John B

I know about patterns and signals and how they are used, and I know how to compute all the indicators. I'm looking for explanations on how and (more importantly) why the various techniques work. Surely, there must be textbooks and research on this subject.

After all, if the universe is expanding everywhere, then my yardstick is expanding too, and when I use it to measure distances, I will get the same answer in an expanded universe. The only difference I can think of is that it will take light longer to travel the distance of my yardstick.

Thus, an expansion of the universe would seem to be the same as a decrease in the speed of light. Can we tell the difference? Come to think of it, shrinking time would also appear as expanding space.

Ok, I'm sure many of you are sick and tired of (not to mention shocked and appalled by) all the people worried about the world ending in 2012, just because that is the end of a "long" cycle in the Mayan calendar.

There must be at least 100 questions a day about December 21, 2012. I've given up trying to educate these people. There are just too many, and there are more and more every day.

My question is this: How I can make money off of them? I prefer to do it legitimately and not rip off anyone. Is there some sort of beneficial service that I could provide that these fools would gladly pay for?

What are your ideas?

Doomsdays come and go. Of course the world won't "end" in 2012. That's nonsense. What I want to know is what day will people predict as the next doomsday?

For example, why is graphite opaque and diamond transparent? Apparently, it must be due to the arrangement of the atoms. How does the arrangement determine transparency?