Fifty years ago today Yuri Gagarin became the first human to venture into space. What an adventure by a true hero! I've heard great things about the book Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin. I wish it would come out in e-book format. An inspiring quote attributed to Gagarin is: "I saw for the first time the earth's shape. I could easily see the shores of … [Read more...] about Yuri Gagarin and the War on Terror
Religion
Burning Books is So 20th Century
Let me get this out of the way in the first paragraph: Terry Jones of Qur'an burning fame is a bigoted fool. He's a bigoted fool not because he burned his copy of the Qur'an, but because he hates people simply because they don't worship the same God he does in a similar enough way. What a tool! The number of people (and legislators) over-reacting to this incident, however seems … [Read more...] about Burning Books is So 20th Century
That’s a Lot of Candles
Today, October 23, is a good day to celebrate the birth of the universe. The question is just how many candles do we need for the cake?There are some competing theories about the age of the universe. One is based upon observations of, well, the universe.Scientists have been studying the cosmic background radiation that permeates the universe in every direction and is … [Read more...] about That’s a Lot of Candles
Scientists Model Early Glass Slipper Technology
Breaking news:New computer simulations have shown how a glass slipper, as described in Grimm's Cinderella, could have been created using a unique combination of quartz-rich silicates found only in northern Germany. When heated to just the right temperature, as was available in primitive furnaces of 14th century middle Europe, the model demonstrated that glass could … [Read more...] about Scientists Model Early Glass Slipper Technology
If You Were There, Why Didn’t You Stop It?
I know there are people who are comforted by the sentiments expressed in this video, and I apologize to them, but it creeps me out, and I'm angered by the audacity of it. … [Read more...] about If You Were There, Why Didn’t You Stop It?