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
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Blog 104. Why scientists have no power
Not electrical power. The other kind, social power. The ability to influence other people and events. What psychologist Dacher Keltner says is the ability to make a difference. Continue reading
Blog 103. Are we terrorizing ourselves?
There’s a social science of terrorism. Science News magazine* devoted a special article to the research of anthropologist Scott Atran** of the University of Michigan. Atran has been on the battlefields of ISIS, Continue reading
Blog 100. Why the attack ads?
Why do TV and political flyers feature attack ads? Why won’t a candidate just tell me what he/she intends to do, rather than to assassinate the opposition? Continue reading
Blog 86. A message from Kathmandu
The story below is an email from an American anthropology professor who is doing aid work in Nepal. It illustrates what happens when critical reasoning isn’t applied in social or governmental services. For those of us who thought of Nepal as an impoverished but bucolic place populated by kind, reverent people, this report is a new view. Might the developing disparity of wealth and power in the U.S. eventually bring a similar social situation here? Continue reading
Blog 82. Temperature doesn’t forecast climate
Regarding climate change, the political arguments focus on whether the temperature is increasing. It is, but that’s not a firm indicator. Continue reading
Blog 81. What makes humans human?
I’ve been observing how our practice of religion, and our practice of political beliefs, are often more of a social nature than developed from an evaluated philosophy. Continue reading
Blog 80. Belief can be valid
I’ve been preparing a presentation to distinguish science and belief, a little of which appears in Blog 11. Other postings here cover the current science wars in which belief is threatened by science Continue reading