enough to not be above the ground in a plane or helicopter, the intense noise and vibrations could kill you long before death by any falling object.

1. Tunguska Meteor

The Tunguska event was a massive explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya (Under Rock) Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, at 7:40 AM on June 30, 1908. The explosion was most likely caused by the air burst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment at an altitude of 5 to 10 kilometers (3–6 mi) above Earth’s surface. It was measured with the similar impact of a 1000-Mega-ton bomb with a decibel rating 300-315. This is often considered to be the loudest single-event in history.

Bonus: Lake Taupo Eruption

Lake Taupo is a large lake in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand. The lake is the caldera that resulted from a massive volcanic erruption in 180 AD. It is New Zealand’s largest eruption in 20,000 years. It ejected around 120 cubic kilometers of material, of which 30 cubic kilometers were ejected in the space of a few minutes. It is believed that the eruption column was 50 kilometres high, twice as high as the eruption column from Mount St. Helens in 1980. The resulting ash turned the sky red over Rome and China. This eruption was reportedly heard in China. Lake Taupo today, is one of New Zealand’s popular tourist attractions for its beauty and swimming. The fact that the lake is the largest fresh water lake in Australasia, and approximately the same size as Singapore, ensures it is a huge ‘must do’ component to many tourists.

Source: http://listverse.com/2007/11/30/top-10-loudest-noises/

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Top Teen technology in world, 2005-2008

Home Networking

Ultra-wideband (802.15.13a): Bayangkan suatu saat Anda dapat menonton TV yang secara nirkabel dapat mengirim tiga program yang berbeda ke layar monitor yang berbeda pula. Ini tak lain berkat kemajuan teknologi nirkabel baru yang disebut Ultra-wideband (UWB), yang bercatu daya rendah, hemat biaya dan mampu mentransmisikan data 45 kali kecepatan Wi-Fi yang ada saat ini. Tak lama lagi, teknologi ini akan berada di ruang keluarga Anda dan siap Anda dan keluarga gunakan.

Wireless Broadband

WiMax (802.16d & 802.16e): WiMax ( Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ), meski dikatakan tak akan menggantikan Wi-Fi yang ada sekarang ini, namun sebagai jejaring nirkabel yang mampu menjangkau area yang lebih luas, sekitar 30 mil (50an kilometer) dan transmisi data berkecepatan tinggi, tak terelakkan akan sangat berpengaruh juga nantinya. WiMax, saat ini, boleh dikata sebagai teknologi yang sangat dinanti-nanti, terutama oleh kalangan operator dan, bahkan, diprediksi akan mengubah peta industri telekomunikasi dan Internet. Teknologi ini juga sekaligus akan menjadi tantangan berat bagi para penyedia jasa Internet (ISP) yang ada sekarang ini, terutama yang kecil dan menengah.

Supply Chain
RFID: Teknologi yang satu ini dalam kurun dua tahun belakangan ini sangat banyak dibicarakan orang, terutama dari kalangan industri ritel. Namun, RFID ( Radio Frequency Identification ) tags, memang belum banyak digunakan. Tetapi, kepeloporan Wal-Mart telah mendorong perubahan besar-besaran dalam supply chain . Tahun 2005 mendatang, Wal-Mart telah berkeputusan untuk mengharuskan semua para pemasoknya menerapkan RFID tags . Wal-Mart sendiri, pada Januari 2005, setidaknya sudah menerapkan 4 persen RFID reader di jalur ritel dan distribusinya. Hal ini tampaknya akan diikuti oleh para peritel lainnya di seluruh dunia.

Computer Memory

MRAM: Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory diperkirakan akan merevolusi industri PC dunia, terutama karena teknologi ini memiliki kecepatan 1.000 kali lebih cepat dibandingkan nonvolatile flash memory dan hampir 10 kali lebih cepat dari DRAM ( Dynamic Random Access Memory ). “Nonvolatile” berarti bahwa dengan teknologi MRAM memungkinkan mempertahankan memori meskipun sumber dayanya terputus. Selain itu, konsumsi energinya rendah, sehingga sangat cocok digunakan untuk komputer dan ponsel masa depan.

Software

Antispam software (yang bekerja efektif): Ke depan, serangan email spam terhadap komputer Anda tak akan semakin berkurang, malah akan tambah menumpuk. Selain kecepatan perkembangan spam, yang juga berpeluang membawa serta virus, maka piranti lunak antispam (yang benar-benar efektif), diperkirakan akan semakin banyak dibutuhkan dan digunakan. Tujuannya bukan saja untuk menghadang arus spam, melainkan juga menangkal potensi terserang virus dan penurunan nilai produktivitas kerja.

