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: Existentialism
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…”
Wages of the Thermal Budget…
Topics: Applied Physics, Astrobiology, Astrophysics, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Exoplanets, SETI, Thermodynamics Well, this firmly puts a kink in the “Fermi Paradox.” The Industrial Revolution started in Britain around 1760 – 1840, and there was a colloquial saying that “the sun did not set on the British Empire.” The former colony, America, cranked up itsContinue reading “Wages of the Thermal Budget…”
Antarctic Greenbelt…
Hummocks of moss cover Ardley Island off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Credit: Dan Charman Topics: Antarctica, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Global Warming A fast-warming region of Antarctica is getting greener with shocking speed. Satellite imagery of the region reveals that the area covered by plants increased by almost 14 times over 35 years — aContinue reading “Antarctic Greenbelt…”
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…”
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 