Scientism

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I read a post  that should encourage discussion on science, “scientism”, and their roles in political and ethical debates.  Reality matters to me a lot, and science is the way we learn about the physical world.  But sometimes people on all sides of a debate try to use “science” as a way to deny or shut down their opponents; as if to say “It’s not my opinion, it’s science, so you must agree with me or you’re an idiot.”  That approach encourages a response of “Oh yeah?  I’ve got my own facts, so who’s the idiot now?”  Science and civility are both losers in such an exchange, and problems are not likely to be solved.

I wrote here about a lecture I attended on how to not-be-a-jerk.  When we talk to others, we need to remember that religion and politics, or ethics and government, are at the core of what makes life worth living for each of us.  Good people can disagree on important issues.  We owe it to each other to be well informed when we discuss important issues, but we’d do better if we could admit when we are sharing facts and when we are expounding on our own opinions or values.

Crazy Like a Fox

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To be crazy like a fox is to do something that appears foolish but is actually cunning or shrewd.  Sources seem to agree the phrase became popular after humorist S.J. Perelman used it as the title of a book in 1944.  Beyond that, the origin of the phrase seems obscure.  Online Etymology Dictionary  says “crazy like a fox” has been recorded since 1935 but does not mention the first usage.

While the specific phrase seems to date from the first half of the 20th century, foxes have often been considered to be cunning creatures.  Some sources mention Aesop’s Fables (attributed to Aesop around 600 BCE) as examples of early stories of cunning foxes, but one extensive collection has stupid-fox as well as cunning-fox fables.

Aspergers – It Does Get Better For This Author

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Look_Me_in_the_Eye_(book_cover)This autobiography’s description says “Ever since he was young, John Robison longed to connect with other people, but… his odd habits… had earned him the label ‘social deviant.'”  While author John Elder Robison’s descriptions of his humiliating childhood failures are heart wrenching, at many times it seems Asperger’s syndrome is the least of his worries.  His father spirals down into violent, abusive alcoholism and his mother has repeated psychotic episodes.  Even the therapist who convinces Robison’s father to stop beating him goes a bit crazy, growing a white beard and wearing a Santa Claus hat all the time.  Robison relates these troubles, as well as his many successes in life, in a matter-of-fact tone that never seems to exploit the tragedies of his life or brag about his successes.

Robison is unstinting is his description of his childhood troubles, and also describes the elaborate, often strange or dangerous, “pranks” he plays.  His victims may be individuals who are mean to him or innocent bystanders.  Other stories of his exploits are quirky and delightful. Continue reading →

Oh! Never Mind!

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rice worker

I like to think I am a rational person and that I make decisions based on evidence.  So this item by the Knight Science Journalism Tracker worried me:  “Big media splash over claim of lead in rice; barely a ripple when claim is withdrawn.  http://bit.ly/15F9rVg ”

From Time magazine to Science Daily, the media reported that troubling amounts of lead were found in rice.  But the results could not be replicated.  The original researcher found his equipment was giving bad numbers and withdrew his results (kudos to him!), hardly anyone reported that retraction. Continue reading →

More on a Marshall Plan for the Middle East

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RF_alum’s recent post  on a Marshall Plan for the Mid-East got me thinking.  A prosperous Western Europe has, I think, been good for America and good for the world.  A peaceful Europe has certainly been better than another World War.  Entrenched hatreds have faded (though not vanished: look at Cyprus).  But if the French and the Germans can become partners, surely there is hope for other long-standing enemies.

Morocco-school-Merzouga (350x233)

Children in classroom: Dmitri Markine Photography

RF_alum quotes a key concept:  “What was needed to prevent future wars was not just military strength, but also economic well-being, which included the provision of fuel, food, and other necessities of life for the people of those nations that had suffered most during the war.”  This observation would seem to apply to the Middle East as well as it did to post-WWII Europe and to tribal and insurrectionist groups as well as to countries.

Of course, America faces different challenges in our dealings with Middle Eastern countries Continue reading →

Colonizing Mars

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Mission to MarsI wanted to read this book by Buzz Aldrin with Leonard David because I find myself becoming disenchanted with the idea of colonizing Mars.  Exploring Mars sounds exciting, and robotic missions are producing great results, but I don’t think I want to move to Mars.  I haven’t found a reason why I would want to become a subsistence farmer on Mars constantly on the edge of starvation, suffocation, freezing, and radiation injury, all while living in a tiny box with practically no privacy.  Would there really be any time to explore?

Lots of people disagree with my dismal assessment, including Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon.  He writes that “humanity is destined to explore, settle, and expand outward into the universe.”  Aldrin’s book includes some autobiographical information as well as his vision for the future.  There are over eighty illustrations and an appendix that lays out the timeline of past US space policy.  Aldrin is conversational and sometimes repetitive.  He does not present a tightly constructed argument or a highly technical discussion.  This book will not tell you how microwaves transmitted from the moon to Earth will be transmogrified into electricity, or what a solar electric propulsion system actually is, although these technologies are mentioned. Continue reading →