We experience events, not the global situation, but the world seems simpler if we can trace each event to a cause. However, within a complex system, an event cannot be ascribed to a unique “cause.” Birds flock and fish school and the stock market tumbles due to the many interactions among the participating individuals. Continue reading
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Blog 139. American Angst Part 7 of 7: Synopsis
The main function of government is to protect the commons—those things that maintain and benefit society as a whole. That’s law and order. Continue reading
Blog 131. Why do small nations want big nukes?
Why indeed? For a nation, the benefit of having a nuclear weapon comes from not using it. Continue reading
Blog 124. Telling lies in public
Headline April 22,2017: March for Science:
Protesters gather worldwide to support ‘evidence.’ (CNN)
Scientists lobbying for funds? No. Continue reading
Blog 121. How old is a fossil?
A Harvard authority explains that cockroaches have been around for three hundred million years. Those bugs will probably still be around cleaning up the mess long after we humans have put ourselves out of existence. Continue reading
Blog 119. Arctic ice, blue lies, and echo chambers
Why does climate denial flourish despite the evident facts of melting polar ice and the increasing blanket of greenhouse gases? Logic isn’t the answer.
Blog 118. Can Arctic Ice Cool Your Cocktail?
How come the scientific news seems flooded (as it were) by the melting of arctic ice? After all, is the arctic really melting? Should we believe all of the alarm over a little cold water? Let’s look at the data. Continue reading
Blog 117. Barking up the wrong tree?
The scientific societies are barking, complaining about the anti-science movement in the federal budget. Continue reading