Carl Sagan Blog-a-thon

What did Carl Sagan do for me?

He taught me that it was OK to ask "why", forever. He served as a role model in that regard.

He also served as a role model of scientist as communicator.

Because of Carl Sagan, when we got an Encyclopedia Britannica (we may have been poor, back then, in the pre-Internet days, but we with the Britannica were wealthy beyond dreams) I browsed it. And romped through it. And chewed my way across it.

I learned about special relativity long before taking a physics class. What cool stuff! Such knowledge! All in one place! I reveled in it. REVELED IN IT.

Because of Carl Sagan, I knew science was cool, education was cool, learning was cool, long before anyone came along to try and peer-pressure me out of it. (Whether because I was a girl or because of some mistaken belief that ignorance = hip.) The peer pressure didn't take.

I learned about history, geology, DNA, evolution, Galileo, gravity, Voyager, and the birth and death of the universe from Carl Sagan. He opened up all of human knowledge to me, and did it with passion and articulate grace.

As if I were a little duckling, he imprinted me to science. Thank you, Dr. Sagan.

Honestly, I Could Just Close Up Shop, Right Here

"When Kepler found his long-cherished belief did not agree with the most precise observation, he accepted the uncomfortable fact. He preferred the hard truth to his dearest illusions, that is the heart of science."

Carl Sagan, Cosmos.

The beating heart of science, what makes us move mountains and extend horizons, is this simple, terrible preference: rather to be pierced by truth, than a whole fool.

Thank you, ciroccoj, for letting me know about tomorrow's Sagan blog-a-thon. I will be there.

"Carl was a candle in the dark," said Yervant Terzian, the David Duncan Professor in the Physical Sciences and former astronomy department chair, after Sagan's death. "He was, quite simply, the best science educator in the world this century. He touched hundreds of millions of people and inspired young generations to pursue the sciences."

Did he ever.

Winter in Europe cancelled?

Concern over Europe 'snow crisis'.

That's global warming for you. And people who think the environment and the economy have nothing to do with each other? You're wrong: "Already banks are refusing to offer loans to resorts under 1,500 metres as they fear for their future snow cover."

Interesting and Amusing, in Different Ways

Reconsidering Star Wars IV in the light of I-III. R2-D2 as key spy for the Rebellion? Obi-Wan lying to Luke out of fear he'll turn out like his father? Hm. It kind of works.

Global Orgasm for World Peace Scheduled for Dec 22, 2006. I'm confused how it can really be synchronized if you can, you know, whenever you like that day. Plus, the site plays music at you. (Not terribly annoying music, rather classy guitar.) Fun with a serious purpose, as one of the GlobalO blog posts put it (Keep Spreading the Word).

I can understand how the connection between sexuality and the problems of the human race might seem tenuous, frivolous or in bad taste. But when you understand that most male human behavior, from violence and war to generosity and kindness, is a form of sexual display, the whole perspective changes. What better way to bring attention to, and perhaps make less acceptable, the kinds of displays that are threatening us and every other organism on the planet than the root cause of all the
displays - the orgasm? [Why the Global Oh!?]

Okay. I'm down with that.

N.J. Okays Civil Unions

All the rights, different name. New Jersey legalises gay unions

World's tallest man saves dolphins

Wow. World's tallest man saves dolphins.

There's just something about the low-tech nature of this solution that I love. Wanna talk about ingenuity, common-sense, and making do with what you got? Talk about wrapping a towel to blunt a dolphin's teeth and then sticking your arm down his throat.

True Colors of Religious Right Showing

Christian Coalition president-elect quits over agenda qualms

The Rev. Joel Hunter, of Northland, A Church Distributed, in Longwood, Fla., said he quit as president-elect of the group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson because he realized he would be unable to broaden the organization's agenda beyond opposing abortion and same-sex marriage.

He hoped to include issues such as easing poverty and saving the environment.

"These are issues that Jesus would want us to care about," Hunter said.

The resignation took place Tuesday during an organization board meeting. Hunter said he was not asked to leave.

"They pretty much said, 'These issues are fine, but they're not our issues; that's not our base,'" Hunter said. A statement issued by the coalition said Hunter resigned because of "differences in philosophy and vision."

Doing the stuff Jesus told Christians to do? "[N]ot our issues; that's not our base."

The teachings of Christ? Not their issues.

Good Question

"So How Come We Haven't Stopped It?" John Prendergast in The Washington Post asks, when will we take real action about Darfur?

Stunning Photos

A great series of nudes from Leonard Nimoy's "Full Body Project".

[Obviously, if nudity is not safe for work for you, then these images are not safe for work.]

Truer words were never spoken

But [Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's director of communications, Eric Fehrnstrom] said the loss also "might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Republicans. It might take a one party system for the voters in Massachusetts to see what a healthy two-party balance means for democracy.”*

Yeah, I think so. Let's just hope that applies at the national level, and we've reclaimed some of that necessary balance across the country, in the Senate, and in the House.

*Patrick makes history: Milton lawyer is first black gov. of Mass.

Vote!

Happy Halloween

from the skeletons in the closet of Parenthetically Speaking.

New Look For Parenthetically Speaking

A new look for Halloween, the upcoming election, and life in modern America -- hell-bent, it seems some days, on returning to the Middle Ages.

Images used are Medieval Macabre, a most awesome looking site, part of Gode Cookery, whom I plan to patronize at the first opportunity.

Excellent Article on Abortion

UK-specific, and well worth reading.

Time to Speak Up

(Hat tip to Medley, for furling this one. I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.)

Tell me, my invisible audience, when you read this: do you think someone could get this article published, in America today? Riddle me that.

Report from the Pragmatism and Paramecia Dept

In flu crisis, we all can't stay home: Harvard survey raises realities of a pandemic

Ask Americans whether they would hole up at home to keep from spreading a super-strain of flu, and at first they pledge to cooperate.

But probe deeper, and here come the doubts. One in 4 adults says there is no one to care for them if they got sick, raising the specter of Grandma gasping alone in bed or a single mother passed out while her children wail.

Another 1 in 4 could not afford to miss work for even a week.

And 1 in 5 fears the boss would insist they come to work even if they were sick and contagious.

This is bizarre. It's like they're surprised that people aren't all rich, living together, and/or have nannies.

No, this is America. We all work our asses off for too little money, with an ethic that demands we work no matter how bad we feel, with little to no job protection. And yes, there's a hell of a lot of elderly living alone, single moms, and just generally a lot of people out there who live alone.

Oh, and all of us with no health insurance.

Well, duh.