Category Archives: Uncategorized

Space Has Become Cheap

Posted on July 23, 2023 by jlredford

I was talking with a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute recently, and he mentioned a new project he had to track penguins. From space. With his own personal satellite. These days you can put up a cubesat, a … Continue reading →

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Hawaii – Land of Peril

Posted on July 2, 2023 by jlredford

The family and I are vacationing in Hawaii, and it really is as spectacular as everyone says. There are extraordinary things to see everywhere, but they’re very aware of how bumbling tourists can be. As one of our tour guides … Continue reading →

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1 in 200 American Deaths Have Been Because of War

Posted on May 29, 2023 by jlredford

This Memorial Day, let us note how war is a common cause of death for Americans. Wiki lists 1.35M deaths from 1775 to 2023 in 81 conflicts. About half were in combat and half not. About half the deaths were … Continue reading →

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When Will Scotland Sell More Wind Than Whisky?

Posted on April 30, 2023 by jlredford

Here’s something unexpected – there is actually an advantage to living on a storm-swept rock in the North Atlantic: Scotland now has more wind power per person than any other country! They’re now up to 1900 W/person of capacity for … Continue reading →

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When Did Fiction Turn Female?

Posted on April 7, 2023 by jlredford

I was browsing the Boston Globe Sunday Arts section, looking at the Local Bestseller lists, when this caught my eye: Hardcover Fiction Paperback Fiction Hello Beautiful Ann Napolitano Daisy Jones & the Six Taylor Jenkins Reid Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie … Continue reading →

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“Lethal Tides” – Researcher Heroines of WW II

Posted on March 8, 2023 by jlredford

“Lethal Tides – Mary Sears and the Marine Scientists Who Helped Win World War II” by Catherine Musemeche is a thorough biography of the sort of person that is easy to overlook. Sears was an unassuming marine biologist who wound … Continue reading →

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Why Does “Avatar” Look So Dated?

Posted on January 31, 2023 by jlredford

“Avatar: the Way of Water” is an overwhelming movie. Every frame is filled with astonishing detail. The alien world of Pandora is as vivid as the most scenic places on Earth. Beyond that, the performances are rich and expressive, even … Continue reading →

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Musk Really Is Like Tesla, But Not In a Good Way

Posted on January 22, 2023 by jlredford

Although Elon Musk did not found or name Tesla Inc, he often gets compared to its namesake, Nikola Tesla. Both were from the provinces – South Africa for Musk and Serbia for Tesla – and made their fortunes in the … Continue reading →

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“The Mountain in the Sea” – Aliens Among Us

Posted on December 11, 2022 by jlredford

In the last few years we have been learning an enormous amount about intelligence among animals. In particular, we’ve found that octopuses are startlingly smart. They use tools, they invent hunting techniques, they invent disguise techniques, and they are curious … Continue reading →

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The Netherlands Would Be a Pretty Nice Future

Posted on November 21, 2022 by jlredford

The Washington Post today has a fascinating article about what would seem to be a dull topic: Netherlands Agriculture Technology. It notes that tiny little Holland, with the land area of Maryland and only 17M people, is the second largest … Continue reading →

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