A Winter Solstice SciSchmooze

Herb Masters
22 December 2025

Greetings Fans, Friends, and Supporters of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Science

I think I should include “Defenders of Science” in that greeting! Well here we are at the longest night of the year . Winter actually started this morning at 7:03 AM PST. This time of year is also the quietest when it comes to public informal science presentations. You will note that there aren’t a whole lot of listings for the next two weeks.

I do have two things to share with you before I go into my continuing attack on the attack on science!

The explOratorium is going to be producing a video with the artist Gabe Barcia-Colombo. You’re in…

The SciSchmooze

Herb Masters
15 December 2025

Greetings Fans and Supporters of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,

Before we go any farther, are you reading this on Sunday, 12.14.25? The weather hasn’t been friendly lately but, if you can see the sky tonight… “The 2025 Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night between December 13 and December 14. The Geminids are expected to produce about 120 meteors per hour at a dark site, and are often considered the best meteor shower of the year by skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere.” It may seem like it has been colder than usual for this time of year. I certainly seem to be feeling it more than I have in the past. Birds usually deal with the weather by migrating. Some of us…

The solstice is weeks away.

Herb Masters
17 November 2025

Greetings Friends and Fans of Science, Reason, and Doubt!

You will notice that our calendar is a little less full than normal. The holidays do offer some nice diversions to the rigor that scientists practice and share with us. Don’t worry though, there is plenty of science to learn about and share.

These have been and continue to be trying times for science, scientists, and consequently everyone. Science and Democracy Under Siege Whether they accept it or not! Recently one of my astronomy friends showed me a picture she took with her cell phone showing a line of what looked like stars in the sky. The weren’t light years away though. They were a recent launch of Starlink satellites that man…

The Science Schmooze would like to know.

Greetings Fans of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking!

The old phrase, “May you live in interesting times” seems particularly resonant these days. I have been trying to keep up with a lot of things going on in the news that seem to really be based in, or the denial of, science. I’m stunned by the proliferation of sources of information and how you really need to pay attention to the point of view they look from or at! It is really stunning how the algorithms used to watch us and feed us what the web “thinks” we want to see and read are to my mind dangerous. You really need to look at the source of your information and “Trust but Verify”! That goes for science and just about anything else you see in the med…

Herb Masters
13 October 2025

Greetings Friends of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,

It certainly has been a weird week in news. Including science news. I want to highlight one science topic that has been mostly missed in the news. Most people heard about the Nobel Peace Prize… Sadly it overshadowed nine other people who received it for their work in science and one who received in in literature. (Side note: the Peace Prize winner actually praised someone who wanted it but didn’t get it.) The media works in funny ways sometimes.

As always there are an amazing number of opportunities to engage with and learn about Science here in the Bay Area. With that in mind I’d like to highlight a few that I think look particularly worthy of your…

Herb Masters
22 September 2025

Greetings Science Fans, Critical Thinkers, and Skeptics,

I hope that you managed to get in a bit of Sun Day. It is/was September 21st for two big reasons. First, because it’s the solar equinox – one of the two days of the year when all of the world gets an equal amount of sunlight, showing how the sun unites us. Second, September 21st is right before the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting, which means we have an opportunity to send a message to US and world leaders on the urgent need to accelerate and scale-up the just transition to clean energy. (Sorry I didn’t let you know last week!) September has been a big month for Saturn too. Night sky, September 2025: What you can see tonight, Saturn, sunrise conju…

THE SCISCHMOOZE

Herb Masters
15 September 2025

Greetings Fans of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,

Did you see the video of the “UFO” in the last week or two? There has been a lot of chatter online about it. One of the most convincing arguments against it being a Space Sourced UFO/UAP is that any civilization capable of getting here from another star system or galaxy would certainly not be afraid of us and would allow themselves to be seen! Here’s another explanation… a Hellfire missile shot from a MQ-9 Reaper drone off screen towards an Unidentified Anomalous Object (UAP).

We humans are often easily fooled by things that we don’t understand or …

“Yes” says this SciSchmoozer

Herb Masters
18 August 2025

Greetings Science Fans, Supporters, Skeptics, and Schmoozers,

As summer has progressed the question of the reality of climate change is getting challenged seems to be the standard. Here are some  Signs  of  Climate  Change. I must say that I’m glad to be a Californian (even though I had nothing to do with decision of my parents to make me one!). The state has led many changes and fights for the the planet and everyone on it! Whether it be air quality, water quality, or more generally planet quality, California has been with leaders from all over the world and science has been a major tool. I urge you to pay attention to w…

The SciSchmooze Questioning

Herb Masters
11 August 2025

Greetings Science Fans, Supporters, and Fellow Travelers on the Journey of Discovery,

Here we are again, another week deeper into the magnificent chaos that is scientific progress in the Bay Area. I have to say, after scanning the landscape of lectures, lab tours, and late-night observatory sessions coming up, I’m reminded of why this little corner of the world continues to be such a remarkable place for those of us who get genuinely excited about understanding how things work.

It’s been quite something watching the recent developments in quantum computing unfold right in our backyard, while simultaneously seeing breakthrough research in marine biology happening just acros…

It sure seems like it!

Herb Masters
28 July 2025

G​reetings to all Fans, Supporters, and all who Accept Science as the best tool we have to understand the Universe!

I​ have been away for awhile (but not completely out of touch with what has been going on)! There have been various periods in my life where it became necessary to leave the comfort of home and people you agree with and take action. I suggest to you that this is a time like that. There are plenty of ways to make a difference. Please find some and do something. My return to the keyboard has been pretty strongly impacted by what some are calling “The War on Science”. There are many sources out there that are​ far better sources of information and understanding…