Ruminations, Haunts, and Errors

But just when it seemed that some sanity had been restored by several ID supporters making some fools of themselves in the Dover school-district trial, by the Vatican speaking up to support science, and the urgent need to fight a possible bird-flu pandemic (hmm, it would be sadly ironic if millions of flu deaths were to provide a solid case in support of ongoing natural selection through random mutations.), out comes an attack on fundamental physics. Apparently a Harvard medic is claiming not just a breakthrough in power-generating technology but also that in doing so he’s disproven basic quantum theory. Now, maybe there’s no disputing that his contraption works, and if so that’s great. Perhaps it is coming from a heretofore unknown aspect of physics not properly described by current theory. But that’s a long way from destroying a major underpinning of modern physics, especially given his flimsy reasoning in that direction:

• This result is impossible given current theory. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time a major theory of science required an adjustment in one area to explain an observation, that doesn’t mean the theory is completely wrong (hell, even some staunch ID campaigners don’t go that far). It might also be that someone made some computational or analytical mistakes, which also wouldn’t be a first.
• I don’t have years of training in this area, so I’m an outsider who can look at things in a fresh way. Wow, nice bit of sophistry to turn the concept of an ‘expert’ on its ear. By this line of thinking, we would be best served if most people started working in any and all areas except for ones in which they’ve had years of training and experience! Certainly an outsider is helpful to prod people to look anew at topics dismissed in the past as ‘obvious’ or ‘uninteresting’, but that doesn’t seem to apply here as it’s not a qualitiative aspect that is under scrutiny. I can say from experience that even the basic quantum theory of the hydrogen atom is arcane and mathematically complex (there’s a reason it doesn’t usually come up until a junior/senior level physics course), so I’m really skeptical that anyone other than an absolute mathematical savant could suddenly come on the scene and calculate a value that has escaped a century’s worth of theoreticians and empiricists.
• The entrenched scientists are only interested in protecting their pet theories. Ooh, this one’s a doozy. Certainly, physicsts at that level can sometimes be a petty lot, jealous of their star status as crafters of Important Theories. But ultimately they are interested in knowing the truth of nature. In contrast, this challenge to established quantum theory is coming from a group (filled with business types, not trained scientists, mind you) who want to make money of the technology and thus have every economic incentive to make it appear as if they have some new, profound understanding of the universe. Who do you think might be more worried about prestige and image? Didn’t the Cold Fusion debacle of the late 80’s teach anyone that science is more effective when done by scientists in controlled labs rather than via press release and VC prospectus?

Fortunately, I can say that I took a walk through Battleground God and came through it with the assurance that I view and analyze the world in ways that are at least consistent and rational. Would that I weren’t in the minority in that regard.

• The rumblings began again today about the CTA’s desire to raise the standard fare to $2. Anyone surprised? Anyone not see this coming last May, or January, or last fall? Just raise the damn fare like should have been done last year and be done with it so we can at least have a couple years of peace before the CTA faces its next budget catastrophe! At least that way there may be some time to actually put some clueful management (and government officials) in place.
• A Wine of Character, but How Many Miles to a Gallon?
  This wouldn’t be much of a story except for the mental picture of the French getting all tied in a knot over sandbagging some wine (and of course blaming it, at least in part, on those damn Americans). How is it that a bottle of cote-du-rhone goes for $1.40 there and $9 here? Anyway, I also found it amusing–althought slightly exasperating–to read descriptions of putting chardonnay, champagne, and pinot noir into the fuel tank, nevermind that all the good tasty bits that make any of them wine are completely removed by the time the ethanol comes out.
• A Time For McCain?

  So the small-government right and the big-government left are equally exhausted. The only appealing political platform is good government.

  A great idea to rally behind. Unfortunately, between the legions of what’s-in-it-for-me voters and those who aren’t savvy enough to differentiate good public officials from bad (whether by analysis of rhetoric or performance), I fear that there won’t be enough collective gumption to vote proper people into office and accept the necessary sacrifices to move us from current state to ‘good government’.
• ArchitectureChicago Plus Blog Overrun - The Death of Marshall Field’s and the Dissolution of the Sense of Place
  What saddened and irritated me about the Field’s decision was the absolute triumph of cold corporate mentality over any sense of cultural goodwill. The management decided that the intangible specialness felt by generations of Chicagoans simply couldn’t compete with the possiblity of the masses of non-Chicago management and shareholders could save a fraction of a penny per share in advertising costs. Instead, they absolutely know that I would rather save $1 per year with a much more nationally homogenized set of offerings. Wow, in the face of such amazing consideration of the wants and desires of the Chicago consumer…why would I want to give these people my business again?

• An idea doesn’t have to be right to be important, so long as it gets people thinking in a new way.

  – Michael S. Turner on Alan Guth’s original inflation theory, S&T, November 2005
• Cassini-Huygens flyby of Tethys and Hyperion
  Once again, Cassini provides us fantastic imagery!
  

