Archives for November, 2011
The Best Eclipse Ever (of the moon and of the sun)
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2011 I remember my first solar eclipse. I was a kid, and it was the one Carlie Simon sang about, in March 1970. (The eclipse reference is just past three minutes. Some other time we can argue over whether or not Carlie, singing in this video on Martha’s Vineyard, was referring to the March 1970 eclipse…
The Feast
Posted by Greg Laden on November 24, 2011 Time for the thanksgiving story. But first, when you are preparing your Thanksgiving Turkey, you might want to keep this in mind. And now … a feast.
What will you be cooking for Thanksgiving?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 23, 2011 If you are looking for some recipes, here are a few suggestions. Theory and background Thinking Thanksgiving I Thinking Thanksgiving II Homemade Thanksgiving How to do a Godless Thanksgiving Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey What is a turkey, really? Brining the bird How to cook a turkey How to NOT cook a turkey. The True Meaning of…
Lynn Margulis Has Died
Posted by Greg Laden on November 23, 2011 Lynn Margulis died yesterday at her home in Amherst at the age of 73. Margulis is best known and best remembered for her endosymbiotic theory. You know what this is because you took basic biology and it is now part of every textbook. Notably, at the time Margulis published this idea, it was rejected and…
Chinese Space Litter Threatens International Space Station
Posted by Greg Laden on November 23, 2011 Vote for LeRoy Bell
Posted by Greg Laden on November 22, 2011 Don’t forget, XFactor is on NAO!!!! Vote for LeRoy!
Happy Turkey Day! Don’t be an idiot!
Posted by Greg Laden on November 22, 2011 For reasons that are entirely beyond my comprehension, some time ago, people started to deep fry their turkeys. Don’t do it unless you know what you are doing. And you probably don’t know what you are doing. Here’s what William Shatner has to day about it:
Womanspace? Manspace ….
Posted by Greg Laden on November 22, 2011 I may or may not have written a blog post called “Manspace.” Its relationship to “Womanspace” and “Womanspacegate” will be only partly obvious.
I am the Angry Left. But if I was in Congress I’d still be polite.
Posted by Greg Laden on November 22, 2011 We know that the right wing revels in stupidity; Willful stupidity and well practiced stupidity are thought to be the way elitist anti-populous tax-the-middle-class Republicans capture support from the masses. Seems to work rather well. But increasingly this trope of (ig)noble ignorance is being supplemented by large doses of mean spirited in your face angry…
Hackers Release More Emails Stolen from Scientists …
Posted by Greg Laden on November 22, 2011 For now, a press release. More later:
Radio Interview with Shawn Otto
Posted by Greg Laden on November 21, 2011 If you tried to listen to yesterday’s Atheist Talk Radio interview with Shawn Otto, you may not have been able to …. the Internet Connection at the radio station was down. That is a very rare event Rare enough, in fact, that we checked outside to see if #Occupy was on our doorstep (the radio…
Wake up and turn on the radio!
Posted by Greg Laden on November 20, 2011 This morning on Atheist Talk Radio, I’ll be interviewing Shawn Lawrence Otto, who has just launched his book, “Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America,” a richly documented and well reasoned analysis of modern science denialism, especially addressing climate change. We’ll speak about Shawn’s book as well as the current state of…
Huxley is reluctant to display his magical powers
Posted by Greg Laden on November 19, 2011 Huxley started his Basketball Training today
Posted by Greg Laden on November 19, 2011 Why do Republicans hate America and the Earth?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 19, 2011 This is a bit long but you will benefit from watching all of it. It gets extra hot at 31:30. I love the look on that woman’s face at 31:38 and again at 31:47. LOL. This particular member of congress, Don Young from Alaska, needs to get unelected. Frank J. Vondersaar seems to be the…
Tradition!!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on November 18, 2011 Tradition. Not just a song from Fiddler on the Roof. You know the refrain: “The Papa, the Papa! Tradition.” It’s a great play but it is firmly rooted in the patriarchy, as “tradition” often is. There are many ways to define “tradition” and we can look it up somewhere and have a flameware over dictionary…
It turns out Neutrinos actually Do go faster than light! Maybe.
Posted by Greg Laden on November 18, 2011 If you really, really believe in this whole Einstein and Physics thing you’re gonna say “Noez!!!! Nothing can go faster than the speed of light, c, see? So something is wrong with the NEW experiment replicating the results of the earlier experiment TOO. But maybe it is time to OVERTHROE the Physics Conspiracy and Expose…
The problem with our system of science education is …
Posted by Greg Laden on November 17, 2011 Teachers teach facts instead of concepts. Teachers teach from the textbooks and barely understand what is in the book anyway. There is not enough hands-on learning. All teachers really do anyway is to show videos most of the time. What should really happen is that a teacher should learn how to do science, intensively, with…
Japan Nuclear Disaster Update # 40: Fukushima Plant Still Producing Energy! (In a bad way)
Posted by Analiese Miller and Greg Laden on November 17, 2011 The Fukushima nuclear power plant was opened to journalists for the first time; See below for numerous links to related stories. There appears to be very high levels of radiation at Fukushima plant reactor #3, and at either reactors 1 and 3, or both, nuclear fission may have been occurring in the melted down remains.…
Why do birds living near Chernobyl have smaller brains?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 17, 2011 Well, obviously it is going to be something about radiation. Check out my latest post at 10,000 Birds.
Say Good Bye to Net Neutrality, and More
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2011 PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.
Shawn Otto and Climate Change on The Radio: This Sunday
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2011 Please join us this Sunday on Atheist Talk Radio! I’ll be interviewing Shawn Lawrence Otto, who has just launched his book, “Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America,” a richly documented and well reasoned analysis of modern science denialism, especially addressing climate change. We’ll speak about the current state of climate change…
Michael Mann Gets Hans Oeschger Medal
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2011 Here’s the press release: Mann to receive Hans Oeschger Medal from European Geosciences Union UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Michael Mann, professor of meteorology and geosciences and director, Earth System Science Center, Penn State, was awarded the Hans Oeschger Medal of the European Geosciences Union. The medal was established in 2001 in recognition of the scientific…
The LeRoy Bell Story
Posted by Greg Laden on November 16, 2011 In case you want to know more about my nephew, LeRoy Bell, who is a contestant in the Top Ten on the XFactor USA show, and who will be performing TONIGHT (and you can VOTE!!!), check out this really nice write up on The Root: ‘X Factor’ Crooner Is ‘Livin’ It Up’ – LeRoy Bell,…
Twin Cities Readers:
Posted by Greg Laden on November 15, 2011 Thursday is Occupy the Tenth Avenue Bridge Day!
Finally, my Jet Pack is here!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on November 15, 2011 Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman — flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short film shows how it works, Rossy takes the TEDGlobal stage to share the experience and thrill of flying.
Two Scottish children poisoned eating TV host Loyd Grossman’s curry sauce
Posted by Greg Laden on November 15, 2011 The crap is hitting the rotating blades
Posted by Greg Laden on November 15, 2011 In what almost seems like a coordinated events, Occupy Wallstreet activites are being shut down across the country, with the big news being a rather violent raid on Zuccotti park this morning. This is promising to be an intense week for the Occupy movement, with Thursday having been slated as a day of major protest.…
Yates Working On Who?
Posted by Greg Laden on November 14, 2011 With the end of the ‘Harry Potter’ film franchise and ‘The Stand’ no longer on his plate, director David Yates has revealed that his next project is a full length feature film of the long running British show ‘Doctor Who.’* I would have thought there were already people on this, but I guess not. So,…
, which is now available for the 
