My blog

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Science

The physics of a home run - A fascinating look at the physical processes which take place in an everyday game of baseball. The writing style is a little awkward, but I posted this just because it’s so neat!

Why did fish evolve to leave water? - Are you curious about the so-called “missing links” in the theory of evolution? Why would a fish want to breath air? How did they evolve legs and climb out of their prehistoric fish tanks? Let’s find out!

How do ocean currents affect the earth’s climate? - A fascinating informal essay explaining how the earth’s fragile deep sea ocean currents exert a tremendous effect upon the earth’s temperate climate.

What is known about the paranormal? - We’ve all heard stories of paranormal phenomena. Are we being fooled? What is the truth? Have we found it yet? I asked the scientists for hard proof, and this is what I found. (Ten pages.)

What was the Big Bang like? - What is known about the Big Bang and what came before? What’s inside a black hole? Prepare yourself for a fascinating journey as physics and philosophy converge. (Seven pages, generally non-technical.)

Was time created during the Big Bang? - A new perspective on time in the theory of everything.

The dinosaur meteor impact - Why do we think an asteroid may have killed the dinosaurs? What would that global catastrophe have been like?

How can any object be 28 billion light years away? - A short explanation describing how the most distant object in the universe can be 28 billion light years away from us, while the universe is only 14 billion years old.

How is randomness different in quantum vs. classical physics? - A very short paper describing a major difference between the macro-world of classical physics and the micro-world of quantum mechanics.

How does a handheld computer recognize handwriting? - I describe the handwriting recognition algorithm used in Apple’s discontinued Newton PDA as an example. Pretty technical explanation, but no programming code is used. (Five pages.)

Benefits of quitting smoking - Once you quit smoking, your body may start on a path toward full recovery.

Other

Investments for Every Temperament - If you’ve got a couple thousand dollars buried in a jar behind the tool shed, dig it up and invest it! No matter what your risk level or how interested you are in money, there are some simple investments which will work for you. Make your savings do a little work. Consult this handy chart to figure out how to get started.

Macs vs. PC’s - The choice of a computer platform is mainly a matter of personal preference, familiarity, and ease of access to technical support. But there are a couple benefits of one platform over the other. Here are two advantages to using the Mac OS.

Politics

The NSA's Domestic Spying - How can the government justify collecting the emails and phone conversations of every American citizen?

Flaws of our U.S. Foreign Policy - We as Americans could do well at exposing the flaws of U.S. foreign policy by briefly stepping outside our borders.

Noam Chomsky - Chomsky is deeply suspicious of power structures (e.g. governments and corporations). He believes in the principle of moral universality: that we apply to ourselves the same standards we do to others, and more stringent ones if we are serious. He is a leading voice for peace and social justice.

Howard Zinn - Howard Zinn discusses topics of subjectivity, historical omissions, and liberal bias with regard to his book, A People's History of the U.S.

The Problem of President Bush - A look at our blind dependence on George W. Bush for leadership as our nation heads in dangerous directions.

Why Invade Iraq? - The war with Iraq continues a dangerous pattern of forcefully overthrowing non-threatening sovereign nations.

What are the underlying problems of the Japanese government? - The Japanese are one of the most harmonious and well-off peoples in the world. Why has their economy continued to shrink?

What should the U.S. be doing about guns? - This essay uncovers some important practical lessons from research on gun control and describes how they should be applied to public policy.

Experience

My Feelings About Cars - Why do I have such a strong aversion to taking the car on a short errand?

House Moving Story - I was riding my bike to the store one day and ran into a house coming down the street...

What’s it like to ride in a hot-air balloon? - A story of silently drifting over ducks in a pond, birds flying over shining lakes, flower beds and gardens, old barns, horses, tractor patterns in the fields, and countless backyards.

Thoughts on nature, philosophy and existence, found in Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire - Edward Abbey vividly describes wandering alone among isolated southeastern Utah canyons, making observations and connections between the desert and spirituality.

A tour of a nuclear power plant - Isn’t radiation exposure a constant problem for people who work at a nuclear plant? What are the risks for people living nearby? I take a tour inside the nuclear facility in Perry, Ohio, and present my findings.