Proving Longitude Wrong [10.28.06]

[Joss]

Yeah.. Is good to see old LG back.. A little bit more mature, more grown up if you will.. But hey, thats how its supposed to be!

Somebody mentioned already, precise timing is uttermostly important to determine position. If someone wonders why I'll put as short as I can: The stars "move" in the sky at a know rate. If you know the elevation of a star over the horizon at a precise point and time and at that same time you measure the elevation of that same star over the horizon at your present position you will notice its not the same. Knowing the rate of change you can determine how long will it take the star to reach the same elevation thus the distance.

Greenwich astronomical observatory compiled books with calculated positions of known stars at scheduled times for each day of years to come.. And ship's navigators used those books to compare to their present position.

As for determine lattitude.. Those stars close to the earth's rotating axis present no apparent movement so you can pick any of them. Traditionally in the north hemisphere the "Polar" star was used and in the south hemisphere the center point of a square-shaped formation of 4 stars known as the "south cross".

Now.. Knowing this you can tell that Daniel was using a string attached to the nort pole of the globe map to determine longitude of several points of what seemed to be america. Wait.. Measuring from the north pole? Nope.. The string serves as a straight line for reference to the grid plotted in the globe map.

Did I say I would make it short? Hmmm..

3 subjects come to my mind:

- Bree was having a "little" fun.. Well.. It look to me like Daniel wa having just a little fun as well.. Why do they find it so difficult to pay each other attention? Are we to assume they do it off camera?

- Bree did not managed to meet her promise that Daniel would not be laying on her bed reading magazines any more.. Hmmm.. Is she really that weak?

- Bree's las sentence.. "Running into something that was not supposed to be there.. like Danielbeast!". Many interpretations already have been given so why not another one? here it goes: To me she was talking about herself, a perfect girl in a perfect family living in a perfect world... Well, some minor issues like isolation due to religious beliefs. Anyway, her world was a perfect straight line ahead: Doing the ceremony, studing, following the path of her parents... And then suddenly a storm comes crushing in (Daniel) and changes everything! Her feelings, the way she thinks about herself and the others, specially her parents and her religion which she would not even imagine to question until that point.

So to me Bree is saying "I was lost but I dind't care beause I didn't knew it.. So far I've been steered away from trouble by my parents so I never had the need of knowing were I was going.. And then I had this near-miss with the fake ceremony and Daniel.. And I suddenly felt completly lost I wanted to blame Daniel for it.. But now I understand that if you let someone else choose the direction of your life for you and you end up smashing into the rocks.. Still the only one to blame its you.. So I better become aware of who I am, where I'm and where I'm going"

And she learned that from Daniel's initiative and inquisitive mind.. He came in as a revolution but now in the calm after the storm it proved to be a very healthy revolution.

(Gee.. I promise I wanted to make it short!)

[BaileysMom]

I'm just posting to get this back up on the front page so folks that are visiting know there is a new video.

[gemma]

here are my theories as posted on the official forum:

Ok, I have the book Bree was reading, and here are my theories regarding the proving longitude wrong video:

I think an important part of the story is the relationship between Admiral Clowdisley and the unnamed seaman that calculated the correct longitude.

Basically because it was illegal for anybody but the navigator to calculate the longitude, the man was hanged, even though he eventually turned out to be right. The man had risked his life in telling the Admiral, but he felt it was so important and dangerous to carry on as they were, that he told them anyway. Although he died, the Admiral got what was coming to him when he was murdered for his ring.

One explanation for the video is that Clowdisley represents the Order of Denderah, and Daniel represents the unnamed seaman. Daniel risked his safety following Bree because he believed she was going down the wrong path. Although it might look like the cult is in control, they will eventually meet their fate and get what is coming to them (perhaps they are even protecting an idea/holding some knowledge, that will eventually get them into trouble because someone else wants it, just like the woman wanted Clowdisley's emerald ring.)

The seaman could also represent Bree. She knew after consulting with Daniel that the ceremony wasn't the right thing to do. Is she now risking her life as she knows it? (This would tie in with Gemma's latest video.)

I know there are plenty of holes in these theories but they were just things that popped into my head on the train home today and I thought I would share them

[gemma]

Yeah, I know what you mean about the whole amazon thing, but the story about Admiral Clowdisley is actually right at the beginning of the longitude book, so they wouldn't have had to read very far. Id like to think they knew the texts in detail and put a lot of thought into the 'parables' they tell us and how that fits with Bree's life, but maybe they pick a random story in the knowledge that we will pin our own ideas and theories on it to fit.

Also, "Non-Breeniverse Gemma" - i like it!

I think that may need to go above my avatar!