Blog 123. Is a flat tax freedom?

A flat tax is advertised as the “freedom tax,” in which everyone pays taxes at a fixed marginal rate—such as 10%. Salaried workers pay by withholding from each paycheck, and never have to submit a tax return. It sounds good because it’s simple, but is it good? Continue reading

Blog 122. What’s driving us crazy?

I hear folks complain that the overload of information and change is driving us crazy. A phone call used to be a rare interruption. Now, even robo calls “reach out and touch someone.” Continue reading

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 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