Here’s a selection of some of the most interesting features we’ve seen on the Internet this week: Physicist Frank Tipler observes that a couple of the most prominent physicists – including Einstein and Feynman – owe their success not so much to raw intelligence or “brightness,” but rather to an […]
Science
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An amazing infographic on incredible range of conditions at various altitudes, from the highest jet liners to the deepest ocean trenches.
A few “Quick Picks” – highlights from the week past worth passing on… Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds on the pending collapse of the higher education bubble. And Eight Reasons College Tuition is the Next Bubble to Burst. The “stars fell on” Alabama May 18, and now NASA’s looking for the meteorite. […]
Roy Spenser offers a climate model based on natural forcings from the the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), and the the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) (a measure of El Nino and La Nina activity). The correlation he obtains to the post 1975 warming is truly remarkable. What […]
This article originally appeared in Atlantis Vol. 3, #3, pp. 36-42 (Jun.-Jul. 1995). Copyright © 1995-1996 Hans Schantz In Part I, I showed that non-objective philosophy had thoroughly permeated physics in Weimar Germany during the post World War I years, even before the discovery of quantum mechanics. Many physicists believed […]
European researchers argue their results demonstrate that “medium to heavy” coffee drinkers receive no additional alertness from coffee – the sole benefit is avoiding headaches and withdrawal symptoms. Good thing I’m only a moderate coffee drinker – a couple of cups a day is my limit. Hopefully, that will be […]
What more can I say than, “Wow!”… And here’s another photo of the ISS, this time transiting the sun.
A few quick picks… Austrian physicists claim ball lighting is an optical illusion induced in the visual center of the brain by the intense magnetic fields of lightning. PatentlyO on the USPTO’s proposal to create a “slow,” “standard,” and “fast” lane for patent applications. Applicants will pay more for a […]
This article originally appeared in Atlantis Vol. 3, #1, pp. 38-42 (Feb.-Mar. 1995). Copyright © 1995-1996 Hans Schantz The purpose of this article is to debunk a myth by which the advocates of mysticism and non-objective science seek to undermine science in general and physics in particular. Proponents of this […]
A few quick picks… The National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) is welcoming public comments on dealing with contraband cell phones in prisons. Submit your comments before June 11. Hat tip: Ars Technica. Elliot revisits the cell phone ban on airplanes. Chiropractor in Frederick, MD cleanses “EMF toxins” using ancient […]
Long before the sixth century B.C., trade and commerce brought about an exchange of ideas among the cultures of the Mediterranean. The ideas of the time are somewhat sketchy. We have to rely on fragmentary evidence, on quotations (perhaps taken out of context) that were preserved in the work of […]
The mark of a really great book is that there’s a great deal to say about it. Twice now Fergus Fleming’s Barrow’s Boys: A Stirring Story of Daring, Fortitude, and Outright Lunacy has inspired posts. This will make it three, and I’m already anticipating post number four in a few […]
I first heard about the “Tin Disease” when I was reading Isaac Asimov’s science essays in junior high school. He described how the tin organ pipes in St. Petersburg mysteriously lost their shine during a cold winter and transformed into a crumbly gray powder. Thus (Asimov said), was it discovered […]
A few quick picks: Author Sarah Hoyt has an insightful essay on immigration posted over at Classical Values. Ronald Bailey looks at the myth of the “peer-reviewed” science in the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report at Reason. “Tiger Woods had Sex with 121 Women While Married” – Opposing Views, April 29 […]
Canadian climatologist Andrew Weaver is suing the National Post for libel based on its continuing reporting on Weaver’s climate advocacy. Ars Technica has details. Interestingly, Weaver also seeks copyright to the material in question so he can force bloggers to remove it from the internet. This will be a fascinating […]