The role of science fiction
Today’s world doesn’t look like most science fiction stories pictured it. But accurate prediction isn’t the main point of the genre.
When predictions are wrong
explanation
It’s alarming
Many things want our attention. They can’t all have it
Life always seems to get louder and more insistent. There are reasons for this, though it’s not a good trend.
Plato’s fallacy
Education is good, but it has its limits
A scientist cautions against the idea behind the philosopher-king.
Normal science
Progress that doesn’t go viral
Some recent posts have addressed events in astronomy that have attracted attention from the general public. Our astronomer would like to explain something that you’ll probably never hear about.
Extremes
They need not actually be spectacular
Our astronomer, somewhat reluctantly, talks about the Supermoon
On textbooks
Learning and re-learning
Textbooks are to learn from, of course. But who is doing the learning, and when?
Hard problems and easy ones
What’s difficult is not always clear
Humans have accomplished some pretty amazing things, from putting men on the Moon (with old technology!) to sequencing their own heredity. But stubborn problems that look much easier persist.
The angle of the light
A photographer and appearances
Our photographer draws our attention to how differently the same objects appear in different light. It’s a lesson easily generalized.
Somone else’s poetry
Why read something you don’t care for?
A minor matter of a subscription raises a point of vital importance.
The postures of photography
Conforming to the machine
Our photographer notices how a new technology forces our bodies into new positions.