Science Etcetera, Marsday 20090825

Posted in Science Etcetera on August 25th, 2009

The US Air Force has set up a virtual base in Second Life called “MyBase.”

MyBase, USAF Second Life Base
Credit: USAF

The Economist takes the Chevy Volt to task for MPG claims that are meaningless and engineering choices that are inefficient, like a motor that recharges the battery instead of powering the wheels directly like the Toyota Prius.

In November 2007, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue prayed for rain, and rainfall did increase in the following month, but in comparison to non-prayer days there was nothing special about the days following his rain prayer and the drought did not abate; however, I’m posting this link, not for this unsurprising result, but to ask whether skeptics should be wasting their time applying such in-depth empirical analysis to such a subject, since the comments following it show how easy it is to rationalize it away?

For consideration when you hear the recent news that human average lifespans have increased to nearly 78 years: human life expectancy hasn’t changed in 2,000 years, we are not dropping dead at 78 and were not dying enmass at 35 100 years ago, it’s just a bad understanding of averages, which can skew dramatically lower due to infant mortality or other diseases that create this impression.

Fascinating story of Captain Bligh of the Mutiny on the Bounty fame, the Bath Gardens in Jamaica, and Bligh’s voyages for bread fruit.

Bread Fruit
Credit: adamgaston

Stewart Brand has written an Ecopragmatist Manifesto, where he talks about the need for environmentalists to embrace genetic engineering and nuclear power, the fact that environmental collapse will result in a one-world government (which he considers a bad thing), and argues that “We are as Gods, and we have to get good at it.“

Six months ago, researchers demonstrated that forensic science fails to adhere to the scientific method at all in many cases, which today is leaving officials struggling over what to do about it, including evaluating what to do with people convicted through faulty forensics methods.

An Indiana University survey finds a majority of Americans believe spurious claims concerning Health care, such as taxpayers having to pay for abortions, but Americans are not falling for the whole “Death Panel” fabrication.

Amazing Telescopes Of The Future

2 comments to “Science Etcetera, Marsday 20090825”

there is a good criticism of that paper on lifespan by John Hawks you should promote:
http://johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/life_history/age-specific-mortality-lifespan-bad-science-2009.html
by claude lambert August 25th, 2009 at 8:02 am
My prayer for a prayer-debunking study came true!!!
by Dave August 25th, 2009 at 9:36 am