Weathering the SciSchmooze

The return of Tulare Lake

Hello Science Fans,

I hope that the break in the weather we have been having has been enjoyable. Quite honestly I rarely check the weather forecast so I can’t comment on what’s ahead, except to let you know that I guarantee there will be weather and we have no option but to deal with it. The other side of that is that I am amazed at how accurate forecasting can be.

It’s time to plan to Eclipse, remember, there will be weather! On Oct 14, 2023 there will be an annu


Watching the Clock & SciSchmoozing

Welcome again,

We get such good feedback from so many of you that i often think of you as colleagues.

Lately i’ve been living less than a hundred meters from a heavily-traveled 6-lane, 55 mph thoroughfare. (Quick question: ¿Of the world’s 190+ nations, how many officially use “miles” instead of kilometers for road signs? Answer below.) All but a tiny portion of the vehicles zooming by are gobbling up fossil fuel and spewing out CO2. There’s not much i can do about that … but i did a little. I made up cards printed on one side, “Make your next vehicle F3 (Fossil Fuel Free). Buy Electric and refuel at home.” On the other side i printed the following:


Looking at Climate with the SciSchmooze

Vaulted ceiling, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France. Photo by the author.

Hello again Science fans!

This past Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, a UN organization) released their final report on the climate. Basically, we’re on the brink of irrevocable damage to the planet. The UN Secretary General said “This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”

My first thought is “where’s he been”? 

SciSchmoozing Our Warming Planet

Greenland’s rapidly shrinking Helheim Glacier (Photo by Nick Cobbing © Greenpeace International)

Welcome dear science-aware reader,

I’ve been slogging through The Climate Book created through the efforts of Greta Thunberg. It is an astounding collection of 84 short ‘essays’ by scientists, economists, visionaries, philosophers, and respected authors. The book has 5 sections:

– How Climate Works
– How Our Planet is Changing
– How It Affects Us
– What We’ve Done About It
– What We Must Do Now

SciSchmooze Meets ChatGPT

Venus-Jupiter conjunction, courtesy Dr. Alex Filippenko

Welcome to our weekly science newsletter! In this newsletter, we aim to bring you the latest and most interesting developments in the world of science in a way that is accessible and engaging for general audiences.

Whether you're a science enthusiast or just looking to stay informed about the latest discoveries and innovations, we've got you covered. Each week, we'll explore a variety of topics including astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and more.

Our team of expert science writers will break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand explanations, providing you with a deeper understanding of the world around us. We'll also feature interviews with scientists, highlight i


The Science Schmooze of Beer

Contemplating Fermentation

Hello Science Positive Friends,

It’s hard to believe how fast “time flies” these days. There is one thing I look fondly on about the Times of Covid, that’s the traffic! Remember how easy it was? It seems like we are back to driving way too much and there are a few out there who seem to have forgotten how to drive safely and share the road. I think it would be great if we all slowed down and scheduled time better, as


A SciSchmooze Darwin Valentine

Rescuers carry 12-year-old Cudie from the rubble of a collapsed building, in Hatay, southern Turkey, 147 hours after the quake

Hello Science Lovers, Fans, Aficionados, and even Doubters,

Happy Darwin Day

If you live near San Francisco you probably think occasionally about earthquakes and what it would be like to have a massive one here. The 1989 Loma Prieta quake doesn’t qualify as massive, relati


SciSchmoozing the Egg Shortage

Welcome dear science-appreciative reader,

When Avian Influenza H5N1 is detected in one chicken on an egg farm, it and all of the tens of thousands of other chickens there are destroyed. Over 50 million birds in the U.S. were destroyed this way last year. ¿Why not vaccinate chickens? It isn’t expensive. It’s because eggs and chickens sold for food are tested for infection and the vaccine causes a positive result. A vaccinated bird appears to be an infected bird and cannot be exported for food. ¿What is the danger of eating an infected bird or egg? 

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