The most distant object that most folks can see with the unaided eye is also the closest major galaxy to our own Milky Way. Although the Andromeda Galaxy lies a mind-bending 2.5 million light-years from Earth, its trillion stars are enough to emit a strong glow across the vast reaches of space. Despite the wide gap, the…
Recently I considered the books piled upon my desk. I am fortunate to be able to purchase whatever I am inclined to read. I am happy in a strange way, — happy like a soldier departing on a mission, grasping a rifle with clip of full metal-jacket rounds, and plenty of spare ammo. I…
BURNT NORTON By T. S. Eliot Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable. What might have been is an abstraction Remaining a perpetual possibility Only in a world of speculation. What might…
Difficult to write this morning. The weather is forecast to warm in a day or so in Illinois. We have had a week of single digit temps, which is not unusual for winter in the Midwest. In Texas, they have been besieged with severely below normal temps, and ice storms with snow. Power failure…
Yesterday was marked by two events. I initiated and finished cleaning the shower. The necessary and unpleasant biweekly chore was alleviated by my Spotify playlist of music. I use several small fans to ameliorate the noxious fumes of the cleaning agent which removes hard water residue. There’s no need to describe in further detail…
Yesterday I received report of my granddaughter’s visit to the physician. She is a toddler, walking about, exploring, and babbling. I sense that she is on the cusp of language. She understands simple commands and responds with appropriate behavior. She runs about her play area, with obvious excitement, laughing, to point out the…
The world, “reality” can be cruel and dangerous. One ought always to keep that in mind. The United States is a civilized society, relatively “safe” depending on where you happen to be, upon the cash and credit cards you have in your pocket. Nonetheless, this country is a legally and administratively violent society. Today,…
Tuesday evening a few of us “gathered” via virtual video and discussed the role of “awe” or put another way, “wonder” in the scientific enterprise. Science is understood is a method of testing the reliability of a theory, our notions of the way things are/work. This is difficult at best. Scientists, all those who…
A friend asked me via email, “… just wondering why you are terrified of every angel? Even good angels?” The source of the question was the poetic assertion from Rilke, “Every angel’s terrifying” that I chose as a tagline for this blog. Her question came straight, not tongue in cheek, rhetorical. I do not…
In a speech on January 28th at Brussels’ International Privacy Day, Tim Cook CEO of Apple had this to say. Here is an excerpt from his speech: “Technology does not need vast troves of personal data stitched together across dozens of websites and apps in order to succeed. Advertising existed and thrived for decades…
