Author Archives: muser
Do Constants Change?
In physics there are many values that are called “constants.” These include the speed of light in a vacuum, the gravitational constant, the fine-structure constant, and many others. These values have often been measured quite precisely; many are well-known. And … Continue reading
Terraforming Mars
In recent years I’ve often seen articles and posts about the possibility of “terraforming” Mars. Terraforming is the attempt to change a planet’s environment to make the planet more habitable by humans. The hope is that some day people could … Continue reading
Islamism
In an effort to distinguish between ordinary, civilized Muslims, and those terrorists who commit atrocities in the name of Islam, a new label has been created. Those murderers are not Muslims; they are Islamists. I don’t think this is a … Continue reading
Removing The Veil
There is a custom among some Muslim women to wear a veil that covers all of her face except for her eyes. This is called a niqab. In western countries, some efforts have been made to ban this custom, at … Continue reading
Iran Warns That It Will Target Civilians
Iran has publicly announced that, through its proxy Hezbollah, it will target Israeli civilians when it launches its retaliatory attacks. To which I say, “no shit.”
Missile Strike Kills Twelve Children
On July 27th, 2024, a rocket fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah killed twelve children playing soccer in a field at Majdal Shams. Normally when children are killed in war, they are identified as children. The outrage of civilian deaths in … Continue reading
One Problem With Quantum Theory
Quantum Theory is one of our most successful scientific theories. Its predictions have been verified, often to an extreme level of accuracy. It has helped us to develop technologies that we rely on, that have brought us such wonders as … Continue reading
Hard-Boiled Eggs
I like eggs. In particular, I like hard-boiled eggs. They’re inexpensive, tasty, wholesome, and relatively easy to cook. The problem I have with them is peeling them. The shell always seems to want to stick to the egg, so when … Continue reading
The Flannan Lighthouse Mystery
The Flannan lighthouse was a lighthouse located on Eilean Mòr, an island off the west coast of Scotland. It was manned by three people at a time, in a rotating schedule with a fourth man who was off.
The Fermi Paradox
The Fermi paradox is the observation that, although there are billions upon billions of stars, we have not discovered any evidence of intelligent life. The question is, “Why not?”