It would be nice if you could legislate away reality…

…but that usually doesn’t end well. Scott Huler at Plugged In reports on the futile attempts of North Carolina legislators and members of a developer’s lobbying group to legislate away a possibly catastrophic sea level rise by making non-linear scientific models illegal:

That is, the meter or so of sea level rise predicted for the NC Coastal Resources Commission by a state-appointed board of scientists is extremely inconvenient for counties along the coast. So the NC-20 types have decided that we can escape sea level rise – in North Carolina, anyhow – by making it against the law. Or making MEASURING it against the law, anyhow. Continue reading “It would be nice if you could legislate away reality…”

Dawkins vs Wilson, Nothing to See Here

Hostilities between EO Wilson and Richard Dawkins have heated back up with Dawkins’ scathing review of Wilson’s new book, The Social Conquest of Earth. People seem to be laboring under the delusion that the current spat between EO Wilson and Richard Dawkins reflects a throwback to a traditional academic cage match between intellectual giants defending their theories with acerbic rhetoric.

In now thoroughly refuted 2010 paper in Nature, Wilson and colleagues attempted to overturn much of the modern understanding of natural selection theory and altruism, known as inclusive fitness theory. Wilson’s new book (apparently, I have not been graced with a copy) continues this line of argument. Dawkins got testy with Wilson then and now:

. . .unfortunately one is obliged to wade through many pages of erroneous and downright perverse misunderstandings of evolutionary theory.
-Richard Dawkins

The problem is, as David Sloan Wilson pointed out in 2010, the debate isn’t about the evolutionary theory that experts currently recognize. This debate has less similarity to a rigorous debate between the intellectual giants of their field and more to a couple of old guys arguing whether the Yankees or the Mets are better based on their vague memories of the 1972 season. Continue reading “Dawkins vs Wilson, Nothing to See Here”

New Scientist does science fiction

This looks awesome:

Arc is a new digital quarterly from the makers of New Scientist, exploring the future through the world of science fiction and intriguing, thought-provoking ideas.

Their latest issue (the second one) is “Post-human conditions”. The website is frustratingly vague, but you can find more on their tumblr site.

Between this and the New Yorker sci-fi issue, I’ve got some reading to do.

The Art of Science: Solar Burns

Charles Ross, Year of Solar Burns, 1992

The work of American artist Charles Ross uses natural light sources to create intriguing and stunning effects.  After working for many years with using prisms to create dynamic color and light effects in architectural spaces, Ross decided to change his focus.   Rather than dispersing sunlight through a prism he decided to focus it into a single point of raw power to create a solar burn. Each day for one year he burned the path of the sun through a large lens into a wooden plank. The burns were exhibited side-by-side  in an exhibition titled Sunlight Convergence/Solar Burn (1971-72). Continue reading “The Art of Science: Solar Burns”

Voluntary Responsibility and Impostor Syndrome

Look, I know you should be subscribed to the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. You know you should be subscribed to the WTF with Marc Maron podcast. Why aren’t you? Cause you are lazy. That’s why.

But I’m not here to lecture you about your personal failings. I’m here to recommend that you listen to the most recent episode (Episode 283). Why? Two reasons.

First, the show introduction presents a moving story about Marc deciding to take responsibility to see a stray cat through the end of its life. It’s a story of compassion, not “passing the buck”, and putting consideration for another being before one’s own comfort and ease. This is especially recommended for the folks that leave messes in the laboratory common areas around here.

Second, Marc and his guest, young comedian Bo Burnham, have a long talk about impostor syndrome. I knew impostor syndrome was an epidemic among young scientists and writers, but apparently it is also running rampant among comedians. As a seasoned veteran, Marc not only manages to remember the insecurity of youth1 (probably because he never stopped being insecure), but also provides Bo with the insight that there is no “jury” that gets to decide if you are an impostor.

That was a great relief to me, until I realized that science has a whole series of “juries” – thesis committees, journal editors, grant review panels, etc., etc. . .

So, maybe just listen to the introduction.