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An irregular exploration of the struggle between the power of rational discourse and the scientific method on one hand, and the forces of superstition and dogma on the other. Mostly regarding climate change, though.
James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist and communications consultant based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
The Demon-Haunted World:
Science as a Candle
in the Dark,
by Carl Sagan
(A
review)
The Doubter's Companion:
by John Ralston Saul (Excerpts)
Skeptic Magazine: www.skeptic.com
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal: www.csicop.org
A poem by Yehuda Amichai:
The
Place
Where We Are Right
The Meaning of the
Island of Doubt
By doubting we come to inquiry; and through inquiry we perceive truth.
--- Peter Abelard
Undisguised clarity is easily mistaken for arrogance.
-- Richard Dawkins
As for evolution, it happened. Deal with it.
-- Michael Shermer.
"There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things
which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand.
Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving, and
tiny blasts of tinny trumpets, we have met the enemy, and not only may
he be ours, he may be us."
--Walt Kelly
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Category: technology
Posted on: April 16, 2008 9:23 AM, by James Hrynyshyn
The European Space Agency devoted some computer time to this representation of all the space junk orbiting the earth.
It shows trackable objects in low-Earth orbit from the aspect of the North Pole. Low-Earth orbit is the domain of many commercial, military, scientific and navigational satellites as well as debris, which drift for decades before eventually burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
Yikes.
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Comments
Wow, this is awesome. But note the scale of the symbols. Each piece of debris looks to be almost the size of Madagascar or something, so the image is a little misleading. Still a very important rendering, though.
Posted by: Peter Etnoyer | April 16, 2008 10:41 AM
Cue Devo in 3, 2, 1.....
Posted by: NJ | April 16, 2008 11:12 AM
Can you enlarge the pic? I think I spotted a missing piece of my luggage there....
Posted by: Ian | April 16, 2008 11:23 AM
Max Headroom predicted this 20 years ago and its going to come true soon: "Skyfall", the new festival to replace Mardi Gras with a world-wide fest celebrating the day every year when companies intentionally down their garbage satellites.
Cue sales of Skyfall brand binoculars, telescopes, and steel umbrellas now...
Posted by: Joe Shelby | April 16, 2008 11:32 AM
Ah, so that's what's causing global warming -- all that junk burning up in the atmosphere. ;)
Posted by: chezjake | April 16, 2008 11:42 AM
So we can be satisfied to just clutter up and f@#$ up our own planet... we have to start cluttering space with our junk. we know very little of our own planet and we are only now finding out how pissed it is at how we have been treating it. Now we know relatively very little about space and we want to test its wrath as well.
not a smart idea, lets stop being careless, we are the messy roommate that nobody wants. We are close to being kicked out.
Posted by: Nathaniel sSheppard | February 13, 2009 5:36 PM