University of California Press Blog

An Eyewitness to Climate Change

Starting on December 7, world leaders will gather in Copenhagen for the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference. With the Copenhagen summit on the horizon, "Climate Change and Our World", an exhibit of Gary Braasch's striking photographs, opened November 18 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. (exhibit pictured above). Braasch, an environmental photographer and author of Earth Under Fire, has documented global warming since 1999 as part of his "World View of Global Warming" project, and his work is powerful visual testimony to global warming's devastating effects and the need for a solution.

The exhibit features large-scale color photographs from Earth Under Fire, revealing the creatures and landscapes that are threatened by global warming, and show the damage that has already been done. A coral reef transforms from a vibrant underwater world into stubble on the ocean floor. A once-bustling penguin nesting ground near Antarctica (left) dwindles in population. Glaciers recede and vanish (the Antarctic ice cave pictured above melted soon after the photo was taken), and drought strikes some areas, where elsewhere, waterlines rise and flooding encroaches upon cities and towns.

Braasch's work illustrates the causes and consequences of global warming, but also visions of progress, like solar panels and Iceland's use of geothermal energy to power Reykjavik. We can choose a cooler world, he says in Earth Under Fire, but international cooperation is essential.

The AAAS exhibit runs until March 15. For more photos and exhibit information, visit Gary Braasch's Earth Under Fire website or the AAAS site. View more of Braasch's work at Braaschphotography.com.

Richard O. Moore at Lunch Poems, December 3

Poet and UC Press author Richard O. Moore will read from his forthcoming collection, Writing the Silences, at noon this Thursday, December 3, as part of the Lunch Poems Noontime Poetry Reading Series at UC Berkeley's Morrison Library.

Richard Moore belonged to the San Francisco Renaissance literary circle of Kenneth Rexroth in the 1940s and 1950s, which was a precursor to the Beat poetry movement. In 1949 he was one of the founders of KPFA, the first listener-supported public radio station in the United States, and he has made many documentary films that have showed on public television and elsewhere. Brenda Hillman, poet and co-editor of Writing the Silences and of the New California Poetry series, will introduce Moore's reading.

When and where:

Thursday, December 3, 2009
12:10 - 12:50 pm
Morrison Library (101 Doe Library)
UC Berkeley Campus (Campus map)
Admission is free and open to the public

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Harryette Mullen, Amiri Baraka, and Lyn Hejinian are among the other UC Press poets who have read their work at Lunch Poems. Watch their readings at UCTV.

Lunch Poems is directed by Robert Hass, co-editor of the UC Press New California Poetry Series. In this UCTV video, Hass introduces a Lunch Poems reading by Robin Blaser, author of The Holy Forest and The Fire.

Darwin and the Story of Life

On November 24, 1859, John Murray published Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life". That same day, the first printing of 1,250 copies sold out, and it is still in print 150 years later. In the book Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, with natural selection as the mechanism. It was one of the most influential books of the past 200 years, marking a dramatic shift in science, and a new view of life on earth.

Evolution is rooted in science, but is also the story of the connection shared by all life forms, going back to the first elements of the universe, says Scott Sampson, author of Dinosaur Odyssey. He finds that this story is at the heart of Darwin's work, and is essential for a sustainable future. "Arguably Darwin’s greatest contribution was revealing the Great Story, offering up an astounding, evidence-based origin myth that encompasses not only all human cultures, but all life on Earth", he says. On his blog, The Whirlpool of Life, he argues for a new worldview—one that tells this story of our deep immersion in nature and inspires a sense of wonder about life.

In Darwin's Universe, Richard Milner notes that On the Origin of Species was exciting for its scientific significance, but also for the dramatic story it told: "Through Darwin's eyes we no longer see just a sparrow or a cactus, but a roiling drama of conflict and competition, a dynamic landscape of organic beings caught in a relentless struggle for existence."

The theme of origins is central to both science and spirituality, and since Darwin's time, there has been controversy about evolution and creationism as ways of understanding life on earth. In their book More than Darwin, Randy Moore and Mark Decker explore the evolution vs. creationism controversy with portraits of all the major figures on both sides.

On the Origin of Species challenged the existing paradigm, and marked the beginning of a new era in science. Over the past 150 years, the theory of evolution has changed, as Peter Bowler chronicles in the 25th anniversary edition of Evolution: The History of an Idea. It will continue to change as we keep working to unravel the mystery of our origins, and try to trace the story of life back to the beginning. 

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."—Charles Darwin, the final paragraph of On the Origin of Species

Darwin and the Evolution of a Theory, an exhibit of rare books by Darwin and his contemporaries, is on display at UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library, weekdays until December 22.  

Crack the Code to Win the Grand Prize!

It's your last chance to crack the code and win the Book of Codes Sweepstakes! Today we'll give away a copy of The Book of Codes, and the Grand Prize—$100 worth of UC Press books.

Decipher the mystery message in this video and send us a direct message on Twitter (@ucpress) with the answer. If you're right, you could win The Book of Codes and learn how to decode everything from cuneiform and medieval ciphers to the pattern in your living room carpet.

