Herb Masters
18 November 2024
Greetings Science Fans and Practitioners,
Personally, I think we should all consider ourselves a “science practitioner”. Have you ever noticed that the definition according to a search engine like Google doesn’t always agree with you? Given that, let’s think a bit about what sets someone who appreciates, practices, or supports science, apart from many who think science is for people in lab coats and has little to do with our lives.
A few weeks ago I was at CSICon24. There’s a lot of non-reasonably believable stuff thrown around on the web, in the media, and by our friends and family. One of the important things that Skeptics do is question. Especially if something is claimed to be based in science. I have found the SLAP Test to be simple and effective for many situations because, truth be told, BS is everywhere these days! (note: there’s more than one SLAP test!) It’s a great starting point for evaluating some new claim you have heard, and it’s a great starting point for getting someone to question if something they believe, or accept, is valid. One can never underestimate the power of questioning! One of the best ways to assess whether a claim is valid is to ask some good questions. The trick is to ask questions politely and in a non-threatening way in the hopes of everyone getting closer to the actual answer to the question!
You might want to consider these…
–Psychedelics, anesthesia and dreaming – Livestream – 11/19/2024 12:00 PM
–Astronomy on Tap Tucson #101: Chaos and Planetary Defense – Livestream – 11/19/2024 06:30 PM
–After Dark: Glow Opening – 11/21/2024 06:00 PM (If you don’t make it to see GLOW at the premiere you simply must go see it while it’s there! Trust me on this one!)
–Glow Fest – 11/23/2024 11:00 AM
Here are a few notes and items to keep in mind or check out…
-The annual Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 13/14
–National Science Appreciation Day is March 26th, 2025 It would seem that there should be more states that have celebrated it!
Coronium, One of the Most Enduring Mysteries (and Mistakes) in Eclipse Science
-Would you be interested in an Adventure, Running, Science, Forum at the Top of the World?
-It’s always a bit of a gamble that the weather will cooperate during an eclipse. If the North pole is too hot… Start saving, plan ahead, and put down a deposit for this one now… It will be a very long eclipse at 6 minutes and 22 seconds. You might want to act now to be able to join Alex Filippenko in Egypt for this one!
-Those crazy rocket people… Students Hit 144,000 ft!
–One of the photos, which was processed by citizen scientist Jackie Branc, captured one of Jupiter’s folded filamentary regions.
–In case you missed this one last week.
-It’s about travel “It’s not about what’s out there, it’s about your perception of what’s out there.”
– One of the challenges of comparing current scientists with the past is often a complicated story but I think the culture of the times is a major factor. Consider Duchess Margaret Cavendish, The Natural Philosopher Who Clashed with Descartes
Have a great week learning and practicing new and old science!
herb masters
“I became an astronomer because I could not imagine living on Earth and not trying to understand how the Universe works.”
~ Vera Rubin, Astronomer
“…her (Vera Rubin) struggle inspired me to keep pushing, do what I love and really believe that something will work out. And now, I’m a scientist at NASA.”
~ Regina Caputo, Astrophysicist
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