Month: June 2008
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Prescience, Futurism, Hard SF… Go See WALL-E
WALL-E’s Curiosity Gives it Purpose Credit: Pixar Studios Great Science Fiction films come out so rarely that I am overjoyed when a movie like Pixar’s WALL-E hits the screens. This is one of those rare SF stories that ventures into the distant future, a place so alien most SF writers don’t want to touch it.…
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Adventuring: NY Hall of Science Center Room
Most of my photos from this large, science playground of a room came out as just blurs of motion, so dynamic are the displays. Giant molecules, genetically engineered potato plants, microbes, microscopes, and sculptures of the atomic fill the area, begging to be played with. Thermal Ryan View the complete flickr set here.
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Flash SF Story: Scriptures
“Father,” Demetrius’ voice trembled, his youthful blue eyes were swollen and watery, “I cannot absolve myself of these doubts.” Lord Balthasar placed two firm and reassuring hands on Demetrius’ shoulders, welcoming this distraction from the unrelenting hunger pains that plagued them all, “It is uncommon for one to question their faith in such desperate times,…
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Why Scientists Can’t be Atheists
I found the following quote from the former Vice President of Mensa International and president of the American Humanist Association and author of like a bazillion brilliant books very thought-provoking: Isaac Asimov I prefer rationalism to atheism. The question of God and other objects-of-faith are outside reason and play no part in rationalism, thus you…
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The Scientist’s Oath
The Journal Nature has published an article calling for a Hippocratic Oath for life scientists. Medical doctors have a Hippocratic Oath, which guides their ethics and prohibits them from doing harm, and so do Veterinarians. I am 100% for this, and it appears many others are all ready well ahead on the idea. GrrlScientist has…
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Barack Obama’s Biblical Errors
James Dobson, host of the Focus on the Family radio show, is attacking Barack Obama for distorting the Biblical Scripture in his ‘Call to Renewal’ Keynote Address given June 28, 2006, and where Obama argues, “Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values.” In this speech on religious…
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Computer Science Grrl Power
I wish I went on quicker. That is–I wish a human head, or my head at all event, could take in a great deal more & a great deal more rapidly than is the case;–and if I had made up my own head, I would have portioned its wishes & ambition a little more to…
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Medicine’s Ivory Tower Meets the Information Age
If evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve. – Jello Biafra ideonexus’ DNA Via: baekdal California has joined New York in taking stand against home DNA testing, issuing 13 cease and desist letters to companies offering home genetic tests. In addition to the companies being required to meet safety and testing standards (which nobody has…
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Happy Summer Solstice! Yay! (Northern Solstice)
Today, June 20th at 23:59 (one minute to midnight UTC (18:59 EST)), the sun will shine at its highest northern latitude for the year, appearing directly overhead for anyone standing at latitude 23.44° north, also known as the tropic of Cancer. Summer Solstice Credit: GI This is the longest day of the year, and from…
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This Spaceship Earth
Like Thomas Jefferson, I eat a plant-based diet, with occasional meat in small portions. Like most Americans, I have no idea where the food I consume comes from, or how far it had to travel before reaching my dinner plate. My pickup truck, which gets about 20 MPG. Occasionally On rare occasions, I ride my…
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Logo Mojo
We had a contest in our Information Services Division (ISD) of the Aircraft Repair and Supply Center (ARSC) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) last year to design a new logo. Here was my submission, which came in second place: ISD Logo Last week, exactly one year later, we’ve got t-shirts for the division.…
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Hulk VS Hulk
MTV’s Kurt Loder refers to the Ang Lee’s film as “too thoughtful,” which is a bad thing for reasons I and Roger Ebert can’t understand. There are two kinds of Hulk fans. There are those who enjoy the dramatic conflict between an alienated egghead scientist and his raging psychopathic alter ego, and then there are…