For a chance at the Grand Prize, combine the messages in the week's videos to make a quote by a famous author. Send the correct quote and author to entries@ucpress.edu, and you could win $100 worth of books from UC Press. Put it towards your purchase of the Codex Mendoza, go on a holiday book shopping spree, or save it for a rainy day.

The deadline for both prizes is midnight EST, 9PM PST tonight. Good luck...

Review the week's coded videos:

Monday, The Caesar Shift

Tuesday, International Maritime Code

Wednesday, ASCII

Thursday, Hobo Chalk Marks

Read the Sweepstakes Rules (PDF)

The History behind the Fifth Day’s Code: The Theban Alphabet

The esoteric implements of the medieval necromancer included magic circles, conjurations, sacrifices, swords, and prayer; magical alphabets were also highly significant. Circles were traced on the ground, often accompanied by various mystical symbols drawn from a mixture of Christian and occult ideas. At the opportune time and location, sacrifices and animal offerings were often provided to propitiate ethereal beings.

The most important medieval writings on the occult were by the Benedictine abbot Johannes Trithemius (1462-1516), and his pupil, Heinrich Cornelius Aggripa (1486-1535). The latter’s Three Books About Occult Philosophy (1531-33) included coded formulae for alchemy, Kabbalism, and the Theban alphabet, a table for communicating with the spirit world.--- Excerpted from The Book of Codes, page 57.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize Drawing. You can always find the rules for the Sweepstakes here.

The History behind the Fourth Day’s Code: Hobo Chalk Marks

Just how the hobo chalk marks system developed, nobody knows, but as a means of providing vital information (frequently as a matter of life or death - or prison) of often considerable complexity, it remains unparalleled. The marks were left on boxcars, signposts, town signs, mailboxes, and fence posts.--- Excerpted from The Book of Codes, page 137.

Check out the forth video.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize Drawing. You can always find the rules for the Sweepstakes here.

Crack the Code, Day 4: Ride the Rails

Ride the rails on today's Crack the Code Sweepstakes. Decipher the hidden message in this video, and send us the answer via direct message on Twitter @ucpress, before midnight EST / 9PM PST tonight.

We'll select a winner at random from all eligible entries and announce it on Twitter (limit one entry per Twitter account per day). The winner will receive a copy of The Book of Codes.

Check back tomorrow for a new video, another code to crack, and another chance to win The Book of Codes. You'll have a chance to win the grand prize—$100 worth of UC Press books.

View yesterday's video.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and
forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great
effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll
have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to
win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize
Drawing. You can always find the Sweepstakes Rules here (PDF).

Crack the Code: The Third Challenge

The mystery deepens on the third day of our Crack the Code Sweepstakes. Your assignment: Decode the hidden message in this video, and send us the answer via direct message on Twitter @ucpress, before midnight EST / 9PM PST tonight. We'll select a winner at random from all eligible entries and announce it on Twitter (limit one entry per Twitter account per day). The winner will receive a copy of The Book of Codes.

Check back every day this week for a new video, another code to crack, and another chance to win The Book of Codes. At the end of the week, you'll have a chance to win the grand prize—$100 worth of UC Press books.

View yesterday's video.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and
forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great
effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll
have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to
win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize
Drawing. You can always find the Sweepstakes Rules here (PDF).

The History behind the Third Day’s Code: ASCII

The most popular and long-lived encoding language is called ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). With this system all of the letters of the alphabet, all of the numerals, and many of the punctuation characters can be described in a form that computers can work with. An ASCII character is stored in a single byte, which is eight bits. Traditionally the eighth bit of the character was reserved as an error-checking bit, so altogether there were seven bits to work with. Binary is base two, so there are two to the power seven values that can be represented - this is why ASCII codes run from zero to 128. --- Excerpted from The Book of Codes, page 273.

Check out the third video.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize Drawing. You can always find the rules for the Sweepstakes here.

Crack the Code, Day 2

It's the second day of our Crack the Code Sweepstakes. There's a hidden message in this video. You have until midnight EST / 9PM PST tonight to crack the code, and send us a direct message on Twitter @ucpress with the answer. We'll select a winner at random from all eligible entries and announce it on Twitter (limit one entry per Twitter account per day). The winner will receive a copy of The Book of Codes.

Check back every day this week for a new video, another code to crack, and another chance to win The Book of Codes. At the end of the week, you'll have a chance to win the grand prize—$100 worth of UC Press books.

View yesterday's video.

Tips and Tricks for the Crack the Code Sweepstakes

While reviewing each day’s video, the pause/play button and forward/backward controls are your friends. Use them often and to great effect.

For those new to Twitter, here’s a great explanation of how to direct message.

If you miss your chance to send your solution to the day’s code, you’ll have more chances to win as the week progresses, with a big chance to win $100 in UC Press books at the end of the week in our Grand Prize Drawing. You can always find the Sweepstakes Rules here (PDF).