Home › Blog › Page 330

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

A reader sent me this, commenting: Cannot make this up. Elon the Nazi has joined team Trump traitors campaign.

I look at the arrival of Elon Musk on the political scene as a terrible break for the health of humankind on this planet.

Imagine you had $200 billion, putting you in a position to educate the world’s children, end hunger, or put a stop to climate change.  Instead, your mission is to re-elect a criminal sociopath to the White House and put a nail into the coffin of American democracy.

 

Tagged with: , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Here’s an investment that I won’t be making: Miso Robotics and its product “Flippy.”  It uses robotics to cook French fries and flip burgers in fast-food restaurants.

Let’s begin by admitting that such a solution will ultimately replace humans, who are expensive and subject to making mistakes and receiving burn injuries.  In fact, this transformation is already under way.

But do these people offer a superior product at a more attractive price?

More to the point, do you want to speed up the process of laying off human workers while making it cheaper to make food that is essentially poisonous to the human body?

Someone posted this on social media: “If your grocery store has a section for ‘health food,’ ask yourself what’s in the rest of the store.”

Tagged with: , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

From the website Physics Is Fun:

Stephen Hawking’s quote, “I think the human race has no future if it doesn’t go into space,” underscores his belief in the existential importance of space exploration. He viewed humanity’s expansion into space as essential for survival, given the potential threats from overpopulation, resource depletion, and global catastrophes on Earth. By venturing into space, humans can ensure the continuation of our species, diversify our habitats, and potentially discover new resources and knowledge. Hawking’s words serve as a reminder of the critical need to look beyond our planet for the long-term survival and evolution of humanity.

Apparently, Hawking actually did say this, but I had to look it up to verify that, given that it doesn’t seem like something that one of our brightest minds would have produced.  He seems to be saying that humankind is in the process of ruining one planet, so let’s take all that greed and stupidity and spread it all over the galaxy.

Let’s say that a drug addict living in the United States wants to address his problem by moving to Mexico.  Does that make sense? Wouldn’t one assume that his problem is simply going to follow him around until he addresses and eradicates its cause?

I’m more taken by the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, who said, “If we can transform Mars into Earth, we can fix Earth.”

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

School boards in deeply red states like Florida are using textbooks with all reference to the subject of climate change removed.  Of course, that does not change the fact a warmer climate is one in which storms become more destructive than ever before, because of all the extra heat energy stored in the atmosphere and oceans.

Ultimately, Big Oil and the others with huge economic incentives to suppress our understanding of climate science will lose.  Unfortunately, places like Florida will be one big, semi-submerged, uninsurable mess by the time that happens.

As our society looks back on this time a few decades from now, it will come to a horrible realization:  It didn’t have to be this way. 

 

Tagged with: , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I like to answer this question as follows:

If it’s the study of anything that’s alive, or that’s ever been alive, that’s biology.

If it’s the study of how matter interacts at the level of the electrons that surround the nucleus of every atom/molecule, that’s chemistry.

If it’s literally any other scientific endeavor, that’s physics.  Thus, we have how matter interacts at the nuclear level, and …. mechanics (motion, force, pressure, gravity, energy/work. power, etc.), light, sound, heat, electricity and magnetism, the Earth, the cosmos, and all others things in the universe that are very large or very small.

Apparently, Ernst Rutherford, best known for his novel model of the atom in the early 20th Century, thought very highly of physics vis-a-vis the other sciences.

The meme below is completely incorrect, of course, but it’s (vaguely) funny.

 

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

The meme here makes sense until we realize something very important: there is no profit associated with teaching our kids about basic biology, but there is a ton of profit getting them to recognize and admire Jason Aldean, Patrick Mahomes, Gatorade, and the IPhone.

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Here’s a piece on the present-day controversy forwarded by the Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance to the effect that all women should have children.

I commented: Not to like kids? I wouldn’t say that’s natural.

… to which a reader replied: Kids can be super irritating.

LOL! Sorry to laugh, but I couldn’t help myself. Yes, I’ve had that experience, as a father, sports coach, and tutor. Yet kids need our assistance and compassion if they are to grow into mentally healthy adults and function well in our society. I urge everyone to make an effort to like and help children.

Let me add, for those too young to remember, that there was an extremely popular comedian in the early-mid 20th Century by the name of W. C. Fields, whose “schtick” as a performer was being as offensive and misanthropic as possible.  I.e., he meant this to be funny.
Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

The author of the meme here poses an excellent question.

I believe it will ultimately be shown that Putin had a great deal to do with this.  Russia benefits from a United States that is depleted morally, diplomatically, and economically.  An insane and autocratic leader who actively tried to overthrow the U.S. government is the biggest gift to Russia imaginable.

At the same time, the less controversial theories have weight as well, e.g., the devastated American educational system.  The whole concept of a Trump supporter, i.e., a voter who is incapable of seeing that the former is a pathological liar and conman, couldn’t have existed in any meaningful quantities until very recently.   Now we have people casting ballots who couldn’t find Ukraine on a map, or tell you what a virus is, or believe that the government controls the weather.

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Americans’ human rights are under fierce attack from the far-right-wing.  At left is a warning concerning the right of women to make their own choices regarding their reproductive systems, but it just as well could have dealt with LGBTQs, Muslims, people of color, or immigrants.

We’re only a few weeks away from seeing how voters weigh in on these subjects.

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Right now, we are seeing a slow but steady increase in the recognition that our climate is warming due primarily to the consumption of fossil fuels.

However, as 81-year-old climate scientist James Hansen said recently, it’s possible that, in his own lifetime, we’ll experience a climate-related event so terrible that virtually no climate deniers will remain.

Tagged with: