June 10, 2009
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has been all snapped together and stuff and is ready to be launched into outer space from Vandenberg in November. This will be a major eye in the sky for cosmology, since it will be able to see things that heretofore only space insects could see....…
June 10, 2009
a) Yes
b) No
c) If "b" is true, then "a" might be true
d) Almost Diamonds
e) Pick d! Pick d!
June 10, 2009
Perhaps we have a society in which free speech is worshiped. But we should also worship, or at the very least nurture, expect, and insist on, responsible speech.
Note: The following is from FOX News.
June 10, 2009
My understanding is that most people who go to chiropractors get either nothing, somewhat injured, severely injured, or even (now and then) chiropracted to death. Of course, the same could be said of doctors or health care systems in general: Many people do not walk out of the hospital alive.…
June 10, 2009
I put this below the fold because Sean Hannity is obscene.
Did she say "We believe in rational discord?" (at about 1:38)
Hat Tip DMB
June 10, 2009
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
June 10, 2009
There is an interesting piece in Religion Dispatches pointing out that when the Muslim American killer of an army recruiter was being profiled in the press, his religion was identified as a key potentially motivating factor, but Scott Roeder's religious connections are not being touched on to…
June 10, 2009
MORE UPDATES: The guard, Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, shot earlier today by right winger von Brunn has died.
The 89 year old gunman, James Wenneker von Brunn 88, of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, shot one person, who is in grave condition in hospital. The gunman was himself shot by one or more…
June 10, 2009
Some time ago there began an effort to build a state of the art Planetarium and Space Discovery Center in Minnesota, most likely in Minneapolis. These plans have been set back by the usual forces, but are nonetheless moving ahead. (It certainly is a good thing John McCain did not win the election…
June 10, 2009
Presumably they are going for the drugs and prostitution.
Up to 4,000 social conservatives are expected to descend upon liberal Amsterdam, Netherlands, on August 10-12 for the biennial World Congress of Families, a meeting that brings together scholars, academics, policy makers, elected officials…
June 10, 2009
See the other video and more at Dump Bachmann.
June 10, 2009
The mission was temporarily interrupted when the computer inexplicably rebooted. Perhaps they should have used Linux on the embedded Power PC hardware, rather than the proprietary system they did use. From a NASA press release:
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is examining…
June 9, 2009
A few blog carnivals for you to enjoy:
Everything Worth Reading: Sweet Little Sixteen Edition
Scientia Pro Publica
Storyblogging Carnival C
June 9, 2009
iCephalon 2009 Keynote address (AKA Encephalon 72) at Cognitive Daily.
June 9, 2009
I had finished eating and finally had my hands free to take some notes, but I couldn't keep up with Matt Entenza's torrent of ideas for what he sees in Minnesota's future. In particular, his ideas on what he would like to do for an economy that needs boosting.
.... On Quiche Moraine
June 9, 2009
I had never felt airsick before, or since. But now I was a nauseated rag doll flopping around in the middle row of a six seater prop plane and I was ready to hurl at any moment.
BBC depiction of the path of Flight 447. I find it astonishing that the most important weather related feature on…
June 9, 2009
Royal Dutch Shell has agreed a $15.5m (£9.7m) out-of-court settlement in a case accusing it of complicity in human rights abuses in Nigeria.
It was brought by relatives of nine anti-oil campaigners, including author Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were hanged in 1995 by Nigeria's then military rulers.
The oil…
June 8, 2009
... Entire state breaths collective sigh of relief ...
Speculation was mounting in St. Paul and elsewhere that Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision not to seek a third term in 2010 -- perhaps to seek the 2012 Republican U.S. presidential nomination -- means Coleman is planning to end his legal battle with…
June 8, 2009
Last week, a very bad thing happened to me, a life changing experience, the kind of thing many people with blogs would tell everyone about, trolling for sympathy and making everyone feel bad. Well, I am certainly not above doing that, but strategically I've decided to tell only a few people what…
June 8, 2009
A kiss can be erotic. It can be a sign of friendship. It can be affirming of a relationship. (Or it can be other things.) Sheril wants you to help her decide when a kiss is just a kiss. Or not.
June 7, 2009
Sorry, this has to stay below the fold. Comments are closed.
The Garfunkel and Oates, "F**k You" Video:
June 7, 2009
Note: First Woman Michele Obama confirms my suspicion
Who is smarter, men or women?
Any college teacher (at least in the social sciences and life sciences) who has ever paid attention to their own stats know that women do better than men in college classes.
OK, women are smarter. But why?
There…
June 6, 2009
Drori encourages us to save biodiversity -- one seed at a time. Reminding us that plants support human life, he shares the vision of the Millennium Seed Bank, which has stored over 3 billion seeds to date from dwindling yet essential plant species.
Jonathan Drori has dedicated his career to media…
June 5, 2009
Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- "the world's second language" -- by the thousands.
It's befitting that an entrepreneur and inventor so prolific and acclaimed…
June 4, 2009
More below the fold
Hat Tip James
June 4, 2009
There is an interesting post on The Intersection called Civility and the New Atheists, by Chris Mooney. In the post, Chris reviews Barbara Forrest's statements that in engaging int he cross-world-view debate (scientists vs. creationists, atheists, vs religion, etc.) one should maintian etiquette…