• The Uses of ‘Activism’ ;   Teaching of Creationism Is Endorsed in New Survey
  A subtlety in the definition of democracy that is often overlooked is that majoritarianism is not required. Indeed, it should be imperative of any government to have mechanisms that can ignore or overrule the prevailing ‘will of the people’ when required, lest minorities or posterity be oppressed by political whims that arise from citizenry who may not be fully informed or enlightened enough to appreciate the full impact of their sentiments. When various options (or candidates, or whatever) are all essentially equivalent, then majority-rule is an appropriate way to make a decision. However, when proper analysis of facts and logic can show one to be superior, whether or not a majority of the populace actually like that result shouldn’t be a major factor; conversely, majority support for something provably fallacious shouldn’t matter, especially when few in that majority really have the knowledge and training to assess the concepts properly.
• Most scientific papers are probably wrong
  I think an important difference between those with proper training in science and other forms of reasoning is that they won’t find this conclusion surprising–or, importantly, bothersome.
• PowerPoint: Killer App?
  Of course the problem isn’t with PowerPoint per se, or even that it makes taking a set of too-sparse notes and expand them to a thirty-page deck complete with flashy graphics that obscures the fluffiness of the content ridiculously easy. No, the issue it’s used in situations where neither the presenter has the chops to make the content compelling nor the audience has the analytical skills to notice the weak argumentation. Ever notice that the horror stories come out of places like corporate boardrooms, the Pentagon, and high-level NASA managerial meetings rather than, say, university colloquia?
• The Public Domain: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
  While I respect Lessig’s opinions, this one seems a bit Cassandra-like. I’m sure there will come a point when the threat to the existence of a public domain will be obvious and critical enough for its protection to be in the interest of forces powerful enough to fight back vigorously. Still, it does make one think how the very existence of a distinction between copyrighted and public works is merely a legal construct and not one to be taken for granted.

• Irreplaceable Exuberance;   Inequality and Risk
  Leans towards supply-side economics, but presented from more of a human-nature point of view so I can sorta buy it. Certainly, innovation and progress require motivated people, and often that motivation is for profit. However, accepting that socioeconomic disparity is unavoidable doesn’t mean we can’t try to temper it; I’ll believe that heavy-handed government policy that tries to force redistribution is probably counterproductive in the long term, but we can certainly provide social pressures on those at the top of the scale to voluntarily decide when they have ‘enough’ and eagerly distribute their surplus to help out others.
• Calif. Senate Passes Gay Marriage Bill

  A higher power created the institution of marriage.

  –Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth (R-San Diego)
  Um, then it really doesn’t matter what the legislature says, so why bother to rail and vote against the measure? Oh, that’s right, because Mr. Hollingsworth is wrong: marriage is in fact a construct of society and its laws, established and regulated by the statutes and constitutions of the several states.
• Blair calls for better parenting
  Good sentiment, but I’m fairly certain that giving the state broad powers to intervene isn’t really going to be a major improvement. On the other hand, perhaps there should be a bit more scrutiny…I mean, why is it that one needs a license to cut and color hair but anyone can become a parent with no training whatsoever?
• Day-After Pill Exposes FDA Rift
  The polticians-vs.-science angle here is obvious, but what struck me more in reading about this was the continued crusade against contraception, in particlar by those who continue to claim that access to it will encourage sexual activity. First off, it’s an untterly unproven assertion. Second, given the well-known inability of most teenagers to fully comprehend the consequences of their actions (beyond ‘getting caught’), it seems laughable that fear of pregnancy is the major factor that is stopping millions of horny American teenagers from getting it on. Finally, despite the claims of any particular religion, cultural rules and taboos about sexual activity are really just a form of ‘behavioral contreception’, and hence the most important concern should be to prevent pregancies among those who are incapable (or unwilling) to handle them properly.
• The Road to Hell Is Clogged With Righteous Hybrids
  Had the Honda Civic hybrids not been a couple months away from production when I bought my car, I would have given it serious consideration. However, it’s become clear over the past couple of years that the technology is still several years (decades?) away from really being cost effective for all but a very small group of drivers in certain types of areas; it’s more of a feel-good purchase than anything else. Still, it’s good to see they are at least becoming mainstream, as that’s the first step towards ensuring future, better technologies will be adopted when their available. Until then, Tierney’s idea to base tolls and other sorts of road charges based on vehicle weight seems a great idea–although obvious in hindsight, the greater amount of road space required by SUVs on expressways never occurred to me.

