by Herb Masters
Hello Science Supporters,
I hope that you have been enjoying the May Rains. I wish we could have them every couple of weeks throughout the summer.
I have been wondering about the “flat-earth” folks. In this day and age it is hard to believe that there can be people who actually believe the earth is “flat”. There do seem to be some variations on what flat means, since some think there is a massive ice wall all the way around the “edge”. I personally think most are trolls or people trying to make money off of the easily misguided. They are a group of conspiracy folks that have been getting a lot of attention recently. Maybe you have seen this… A Look Inside the Flat Earth International Conference It is an amazing look that makes you wonder what the people in it are up to. Scientific American recently ran a column by Glenn Branch, check out Flat-Earthery, British Style Flat-earthers can be found in many places! If you’d like to hear more about this or have questions to ask, Glenn will be speaking at SkeptiCal 2019 on June 9. There’s still time and space for you to register. Here’s another bit on conspiracy folks… Believe in the reptile people
If you have read the SciSchmooze much you probably know that I am a big fan of the explOratorium in San Francisco. Contrary to what many people think, it isn’t just a kid’s museum, there is so much more. Though weekday mornings you might think so with all of the school field trips! If you haven’t been there since the move you really shouldn’t need another reason to go. However there is a new exhibition opening this coming Thursday evening. (Remember Thursday evenings are adults only as well.) Self, Made is a large exhibition about social psychology. “Self, Made is much more than another interesting science exhibition. It is an ethical project to provide visitors with a range of tools to better understand and grapple with the most complicated aspects of identity, from how we negotiate our relationships to gender to the ways we perceive and respond to race, disability, or sexuality.” – Dr. Ramzi Fawaz This is going to be an exhibition you will want to spend some time with.
There aren’t as many opportunities for learning cool new stuff as in the past month or so, but there are still some great ones to catch. Here are a few that I think are worth note…
- Hope for Reefs: Addressing the Coral Reef Crisis Tue 7:00 San Francisco
- Self, Made: After Dark Thu 6:00 San Francisco
- Growing Treasure Island: From Geology to Horticulture Sat 10:30 Treasure Island
Math is such an important part of how we understand, dare I say, everything. It has always intrigued me even though I never made it very far. For many, math is beautiful. Here’s an article that I think inspires and informs… In Mathematics, ‘You Cannot Be Lied To’
Just when you think you’ve heard how badly our waste has spread something new pops up! Deeper Than Humans Have Gone Before But Still Our Trash Got There First It’s never too late to Talk to Kids About Climate Change (and Have Fun, Too)
Have a great week learning some new cool things about how amazing this universe is. Remember, it’s the only one we have.
herbert a. masters III
Science Schmoozer and a shameless promoter of:
the SciSchmooze email list: www.BayAreaScience.org
“Every time we get slapped down, we can say, “Thank you Mother Nature,” because it means we’re about to learn something important.” — John N. Bahcall