Walking to work this morning I saw a profusion of butterflies, flurries of them. From a distance they looked like leaves carried on the breeze, but as they fluttered past (so fast!) it was obvious they were on a mission. I think they were painted ladies flying their hearts out toward the desert and its new flowers.
Happy spring, everyone!
Oh, this is just too sad for words. The other day I noticed an ad for the new GMC Sierra Hybrid Pickup. I was surprised by the idea that US automakers were finally getting on the hybrid bandwagon. Turns out I shouldn't have been.
Read on for the rant...
Toyota has had a working, useful hybrid vehicle for what, 7 years now, right? The demand for it is insatiable, and Toyota is taking home more awards and more money every year.
Honda has a whole line of hybrids, too, including a hybrid version of the popular Accord V-6 which gets 40% better fuel efficiency than the non-hybrid model (about 30mpg).
And what is GMC's exciting response to this, years later? A V-8 "hybrid" pickup which is (as the site puts it) "up to 10% more fuel efficient" than the dismal 18mpg of the standard model. Wait, 10%? That's... let's see... 2mpg better. Two. And the tailpipe emissions aren't improved at all. Why? Because the electric motor isn't used to move the vehicle at all. Not even a little. It's only used to keep things running when the vehicle is stopped or braking.
For this marvel of engineering, GMC adds $2500 to the cost. With the tiny mileage improvement, that only pays for itself at the pump after about 200,000 miles of city driving. For comparison, buying a brand new Prius and using it instead would pay for itself just as quickly. And that's just sad.
Parand thoughtfully provided a short list of interesting online academic courseware from Harvard, MIT, and Berklee (the music school, not a typo). The Harvard videos remind me of the fun educational/classroom shows (like Mechanical Universe or French in Action) I used to watch on UHF channels. I was just thinking about online music lessons, too...
As if we didn't have enough to worry about, now it looks like a bloc of southern school districts are successfully removing science from all textbooks. Sigh.
"But Chris," you say, "They're just calling for the removal of sex ed and evolution and the heliocentric model and other such blasphemies. Surely there's still room for Newtonian physics and some of the less-witchy forms of alchemy." In reply I just sigh again and continue stocking my remote mountain treehouse with food, water, and Heinlein novels.
I don't know how else to say it. You must read Linda's travelog of her journey through South America. If it were a book on my shelf (which it should be, it really should), I would be pulling it down, opening it to the most recent entry, and shoving it under your nose. Then I'd make you take it with you and read it from the beginning.
Go!
How about some Chinese space program propaganda?
Edited to Add: Oh my God. Scroll all the way down. Seriously.
Aaargh, despite me tone, this is serious stuff me maties! Take a look...
I don't have the right phone to get these neat Eddie Izzard ring tones but some of you might (Chris, I'm looking at you). For the rest of us, you can at least listen to them on the site above. Just press the buttons on the little phone picture.
Here's a follow-up to my earlier post on this administration's budget priorities. A recent PIPA study shows that most Americans have similar budget priorities, but those priorities are very different from the budget proposed by the President and Congress.
“The American public as a whole takes a fairly coherent position. They favor redirecting a portion of defense spending to deficit reduction and social spending and look for savings by cutting spending on large-scale Cold War style capabilities...”
Fancy that. We all agree, red-staters and blue-staters alike. So why aren't our representatives being representative?
Want to become the next big name in science? It's easy: solve one of these nagging questions and you're almost guaranteed a Nobel prize.
I particularly like number 4, the effects of homeopathy. I actually use homeopathic remedies, and some of them have worked well. I just try not to dwell on the official explanation of why they work. (Bonus points for answering both 1 and 4 with the same theory.)
Does anyone else see a trend in the recent US nominations to world-facing positions? First Condi as Secretary of State, then John Bolton, a guy who hates the UN, as UN ambassador, and now Wolfowitz as head of the World Bank. Honestly, it's like making David Duke the ambassador to Kenya.
Peter Bosshard (from the article) put it best:
"In his career, Wolfowitz has so far not shown any interest in poverty reduction, environmental protection and human rights. His election as World Bank president would most likely exacerbate the current backlash against social and environmental concerns at the World Bank, and would initiate a new era of conflict between the Bank and civil society."
Look what famous "prize" is being displayed at the New Detroit Science Center. The trophy designer is from Troy, Michigan, so it starts its tour in this fair state. And this is what I did on spring break....
Saw a great documentary with Glen over the weekend about Spirit and Opportunity. Both were supposed to last 90 days, but they're still going. Helping that is this latest news - Spirit just received a mystery bath similar to one given (?) to Opportunity some time ago. No one understands it really, but it's cool.
I'm also trying to figure out how to support Sentator Barbara Mikulski in her bid to keep the Hubble running. You go, Babs!
Space Review invites you to Meet Michael Griffin, the new nominee for NASA administrator. While I've been extremely skeptical of the Bush administration's space exploration initiative, this nomination actually gives me hope that NASA could be shifted to the right track.
It wouldn't be without losses, of course; the shuttle, ISS, and Hubble are all likely to take a back seat to human exploration of the solar system. However, I think that if we can really put people back on the Moon and/or send them to Mars, the gains would be worth it.
Environmental conservation, community development and women in Kenya plus a Nobel Peace Prize . . . I mean, one woman really can make a difference.
The 2006 budget proposed by the Bush administration is truly sickening. This article by Molly Ivins says it so well that I'm too disgusted to comment.
For a friendlier version of how easy it would be to change our budget priorities, Ben Cohen explains it with cookies.
An update on the Buster in Vermont controversy I ranted about earlier: An absolutely idiotic article by Bill O'Reilly underscores the basic misconception involved. O'Reilly claims that the issue isn't gay couples, it's that "sex in general is an inappropriate topic for small children."
And there you go. The first thing Bill O'Reilly thinks of when he sees two women working on a farm in Vermont is sex, of such a prurient nature that the mere hint of it would sear a child's eyes for life. We might look at such a show and see a family working together to make maple syrup, but O'Reilly (and, by his deduction, the toddlers of America) see hot girl-on-girl action.
It's all so clear now.
Looks like trouble at the Disney Concert Hall :
Construction crews are set to take a hand sander to the some of the shimmering stainless steel panels that have wowed tourists and architecture lovers but have baked neighbors living in condominiums across the street.
Beams of sunlight reflected from the hall have roasted the sidewalk to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to melt plastic and cause serious sunburn to people standing on the street, according to a report from a consultant hired by the county.
