Hello Friends, Fans, and Supporters of Science,
I hope that you haven’t started to miss the rain yet.
A couple of months ago I wrote about how science and well established practice were being ignored in our courts and in some parts of government. I find it stunning that the battle for choice and a woman’s right to make her own medical choices is under such a blatantly ignorant attack using junk-science. The SciSchmooze is about science and how it impacts our lives. I think science is the best model we have for understanding just about anything and what we can do about it. There are some pretty questionable political actions going on that are really denying or ignoring science. I wonder… Should We Expect Our Politicians to be Science Literate? It seems that the more you know the more you think you understand better than someone else! Do people with greater science literacy and education have more polarized beliefs on controversial science topics? We really do need to try to understand what the disagreement is, how to find common understanding, and if not that, common respect.
I am amazed by the damage that I have seen to homes, businesses and the general outside world. Many are struggling to recover from the damage. I’m not sure if it is a good thing since I’m such a procrastinator but I’m glad that “Tax Day” has been postponed for a few months!-} I have mentioned it a few times but I find that I still need to spread the word. A lot of out local educational institutions were damaged in the storms. Have you contacted your favorite organization to see how they have survived and if they could use some help? I’m pushing for help for one of my favorite places to hang out… CuriOdyssey has had to push back their reopening to “early June”! If you don’t have a damaged museum and zoo near you, please consider CuriOdyssey. Here’s a fun way to help.
Often I see a report about something that is going on that makes me wonder. It doesn’t make sense at first glance. For instance… Have you ever wondered why Sea Level Rise doesn’t look the same all over? I’m looking forward to hearing from some people who don’t think this is a very well written article! (Guess what, I don’t think it is very good!) Here’s a sentence that might lead you to an interesting article.. It’s a long-standing question whether the tiny human Y chromosome is on its way to evolutionary obsolescence. How about wondering what music has to do with our perception or time? There are so many things to wonder about and see if science makes them comprehensible! Wonder about this one… Deepest-dwelling fish ever seen is a ghostly snailfish spotted more than 27,000 feet beneath the ocean surface
There are some pretty cool things coming up this week…
─Wildfire Modeling: Challenges, Progress, and Opportunities Mon @ 12:30
─Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource 50th anniversary celebration Thu 8:00-5:00
─Earth Day: Seeing Earth from Space Sat @ 10:00 – 4:00
─Wild & Scenic Film Festival Sun @ 5:00
─Get ready for this one!!! Extraterrestrial Life? – Livestream on May 11
You should keep your eyes and ears open for info about the upcoming eclipses. If you haven’t experienced a full eclipse or a nice concentric annular one you should make an effort.
In the evenings, and early mornings, you might want to look up, that might be a planet!
herb masters
Schmoozing for Science for quite awhile
“We have faith in science, but it’s not a religion,” said Herb Masters, a retired firefighter. “It’s a faith in a body of knowledge.”
“Seeing Creation and Evolution in Grand Canyon” New York Times 10.6.2005
Upcoming Events:
Click to see the next two weeks of events in your browser.