Conservative Musings

Will the Atom-smasher destroy the earth?

In an article in The Salt Lake Tribune regarding the "Large Hadron Collider", some scientists believe that this is very dangerous and it has the potential to destroy the earth.  However, the scientists performing the experiment feel they couldn't have made a mistake.  They are trying to learn the reason for the "big bang." 

                    Re: "I'm pretty sure hundreds of us didn't do this wrong," Larson said.  "As scientists we're often not good at communicating about things that can cause a lot of fear, but these fears are unfounded."
    Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays hit the Earth daily, with no disastrous consequence.
    "That alleviates a lot of the concern because we can't even begin to hope to reach the energy that nature is already reaching," he said."

This brings to mind another scientific catastrophe.  Global warming (or the new name "climate change").  There is a view that says that natural occurrences such as volcanoes do more to pollute the atmosphere than man-made pollutants. 

Am I the only one that sees a correlation here?

-Lady Colonel

Sci-Fi Sale

Might have to do some shopping of my own today.  Amazon is having what they label a "Sci-Fi Blowout Sale".

See you in virtual aisle 7.

-Colonel Steve

Men and Women Really are Different

As noted by The Independent, New Scientist Magazine is publicizing a review of neurological research that men and women are truly different at the brain level.  Like they have two different organs between their ears.

Most of us already knew the concept that we had more differences than just unique plumbing.  It went much deeper than that.  It's nice to see science catching up with what common sense has been telling us for eons.

-Colonel Steve

Greener Flying

Pratt & Whitney has developed "greener" aircraft engine technology.

Pratt & Whitney has spent the better part of two decades developing the geared turbofan engine that burns 12 to 15 percent less fuel than other jet engines and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 1,500 tons per plane per year.

Cool.

The whole technology is not based on developing new alternative fuels, but on doing old designs better.  The turbofan design in today's engines have the fans that draw air into the combustion chamber and the turbines that generate the thrust spinning at the same speed.  Pratt's new geared turbofan allows the fan to spin independently of the turbine, so that each may spin at their own optimal speeds.  Thus, the fuel savings.

So much has been said about putting all our marbles in futuristic, undeveloped technologies.  We should be doing a lot more of what Pratt has done.....improving the technologies we have today WHILE the new technologies are being developed.

-Colonel Steve

Next Stargate SG-1 Movie

July 29th is the release date for Stargate - Continuum.  Nice thing about the High Def format wars being over, this is the first Stargate release to go Blu-ray.

(HT: Instapundit & Armchair Commentary).

-Colonel Steve

Oil-making Bacteria

We've had for years been using oil-eating bacteria in cleaning up oil spills.  Now there is testing in place to create oil-making bacteria.  There is discussion that the oil produced would run like US$50 a barrel.  Compare that to the roughly US$130 we're paying now.

Cool idea.

-Colonel Steve

Global Warming and the Sun

Tigerhawk makes a reference to a very good write up on planetary perspective.  One part of that concerns the sun's effect on the temperatures of the planets around it, specifically the Earth's temps.

What is very clear though, when you look at history, and the graph above, is that our earths atmosphere and resulting climate is extremely sensitive to variations in solar output. The sweet center point seems to be about 1365 watts per square meter of irradiance…what we consider as “normal” climate. Take 1.5 watts/sq. meter away, and we get significant cooling, harsh winters, cool summers, and increases in ice and glaciers. Add 1.5 watts,/sq. meter and we get hotter summers, mild winters, and melting of ice and glaciers.

We've been told through the years just how powerful nature is.  With God being taken out of the picture more and more by society, then common wisdom has to accept that nature is the most powerful force in the universe.  What are we mere humans compared to this vast natural power, represented by the sun in this case?  All this power, up against puny CO2 numbers?  So insignificant, if you ask me.

-Colonel Steve

Cicada's Emerging

Another brood of the cicadas are making their way out in the Louisville area.  This particular brood, known as brood XIV, is completely different 17 year cyclical group from the bigger 2004 brood X.  That one was also a brood with a 17 year cycle.

The X brood did not appear around my area of Jefferson County, but the current crop sure is.  I'm not sure my golden retriever knows quite what to make of them.

You can see a map of where they are expected here, as well as ways off of this page to report cicada sightings.  A map showing siting reports is also included.

-Colonel Steve

The Phoenix Has Landed

NASA's latest Mars lander, the Phoenix, has landed.

This one stays put.  Not roving around or surveying the area like some previous landers.  It's goal is to check out Mars northern polar arctic area.

No word yet on if its looking for the Martian version of global warming.  It's happening, but I'm sure Al Gore would wish to cover that up a little.

-Colonel Steve

Women in Science and Engineering

For years, women have been striving for "equality", probably better described as "freedom".  One of the areas ladies have been striving for equality (freedom) in is the studies of math, science, and engineering.  After years of wide open chances to move into these areas, it's been discovered that what has occurred is the freedom for women to say "no".

Now two new studies by economists and social scientists have reached a perhaps startling conclusion: An important part of the explanation for the gender gap, they are finding, are the preferences of women themselves. When it comes to certain math- and science-related jobs, substantial numbers of women - highly qualified for the work - stay out of those careers because they would simply rather do something else.

One study of information-technology workers found that women's own preferences are the single most important factor in that field's dramatic gender imbalance. Another study followed 5,000 mathematically gifted students and found that qualified women are significantly more likely to avoid physics and the other "hard" sciences in favor of work in medicine and biosciences.

The bright minds of both genders have naturally gravitated to what they individually do best.  It was found that among those who had equal talents, men gravitated to working with things while the ladies gravitated towards working with people. 

Both of these traits are equally important.  What's great is that all of these folks gravitated towards the very things God gave them talents for.  Yes, men and women are different.  Vastly different.  But what has grown and developed over the years is the freedom for both genders to seek after what they individually like.

I love it!!

-Colonel Steve