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Straight From the Pit of Hell! The SDFP Science Corner

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Because science is now a liberal conspiracy

By Anna Daniels

straight from the pit of hellIt has been hard for some of us here at SDFP–ok, hard for me– to shoe horn in a few words on this particular site about the discovery of a new dinosaur, recent revelations about the universe or how jellyfish are becoming our evolutionary overlords and crazy ants are making people crazy in Texas, which is already a crazy enough place.  Science, people!  But finding the grassroots news or progressive views angle hasn’t been all that easy.

And then a new breed of Republican, as in back to the Dark Ages “new,” dropped science right into our liberal laps. This same breed of Republican who gets elected to public office because he doesn’t believe in government is now sitting on science and technology committees because he doesn’t believe in science.  And yes, most of them are “he.” The fervid religious beliefs and ignorance that have existed at our societal fringe are now firmly ensconced  in school curricula, state legislatures and the Congress of the United States.

In case you need a refresher about what that means, Congressman Paul Broun, member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, sums up the conservative zeitgeist.  Broun is currently leading in his re-election bid.

Now for this week’s edition of Straight from the pit of Hell.

This week in climate change: “Climate change has moved firmly into the present.”

A study known as the National Climate Assessment,  issued by a panel of scientists with governmental oversight, has received final approval.

The report is the latest in a series of dire warnings about how the effects of global warming that had been long foreseen by climate scientists are already affecting the planet. Its region-by-region documentation of changes occurring in the United States, and of future risks, makes clear that few places will be unscathed — and some, like northerly areas, are feeling the effects at a swifter pace than had been expected.  NYT May 6

John Oliver, host of the new program Last Week Tonight, holds a real climate debate.

And in case you missed it, what climate change could look like in Miami.

This week in technology: Hauling enormous stones like an Egyptian

Recent archeological research suggests how Egyptians were able to move stones  and large statues across the desert to build the pyramids.   The stones, loaded onto sledges, were able to slide across the sand through the application of just the right amount of water on the surface of the sand as it was being pulled along.  Friction! Capillary action!  Physics! Oh my!

The oldest of these pyramids are close to 5,000 years old.

Anna Daniels

Anna Daniels

I left a moribund Western Pennsylvania mill town the year that Richard M. Nixon was not impeached for crimes against the American people, and set off in search of truth, beauty, justice and a beat I could dance to. Here I am.
Anna Daniels

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Comments

  1. Great show, Anna.
    I would like to take this science moment to beg all southern Californians to begin hanging their laundry out to dry, eliminating electric and gas dryers, the MOST energy consuming appliance we think necessary in our “modern” life, .especially us, desert people, especially with back to back weeks of Santa Ana winds instead of May grey… I beg the AIA (architect institute of America) to include drying yards on rooftops, or whatever, to give modern apartment dwellers the option as well, as A Priority… Save energy, hang up a load of laundry and save the planet.

    • But… I believe where there are wires there is energy, for God so made the world that he sent his Sun through its wires so that we might all be cleansed..

  2. It’s hard to fathom the ignorance of this Congressman who believes the earth is 9000 years old. I don’t even think the Pope believes that. History is full of examples of religion lagging science but eventually coming around to the scientific view. Take Gallileo, for example. He was considered a heretic for suggesting that the earth went around the sun and not the other way around. The Catholic Church eventually came around to his way of thinking.

    These ignoramuses who take the Bible literally are almost as bad as the ones who fought all the Holy Wars to establish their religion as the only true religion. Isn’t that how the conquistadors rationalized killing the natives – because they weren’t Christians, it didn’t matter. So much bad stuff has been done and is still being done in the name of religion that I have to think Bill Maher is right. Religion has been a net negative in world history. Think of all the European wars between Protestants and Catholics, the 30 years war, for example.

    • John- one in four Americans think the sun revolves around the earth. A new “documentary” film The Principle promotes the idea that the sun revolves around the Earth. “The film, which is set to be released sometime this spring, was bankrolled in part by the ultra-conservative and anti-Semitic Robert Sungenis, who maintains the blog “Galileo Was Wrong.”
      Just the kind of thinking that assures that our children can function and thrive in the world.

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