A mathematical analysis that I’d always assumed was the case, but had never actually seen. This is where smarter cars could help.

There are three topics that will launch endless threads at Free Republic: evolution, homosexuality and the the War On (Some) Drugs. These are the cleavage lines in the conservative movement.

Anyway, this one, from an evolution/creationism post, made me laugh:

I guess the some apes just refused to stand up in an effort to avoid putting on clothes and going to work. These are probably the apes that want to hold on to their culture. I have a neighbor that appears as though he’s reverting back to an ape. He even put up a tire swing for his kids.

There is a non-chemical way to control them:

The lead researcher also examined vacuum bags for toxicity and exposed fleas to churning air in separate tests to further explore potential causes of flea death. He and a colleague believed that the damaging effects of the brushes, fans and powerful air currents in vacuum cleaners combine to kill the fleas. The study used a single model of an upright vacuum, but researchers don’t think the vacuum design has much bearing on the results.

What I don’t get, though, is how you get the cat to lie still while you run the Hoover over her. I know that Jessica wouldn’t stand for it for a microsecond. And it would be tough to do a good job on the tail. Maybe they’ll do some further research.

“Don’t fight, adapt.

Also, is oil production really peaking? Not in Brazil:

Wait a minute. Wasn’t oil supposed to be running out? Wasn’t all the oil out there already discovered? If this new “Sugar Loaf” field in Brazil pans out, the world oil picture won’t be the same.

Brazil will become an even bigger exporter in a decade or so than projected and could put pressure on the club of petrotyrants that now has a monopoly on resources. Best of all, it throws doomsday assumptions about oil “peaking” on its head.

The world produces about 85 million barrels of oil a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Global energy demand is expected to rise 55% from 2005-2030. Peak oil theories abound that new discoveries are not keeping up with oil usage. But it’s significant that the new demand also is fostering big new discoveries, largely from the very countries where demand is growing most.

It’s gloomy times for gloom mongers.

“Don’t fight, adapt.

Also, is oil production really peaking? Not in Brazil:

Wait a minute. Wasn’t oil supposed to be running out? Wasn’t all the oil out there already discovered? If this new “Sugar Loaf” field in Brazil pans out, the world oil picture won’t be the same.

Brazil will become an even bigger exporter in a decade or so than projected and could put pressure on the club of petrotyrants that now has a monopoly on resources. Best of all, it throws doomsday assumptions about oil “peaking” on its head.

The world produces about 85 million barrels of oil a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Global energy demand is expected to rise 55% from 2005-2030. Peak oil theories abound that new discoveries are not keeping up with oil usage. But it’s significant that the new demand also is fostering big new discoveries, largely from the very countries where demand is growing most.

It’s gloomy times for gloom mongers.

“Don’t fight, adapt.

Also, is oil production really peaking? Not in Brazil:

Wait a minute. Wasn’t oil supposed to be running out? Wasn’t all the oil out there already discovered? If this new “Sugar Loaf” field in Brazil pans out, the world oil picture won’t be the same.

Brazil will become an even bigger exporter in a decade or so than projected and could put pressure on the club of petrotyrants that now has a monopoly on resources. Best of all, it throws doomsday assumptions about oil “peaking” on its head.

The world produces about 85 million barrels of oil a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Global energy demand is expected to rise 55% from 2005-2030. Peak oil theories abound that new discoveries are not keeping up with oil usage. But it’s significant that the new demand also is fostering big new discoveries, largely from the very countries where demand is growing most.

It’s gloomy times for gloom mongers.

John Tierney had a discussion with one of the researchers. As he notes, the public reaction to this research is fascinating. Sexual orientation (like evolution) is one of those areas where people check their rationality at the door.

And (as is more and more the case the longer I blog), this isn’t the first time I’ve discussed this issue.

A very nasty new virus. If you get a cold that gets very bad, particularly with lung congestion, get to the doctor immediately.

I doubt if this will work for humans (for one thing, I’m pretty sure that my heterosexuality has nothing to do with my sense of smell), but it does show that sexual orientation is a lot more complicated that most people want to think.

Should this be a necessary characteristic of a president?

If so, I suspect that none of the major candidates, of either party, would qualify (though perhaps Ron Paul might, being an MD). Hillary!, Obama and Edwards are all lawyers. So are Giuliani and Thompson, and Romney has a JD and an MBA (though McCain might have picked up math and science at Annapolis). Why would they know much about science? And historically, while there have been exceptions, not that many people come to politics at all, let alone the presidency, via science.

There’s a lot more to scientific literacy than understanding (and agreeing with) evolution, and being in favor of embryonic stem cell research. In fact, I don’t think that Al Gore is scientifically literate (in the way I understand that phrase–a good understanding of basic scientific principles, and able to both perform and recognize good analysis, including the math, as well as a facility with logic).