Content Protection

Digital Rights Management: Windows Media digital rights management (DRM) merupakan suatu platform yang fleksibel yang memungkinkan melindungi dan mengamankan pengiriman dan berlangganan konten, misalnya musik atau video, yang akan dimainkan baik di komputer, perangkat portabel atau dalam suatu jejaring. Hal ini akan menguntungkan bagi mereka yang berkeinginan menciptakan, mengirimkan atau memainkan konten yang terproteksi dan dapat dinikmati oleh para konsumen di mana saja diinginkan dan pada perangkat yang mereka senangi. Teknologi ini akan membuka jalan utama komersialisasi konten (musik atau video) melalui jalur maya. Ada banyak jenis solusi yang dikembangkan, selain dari Microsoft.

Open Source

Linux: Peranti lunak open source memang bukan hanya Linux. Namun, munculnya Lindows, yang berbasis Linux berhadapan dengan Windows, yang dikembangkan Microsoft dan bersifat proprietary , dan telah digunakan oleh sebagian besar pengguna komputer dunia, mungkin akan menciptakan peta baru dalam pengembangan peranti lunak. Ke depan, perkembangan Linux dan peranti lunak open source lainnya tak bisa dianggap ringan. Adopsi Linux akan terus meningkat, meski menurut Microsoft, Linux masih belum akan mengancam penggunaan Windows setidaknya hingga tahun 2007. Tahun 2004 ini, menurut IDC sekitar 11% pasar server yang terjual di Amerika menggunakan Linux sebagai sistem operasinya, sedang Windows 34% dan Unix 37%. Keputusan beberapa negara untuk menggunakan open source belakangan ini, tampaknya akan menjadi momentum baru adopsi open source , termasuk Linux, secara lebih intensif.

Computer System

Grid Computing: Konsep grid computing sendiri memang bukanlah hal baru. Secara garis besar, konsep ini berangkat dari prinsip “tidak boleh ada PC menganggur”. Mesin virtual yang disebut grid computing ini tidak memandang sistem operasi (OS) atau platform perangkat keras yang diajaknya berkolaborasi. Ketika Anda membutuhkan data, Anda akan mendapatkan sebanyak yang Anda butuhkan, kapan saja Anda inginkan. Inilah visi Grid Computing : data dan komputasi yang ada di mana saja dan selalu tersedia. Teknologi ini diperkirakan akan menarik banyak orang yang akan menarapkannya, khususnya kalangan perusahaan atau enterprise.

Peer-to-Peer

Datapod, sekarang menjadi BeInSync. BeInSync adalah teknologi jejaring peer-to-peer dengan enkripsi SSL untuk mengamankan data yang ditransmisikan. Dengan teknologi ini, seorang pengguna yang memiliki beberapa komputer, misalnya di kantor dan di rumah, dapat menggunakan BeInSync atau DataPod untuk menjaga arsip, email, buku alamat atau alamat web yang sering dikunjungi akan tersinkronisasi satu sama lain. Ketika data diperbarui di satu komputer, secara otomatis ia akan memperbarui yang lain. Pengguna juga dapat berbagai data dengan pengguna DataPod lainnya. Yang menarik, pengguna bukan saja dapat berbagi data dan informasi, melainkan dapat mengaksesnya darimana saja diinginkan atau ketika tengah dalam perjalanan. Teknologi ini diperkirakan akan banyak digunakan, karena ia memberi fleksibilitas dan kebebasan yang lebih besar, sambil tetap menyinkronikan setiap data dan informasi yang diperbarui.

Digital Magazine

Zinio: Teknologi majalah digital ini diperkirakan akan merevolusi industri penerbitan dunia, karena ia menguntungkan tidak hanya bagi pembaca, melainkan juga penerbit dan pemasang iklan. Kenikmatan membaca majalah dalam edisi cetak dibawa ke dalam format digital, sehingga Anda tetap dapat membaca konten majalah yang sama, grafis yang sama dan tampilan yang sama tetapi di desktop atau laptop. Selain memberi pengalaman membaca yang baru, juga lebih bebas dan menyenangkan. Hingga kini, tak kurang dari 19 juta orang telah membaca sekitar 120 jenis majalah ternama dunia yang telah didigitalkan dari sekitar 40 penerbit besar mancanegara di lebih dari 200 negara.

