As the jungle tourist inspects S.M.'s complicated array of computer equipment, S.M. takes notice.
"Oh, you like computers? Me too. I built these systems myself. I have squandered many hours with the likes of computer games such as
Civilization and
Freelancer over the years. However, the landlord came knocking for his rent one day, and I realized that I needed to turn my gaming hobby into some real money. It was then that I began to study computer programming. It's not a bad living - - if you don't mind being on-call ALL OF THE TIME! But I digress . . ."
"Some say that money is the root of all evil. I can't argue that point. Therefore, when I accepted Head Monkey's request to write this site, I decided to shun the money making machine that comprises modern-day major software companies, and get back to the fundamentals, and, more importantly, to keep it absolutely, 100%
FREE!. I decided to use the following tools:"
HTML and Javascript:
"HTML, or
Hypertext Markup Language, is what gives form to the wide variety of web pages we enjoy every day. It gives you the structure of the page, whereas Javascript provides the logic that enables your page to come alive and become interactive to the viewer. A good place to start could be here:"
HTML Tutorial
Javascript Tutorial
The "C" programming language:
"The C programming language is one of the foundational languages of our modern computing languages, such as C++ and Java, as well as operating systems such as Windows and Unix. A good place to start, if you are interested:"
GNU Open Source C Compiler
C Programming Tutorial
"And that's it! Simple, right? OK, maybe not always simple, but definitely
interesting, and definitely
free! Any dedicated monkey can avail themselves of the many free online resources. Maybe you would like to try? Go ahead . . . don't be scared."
The jungle tourist continues to peruse the science monkey's lab, and stops in front of a peculiar device. It looks like something out of a Frankenstein movie . . . a metal ball with what seems to be tiny lightning bold emitting sporadically from it.
J.T. : "Excuse me sir . . .what is this device?"
S.M. : "Hmmm? Oh, yes! That is known as a Tesla coil. Interesting isn't it? Actually, you have Tesla's theories to thank for the AC electrical systems that we use for our everyday energy needs."
S.M. pauses for a moment, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation. "Actually, the study of energy of one kind or another is intrinsic to almost any study of science."
J.T. : "I am interested in energy too! Especially green energy. That's how I reached the edge of your habitat - - in my Prius."
S.M. : "Yes, renewable energy has been an interest of mine since the 1970's. I think I still have some of my old hippie books on making power out of things like a car alternator and a homemade wind generator. It has been a bit disconcerting, however, how slowly wind and solar energy technologies have evolved since then. Even today, green-friendly states like California generate less than 30% of their energy from renewables. You can read more here:"
Energy Sources by State
S.M. : "Another issue is the inability to store large amounts of energy generated during peak periods, as well as the short supply of the exotic minerals and metals needed for electric batteries in today's world. Here is some information about that:"
Limitations of Wind and Solar
J.T. : "Oh, my! But what does the future hold for us then? After all, fossil fuels will run out one day, and they are polluting the planet, while creating greenhouse gases. What is the answer?"
S.M. : "A good question indeed. I have pondered this topic at length, and it seems that the real answer lies in fusion energy . . . not a new concept, but one that has been difficult to master. Even so, recent progress contines to show promise:"
Promising News on Fusion Power
S.M. : "Yes, imagine an abundant source of energy that is environmentally friendly, and is fueled by . . . sea water! And not much water at that. Very promising indeed."
J.T. : "Whew! Well, I'm glad that there is hope on the horizon. Thanks, Mr. Science Monkey."
S.M. : "Don't mention it, young whipper snapper. Someday, we may unlock an additional mystery of the universe: Dark Energy, as envisioned by Nikola Tesla. Quite an interesting character. Here is more about him:"
Excerpts from Nikola Tesla Recollections
J.T. : "Excuse me, Science Monkey, but I see some books on your shelf regarding UFOs . . . you aren't suggesting they are for real, are you?" The J.T. can barely suppress a smirk.
S.M. : "Oh yes! They are real. They have come and gone for ages. I would not have believed such a thing, until I stumbled upon some of the more detailed accounts of the Roswell, New Mexico incident in 1947. The more I dug, the more I realized there was something to it. Of course, along the way, I had to ignore about 95% of the information I found online as rubbish."
J.T. : "But if they are real, why hasn't the government announced it? That's a pretty huge event, history-wise . . . "
S.M. : "The Roswell event happened after World War II, as the military competition between the United States and the Soviet Union was beginning to heat up. Where most people might see the discovery of beings from another galaxy as something to shout from the rooftops, the military saw their advanced technologies as a trump card against the enemy, if they could replicate it. They pulled their evidence into the murky world of military intelligence. It resides there even today. Even presidents don't have access to it, as the secrecy level required to see it exceeds even the security clearance needed for atomic weapon technology."
S.M. sees that he has piqued the jungle tourist's interest, and smiles a bit. "If you would like to find out more about this topic, here are some links that are a good place to begin your investigation:"
US Navy meets the Tic Tac
Bob Lazar - Personal Experiences from working at Area 51
Lt. Col. Philip Corso - US Military Intelligence / Roswell Incident
