Herb Masters
17 March 2025
Greetings Supporters of Science, Reason, and Critical Thinking,
Well here we are again. I don’t know about you but I haven’t found much to cheer about how things have changed for our institutions of science. I have to admit to doing way too much doomscrolling. Here’s an example of science, war, and politics coming together 70 years ago that seems to be in the news currently! Though sometimes things do seem to happen together that can only be because of the way the universe works. I hope that you had a piece of π on π-Day. (Have you ever wondered if π is lowercase or uppercase?) Or maybe you caught the Lunar Eclipse on π-eve. I got to see some of it before the cloud cover got too heavy in San Francisco. We all know about 3.14 but what about 3.17? What’s the science there? What if I told you that SP wasn’t a real saint? You have to love it when myth and science bump into each other! The Difference Between Science And Religion
Looking back in time, not very far, I came up with this… “We need to find a middle way between the exaggerated deference towards science characteristic of scientism, and the exaggerated suspicion characteristic of anti-scientific attitudes — to acknowledge that science is neither sacred nor a confidence trick. The Critical Commonsensist account of scientific evidence and scientific method offered here corrects the narrowly logical approach of the Old Deferentialists without succumbing to the New Cynics’ sociologism or their factitious despair of the epistemic credentials of science.”
There are so many sources out there! Not just energy and radioactive sources, but sources of good and bad science. Here’s the weekly edition of the McGill Office for Science and Society (OSS) It would seem that some guy with a sharpie can’t really change the weather. A lot of people are getting big surprises when they look up at the sky these days.
If the weather is still bad or the sun is too bright you don’t have to look up. You can check out the wealth of opportunity we have here to attend in person. Here’s a few to tickle your interest.
-Leakey Foundation Lunch Break Science – Livestream – 03/20/2025 11:00 AM
–When Eagles Roar – The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife Adventurer – 03/18/2025 06:00 PM Note: This is in Pacific Grove.
–Wonderfest Ask a Science Envoy: Anthropocene Alarm; Partisan Contagion – 03/18/2025 07:00 PM
–Living with Lions: Coexistence with an Iconic American Carnivore – 03/23/2025 04:00 PM
–KIPAC + Friends Community Day – 03/19/2025 01:00 PM one of the best things all year!
–Evolution, Education, and a Century of Scopes – Livestream – 03/20/2025 04:00 PM
(We are heading in to the time of year when there are just too many cool presentations to attend. If you add on-line it gets really crazy. We have 87 listings for the next 2 weeks! I’m going to try and keep the list abbreviated by including very little about the presentation, so please follow any link to find out more. The full description will be there.)
And now for all of the extras I couldn’t fit in otherwise!
Keep in mind that April 1 isn’t a real holiday so why should you limit yourself to 1 Day? Be sure to check out Hoodwinked: 19th Century Quack Medicine.
For most of history, the Moon was regarded as a mysterious and powerful object. Then scientists made it into a destination…
If you just want more eclipse stuff, here’s an interesting one! Eclipse Soundscapes: Partnering with the public to illuminate the effect of eclipses on wildlife. I hope you also check out The voice of the natural world
If you only have time and space for one health newsletter, subscribe to the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. It is one of the most inclusive science and medicine newsletters out there.
5 Concepts Can Help You Understand Quantum Mechanics and Technology — Without Math!
Mind the Gap: Will Tiny Discrepancies Derail Cosmology? Is a deep one! Or a far out one.
Have an excellent week learning new cool and important things that may just be like a butterfly flapping its’ wings could be.
herb masters
“One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.” Stephen Hawking
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