Category Archives: Social Commentary
Mpemba Effect
The Mpemba effect is named after Erasto Mpemba, a student in Tanzania who, in 1963, observed that sometimes hot liquid would freeze more quickly than cold liquid. This effect was noted by many scientists throughout history, at least as far … Continue reading
Shanidar 1
I’ve often wondered what it is that makes us human. There have been many attempts to answer this question. We make tools. We walk upright. We developed speech. As we’ve learned more about the world, these answers have proved to … Continue reading
The EM Drive
In about 2001 or so, reports began to surface about a new kind of thruster for a spacecraft. This thruster was said to produce a slight push in a way that violated the law of Conservation of Momentum. Despite this … Continue reading
The Dogon Tribe
There is a tribe in Western Africa known as the Dogon people. They have a tradition of having been visited by beings who taught them various skills. The Dogons explain that these beings come from the sky, from a star … Continue reading
Cooper Family Falling Body
This refers to a photograph purportedly taken by the father of a family. The story is that when the father developed the image, he was horrified to see that a hanging body appeared. They state that the hanging body wasn’t … Continue reading
MGTOW
MGTOW is an acronym for Men Going Their Own Way. It is a community of men who have decided not to include women in their lives. The idea is that society has become seriously biased in favor of women and … Continue reading
Incubi and Succubi
Back in the Middle Ages, people were troubled by demons who would come at night to seduce them. Women were seduced by male-appearing demons called incubi (singular, incubus); men would encounter succubi (singular, succubus).
Chinese “Weather” Balloon
About a week ago, a large balloon wandered into US airspace. The balloon was from China; the Chinese government acknowledged ownership, and claimed that it was a weather balloon that had gone off course.
It’s Offensive
I don’t know when this happened. It kind of crept up on me over the years. But now there is a highly vocal group of people who police the Internet and try to destroy those they deem “offensive.” This is … Continue reading
I Am X Years Young
Occasionally I see someone who claims to be 50 or 60 or 70 year young. This strikes me as being kinda dumb.