• NCAA outlines appeals process for tribal mascots
  Glad to see they’re at least pretending that the recent edict won’t be a complete top-down dictatorship of the hyper-PC. However, even this will probabaly turn into a mess…consider my alma mater. A look at the tragic history of the Illini tribes shows that the University’s athletic moniker is essentially their last vestige. If there’s no one left to give blessing, is the school therefore denied any successful appeal? On the other hand, if there’s no one around to approve or protest, who is the team name offending? And if it’s more ‘generally offensive’, why stop at college sports teams? Should GM be forever banned from any association with college sports (or the dollars of the righteous) due to its appropriation of Pontiac? What about place names in the U.S. and Canada, often named after tribes and chiefs who lived hundreds or thousands of miles away? Shouldn’t the NCAA flee the state of Indiana altogether?
• VR Goggles Heal Scars of War
  Good to see that some people are putting some advanced ideas into something that too often gets lost in the debates about war
  

  We spend a lot of money on training people and conducting war, We have to put what’s needed into helping these people when they come back.

• NASA Launches Startups for Ships
  At this point in time, I don’t think there’s any doubt that robotic missions provide a much better cost/benefit ratio for science and engineering than do manned missions, so I would strongly prefer that NASA direct its (taxpayer) funding in that direction. But of course such cold reasoning can be thrown out the window when it comes to privately funded ventures–if some people with tens upon tens of millions of dollars to spare think a few moments of almost-orbital flight are worth the cost, who are we to argue? For NASA to provide seed money, coordination, and encouragement for private ventures to develop new vehicles seems like a wondeful idea. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to more routine manned missions is the efficiency, safety, and cost of propulsion technology, so expanding the base of people who will experiment and explore–even (especially?) if for reasons of vanity and thrill–might improve things more quickly than the centralized, bureaucratic process that is current NASA rocket science.
• Bill in Congress to Overhaul Patent Law Seeks to Quell Suits
  Wow, rather than try to address the issues that lead to the filing (and granting) of frivolous and contentious patents, rather than expand upon our valuable first-to-invent concept, what goal does Congress set for revising the patent system? Change the rules so as to reduce the number of lawsuits that can happen. A brilliant example of treating the symptoms while ignoring the disease if I’ve ever heard one–not to mention why logical-, techical-minded people get so exasperated with politicians and lawyers.

• Look Who’s Talking
  Wired article describing how–and why–the Amish view, adopt, and reject technology. Enlightening. To me their views seem a bit extreme yet many of the underlying principles and goals seem quite valid.
  Tags:societytechnology
• Corporate Weasel Words
  Sad thing is that I’ve heard some of these with regularity. Worse is that I’ve actually used some too (but at least I felt dirty doing so).
  Tags:businessculturefunlinguisticssociety
• Un-Spin the Budget
  Oh, my…
  

  To understand where the budget deficit came from, you can’t do better than the Jan. 18, 2001, issue of the satirical newspaper The Onion, which predicted the future with eerie precision. “We must squander our nation’s hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent,” the magazine’s spoof had the president-elect declare. “And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it.”

  When an economist cites The Onion as an accurate predictor of presidential policy, is that one of the signs of the apocalypse? It’s still very, very sad and wrong.
• Dubya’s socioeconomic myopia regarding global warming
  What, me worry? Taking responsibility? Nah, not if it affects next quarter’s results.
  Tags:politicsscience
• Longhorn following Unix on security?
  About frickin’ time they learned the basic least-privilege security lessons that Unix learned a generation ago. The sad thing is that Windows user and file permissions have probably been granular enough–in some cases, even more so than Unix–to make most PCs vastly more secure than they are currently, but the allocation of those permissions has been so stupid–and vendors so reluctant to push changes lest they break logo compatibility–that securing a Windows box has been such a lingering issue. How many internet outages and lost dollars could have been prevented over the last 15 years had Microsoft had just a little more vision about publishing software that was properly designed rather than in accordance with marketing schedules?

• Deep Impact encounter with P/Tempel 1
  
  movies: impactor view   flyby craft view
  Yeah, something about them seems like cheap animation or a child’s flipbook movie, yet the real science and engineering that generated them is fascinating.
• Profits, A Penny At a Time
  Something seems slightly dirty about looking to the poor as a profit source, but just a moment of thought reveals that it’s not such a terrible idea–and might be the most pragmatic way to get needed goods and services to the low end of the economic scale. “These success stories begin with a recognition that poor people are like everyone else — they just have less money.” They’re no less inclined to allow someone else a profit, but the price points simply must be lower. Too bad–for all involved–that most First World business types seem too enamored of margin (and unacquainted with the concept of ‘enough’) to see the value of total profit.
• Science Sunday: “security by secrecy” and biological research
  It never ceases to amaze–or exasperate–me how unenlightened people can be regarding the implications of open, honest analysis and debate. One of the most vital steps towards understanding a subject, even (especially?) a dangerous one, is to lay out what we do and don’t know. Anything that the Bad Guys can use against us can just as easily be used for us–perhaps more so if there are more of Us than Them. Besides, it’s not like the Bad Guys are simply waiting around for us to give them ideas before they start planning their damnable plots…