Bob Siederer
26 May 2025
Hello again Science Fans!
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the trial of John T. Scopes, a science teacher. Scopes was accused of breaking a new Tennessee law that effectively banned the teaching of human evolution. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, although that verdict was later overturned on a technicality. But the trial and widespread publicity surrounding it highlighted the differences between fundamental religious beliefs and modernists, science, and education. Repercussions are still being felt today. Dr. Heather Cox Richardson provides some historical context that proves interesting given the anti-science mood in our current Federal government.
On Friday, I returned to the US from a month in Germany where I was visiting my Ukrainian refugee friend and her daughter. Prior to my trip, when I mentioned to various people that I was going to Europe, invariably they asked if I felt safe doing so, and wondered what the vibe would be there with respect to Americans. I can report that this was a non-event. At most, I was looked at with a sympathetic eye. There is concern among Europeans about the wisdom of coming to the US to visit, but I was welcomed everywhere and I had a very enjoyable time.
Back in March, a study was published looking at the insertion of the Human “Language Gene” into mice. The result showed different vocalizations between the modified mice and regular mice and also shows how having this gene may have given an evolutionary advantage for Homo sapiens versus Neanderthals and Denisovans who did not have it.
Gene editing was also in the news for humans. K. J. Muldoon, a 9 1/2-month old baby boy became to the first human to be healed with personalized gene editing. He was born with a rare genetic condition, CPS1 deficiency, that causes ammonia to accumulate in his blood. There are two points to this story. The first is that this was groundbreaking research and development, successfully done in record time. The second is that the technology used was developed with Federal funding, the same type of funding now being cut by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and his counterparts in other agencies.
Kennedy is also making false statements regarding the chickenpox vaccine, drawing correlations between the vaccine and shingles that don’t exist, as well as claiming that Europe doesn’t use the vaccine. It does.
This is hardly the only example of Federally- funded research developing life-saving or -enhancing technology. Here are nine examples of technology that affects all of us, developed with Federal money. We can’t imagine life without some of these developments today.
The Trump administration has told scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York to vacate their building at Columbia University by the end of the month, with no other place to go. This center is almost as old as NASA, and the work done there is critical to environmental record keeping, among other things.
Living as we do in the seismically active west coast, it is concerning to note that the people who monitor the geology of the Pacific Northwest, the US Geological Survey, are being cut off from funding. At risk are earthquake monitoring and early warning systems, as well as tsunami warnings, volcanic monitoring, and solar storm forecasting. A major quake could result in many more deaths without the work being done on our behalf by these scientists.
Meanwhile, “Mommy”, a Galápagos tortoise estimated to be around 100 years old, became a first-time mother when four of her eggs hatched at the Philadelphia Zoo.
In West Orange, New Jersey (my hometown growing up), a hawk has figured out how to use traffic signals to ambush its prey. Very clever!
Waaay out in space, NASA engineers have managed to revive Voyager 1’s backup thrusters, which had not been used in 21 years. Voyager 1 has been in operation for nearly 50 years having been launched in 1977.
Dr. Alex Filippenko has provided some information about three upcoming celestial events that you might find interesting:
(1) May 28: The waxing crescent Moon will be close to Jupiter in the
early evening sky. Look to the west-northwest about 20-30 minutes
after sunset. The Moon will be about 8 degrees above Jupiter, which
will appear like a bright star. You’ll need a low, clear horizon (no
trees, buildings, hills, or clouds). 8 degrees is roughly half the
angular distance between the tips of your thumb and little finger,
when looking at your outstretched hand with fingers fully separated.
“Earthshine” (sunlight reflected from Earth to the Moon, and back
to Earth again) will illuminate the dark part of the Moon.
(2) June 26: The young Moon (just 1.5 days after new moon and only 4%
illuminated) will be visible very shortly after sunset, close to the
planet Mercury (which is generally hard to find). Look to the
west-northwest about 20-30 minutes after sunset. If skies are clear
and you have no obstructions on the horizon, you’ll see the very
thin Moon slightly above the horizon. Faint Mercury will be about
4.5 degrees to its upper left. The two will fit in the same field of
view of 10 x 50 binoculars, providing a more detailed view.
(3) June 26: Starting about 45 minutes after sunset (but not later
than about 2 hours after sunset), look to the west at the waxing
crescent Moon and you’ll see reddish Mars directly above it, separated
by about one Moon diameter (the exact amount will depend on where
you’re located and the time at which you look). The view will be
especially nice through binoculars.
I leave you with a prescient quote from Carl Sagan, proving again his brilliance. Have a great week in Science!
Bob Siederer
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