Sumber: http://acehfoto.com/blog/?p=91c

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Titanic Mystery Ship Unveiled

In the fateful night of April 15, 1912, Titanic, the unsinkable ship, sunk in the frozen waters of North Atlantic. This magnificent steam ship carried more than 2.000 souls, leaving Southampton and entering in the history.

Misteries and coincidences are a common place in this shipwrecking that is nearing a hundred years old. The history is told more or less that way.......

Olympic at left and Titanic to the right

Titanic and its twin, Olympic, were the flagships of White Star Company. At this time the route UK - New York was a great business and it was the main link to european migration to America. In US rail and steel tycoons made a strange mix with poor europeans that looked for a new life in a new country. J. P. Morgan, the financial tycoon, was the ultimate owner of White Star and, as a consequence, of Titanic. Destiny saved him from the fateful trip to New York.

The ship was making his maiden trip and was considered unsinkable. She was designed with watertight sections. The ship would resist flood in two adjacent sectors or in the first four. The night of April 14th was a perfect night. The sea remained still reflecting perfectly thousands of stars above. The moon was not in the sky and a profound dark was embedded in every soul. Several warnings were dispatched to Titanic alerting presence of icebergs. The latitude of 40N is not a sufficient high latitude to have iceberg presence. But this location, southeastern of Newfoundland, is in the corridor of icebergs that came from northern Canada when spring came. April is the worst time for icebergs in the region. Near the Titanic position the small steamer Californian stopped their engines to avoid a night collision with an iceberg. Commander Lord prefered to wait until the morning comes as the sea was cluttered with ice.

Commander E.J. Smith RNR, in his last trip before retirement, crossed the sea at a high speed of 24 knots. Nobody will ever know but, it seems reasonable that B. Ismay,Whitestar CEO, suggested Smith to go at full speed in order to beat a record in time between England and NY. At 11:40 pm, local time, the lookout F.Fleet, who had not binoculars available, detected an iceberg in front of the ship. He rang the bell, that can be seen in the Titanic Exhibition nowadays, and cried "Iceberg right ahead". Official Murdoch tried to avoid collision but it was too late.

Some moments later Mr. Thomas Andrews, the main Titanic designer has gone downstairs to do an assessment of the damage. At this time water was invading five sections and mail was floating. The fate of Titanic was sealed by destiny. Andrews warned Smith that Titanic would last at most two hours before sinking to the deep ocean. At this precise moment happens a mistery that is the main reason why a Titanic article is in an amateur astronomer page. While Bride was sending CQDs and SOS signals using a Marconi telegraph Murdoch believed that a ship was visible near the horizon. After some moments rocket were fired to warn this mystery ship. And the ship had gone away, disappearing below the horizon. Because these facts and some other testimonies, Captain Lord, of steamer California, was blamed to be responsible to not help Titanic survivors in the cold, fateful, 15th April 1912, night. In the morning of 15th steamer Carpathia rescued Titanic survivors and, with Californian and Mount Temple, scanned the whole region. Californian arrived in New York port with Titanic survivors.

Steamer Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors to New York

Let's now explore the possibility that the mistery ship was, in fact, a celestial object. To begin to analyse this hypothesis we will see the full starry sky of that fateful night..

When Titanic hit the iceberg Ursa Major dominated the starry sky. Vega was rising and Procyon and Capela setting. Mars was about 11.5 degrees high. Jupiter was only 5.1 degrees above the horizon and rising. On this night Mars was setting exactly ar 00:54 April 15th. With a brightening of a 1.5 mag star, the planet deep red hue was very similar to a distant ship's light. Procyon, white, was setting at 00:45, azimuth 280, mag 0.4. No milky Way, no Moon was available in this still and dark night. Let's see what was happening at this time in the ship...

BoxHall Testimonial

"At 12.45 a.m. Boxhall and quartermaster George Arthur Rowe began to fire rockets from an angled rail attached to the bridge. Rowe continued to do so until the rockets ran out around 1.25. Whilst Rowe was thus engaged Boxhall scanned the horizon, he spotted a steamer in the distance, he and Rowe attempted to contact the vessel with a morse lamp but they were unsuccessful. At one point Boxhall sought reassurance from the Captain and asked if he felt the situation was really serious, Smith replied that the ship would sink within an hour to an hour and a half."

