Something about climate change makes people want to argue. Take Greenland, for instance. A few weeks ago, I posted a photo essay about the recent acceleration of melting in the Greenland Ice Sheet. Not only is the entry is still getting comments, but it also spurred a discussion on a political message forum that went on for six pages. Watching all these opinions fly, there were a number of times that I wanted to dive in and start defending science... but I’m a hermit, and it is more fun to lurk and watch. Besides, every point that I wanted to bring up can be found in a paper I’ve been waiting…
Citizens of Colorado seem to enjoy pointing out the fortuitous nature of the state’s climate. "Don’t like the weather?" they say, "don’t worry, it’ll soon change." If it is difficult to predict the weather on a day-to-day basis, how could anyone hope to predict the effects of climate change in the future? Even the most generalized predictions are helpful, as the same attractions that bring people to live in Colorado--skiing on snowy mountains or hiking in lush evergreen forests--are dependant on the climate. The same folks who comment on the climate depend on it as much as natural ecosystems-…
The snow looks like couscous: That is all.
For those who know my blog well, you might think this is going to be another apology for a lack of posts. Surprise... it isn’t. No, honestly, I’m just pondering the nature of time and complexity again, or at least how it applies to this thing we call life. It seems like we’re obsessed with being on time: hurry up and wait; walk, don’t run, but aren’t you supposed to be there by now? Sounds stressful. Yet, if there is anything I’ve learned about life, it is that stress is a waste of time. Are we all caught in some fantastic Catch-22? Or is there a way out? All right.... this isn’t really a…
So, here we are, in another year. I found 2007 to be something of a wild ride, and I don’t have a very strong desire to look back and review the year. Then again, I don’t really care to make a bunch of predictions and promises about the coming year, either. I can say it will probably be a little chaotic. Years usually are. Don’t worry... those little unexpected variations in life are exactly what makes life so interesting. So, rather than your usual "Year-in-Review" or list of the usual "New Year’s Resolutions" here instead are a handful of unexpected oddities to greet 2008: First, when it…
It is nearly a magical sight to wake up to the gentle snowfall on Christmas morning. When the snow is still falling two days later, the magic starts to fade. Eventually, while poking at several inches of ice, buried beneath ten inches of snow, in hopes of finding your car, what was once magic soon becomes kicking and cursing: "&#%!@* MELT ALREADY!" But that’s the story in Colorado, at least. Elsewhere, say atop the sheet of ice covering Greenland, you might hear similar expletives, with a different tone. "&#%!@* MELT ALREADY!?" Because, as feared, Greenland is melting... but far more…
Here’s wishing you the very best this holiday season, with a fractal Christmas tree: Now, wait.... shouldn’t the lights on the tree be blinking? Merry Christmas! Update: A few people have expressed interest in decorating their own pages with this tree. (It certainly is easy to put up!) For ease of decoration, here is an animated gif. Thanks to Alan for putting it together for me! Regular posting (whatever that may be) will resume Wendsday. All fractals created by the author using ChaosPro.
I’m beginning to think I should have been born a bear. I keep fighting the urge to hibernate. It must be seasonal effective disorder. I’d always attributed the stress I get this time of year to holiday plans and cramming for finals--you know, poor timing. This year, in hopes of curing those winter blues, I started Christmas early, and paced my studies well. Yet, I’ve still been tired and, well, mopey. For instance, I’ll hear a song or see something familiar, and start crying for no particular reason. Or, just when I think I have free time, I’ll fall asleep right where I’m sitting.…
Are you looking to tell someone to "adapt" this Christmas? Or perhaps you’ve been seeking the perfect gift for the nerd in your life, one that merges science and art. In either case, you’re in luck. The Chaotic Utopia Curio Shop has just opened, after much anticipation. Just in time for the holidays, the shop (via cafe press) has an odd variety of gifts in addition to the Adapt Fish stickers. There are fractal t-shirts, jewelry boxes, clocks, and even an "I see fractals in my coffee" mug. So, wether you’re looking for last-minute stocking-stuffers or just like looking at fractal art, come…
Oh, the hustle and bustle of the holidays... Here, I was psyched and ready to go: prepared for finals, term papers either written or outlined, Christmas shopping done, baking ingredients bought... and what happens? I get sick, naturally. So, instead of writing and responding to comments, I’ve spent the past few days curled up in a feverish ball wishing for a magic cure, or save that, a swift death. But... the snow finally came. After a few warm and even rainy weeks, Colorado has been blanketed in that fine white powder that our state is known for. The snow was so powdery and light that it…
