Science, and Then There Is Science

From My Jouranal

Big Results from Small Samples

October 2011

     The other evening we were watching a three-hour science program about threats to the earth, specifically meteorites crashing into our planet or the sun burning it up. Not global warming, but the sun actually expanding and being nearer the earth, therefore making it too warm for us to survive.

The meteorites, which they can sometime spot and track, I have no problem with, but the earth warming up gets me. They claim that the sun is warming up, and when it gets five percent hotter, will burn up the earth. They state with all the certainty of someone talking to a TV camera, where no one can ask them questions, that this would not happen for another billion years.

They have been measuring the sun’s temperature for what, maybe a hundred years now? And based on that miniscule sample they think that they can prognosticate what will happen after another billion years? This is like standing on the side of the road with your eyes closed. You blink them open for one-hundredth of a second then close them again and build a theory on what you’ve seen. Your conclusion is that there are only two cars in the world, one red, and one white. And because it has taken four billion years for these two cars to evolve, in another four billion years there will be sixteen cars in the world. (Do the math.)

During these programs they should pause every fifteen minutes and define the word “theory”. Many times they don’t even explain that what they’re talking about is a theory or a hypothesis.

I enjoy watching these science programs, but some of the ideas are put forward with such certainty that it is more entertainment for us than it obviously is to the scientists making the observations and predictions.

There is a new series out called “Through the Wormhole”, hosted by Morgan Freeman. He often explains that what he, or his scientists, are talking about are theories, and often only one of many about any one subject. I appreciate that approach.

Surprise, Surprise!

February 2012

     Today one of the headlines was “Three Members of Congress Receive Threatening Letters.” This was a surprise? Much more newsworthy would be a headline, “Today No Members of Congress Received Threatening Letters.”

Is This It, or Isn’t This It

December 2012

     The Mayans had a calendar that ran for 5,125 years ending on December 21, 2012. That’s a few days from now. Many people and groups are in a panic about what they assume to be the end of the world. Some groups are building arks and planning other survival schemes. There is a rumor that there is a space ship hiding in a mountain in the French Pyrenees. The French have thrown a military cordon around the mountain to keep out the people who are already seeking passage on this space ship that is purported to be leaving just before the deadline. My question is this: “Did anyone think to turn over the slab of rock this calendar is carved on to make sure that the next 5,125 years isn’t written on the back?”

Journalism at Its Best?

December, 2012

     A couple days ago some felons robbed Quebec of a good portion of their maple syrup supply, which amounted to about 10 million pounds of the sweet stuff. At least that is what the media reports. That sounds straight forward, right? Right. But let’s think about this for a minute. Ten million pounds is a lot to haul around. Considering that a tanker truck might carry about 80,000 pounds it would take 125 tanker trucks to carry the stuff away. Now how do you pull off a heist like this? A very sticky question to say the least. Am I missing something here?