"Senator FLETCHER. I understood you to say that you saw a steamer almost ahead of you, or saw a light that night, about the time of the collision?

Mr. BOXHALL. Shortly afterwards; yes, sir.

Senator FLETCHER. Did you describe that light? What was the character of the light you saw; and did you see more than one?

Mr. BOXHALL. At first I saw two masthead lights of a steamer, just slightly opened, and later she got closer to us, until, eventually, I could see her side lights with my naked eye.

Senator FLETCHER. Was she approaching you?

Mr. BOXHALL. Evidently she was, because I was stopped.

Senator FLETCHER. And how far away was she?

Mr. BOXHALL. I considered she was about 5 miles away.

Senator FLETCHER. In which direction?

Mr. BOXHALL. She was headed toward us, meeting us.

Senator FLETCHER. Was she a little toward your port bow?

Mr. BOXHALL. Just about half a point off our port bow.

Senator FLETCHER. And apparently coming toward you?

Mr. BOXHALL. Yes.

Senator FLETCHER. And how soon after the collision?

Mr. BOXHALL. I can not say about that. It was shortly after the order was given to clear the boats.

Senator FLETCHER. Did you continue to see that steamer?

Mr. BOXHALL. I saw that light, saw all the lights of course, before I got into my boat, and just before I got into the boat she seemed as if she had turned around. I saw just one single bright light then, which I took to be her stern light.

Senator FLETCHER. She apparently turned around within 5 miles of you?

Mr. BOXHALL. Yes, sir.

Senator FLETCHER. Had the rockets then gone off on the Titanic?

Mr. BOXHALL. Yes, sir. I had been firing off rockets before I saw her side lights. I fired off the rockets and then she got so close I could see her side lights and starboard light."

"Senator BURTON: You are very positive you saw that ship ahead on the port bow, are you?

Mr. BOXHALL: Yes, sir, quite positive.

Senator BURTON: Did you see the green or red light?

Mr. BOXHALL: Yes; I saw the side lights with my naked eye.

Senator BURTON: When did you see them?

Mr. BOXHALL: From our ship, before I left the ship. I saw this steamer's stern light before I went into my boat, which indicated that the ship had turned around. I saw a white light, and I could not see any of the masthead lights that I had seen previously and I took it for a stern light.

Senator BURTON: Which light did you see first?

Mr. BOXHALL: I saw the masthead lights first, the two steaming lights; and then, as she drew up closer, I saw her side lights through my glasses, and eventually I saw the red light. I had seen the green, but I saw the red most of the time. I saw the red light with my naked eye.

Senator BURTON: Did she pull away from you?

Mr. BOXHALL: I do not know when she turned; I can not say when I missed the lights, because I was leaving the bridge to go and fire off some more of those distress rockets and attend to other duties.

Senator BURTON: Then your idea is that she was coming toward you on the port side?

Mr. BOXHALL: Yes.

Senator BURTON: Because you saw the red light and the masthead lights?

Mr. BOXHALL: Yes, sir.

Senator BURTON: Afterward you saw the green light, which showed that she had turned?

Mr. BOXHALL: I think I saw the green light before I saw the red light, as a matter of fact. But the ship was meeting us. I am covering the whole thing by saying the ship was meeting us.

Senator BURTON: Your impression is she turned away, or turned on a different course?

Mr. BOXHALL: That is my impression.

Senator BURTON. At a later time, when you were in the boat after it had been lowered, what light did you see?

Mr. BOXHALL. I saw this single light, which I took to be her stern light, just before I went away in the boat, as near as I can say.

Senator BURTON. How long did you see this stern light?

Mr. BOXHALL. I saw it until I pulled around the ship's stern. I had laid off a little while on the port side, on which side I was lowered, and then I afterwards pulled around the ship's stern, and, of course, then I lost the light, and I never saw it anymore.

Senator BURTON. Her course, as she came on, would have been nearer to your course; that is, your course was ahead, there, and she was coming in toward your course?

Mr. BOXHALL. Yes, sir; she was slightly crossing it, evidently. I suppose she was turning around slowly.

Senator BURTON. Is it your idea that she turned away?

Mr. BOXHALL: That is my idea, sir.

Senator BURTON: She kept on a general course toward the east, and then bore away from you, or what?"

