Category Archives: Science

What if it’s really global cooling?

Posted on April 10, 2018 by Stephen W. Browne

It snowed all day yesterday. This morning we have freezing fog and whiteout conditions. It’s April. What the heck happened? Are we going to have a Spring at all? Or since we live in Scandinavian settled territory, is this the … Continue reading →

Posted in Op-eds, Science | 2 Comments

It’s 2018, where’s my flying car?

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Stephen W. Browne

Oh my goodness it’s 2018. I used to read science fiction set in 2018! Who am I kidding, I used to read science fiction set in 1970. Wasn’t I supposed to have a flying car by now? And 2001 was … Continue reading →

Posted in On Thinking, Science, Social Science & History | Leave a comment

The windows of the soul

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Stephen W. Browne

I’m on a road trip in New Mexico right now, enjoying the incredible scenery, the mountain air, and occasionally NPR. That’s how I caught a program on neuro-opthamology, which is something I’m growing more and more familiar with but only … Continue reading →

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Go see Ex Machina

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Stephen W. Browne

Alex Garland’s Ex Machina is one of those movies that’s very hard to review without spoilers. It’s got a conclusion I kind of didn’t see coming, though I did guess some of the twists and turns before the end. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Science | Leave a comment

Hubble telescope discovers oldest galaxy

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Stephen W. Browne

z8_GND_5296 is not what you call a real exciting name, but the reality is exciting enough. Observations by the Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory in Hawaii have confirmed the galaxy with that unexciting moniker is the oldest and most … Continue reading →

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Review: Home Run

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Stephen W. Browne

Note: This appeared in the print-only TV Guide of the Marshall Independent. I ran into this film quite by accident on Sunday. I was pressed for time, had to have something to review and I really didn’t want to see … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Science | Leave a comment

Google hires Kurzweil, Singularity nears

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Stephen W. Browne

Note: Cross-posted from my blog at The Marshall Independent. A couple of weeks ago Google hired Ray Kurzweil to be its new director of engineering. Google is best-known for its Internet search engine. In fact, the chances are good if … Continue reading →

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Hurricane Sandy and World War II

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Stephen W. Browne

Note: cross-posted from my newspaper blog at The Marshall Independent. I just came across a fascinating article on a device currently in development that might have kept the New York subway tunnels from flooding. (Well, fascinating for infrastructure geeks like … Continue reading →

Posted in Hard Science, Science, Social Science & History | Leave a comment

Deadly decisions

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Stephen W. Browne

Researching and writing the article “Deadly force decisions” for Monday’s paper was the most intense experience I’ve had at the Independent to date – and that includes donning harness and climbing a 70 foot ladder to the top of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Martial arts, Personal, Science | 2 Comments

Am I a Neanderthal?

Posted on March 1, 2007 by Stephen W. Browne

Wonderful news! My pet crackpot theory may be viable after all. Some time ago in my post “Can you think?” http://rantsand.blogspot.com/2006/10/can-you-think.html I posed this question: “How often have you, after examining the evidence reached a conclusion that was uncomfortable, unsettling … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Social Science & History | 5 Comments