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 media. Of course we all have our trusted resources but they make mistakes and change the point of view and you/we need to pay attention!
So I’m going to offer up some sources and articles that I have found to be trustworthy. At least I think they are worth your consideration. I hope these will inspire you to check them out, but still verify them yourself! Most pointedly COP30 is happening. I would suggest that climate change (I personally believe it is real and serious) needs every country to participate and continue to work on the Paris Agreement. It is unfortunate that we will be underrepresented. Here are some articles that might help you understand and discuss this critical issue of these interesting times.
UN Climate Change Conference – Belém
Three tough truths about climate
World Leaders at COP30 Take Turns
What I Learned About Sea Level Rise at a Regional Summit
FactCheck.org is a handy resource for all things “fact”!
As always I am stunned by the offerings available to us here in the SF Bay Area. Of course BayAreaScience.org is one of the best for finding out about new and different opportunities! If I may suggest a couple before I continue with some other ruminations…
– Skeptics in a Pub is a great place for discussions about science and culture. It’s Tue evening.
– Do Aliens Speak Physics? Looks pretty interesting this Thu afternoon.
– After Dark: Gather is another interesting idea for Thu evening
You may remember the recent launch of a new telescope that Stanford was a major player in. Check out the First Images from the Vera Rubin Telescope
Physics is sort of a core science that along with math is at the core of how we understand just about everything in the universe. You may know of Paul Hewitt, he probably wrote the physics text book you used. In case you’ve never heard of him, I can’t recommend this series enough. If you have a kid trying to learn about physics or if you never had a good introduction this is what you should watch… Conceptual Physics Alive!
Here’s a couple of videos that just make me feel more aware of how we got where we are and why it matters.
– How Did The World Get So Ugly?: Then Versus Now
– A New Generation of Deaf Writers Reimagines Language, Text, and Sound
– The convergence of singular talent and profound disability confounded scientists eager to place humans into neat categories
– Like a cheery Sisyphus, Fred dismantles an industrial chimney one brick at a time
– The 2025 Comedy Wildlife Awards
Have a great week learning some cool new stuff and be sure to share some science with someone you care about!
herb masters
“No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change. 2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century. I’ve heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not scientists; that we don’t have enough information to act. Well, I’m not a scientist, either. But you know what — I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe. The Pentagon says that climate change poses immediate risks to our national security. We should act like it.”
President Barack Obama, his State of the Union address on Jan. 21, 2015
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