Rowe Testimonial

"About 45 minutes later Rowe telephoned the bridge, Fourth Officer Boxhall replied. Rowe told him he had just seen a lifeboat (No.7) in the water. Boxhall was surprised as he had heard no order to lower boats. He instructed Rowe to bring some rockets to the bridge. Boxhall had seen the lights of a vessel in the distance and Captain Smith had given permission for rockets to be sent up as a signal of distress. Boxhall and Rowe sent up the first rocket at about 12.45 a.m., and then fired them at five or six minute intervals according to Captain Smith's instructions. Between firing rockets Rowe and Boxhall attempted to signal the vessel using a morse lamp.

Rowe later stated that he was convinced that it was a sailing vessel that he observed, two points off the port bow at a distance of about five miles. Gradually the light diminished and finally disappeared. As the Titanic was stationary the mystery vessel was clearly moving away."

Conclusions

The direction of lights stated by testimonies was near what we expected was the Californian position. It is necessary to remeber that after hit the iceberg, Titanic positioned toward north. What it is clear is that Mars was setting at azimuth 305 exactly at the time Titanic was firing rockets. This awesome coincidence may be more than a coincidence. From above testimonial, Rowe said that the mistery ship was moving away. But Californian was stopped in the icefield and Titanic also was totally stopped. This is the most important aspect of testimonial. From our best positions Californian was away the 9.5 miles visibility range of Titanic deck and well away the 5 miles distance stated by Titanic crew. Californian was at azimuth 340 or so. Before hit the iceberg Titanic was traveling at full speed of some 24 knots and at azimuth 266. The graph below states the situation. The best position that we have of Californian was stated by the Carpathia in the morning of 15th, and it was about 10 miles.

It seems possible that, with the turmoil generated by situation on the sinking ship, some Titanic crew could have made a fatal mistake of seeing a mystery ship were the red planet was setting. For some time I've followed some UFO believers and saw clearly how strange are our perceptions in case of danger.

We can see Californian position at top, at left the original Titanic position as related by Titanic crew, at right the actual site were Titanic remains were found. Top right we can see the direction Mars was setting at 00:54.

Many books were written about the theme. This article was inspired in a beautiful one presented in October 1993 Sky and Telescope magazine. In this article was stated that Captain Smith had observed to Rowe that it was a planet. I also believe in that...

Some interesting links....

http://www.titanichistoricalsociety.org

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/index.php

http://titanica.de

http://home.interlynx.net/~dclarke/Titanic.html

http://titanic-model.com/

" In the deep of ocean, an infinite silence, untold misteries, dreams, adventure and fate. And stars are the lonely witnesses of the great human adventure."

"Not to be forgotten"

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Is Technology Changing Mind?

American scientists declared that the time spent by young people now on the Internet and gaming, this practice is gradually changing the model of learning, reading and being together with others, scientists in the various countries issued a similar warning: the more advanced computers, more and more degradation of the human brain , and this phenomenon in everyday life more seriously.

In today's modern life science and technology has infiltrated everywhere, not only in aspects of life, but also has expanded to education, spirit and entertainment fields. Most children at an early age, in all aspects of life, education and entertainment have united closely with technology and computers. Human dependence on computers has exceeded the limit, this problem has become a major concern in various scope.

Medical personnel in Japan do intelligence testing on 150 young people aged between 20-35 years who often use computers, they found more than 10% of their memory has suffered serious setbacks, and some have been unable to remember the names of friends and his appointment has made.

Professor of American psychiatry, Gary Small says that each day related to the large number of internet, mobile phones and other technology products, will change the way the human brain works. If the use of technology products over time for togetherness with others, in identifying the facial expressions and other brain functions will also decline. This way people will become increasingly strange and aloof, and lose interest in learning to traditional ways.

The doctor said this problem occurs mainly because in this computer age people excessively rely on electronic products to help remember something, rarely use their own brains to complete daily work and problems encountered in life. Internet usage in the long term create an interactive and togetherness among humans decreased. Scientists from Japan, Britain and the United States, has issued a similar warning to the world: the more advanced computers, more and more degradation of the human brain, and this phenomenon in everyday life more seriously.

"Digital natives" Impact Of Inter-Human Interaction

The most affected are young people that we are modern now refer to as "digital natives", ie people who have been together for memudahan life and is closely integrated with technology products since the early period when still a child. Professor Dana Small states are very important to help young people improve the skills to interact with others.

John Rowe, a 19-year-old Internet enthusiast who lives in Pasadena, California, United States, in the past he averaged 6-12 hours a day spent entrenched in the messenger, internet, discussion forums and online games.

