Apropos my article about the Church’s indifference to science, it turns out Peter Wood has noticed the U.S. on the whole isn’t exactly encouraging its children in that direction either. Success in the sciences unquestionably takes a lot of hard work, sustained over many years. Students usually have to catch the science bug in grade… Continue reading

Max Boot provides some second thoughts on the energy-saving plans of T. Boone Pickens.

You Have Got to be Kidding Me Dept. Of all the Manny moments in Boston, the last ranks as one of the most confounding. Within an hour after Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein informed Manny Ramírez he had been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, Ramírez’s agent, Scott Boras, called the Sox back,… Continue reading

Astronomer Phil Plait is excited about this (and so am I because it figures in the new book proposal I’m trying to sell right now): The Antikythera Mechanism is an artifact found on a sunken boat a century ago. It’s a device that has bronze gears and apparently was used to do some sort of… Continue reading

Friday Night Summer SpecialThis one’s for Mr. and Mrs. Darwin. Especially for a warm Friday. 1.5 oz Sauza Hornitos (agave or anejo) on the rocks. Add 7-Up or Sprite, and then fresh squeezed orange juice (absolutely no substitutes) on top. Salt is up to you.