Author Archives: muser
Generational Hostility
There are a lot of snide comments about people who, because of their age, don’t know things, or can’t do things. Older people natter on about “kids these days,” while younger people often dismiss elders as being technologically clueless. It’s … Continue reading
Disagreement Is Not Bigotry
Some years ago, a woman asked me whether I was in favor of gay marriage. I said that I was not. This led to her becoming angry with me over my obvious homophobia and bigotry. Clearly I gave the wrong … Continue reading
Grey Goo
There is a new and highly speculative concept of nanotechnology, the creation of functioning machines that are extremely small, possibly even microscopic. At the moment we are not able to make such machines, but some scientists consider it to be … Continue reading
Tools and Rules
These are some basic principles I use to help sort through the various topics and suggested explanations. Using them can simplify discussions.
The Revenge of Schrödinger’s Cat
Quantum theory has produced an assortment of results that fly in the face of common sense. Particles that can be waves, particles that can be in two places at once – or nowhere at all – our being unable to … Continue reading
Roach Eating Contest
Man dies after winning roach-eating contest in Broward : The contest was to win a python from a pet store. You know, it’s one thing to drop dead after running a marathon. Even if you didn’t finish, if you got … Continue reading
He Never Said It
This is probably one of the least urgent matters that still manages to trouble me…
Relativistic Bullshit
There is a quotation that is going around, attributed to physicist Albert Einstein. It goes: Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that … Continue reading
Hero’s Welcome
According to this article, a lifeguard was fired for saving someone’s life. Supposedly, by abandoning his post to run to the rescue of a drowning swimmer, Thomas Lopez endangered the lives of the people Lopez was supposed to be watching.
Settled Science
Occasionally I will hear that some issue is “settled science.” Often it’s in the context of some controversial topic such as climate change. The consensus among climate scientists is that climate change is real and man-made. They tend to dismiss … Continue reading →