After hearing the recommendations of Professor Rowe Fund Small said "If I do not often spend time together with friends, in terms of interpersonal relationships would not be able to deal with them as harmonious as it is today. You have no friends in reality this life, can not interact with them. "He felt in a week could be three or four out with friends, it's very good.

Is the Google Era Is Good or Worrying?

People in the past if you want to get the desired information, a lot of reading. Now because of the convenience of search engine on the internet, people will quickly find relevant information, and reduce the enormous amount of time to read. Professor Tara Brabazon from the University of Brighton, it's easy to get information not only create curiosity of students to be blunt, the more concern is students who are studying does not have the ability to distinguish the accuracy of information on the Internet.

Former editor of books famous Internet Nicholas Kaldor said "As a writer, the internet is like a cornucopia of treasures that fall from the sky, in the past had to spend several days doing research in the stacks of books, now only a few minutes is over. For me, the Internet is being transformed into millions of media, such as a pathway, through which information flows through the eyes, ears and put it into my mind. "

Despite a wealth of information has brought some certain comfort, but also seemed to begin to shape thinking mode. Karl said: "The Internet seems to have destroyed the ability to concentrate and think I am keen in the past. In the past, my deep sea diver, and now it seems to me like stepping on a surfboard, just fly over the ocean surface only. "

Professor Bruce Friedman of Michigan Medical School are also mentioned: "Now kamauan me to read a long article was almost lost completely. My mind has emerged a kind of characteristic "staccato" (read bits and pieces). All of this comes from the habit of fast browsing on the internet. "

Lowering the Learning Ability

Since 2000 years ago, the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates has warned the traditional learning methods with the oral method which has been replaced by learning by writing. Socrates considers compared with the traditional way to learn orally, in writing how to learn more shallow. Until recently, the popularity of television and the Internet increasingly makes people feel worried about a major change in approach to learning, worried about children under the information that no good will become more ferocious, passive, and influences their learning.

Armstrong was a famous educator in Canada, in a book "Children and computers" shows the weakness of teaching with computers. The dependence of children on the machine has seriously hindered the development of children's intelligence. A U.S. study also showed that elementary school students who increasingly rely on computers, their arithmetic skills are also getting weaker. "

In a book by Maryanne Wolf with the title of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" he said, "Usually when kids are learning to read the brain will develop slowly, it could only accept a more complex level . And analysis of the reading will spend a lot to understand in depth can be learned steadily. But the emphasis on the Internet is speed, how to gather information quickly, therefore it can only understand the knowledge of the surface. "

Maryanne said, if children from the age of childhood continue to use the internet to acquire knowledge, is likely to affect children's ability to think after reading. He also said that all we need to discuss this issue in depth. In this digital age, the children need is an educator's more appropriate to improve their ability to understand the knowledge.

Do not Let the Computer Replace Your Mind

Google recently announced that their goal is to to organize information from around the world and make it available everywhere. Through a quick internet search engine, it can quickly obtain the desired information. However, whether this is really beneficial to the developing brain?

Karl said "Over the last few years, I began to feel there is something unpleasant, I feel there are certain people, or are there certain things are always in my brain constantly screw up, make a return" image my computer ", or write back the memory of the brain. He is in "if Google makes me more and more stupid" to write, I've not used the methods used to think anymore.

He noticed, that once when reading a book or a lengthy article, do not need to devote effort can focus on one story. Now often read two or three times, his attention on the disappearing.

Wolf believes that reading is not a skill that people obtain from birth, do not like speaking it is our genes. Must train our own brains, new characters can interpret what we see as a whole and read a language we can understand. But if we always compare the efficiency and put it on top of all, there will likely reduce our ability to read in depth. The spirit of the rich thinking and the ability to understand reading an article that is formed in such depth that, in a very large coverage has been lost.

Many experts believe that the Internet has not only changed the way humans to read, but also a way of thinking, even his ego. Carl finally said: "I feel. When we rely on computers as a medium of understanding the world, he will be our own minds. "

Although the impact of computers on the brain tissue still has a stage again for review, there are also studies that say using the internet affect the operation of our minds. But we can determine is, together to enjoy the comfort that can be obtained, do not let the Internet computer network replaces the ability to think oneself. Even the best computer, it also can only be a tool, used appropriately, do not be too dependent, we are just not getting lost in the Internet space.

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