Science And Society

Whose Ox Is Being Gored?

Literally, in this case, given the name of the high priest.

I wish I’d thought of this:

I keep reading about how hybrid cars and compact fluorescent lightbulbs can reduce the production of greenhouse gases, but I have yet to see an article about the savings that could be achieved if we were to stop delivery of newspapers and magazines and do all of our news reading on line.

Hey, I think it could rival toilet paper usage reduction as a solution to the problem. Maybe even beat it.

Hey, now I’m thinking dual-use here. I’m a genius (no need for applause in comments, but you know you want to…). It’s not just for training puppies and parakeets any more!

War Commentary

A Race With Time

Victor Davis Hanson has a provocative post at The Corner, on the patience of a government in a democracy at war:

…as is true in most long wars (cf. 1864 or 1918), armies seem not to be fully effective until they digest and learn from their horrific mistakes, and so enter a race to apply their wisdom before an exasperated public gives up.

In late summer 1864 the work of Sheridan and Sherman and the 1918 summer offensive uplifted public opinion enough to stick it out; in 1970-3 post-Tet, radical improvement in American tactics, weaponry, and know-how came too little too late to deflate the public sense of defeatism and doom.

And Michael Yon has thoughts on General Petraeus, and a letter from him to the troops, which may be viewed as crucial by historians.

Education

Technology In Education

My long-time (which is a better phrase than “old,” as in, “known since college”) friend Lynne Wainfan is trying to sell her children’s middle school on upgrading their technology. She made a video.

I don’t know about the New York Times comparison, though. Yeah, it may be more info than Jefferson got in his lifetime, but a lot of it’s probably wrong or misleading.

Also, it’s a little exaggerated–I don’t think that half (or even a tiny fraction) of basic physics knowledge and math will go obsolete in two years, and that’s what kids in technical majors in college spend most of their time learning. But the point remains that things are accelerating at a frightening pace, and the educational system is going to have to do things differently, or the future will be very scary. Of course, it may be anyway, for other reasons. But either way, it’s where we’re going to be spending the rest of our lives (yes, I know it’s trite, but it’s true).

Space History

The Myth Of The “Mercury 13”

Jim Oberg debunks it:

In late 1958, as NASA begin defining how to select astronauts, President Eisenhower directed that test pilots be the pool from which candidates were selected. The actual flight experience of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions in hindsight validated that standard. Because of the intimate integration of the pilot in the spacecraft

Space History

The Myth Of The “Mercury 13”

Jim Oberg debunks it:

In late 1958, as NASA begin defining how to select astronauts, President Eisenhower directed that test pilots be the pool from which candidates were selected. The actual flight experience of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions in hindsight validated that standard. Because of the intimate integration of the pilot in the spacecraft

Space History

The Myth Of The “Mercury 13”

Jim Oberg debunks it:

In late 1958, as NASA begin defining how to select astronauts, President Eisenhower directed that test pilots be the pool from which candidates were selected. The actual flight experience of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions in hindsight validated that standard. Because of the intimate integration of the pilot in the spacecraft

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!