BLOOD GOLD
THE TERM “blood diamonds” denotes the dark side of mining these precious gems, possibly in war zones, possibly financing insurgencies or warlord activities. We can add the term “blood gold” … Continue reading
HOW (WHY) THE MOON?
OUR MOON is more familiar than any other celestial object, yet there are still plenty of puzzles. For instance, how—and why—did the moon come to be? An article, “Impact Theory … Continue reading
THE NEW BENJAMINS
THERE’S A new $100 bill entering circulation—not that it matters much to me directly, as even Grants ($50s) make me nervous. Nevertheless, these new Benjamins are accompanied by lots of … Continue reading
MINI HYDROFOILS
THE 2013 America’s Cup news coverage introduced me to super-advanced hydrofoil racing boats. The races were won by Oracle Team USA over Emirates Team New Zealand. See the organizer’s official … Continue reading
VOLVO + DIMETHYL ETHER
ONE OF the most promising sustainable fuels is appearing first in heavy trucks. Volvo believes it has found a winner in DME, dimethyl ether. Among DME benefits are simple conversion … Continue reading
SCIENCE WITH OPEN ACCESS
THE OCTOBER 4, 2013, issue of Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has a Special Section on Communication in Science. There are aspects galore, … Continue reading
VERDI, HITLER & GODWIN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Joe Greens! In fact, October 10, 2013 is a very special birthday—the 200th of Italian opera composer Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi. Verdi is renowned for such famous operas … Continue reading
iPAD SHENANIGANS
I BELIEVE I’m as moral as the next guy. However, I read an item in the Orange County Register, October 6, 2013, with decidedly mixed feelings. It’s titled “District iPad … Continue reading
BEARS AND COUGARS OH MY
SEVERAL DAYS ago, I related “A Coyote Tale” (www.wp.me/p2ETap-1B6), based on an article in Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS article, “Predators … Continue reading
A COYOTE TALE
IT’S ONE of North America’s more encouraging ecological tales: Coyotes are thriving. Never endangered, never protected, Canis latrans (Latin for “barking dog”) was once indigenous to roughly the U.S. Mountain … Continue reading
