It sure seems like it!
Herb Masters
28 July 2025
Greetings 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 than I am on this. This edition of the SciSchmooze is essentially a collection of suggestions for you to look at, and hopefully be inspired by. Here are some things that might inspire or inflame… (Note: I’m not sure which is the most important item. Please check at least a few of them and let me know what you think.)
From Galileo To Dr. Fauci: The History Of Science Denial And Conspiracies
Truth, Lies, and the Consequences of Science Denial
The ignorant pundit is absolutely certain; the true expert understands their own limits and how to ask the right questions “With genuine expertise at a premium, the presence of experts who overstate their conclusions adds noise to the information environment, making it harder for decision-makers to know what to do. The challenge is to filter the signal from the noise.”
The Great Quack Revival Why do hucksters prosper in troubled times? “In 2019, the Pew Research Center found 86 percent of Americans felt confident in the work of the country’s scientists. That figure declined during the pandemic, and though it rebounded slightly by 2024, it remains lower than its pre-COVID levels”
NIH director is replacing his top outside advisory board “One of the dismissed ACD members called the mass removal of experienced members, who typically serve for several years, “a profound loss.””
Renowned geneticist says NIH under Trump is ‘untenable’ and he and staff were ‘muzzled’
How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science “Transparency” sounds positive, but this rule instead prevented the EPA from using some of the best available science to protect human health.
As always there is an amazing number of choices available to go and meet people and share thoughts on “science”. Here are a few that I think are worth checking out in the next week. One big opportunity is A Five-Day Celebration of the New Space Age at Chabot!! There are others to consider though…
After Dark: From the Ground Up – 07/31/2025 06:00 PM
Vintage Computer Festival – 08/01/2025 10:00 AM
First Friday Nights at CuriOdyssey – 08/01/2025 05:00 PM
First Saturday: Free Tour of the Santa Cruz Arboretum – 08/02/2025 11:00 AM
More of what inspired this week’s SciSchmooze!!!
Trump Hates Science (skip from 3:00 to 3:32)
Researchers Investigate the Allure of Narcissistic Leaders During Childhood “[Narcissists] impress others as being ‘personalities’; they are especially suited to act as a support for others, to take on the role of leaders and to give a fresh stimulus to cultural development or to damage the established state of affairs.”
The Training Set for Our Future Scientific Discoveries (a bit of a deeper dive into what the future may hold)
When you hear of discoveries of new items found in the solar system you might want to consider that Tunguska is healing, a reflective volcano from space after 100+ years!
Have a great week learning new cool things about our amazing universe and get involved in its exploration and defend the best tool we have for figuring it all out… SCIENCE!
herb masters
Here’s 10 quotes about Science’s Value to Society
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