Image Source: University of Notre Dame Topics: African Americans, Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Existentialism Update on what I’ve been doing: I was on the workgroup out of Washington for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) on this project. Perchloroethylene (Perc) is a common solvent for dry cleaning, selected for its low flashContinue reading “40 Years To Now…”
Category Archives: Civics
Entropy and Empires…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Entropy, Existentialism The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival, Sir John Glubb, Abe Books In these inspiring essays, Sir John Glubb examines the human race over 4,000 years and finds the same patterns of rise and fall of national greatness on the same timescale. I. Pioneers –Continue reading “Entropy and Empires…”
The End of History…
Topics: African Americans, Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism, History “The End of History and the Last Man,” by Francis Fukuyama “a 1992 book of political philosophy by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama argues that with the ascendancy of Western liberal democracy—which occurred after the Cold War (1945–1991) and the dissolution of the SovietContinue reading “The End of History…”
Who is STEM for…
Mutant Reviews of the 1981 movie “Excalibur,” with the caption to this photo: “Yes, Merlin got struck by lightning a lot.“ Topics: Applied Physics, Astrophysics, Chemistry, Civics, Civilization, Computer Modeling “Who is STEM for?”: a fairy tale. The title of this post is from a question Dr. Fatima Abdurrahman raised on her YouTube channel regardingContinue reading “Who is STEM for…”
Amber, Candi, and Eugenics…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Diaspora, Existentialism, Fascism Eugenics is the scientifically inaccurate theory that humans can be improved through selective breeding of populations. Eugenicists believed in a prejudiced and incorrect understanding of Mendelian genetics, which claimed abstract human qualities (e.g., intelligence, and social behaviors) were inherited in a simple fashion. Similarly, they believedContinue reading “Amber, Candi, and Eugenics…”
Faith and Misconduct…
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan Statue, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Democratic Republic, Existentialism Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague Mr. Rangel in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. Mr. Chairman, you are a strongContinue reading “Faith and Misconduct…”
Joy…
Amy (“Mother Dear”) and Horace Dickerson Sr. (“Paw-Paw”). Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism I read the poem “Seeds” at my wife’s family reunion. For African Americans, reunions are a chance to connect with family members without associating it with a casket. Black life in general has always been dangerous and treacherousContinue reading “Joy…”
Reparations…
Amanda Montañez; Source: “Slaveholder Ancestry and Current Net Worth of Members of the United States Congress,” by Neil K. R. Sehgal and Ashwini R. Sehgal, in PLOS ONE. Published online August 21, 2024 Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Education, History U.S. Senators and Representatives whose family had a history of enslaving others have greaterContinue reading “Reparations…”
Tech Bros and Democracy…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Economics, Environment, Existentialism, Fascism Tech bros (n): someone, usually a man, who works in the digital technology industry, especially in the United States, and is sometimes thought to not have good social skills and to be too confident about their own ability. Source: Cambridge Dictionary “The Basic LawsContinue reading “Tech Bros and Democracy…”
The Crucifixion of Thomas Paine…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Excerpt from Facts, Fascism, and Fascists, Friday, January 24, 2020 Tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement known as the Christian right, have begun to dismantle the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. They are creating aContinue reading “The Crucifixion of Thomas Paine…”
Physics and Nano 