Bay Area Skeptics

The San Francisco Bay Area's skeptical organization since 1982

Decoding 42 with the SciSchmooze

Rights Groups Condemn Use Of Brutal, Unsanitary Planet

Hi Fans of Science and Reason,

I know that you have been wondering all day… Maybe 42 is the answer…

So let’s talk about science and reason a little bit. Next week is the big weekend for Science and Reason for more than just the SF Bay Area. This is because SkeptiCal, the northern California scientific skepticism conference will be on-line on the 23rd and 24th! This means that you can attend for a much reduced price and get to see and hear from some very accomplished scientists and skeptics. I have been following the planning of it and I assure you that it will be a great opportunity to dive in to many topics. It will certainly be more than 42.

Did you know that the now controversial drug Ivermectin is linked to a Nobel Prize. I say linked because there seems to be some details to be sorted out between Ivermectin and Avermectin, the class of drugs that ivermectin is part of. Be careful when you read reports on this…

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015,

Ivermectin: a multifaceted drug of Nobel prize-honoured distinction

Ivermectin is a Nobel Prize-winning wonder drug – but not for COVID-19

Conservative media viewing correlates with intention to use ivermectin

We normally think of observatories as something looking up at the skies. That isn’t always the case. Did you know that there are ecotron observatories? The U.S. NSF has approved the Deep Soil Ecotron to be built in Idaho. There is a nature observatory here in the bay area that you can walk in as well. I suggest that you leave a fair amount of time to just hang out in the Fisher Bay Observatory. Try not to be lured in the rest of my favorite museum while you are there! There’s more 42 there than you can imagine. Hopefully we will be getting some rain soon. I could use a good 42 rainbow.

The CalAcademy has a new mission statement that deserves praise and support. Quite a few people think that museums (especially art and science) should remain advocates for what they share but still take a somewhat neutral stance on controversial issues. This seems like an almost radical component of the Academy mission… “Advocacy: We harness our voice as a scientific and cultural institution to positively impact policy and public opinion in support of thriving social and ecological communities—and by listening to, lifting up, and learning from underrepresented voices.” I wish more science museums would make such a statement. Is 42 the real answer?

Here are a few more thoughtful articles.

Will America’s disregard for science be the end of its reign?

How to Talk to a Science Denier

A Conservative’s Approach to Combating Climate Change

With so much going on with science these days it is really hard to keep up with it all. I don’t think it’s possible really. I find it motivating to try though. Here are a few opportunities coming up this week.

Sea level of the past and future: At the Intersection of Politics, Race, Gender, Ice Sheets, and Corals Tue 3:30

Ask the Scientist – Jim Sanchirico – Livestream Wed 2:30

The Last Stargazers — Behind the Scenes in Astronomy – Livestream Wed 7:00 another 42 up

I’m sure that you at least have heard about William Shatner after his ride to space (debatable). If you haven’t watched the whole cut of his back on land video I really recommend it. He clearly misses a couple of basic facts but give the guy a break. You may think it was bad acting or a true expression of his feelings. I think it was amazing and you can watch it here.

Ready to get some fresh air and contribute to the health of the Marin watershed? Join in on Oct 23 from 2:30 to 3:30. Contact the Marin Watershed folks at VolunteerProgram@MarinWater.org or call 415.945.1128 to sign up.

Here’s more on the ivermectin story!

Ivermectin: a multifaceted drug of Nobel prize-honoured distinction

Ivermectin is a Nobel Prize-winning wonder drug – but not for COVID-19

Conservative media viewing correlates with intention to use ivermectin

Here’s a something that many of us could, in time, contribute to… Austrians have loved beer, blue cheese for 2,700 years There are lots of new films coming our way. Be sure not to take them too seriously… “a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit,”

Lucy is in the sky but no diamonds to see here.

I hope that you keep looking up and down finding cool new things to learn about. If this happens to you please be sure to let me know… A Canadian Woman’s Bedroom

herb masters

“There is at present in the United States a powerful activist movement that is anti-intellectual, anti-science, and anti-technology. If we are to have faith that mankind will survive and thrive on the face of the Earth, we must depend on the continued revolutions brought about by science.” -Rosalyn Sussman Yalow


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