Topics: African Americans, Biology, Black History Month, Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Diversity in Science, Medicine “Father of the Blood Bank”June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950Renowned surgeon and pioneer in the preservation of life-saving blood plasmaMajor scientific achievements: Dr. Charles Richard Drew broke barriers in a racially divided America to become one of the mostContinue reading “Dr. Charles Richard Drew…”
Category Archives: Civilization
Eugenics, Razors, and Valleys…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democratic Republic, Existentialism, Fascism Eugenics is an immoral and pseudoscientific theory that claims it is possible to perfect people and groups through genetics and the scientific laws of inheritance. Eugenicists used an incorrect and prejudiced understanding of the work of Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel to support the idea ofContinue reading “Eugenics, Razors, and Valleys…”
Green Books, Boycotts, and Caveats…
Topics: African Americans, African Studies, Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization The ‘Green Book’ Was a Travel Guide Just for Black Motorists, Danielle Moodie-Mills, NBCBLK, October 11, 2016 The meaning of SANKOFA, Sankofa.org/about Happy Black History Month (tomorrow), for what it’s worth at the moment. The Green Book: Guide to Freedom is a documentary about the emergenceContinue reading “Green Books, Boycotts, and Caveats…”
Oligarchy…
Source: Reddit Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism Oligarchy (noun): government by the few; a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes, Merriam-Webster In Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, he warned of the military-industrial complex. “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisitionContinue reading “Oligarchy…”
Lead, Iron, and Empires…
Ice sample on the melter during continuous ice core chemical analyses at the Desert Research Institute (Credit: Sylvain Masclin) Topics: Chemistry, Civilization, Democracy, Environment, Existentialism It’s perhaps historically appropriate that the word “ironic” contains “iron.” Mining and smelting minerals like iron represented technological highs at the Roman Empire’s peak. But those activities also produced enoughContinue reading “Lead, Iron, and Empires…”
Gatsby and Ash Heaps…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism Ref: https://litkicks.com/ingatsbystracks/, In Gatsby’s Tracks: Locating the Valley of Ashes in a 1924 Photo. The ash heap was a metaphor for the rot and decay of modern life as the author depicted it in the novel: The spot where Fitzgerald had a vision would soon becomeContinue reading “Gatsby and Ash Heaps…”
Santa Ana Winds…
The Palisades Fire on January 7, 2025. ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo Topics: Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism “People have changed the climate of the world. Now they’re waiting for the old days to come back.”—Lauren Olamina, “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler I called my cousin, our family historian last night, to checkContinue reading “Santa Ana Winds…”
Urban Climate Science…
CROCUS researchers crossed Chicago’s Michigan Avenue as they collected data on how buildings, streets, and greenspaces impact temperature and air quality. (Image by Argonne National Laboratory.) Topics: Civilization, Climate Change, Environment, Global Warming, Thermodynamics CROCUS’s Urban Canyon campaign captured data on heat islands and air quality while also helping scientists understand how to conduct aContinue reading “Urban Climate Science…”
The Matter of Methane…
Image source: https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/methane-molecule Topics: Chemistry, Civilization, Climate Change, Entropy, Environment, Global Warming The “good news”: you can download the PDF for free by registering an email, or read the report from the National Academies of Science and Medicine here. Citizenship takes work and effort to be informed. It would be nice to carry on aContinue reading “The Matter of Methane…”
Post-Trauma Citizens…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Existentialism September 11, 2001, was on a Tuesday. We were a year from a contested election decided by the Supreme Court. We were scrambling to make sense of the senseless, and trying mightily, not to individually, or collectively go insane. I remember President George W. Bush being told thatContinue reading “Post-Trauma Citizens…”
Physics and Nano 