Is it just me, or are the holidays getting more and more high tech and environmentally friendly? Maybe it is me. I haven’t used real pine to decorate for the holidays in years. There may be some bits among the potpourri in the centerpiece, but just about everything else has been replaced with paper or plastic versions of the real thing: the tree, the garlands, and the wreath. This year, I’ve been seeking better ways to do the holiday thing. For instance, my tree and garlands now are strung with LED lights. (The odd "lunar white" glow was a bit disconcerting at first--they seem to flicker with…
The winds are blowing off of the Rockies, hitting the Front Range with brute force. The winds make walking around campus either fun or near impossible, and shake my townhome with enough force to rattle the ornaments on the mantel. The odd thing about the winds is the warmth.... it isn’t the slightest bit chilly. Still, the leaves have fallen from the trees around the school buildings, left to now dance around in the breeze. That shaking mantel is covered in tinsel and lights.... nevermind the warmth; it’s nearly the holidays! So, here’s an odd assortment of things to do on a windy Tuesday…
Roots Camp turned out to be pretty fun; I enjoyed talking to people about the causes and effects of climate change, and showing them how to defend the science when dealing with denialists. (A link to the presentation can be found at the end of this post.) Over a dozen people showed up in the brightly lit chapel room at the Unitarian Church to hear me speak and to discuss climate science. The big stained glass window on one end of the room was absolutely gorgeous, but sort of drowned out my presentation, projected on the opposite wall. Nonetheless, my slides were mostly visible and the…
Some time ago, I gave instructions for making your own paper fractal. I’ve decided to do another today. This time, instead of ending up with a crumpled paper ball, you’ll have a design worthy of becoming a holiday decoration. Remember those old paper snowflakes that we would cut as children? We’re going to use the same concept today to create a fractal snowflake. To make this fractal, you’ll need a piece of white paper, some scissors, a straight edge (a ruler, or even another folded piece of paper) and a compass. The latter two items are actually optional--you could trust your eye instead--…
I've been trying to find a snowflake to photograph for this week's fractal, but our skies are clear. Maybe this is it: Via Kevin & Kell by Bill Holbrook.
If you’re in the Denver area this weekend, with nothing better to do, then come check out the Rocky Mountain Roots Camp. I'll be giving a presentation on climate change and defending predictive science today at 1:30 pm in the chapel room of the First Unitarian Church in Denver (at 14th & Lafayette.) It should be fun! If you can't make it (I know this is a little last minute) just check back soon; I'll post my presentation later. In the meantime, I'll try to get this week's fractal up...
I last left this blog on an ambiguous note. Followed by another unannounced absence, this might have seemed strangely ironic. It was for me--that post was written the day before my Thanksgiving break, and I had absolutely nothing planned--except to write. That, as you might have guessed, is exactly what I didn’t do. Hence the ironic part: I’ve been obsessing over prediction lately (that’s what I had intended to write about) yet I can’t seem to even predict my own behavior. Can we hope to predict anything, let alone global changes? That’s the big question. Now, while I didn’t exactly write, I…
Sorry for the delay, folks... I’ve been bogged down with homework this past week, and now have a sick kid on my hands. So, the Friday Fractal was bumped to Saturday, and then Sunday. I’ve said it before; I ought to just call these the "Weekend Fractals". When two people see the same thing, do they necessarily have the same experience? This is a problem which troubles philosophers, particularly philosophers of science. I just finished writing a paper on the subject, comparing the views of several scholars. I won’t post it until it has been graded, but in the meantime, I’m still stuck thinking…
Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to bite off more than you could chew? Apparently, such behavior is appropriate among some species. Even so, it isn’t necessarily healthy, as this case shows: A fish whose eyes are bigger than its stomach meets an untimely demise. Dead fish floating on the surface of the water isn’t really an unusual sight, but when McPherson 'Dorson’ Wright ran across this one in the Cayman Islands, he was quite puzzled. Mr. Wright said that normally one expects 'big fish to eat down the small fish", but the hungry little fish broke that rule in a big way. The…
I wrote this one over a year ago. I wasn’t weirding out about educational choices, as I described in a recent post, but aging. Even though the circumstances are different, however, I’m still in a similar mindset. So, while terms like "yesterday" and "this week" are irrelevant here, I think it will fit in well. So, let’s all feel like a bug. I’m in a Kafkaesque mood, thinking of transformations, the helplessness of watching such change through a unique and uninterpretable perception. Perhaps this is because I’m turning 30 this week, and I haven’t quite come to terms with that fact. (It was…