Comments on: New leadership

By: GP1

GP1 — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 01:59:26 +0000

Risa said:

I fear jokes based on Rumsfeld-isms will become less funny (I, too, have used the known knowns and unknown unknowns in talks).

The known knowns and unknown unknowns doesn’t seem funny to me at all. Actually, the inability to distinguish unkowable unknowns from knowable unknowns is an impairment which afflicts most Doctors of Philosophy. I usually use this definition to define a Doctor of Philosophy: “A Doctor of Philosophy is someone who cannot tell the difference between a proportionality and a definition.” Having being inflicted with this professional impairment Doctors always claim to know things they do not know such as the density of the cosmos before the cosmos existed. I think the joke is on Doctors who cannot tell what can be be known from what cannot be known. Doctors define what they do not know and call it known.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:00:07 +0000

“who is now second in line for the presidency”?
Not, alas, until January. If Junior and Cheney croaked, we’d still be stuck with Dennie Hastert at this point.

By: Quasar9

Quasar9 — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 10:27:41 +0000

I’m curious,
Astrology would presume to predict events based on astronomy.

Maths would presume to reveal the origins of the universe based on physics

Physics would presume to predict particles based on maths

However whilst maths & physics can attempt to predict the results of the use of nuclear tipped warheads on the road to Basra in Gulf War I and rather more accurately predict the devastation caused by USAF strikes on Iraq in the first six days of Gulf War II.

Could Maths have predicted the war in Iraq?
Can Maths predict human settlement of other planets?
Is Space not the final (if rather inhospitable) frontier?

What is more important in Science, to discover more dimensions when there is so much in our 3D+T Space to be explored. Or is it simply that we need the secrets hidden in other dimensions first, to be able to travel the great distances involved in 3D+T Space Travel.

By: damselfly

damselfly — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 20:11:31 +0000

Like #7 I’m not a scientist, either. I’m a school librarian and I haven’t liked the state of science under the Bush administration. I’ve certainly seen firsthand how cynical kowtowing to evangelical voters has emboldened them to interefere in science ecucation. Enough of this. We live in a technologically advanced country. Our leadership and our educational system should reflect that.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 19:34:57 +0000

I wanna know: are we still going to Mars? Or can that be canned now?

I hope so, because LISA is going to be the coolest thing ever. I mean, could’ve been the coolest thing ever.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 19:22:27 +0000

… I am delighted to have cast an historic vote…

Hahahaha! You pronounce it “istoric”! I’ve always been fascinated by people who do that, as well as people who pronounce whale as “hwale.”

By: Eclectic Floridian

Eclectic Floridian — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 16:23:17 +0000

You guys crack me up!

Quasar9’s comment reminds me of a dump truck I saw on the MIT campus. Finger-written in the dirt on the tailgate was, “Test dirt. Do not clean.”

As I said in the previous post, I’m no scientist. In fact, I’m an economist (’nough said?). But I’ve always been fascinated by by physics, theoretical and astro, in particular.

In my view, from an economist’s viewpoint, it is absolutely stupid for the U.S. to pretend that science can/should not contribute to our national future.

You go guys! It’s important and even we economics-types know it.

By: Count Iblis

Count Iblis — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 16:05:33 +0000

We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for bad leaders who make bad decisions. See here why (you can replace “Religion” by any other “bad ideology”)

By: Quasar9

Quasar9 — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 13:03:36 +0000

JoAnne – you want to can Mars?
what for release at the Cannes film festival?
I thought you were trying to can Higgs bosons?
Do baked beans have Higgs bosons?
How many gravitons in a can of baked beans?
So many unknowns – what would science be like if there were no more questions. and what would science be like if some of the ‘knowns’ are not proven to be false or wrong. At least Rumsfeld knew very well where the WMDs were (and still are) he just hard a hard time convincing the rest of us that they might be in Iraq. Are they still looking for them – or have they canned that search.

Has anyone worked out mathematically how far all the ordinance dropped on Iraq by the USAF on the first six days of Gulf war II (the sequel – bin Bush, son of the father Bush) and the energy released could have got us in Space. How far out in Space could we have reached by now (the outer-limits of our Solar System?)

And still had enough loose change to sort out any man made disasters: famine, water shortages & food shortages in the rest of Africa

By: Chad

Chad — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:52:53 +0000

Zero Ethics = During Bush term

How does one stop this hiring of Bush cronies (unqualified to lead) in govt jobs that have final word in science? For examples: NASA muzzled the Climate report, the last straw for me was religion in science being pushed in courts, with some others hired are now at: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commmission and many more.

How many years have been lost to this madness?

Mars – At are what costs? How many programs that do real science have canceled to make room for Mars?