Politics and Science

            I am glad that I will die early, a couple decades from now, from the climate crisis. I am glad that the fossil fuel CEOs and financiers who fund fossil fuel projects will be able to live their lives of luxury in underground bunkers while millions of people die. This is the way it should be. How could it be any other way? I am glad that we will potentially sacrifice humanity for the free market and profit and fossil fuels. We must never admit the free market is not perfect! All hail the free market. It is infallible and all-knowing. I am disappointed that the Inflation Reduction Act passed with its climate provisions, because it might extend my life. Clearly, I am excited at the prospect of an early grave, and any action that might prevent me from reaching my early grave is a tragedy. On a lighter, more sincere, and less sarcastic note, I am tentatively hopeful about some the climate action that's going on in the world. Things could still turn out awfully, but at least s

  Everyone knows there are two types of people. Dog people and cat people. Tea and coffee people. Meanderers and striders. Weak and strong. Rich and poor. Tall and short. However, there is another way to divide people. Those who think there is one type of person and those who think there are two types of people.             In the land of Monarchy Incorporated, people were divided into their categories and had their place and everyone was content. Then one day, a philosopher had an idea and said to the king, “Your highness, if there are two types of people, then what if there was one group who thought there was only one group, and a second group who thought there were two groups of people.” The King was flummoxed by this. If everyone thought there were two types of people, then really there was only one type of person. If everyone believed there was one type of person, then everyone could be correct, assuming no one changed their mind.             The King said, “I will solve this prob

            Many movies depict aliens as violent creatures. However, my guess is that any alien that could visit Earth would be so advanced, that we wouldn’t be a threat to them. Do humans feel threatened by mice? By analogy, as the aliens would be to us, we would be to mice. I became vegetarian in December 2019, partly inspired by Cory Booker, however, I realized that by analogy, just as I didn’t want to eat less advanced Earth creatures, maybe if we didn’t eat simpler Earth creatures, maybe we could hope that any advanced alien that comes to Earth wouldn’t eat us.             Furthermore, I have written about transparency and opacity. I think that if aliens did visit Earth, they would be powerful enough and advanced enough to remain opaque, although based on the reports of Unexplained Aerial Phenomona from the US military, our sensors are picking up some unexplained things.             So my guess is that the aliens would be opaque. Would humans give a laptop or a nuclear weapon to a

 Here are some books that I'm reading this summer. How Not to Be Wrong by Jordan Ellenberg. Ellenberg has a great history in mathematics competitions, and has written one novel. This book explains how mathematics can result in surprising conclusions, and are applicable to everyday life. Accessory to War by Neil Degrasse Tyson and Lang. This book examines the relationship between the military and astronomy, although it is probably an example of the relationship between the military and the sciences and mathematics in general. The Way Forward by Meyer and O'Neil. The book is about life lessons from the Navy SEALs.