Hi Fellow Supporters of Science and Reason,

Did you feel it? It happened at 0833 (PDT) this morning. March 20 also marks another woefully misnamed holiday this year, first declared by the UN in 2012. The “aim” is good but seems so far distant in these times. March 22-25 are more days that hopefully will be uplifting. Spring seems like the most hopeful of seasons to me. If you are interested in a larger picture of what the various aspects of climate change look like, I suggest that you search around the Climate Truths Deep Dive a new series of deeper reads from multiple perspectives. Do you think climate change is anything less than at least one of the top challenges facing us?

One of the really inter…

The Pi Edition

Greetings Science Advocates and Supporters,

There’s so much going on it’s hard to decide where to start. Until recently a lot of people had no idea what, where, or why about Ukraine. Like many things, the more you learn the more you realize that you probably forgot important parts of the story. Many people would say that this didn’t start a few weeks ago but started in 2014. It’s hard to keep how the world works in perspective. Sadly we fail to understand how much different countries and cultures have contributed to our ways of life. With that in mind have you ever heard of these people? Mykola Amosov, Oleh Antonov, EnableTalk gloves, Élie Metchnikoff… I could go on with many more, thanks in part to Lubomyr Romanki…

SciSchmooze 2.21.22

from the desk of herb masters

Hello Supporters of Science and Reason

Well this seems to be a dated week doesn’t it! There certainly seem to be more dates to celebrate than I notice normally. Science and history do seem like they should make good bedfellows though it seems like many people wouldn’t want to let history and science get in the way of their agenda!

It was only 549 years ago that Copernicus was born and started his study to move the earth! He wasn’t the first to come up with heliocentrism but he made a big mark in history. It was only 60 years ago John Glenn flew in to the history books. It was just a year ago that Perseveran…

The Valentine Edition

from the desk of herb masters

Greetings Science Fans, Acceptors, and Believers, (Super bowl fans too!)

I’m not even sure where to begin this week. There has been such amazing progress in science and yet I have to admit that I am often caught by some of what I can only say is bizarre stuff. More about that later.

There have been many things that science has proved that are still denied by some. It seems like we might be getting to some level of coexistence with covid. One of the many things that I have learned over the years is that science isn’t particularly democratic or responsive to what the public wants it to be. Somehow many people think that we are exempt from ho…

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Volcanic eruption from satellite

from the desk of Herb Masters

Greetings to Everyone who Thinks Science is (or might be) Cool!

Let’s get a couple of basics taken care of. Aside from the tragic loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods, the latest eruptions of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in Tonga have generated many stories and discussions. I have to say that when there is a major natural event on the planet I always find some satisfaction in how it reminds us that whoever or wherever you are, you still need to recognize that regardless of political or economic division we are all on the same blue marble and we need to help each other. There have been endless reports about the eruption. I recommend checking out these three…

Volcanic Eruption…

from the desk of Herb Masters

Hello and Welcome to a New Year of Learning and Celebrating Science,

Here is one of the best explanations I have seen of “Why Science” I have watched it a few times and enjoy it every time.

There have been many people and cultures that can be thought of as having started “science”. Technology or more science has usually followed very shortly after each one of them. For instance… 239 years ago, the Montgolfiers brothers tested to see if a human could survive at being up in the air. 131 years ago an astronomer named Samuel Langley was the first to successfully demonstrate powered flight by flying an aerodrome ¾ of a mile powered by steam. 118 years ago Orville Wright became the first human to fly a heavie…

Greetings Friends and Practitioners of Science,

Well we are heading in to the shortest day of the year. Christmas is just one of many celebrations linked to the Winter Solstice. I hope that you have a great celebration of one (or more) of the reasons for the season if you choose to.

I could comment on the latest I have seen about the current status of the “Covid Threat” but by the time you read this it will be out of date since the science is evolving so fast. There is an amazing amount of info out there. There are some excellent places to go for info and there are some crazy ideas out there, some of which you have probably heard. Please be careful, and may I suggest that you avoid any family or anyone for th…

SciSchmooze 13 Dec 2021

from the desk of Herb Masters

Hello Fans of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,

As we move through another holiday worried about who will get sick or infect our friends and family, there are many things to celebrate and to learn about how we got here and where the boundaries of science might be found. Something to think about now is peaking on Monday night. Dr. Filippenko reminded me that the Geminid meteor shower peaks on the night of December 13/14 (Monday/Tuesday), and it is visible all night. Good luck with the weather, though you should be able to find a few sites offering real-time viewing on line. In case you miss it, maybe you would like to spend some time with some…

Hello Quantum Fans of Science,

I hope you had a great week of lunar stuff. I did manage to catch the Beaver Moon Eclipse through some openings in the clouds. It is always amazing to see natural phenomena that I would miss unless someone figured out when and where to watch it. I’d like to take a positive look at some of the wonders of science that we can be thankful for. Linn, a good friend of mine reminded me of how impressed he was by Postcards from Mars last week. I had missed it because I was checking out the Museum of the Moon instead. Today after another reminder I watched it. I really encourage you to watch it as well. It really covers a lot of what I love so much about science. 118 years ago humans finally got …

from the desk of Herb Masters

Greetings Science and Reason Fans,

Let’s start this out by welcoming Chabot Space & Science Center back and cheering the new collaboration they have with NASA, STUDIO 1: THE NASA EXPERIENCE. They have been closed since the start of the covid shutdowns and I think are one of the last to reopen. They are doing it right though and during an auspicious time. This week seems to be moon week. Chabot will be hosting a PENUMBRAL ECLIPSE VIRTUAL WATCH PARTY that you would probably like to watch if the sky above you isn’t clear. If the sky is clear then wrap up in something warm and step outside to watch An Almost Total Eclipse of the Moon, Nov. 18-19! Before all of that I can’t impress on y…