Archive for the ‘The Art of Conversation’ Category
Unconnected Bits of Countries
Thanks to a blog named Tottyland (whose author is usually more interested in shirtless rugby players than in unusual facts from geography), I recently learned this fascinating fact: Did you know that there are twenty two bits of Belgium inside Holland including bits of fields? "What in the world could this mean?" was my first […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., The Art of Conversation
The Discovery of Helium
"Observations of the 1868 [solar] eclipse led to the discovery of a bright yellow emission line in the spectrum of the [sun's] chromosphere, which is normally not observable except during a few seconds just before and just following totality [in a solar eclipse]. What happened next is nicely described by C.A. Young in the 1895 […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, The Art of Conversation
Where's Kansas?
I am from Kansas. Kansas City, Kansas in fact. We're the smaller city on the other side of the Missourie River from Kansas City, Missouri. We are the ones with the attitude: why does everyone think Missouri when it's called Kansas City? It's a fine city — either one, actually, since they rather merge together […]
A Star Explodes in Slow Motion
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by Peter Atkins (reference below), and I found his slow-motion description of the process that leads to the creation of a supernova uncommonly gripping and dramatic, as well as enlightening. Stars bigger than about eight Suns have a violent future. The temperature in these giants can rise so much, […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, It's Only Rocket Science, The Art of Conversation
Gender Wars: The Shower
In the war over the question whether gender differences are nature or nurture, some of the more important skirmishes take place in domestic settings. For instance, the disagreement whether it is more "natural" so keep the toilet-seat lid up or down. This particular question is outside the scope of this meagre posting, although I note […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
Tangled Bank XXV
The Tangled Bank XXV, hosted this time at Respectful Insolence (a.k.a. "Orac Knows"), is an example of a phenomenon, until very recently unknown to me, known in the blogoon as a "Blog Carnival". It's a pretty cool idea, actually, so it's nice that someone thought of it. The Tangled Bank, which originated with PZ Myers […]
In: All, It's Only Rocket Science, The Art of Conversation
My Favorite Pope
This week is all-things papacy week, but I don't feel the need to pontificate [!], laud, or excoriate the late John Paul II. Instead, I'll say a few words about my favorite pope: Paul V. Pope Paul V succeeded Leo XI in 1605; he served until his own death in 1621 when he was succeeded […]
In: All, Beard of the Week, The Art of Conversation
The Rapture Wager
Bill Moyers, in "Welcome to Doomsday" (The New York Review of Books), wrote in depth about Dispensationalist (those who believen in the imminent Rapture) dispensing with any need for Environmentalism or any other approach to husbanding the Earth's resources. What does this mean for public policy and the environment? Listen to John Hagee, pastor of […]
In: All, The Art of Conversation
Religion a Choice?
The Panda's Thumb reports on research suggesting that "Genes contribute to religious inclination". Now, if I were writing the story, no doubt a thriller pitting anti-evolutionist Christians against brilliant, couragous, but slightly naive scientists studying evolution, I'd probably plan a climax in which it is revealed that genes — those bugaboos that keep throwing Darwin […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
One-Testis Beetles
There is some payoff for reading all those boring-to-death scientific headlines; every now and again one gets an unexpected treat like this: Researchers Find Three Major Beetle Groups Coming Up One Testicle Short BERKELEY – A surprisingly large number of beetles are missing one of their testes, the male gonads of insects. As far as […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., The Art of Conversation
ID and Astrology
Because I suffer from hubris, as all scientists seem to do, I sometimes imagine that I'm a clever, creative person with an inventive mind. Then, suddenly, my fortress of personal fiction crumbles when I am faced with creative invention that zooms light-years past any of my own paltry attempts. Thanks to Steve Reuland at The […]
In: All, Raised Eyebrows Dept., The Art of Conversation
Society Evolves
I heard today, via radio headlines, about the very interesting decision from the US Supreme Court striking down the use of the death penalty for those under 18 years old (previously, it had protected only those under 16 years old). I realize that the report was necessarily sketchy; nevertheless, there was a surprise. Apparently, Justive […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
The Prophetic Red Heifer
It seems that for the last two days, ever since I read that fascinating speech by Bill Moyers (mentioned a few posts below this one), in which he talked about faith-based politics and the influence of end-time prophesies, I've been following threads and reading with wide-eyed fascination and horror at this multi-car pileup on this […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
Were Dinosaurs Gay?
The question comes about in my mind after reading about concerns at the zoo in Bremen, Germany over their three gay penguin-couples. (I'm reading the story at 365gay.com.) It seems that the zoo is going to separate the couples (who fooled zoo-keepers for a year apparently by acting all traditionally husband-and-wifey), and then introduce imported […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation
Nostalgia Yet Unshattered
When I was much younger, and my age was in the single digits, my mother's parents owned and ran a farm in rural Missouri (the nearest big city was St. Joseph, home of "Cherry Mash" candy bars, and I vividly remember seeing the huge, illuminated image of the candy bar on top of the building […]
In: All, The Art of Conversation
Mere Heroes
In The Seekers, Daniel J. Boorstin quotes this bit from Voltaire's Age of Louis XIV: Of those who have commanded battalions and squadrons, only the names remain. The human race has nothing to show for a hundred battles that have been waged. But the great men I speak to you about have prepared pure and […]
In: All, Common-Place Book, The Art of Conversation
Progress is No Disgrace
I am reading Daniel J. Boorstin's The Seekers. I was fascinated by his chapter on the rise of Christianity (and "The Church" as corporation) in the mid fourth century. Particularly interesting was his observation that St. Augustine's The City of God was written as a Christian apology for the sack of Rome (i.e., that he […]
In: All, Splenetics, The Art of Conversation