There’s an angst in American society that has no single focus, no single cause. Why do the political right and the political left promote simplistic, unrealistic solutions? Because the system itself promotes those who promote the problems. Continue reading
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Blog 115. Is STEM best for education?
Is a STEM program the best guide for improving our schools? STEM—the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—is advertised as “innovative learning,” and “the future of the economy.” That’s what you see when you type <STEM education> into a Google search. Continue reading
Blog 114. Dirty bombs and panic words
Stimulated by the press, a few colleagues told me of their concerns with dirty bombs delivered by terrorists. Whoa, let’s look at whether that risk means massive deaths or just monstrous mess. Continue reading
Blog 113. Information, misinformation and survival
Scientific news magazines now feature articles that reach out, not only to scientists, but to the educated public. The journal Physics Today, once of interest only to physicists, now has a section entitled People and History. How come? Continue reading
Blog 112. A frosty morning for the New Year
Here’s a photo of a frosty holiday morning in California. The frost illustrates the physics that determines the global climate. And climate is but one of the current worries of scientific associations, who worry about a frosty government. Continue reading
Blog 111. Nuclear Paranoia
Seeing the term “nuclear paranoia,” you might think of hostile countries that are developing nuclear weapons—such as Iran or North Korea. But the term applies closer to home. Continue reading
Blog 110. Climate in one picture
The present temperature is not the key index to predicting the future climate any more than the current temperature in a cold room tells how warm it will be if you add insulation to the walls. It’s knowing the insulation that’s important for prediction. Below is a drawing that explains earth’s energy budget—as affected by the insulation of the atmosphere— in one glance. Continue reading
Blog 109. Is clean coal clean?
The concept of “clean coal” has been newsworthy for a decade or more. In 2009, Senators John Kerry (D-MS) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) co-authored an op-ed in the New York Times, promoting renewable energy, nuclear energy, and “clean coal.” Presidential candidate Trump touted “clean coal” during a debate. Can coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels, ever be made clean? That’s seems as likely as senators of opposing parties learning to talk to each other again. Continue reading