Navigation

Tag Archives | Science Fact

Up With Teleology! Down With Anarchy! Sideways with the Hypothetical Calculus!

By on August 24, 2010 1
Ludwig Boltzmann

Ludwig Boltzmann

Three more blasts from the past (all a bit more recent than my blast from Oscarville):

First, two papers I wrote for a science course in college: “The Temptation of Ludwig Boltzmann” (a short sf story exploring the implications of Boltzmannian probability theory – though Amazon thinks it’s something else) and “Evolution: Chance or Teleology?” (an essay on the spontaneous growth of physical order).

Next, a blast from my statist past: “Financing the Non-Coercive State,” an essay I wrote in (though not for) grad school, in which I decisively refute free-market anarchism!

Walking on Sunshine

By on July 8, 2010 8

solar plane

A solar-powered plane has just completed a 26-hour flight, the nighttime portion of the flight being powered by the daytime portion – with power to spare.

With an average speed of 25 mph, solar-powered flight isn’t quite ready to render jet fuel obsolete; but it’s nice to see some progress on the power-sources-that-aren’t-depleted-by-use-and-don’t-cause-so-much-collateral-damage front.

What About Smothered and Covered?

By on June 8, 2010 1

Ever wonder what the difference is between “isolated” and “scattered” thunderstorms in a weather forecast?

thunderstorm

Well, it depends who you ask. The most popular answer, purportedly endorsed by the National Weather Service, is that it’s a matter of the probability of the thunderstorms’ occurrence. (See here and here.) But the WGN Weather Center says instead that it’s a matter of the likely geographical extent of such storms.

In either case, “isolated” apparently portends less soakage than “scattered.”

Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes