Category: Science

Up Earth Creek without a paddle [repost]

Up Earth Creek without a paddle [repost]

| July 16, 2014 | Reply

[I originally wrote this post back in 2007. As we hit the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, it still says everything I think about our past and current space efforts.] I am a child of the Space Age (or, to use Robert Heinlein’s phrase from his ‘Future History‘ timeline, the False Dawn of […]

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The myth of the noble, objective scientist

The myth of the noble, objective scientist

| September 16, 2013 | 1 Reply

There is deeply ingrained in American culture — particularly nowadays on the Left — the stereotype of the scientist as pure in intent and action, caring only for the Truth, let the chips fall where they may. The scientist works readily with other scientists (except when s/he is working alone, late into the night, thinking […]

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“Peak Oil” website goes into archive mode

“Peak Oil” website goes into archive mode

| July 17, 2013 | Reply

  Mark Mills over at Real Clear Energy reports that The Oil Drum, a website devoted to the concept of ‘peak oil’ has stopped updating itself and will serve hereafter as an archive of old posts. As Mills notes: But what peaked instead was the ability to argue that the era of oil, and hydrocarbons, […]

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A possible game-changer in industrial robots

A possible game-changer in industrial robots

| September 18, 2012 | Reply

Via Slashdot come a link to this MIT video (sorry, can’t find a way to embed it) about the work that Rodney Baxter (founder of iRobot) is doing to develop a new kind of industrial robot: cheap (~$22K), safe, and programmable by factory workers. What rings true in Brooks’ commentary is that people will find […]

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Keeping perspective

Keeping perspective

| March 19, 2011 | 1 Reply

Click on the chart above to see it in full size. The smallest scale is the one at the bottom (labeled (1)). Each scale above that one represents 10x the range of the scale below it. When you hear news reports about “detectable radiation that is above normally accepted limits” around the heavily damaged Fukushima […]

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Speaking of integrity…

Speaking of integrity…

| February 15, 2010 | Reply

…Dr. Phil Jones of the CRU made a series of (for warmists) startling admissions over the weekend. And, of course, Hitler has to weigh in. Hat tip to Gerard Van der Leun over at American Digest (one of the best blogs on the web). I know the Hitler clip is a bit overused, but this […]

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Climategate commentary from the past

Climategate commentary from the past

| December 4, 2009 | Reply

Words to ponder (emphasis mine): “There is one feature I notice that is generally missing in “cargo cult science.” . . . It’s a kind of scientific integrity, a principle of scientific thought that corresponds to a kind of utter honesty—a kind of leaning over backwards. For example, if you’re doing an experiment, you should […]

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Climategate: the knives start to come out

Climategate: the knives start to come out

| December 3, 2009 | Reply

I’ve avoided doing a lot of blogging on Climategate because so many other sites and bloggers are doing such a great job, while the Left gets increasingly shrill (“Pay no attention to the scientists behind the curtain!”). But a new critical point has been reached: the Warmist scientific elite are starting to turn on one […]

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A cautionary note on archeology

A cautionary note on archeology

| December 3, 2009 | Reply

Heh. Hat tip to American Digest. ..bruce..

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“Hide the Decline”, the music video

“Hide the Decline”, the music video

| November 25, 2009 | 1 Reply

I haven’t written much about ‘Climategate’ because so many others are doing such a great job (for example, see here, here, and here). But this video (hat tip to Ace of Spades) pretty much sums things up (and with a catchy tune, too!).  ..bruce w..

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