Science

And Recognizing the “Concerned Parent” Trope — We are currently in the midst of an all-out moral panic against transgender people. If I were to ask “who is driving this panic?” most people in the United States would likely say the far right and social conservatives who have traditionally been opposed to LGBTQ+ people. In the United…

Visionary ideas from ‘a rebel without a Ph.D.’ — Freeman Dyson, one of the most influential theoretical physicists of the 20th century, left a profound impact on the fields of quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy, and nuclear engineering. His collaborations with leading physicists of his time and his unconventional ideas form a vibrant part of the rich tapestry of…

Here are some reasons to use Leonardo AI instead of Midjourney. — As you might know, Midjounrney stopped free image generation probably because of too many fake accounts created on Discord. Since Midjounrney access is limited to only paid subscribers now, I want to share with you another AI art tool that’s as good as Midjourney and it’s free — Leonardo AI. …

How a bunch of little functions helps us analyze data. We increasingly live in a data-driven world. Scientists are finding themselves with more and more datasets available to them. As this treasure trove of information continues to increase, it becomes important to keep a varied toolbox of methods to analyze…

Suppose NASA astronauts had images of technological objects hovering above Earth that are not identified as human made. Should they share the data with the public or worry that such an act would generate turmoil in society? As a scientist, it is obvious to me that we must be aware…

“Please enjoy the journey” — let’s etch these words onto the walls of our laboratories. I have always been a sports enthusiast. There’s something captivating and inspiring about it, although it’s difficult to put into words. Perhaps it’s the incredible athletes and their awe-inspiring feats, or maybe it’s the way…

Sci-fi occultism has spread to the mainstream. — Pocket telephones, like most human inventions, have had a rocky history. First intended for military use, by November of 1992, ten million Americans had bought their first cell phone. But a few months later, a man called David Reynard appeared on Larry King Live, a popular talk show at the…

The first major ground operations of Ukraine’s Liberation Campaign are imminent, and the rascists are fighting the wrong war. Watching Putin’s inept officers make every textbook military mistake imaginable over the past fifteen months has been a weird treat. The average strategy gamer would have done better than Moscow’s Potemkin…

“[T]he discovery of a new and unexpected phenomenon might be revolutionary.” –Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962: 49) On May 31, 2023, NASA live-streamed a four hour conference-style presentation of the initial findings of its independent study of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), composed of leading physicists, data scientists…