Archive for December, 2005

Dec 31 2005

AIP summary of Dover Decision

Published by steve under Education, Politics, Science

The recent “139-page ruling by Judge Jones”:http://www.pamd.uscourts.gov/kitzmiller/kitzmiller_342.pdf in the case *Kitzmiller vs. the Dover School Board of Education* was remarkable. Not just broad, this was a deep ruling which every scientist and lawyer should read. The American Institute of Physics (“http://www.aip.org”:http://www.aip.org) has printed, in its most recent FYI bulletin, “a summary of the ruling with [...]

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Dec 30 2005

Time Stands Still at the Ironhorse Music Hall

Published by steve under Life

Jodi and I are in Connecticut with my parents now, getting ready for the new year. We went to Northampton, MA last night with my good pal Eric and several of his friends. We had the pleasure of a fine dinner and great music at the “Iron Horse Music Hall”:http://www.iheg.com/iron_horse_main.asp, where “Jesse Malin”:http://www.jessemalin.com/ performed. I’ve [...]

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Dec 27 2005

Madtown

Published by steve under Life

The vacation is half over. Christmas is done, and now Jodi and I are getting ready to leave Wisconsin and head to Connecticut. Today, we decided to divert to Madison to relax for one night. This is a great chance to just hit some of our old haunts, spend some family-free time together, and enjoy [...]

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Dec 25 2005

How the Packers Stole Christmas

Published by steve under Life

This was just about the strangest Chistmas ever. We didn’t open presents, or have a nice sitdown dinner as a family. Nope. Instead, we awoke rather late for Christmas, pastor’s Eve-service message still ringing in our ears, and piled in the car to drive to Green Bay. That’s right – we spent Christmas with [...]

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Dec 23 2005

Science Reaffirmed

Published by steve under Life, Science

This was, from the public perspective, a difficult year for evolution. I am not saying this because it was challenged by a potentially new theory of biological diversity, nor because it made predictions that were contradicted in the lab or in nature. “In fact, scientifically this has been hailed as a remarkable year for this [...]

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Dec 21 2005

Headache, Cough, Sinuses, Aches, Pains, and Intelligent Design

Published by steve under Science

Jodi and I are both now fighting either the flu or very severe colds. We both firmly understand that the underlying cause of the symptoms – headache, coughing fits, sinus pain and drainage, body aches, and general discomfort – are invasive germs which have evolved since the last time my body encountered them. Consequently, [...]

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Dec 17 2005

A Reminder, from the Past

Published by steve under Politics

I will say only this on the occasion of the President’s revelation that he routinely authorized wiretaps without court authorization:

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
Attributed to Benjamin Franklin

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Dec 17 2005

A Candle in the Dark

Published by steve under Education, Life, Physics, Science

The BaBar Collaboration meeting is over, and it was as exhausting and fulfilling as I had hoped. Despite the necessary shutdown to address the safety culture at SLAC (which occurred just over a year ago), we have bounced back with enthusiasm and science. The upcoming winter conferences will be a lot of fun for our [...]

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Dec 11 2005

Greetings from the BaBar Collaboration Meeting!

Published by steve under Physics

Well, it is that time of year again. Actually, it’s that time of year again, again, again. This is the fourth BaBar collaboration meeting of the year, the one that most directly influences our work going into the particle physics winter conference schedule. We start on a Sunday so that traveling is easier and cheaper [...]

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Dec 07 2005

Correction to my Comments on Mr. Watson

Published by steve under Politics, Science

In a recent entry, I summarized the sentiment’s of the Royal Society’s Lord May. In his valedictory anniversary speech to the Society, he commented on the chief U.S. climate change negotiator. He said this person was a lawyer, and that the only reason the U.S. would have a lawyer in this role is to defend [...]

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