Category Archives: Technology and Society

Media Criticism, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

The Philosophical Divide In Space

24 Comments

Go read this whole thread.

As I wrote a year and a half ago:

…we have to be ready for that debate. There is a moral case to be made for settling space by humanity, warts and all, and we have to be prepared to make it.

I think that many in the space community underestimate the depth of this cultural divide. And they’ve already deployed the race card against human expansion into the solar system.

General Science, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

The Real War On Science

20 Comments

Yes, it comes from the Left and (as with racism) always has. And when they accuse the Republicans of it, it’s simply the usual projection from them. I’ve offered to debate Chris Mooney, too, but I suspect he knows he wouldn’t do well.

[Update a while later]

More thoughts from Judith Curry. And I agree with her that Mooney’s Storm World was (surprising to me, after the polemical Republican War On Science) a good book.

[Update a while later]

This seems sort of related: The global warming “consensus” falls strongly on the side of skeptics:

Taken together, these four skeptical groups numerically blow away the 36 percent of scientists who believe global warming is human caused and a serious concern.

One interesting aspect of this new survey is the unmistakably alarmist bent of the survey takers. They frequently use terms such as “denier” to describe scientists who are skeptical of an asserted global warming crisis, and they refer to skeptical scientists as “speaking against climate science” rather than “speaking against asserted climate projections.” Accordingly, alarmists will have a hard time arguing the survey is biased or somehow connected to the ‘vast right-wing climate denial machine.’

I’ve often written this, but anyone still using the “97%” number is either a demagogue, or ignorant. And when they use it, it’s a strong signal that their opinions can be safely ignored.

[Early afternoon update]

Thoughts from John Tierney himself, where he briefly discusses the unwillingness of the Left to debate him.

General Science, History, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

Animals Living In Our Houses

17 Comments

Why is it happening?

As that great philosopher Homer J. Simpson once said, “Animals are crapping in our houses, and we’re cleaning it up. That’s not America! It’s not even Mexico!”

Seriously I’d say that we domesticated dogs, but cats (along with grass) domesticated us. And it’s worth noting, which the article doesn’t, that cat’s haven’t really been domesticated; they too have been tamed, and generally require taming from birth. Feral cats, after a certain age, regardless of their ancestry, will generally remain wild.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

SLS/Orion

51 Comments

This is almost comical, or would be if it wasn’t such a tragic waste:

In an interview this summer, the engineer who oversees the development of SLS and Orion for NASA, Bill Hill, acknowledged that the vehicles were too costly now to be practical. “We’re just way too expensive today,” Hill told Ars. “It’s going to take some different thinking and maybe a little bit more risk taking than what we’re wanting to do today.”

Gee, if only someone had warned them about this. Or if only insane NASA boosters had realized that how much things cost really does matter.

Business, Culinary, Health, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Technology and Society

Counting Calories

3 Comments

These may be the stupidest people in the world:

Based on its menu board, Desmond bought a chorizo burrito at the Chipotle restaurant on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles on Nov. 3 believing that it contained 300 calories, the suit states. But after consuming the product, Desmond “felt excessively full and realized that the burrito couldn’t have been just 300 calories,” according to the complaint.

Two days later, Gurevich bought a chorizo burrito at the Chipotle location on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake and similarly realized after eating it that had more than the 300 calories advertised, the suit says.

You can’t tell how many calories are in food by how “full” you feel after eating it. Nutritional labeling is part of the general public-health disaster that has been nutrition “science” for decades.

And speaking of which, “researchers” are shocked to discover that kids are healthier, with lower body fat and higher vitamin D levels, on whole milk.

No one should be consuming low-fat dairy products, which are a nutritional abomination. Michelle’s school-lunch program literally constitutes physical child abuse.

Business, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

Trump And NASA

2 Comments

Eric Berger discusses the possibilities for NASA administrator. I think that going with Scott would be the conventional choice, which would belie Trump’s stated desire to “drain the swamp,” but then, I’ve never believed any of Trump’s promises. I’m a little disturbed by the fact that Bob Walker seems to be no longer involved. I wonder what happened there?

[Update a few minutes later]

[Update a while later]

More thoughts from Keith Cowing. TL;DR: He thinks Scott would be a better choice than Bridenstine. FWIW.