In the News: The Science of Silent Consent

The Downside of the Growth Curve?

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, human populations have sky-rocked. In 1800, approximately one billion people lived on our planet. At that time, we lived on the energy of the sunlight that came down each year or stored in trees and crops over a few years to decades. Once we learned to exploit fossilizedContinue reading “The Downside of the Growth Curve?”

Cow Pox and the Propaganda of the 19th Century’s Anti-Vaccine Society

In June 1802, James Gillray published the Cow-Pock or “The Wonderful Effects of the New Inoculation!” a publication of the Anti-vaccine Society. It used bald-faced lies and misinformation to discourage people from taking the first vaccine in European medicine. In his classic propaganda cartoon, he implied that vaccinations would cause people to become more bovine,Continue reading “Cow Pox and the Propaganda of the 19th Century’s Anti-Vaccine Society”

Plastics and Their Role in Silent Consent

A recurring theme in Silent Consent by Circa24 is the damage done to the future generations from the plastics that made much of the carbon era so remarkable. Plastics, as we know them, have become rare strategic materials in the Founder’s States of that book. People seek antique plastic products from the 20th century asContinue reading “Plastics and Their Role in Silent Consent”

Some Paint Choices That Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Your Chemical Usage.

Silent Consent looks at a dystopian world where easy access to energy and power has become part of our past. Although fiction, its prediction of a polarized world is very plausible. A caste system with a few powerful elites have controlled many of the pre-carbon era civilizations. The many others, who serve as their energyContinue reading “Some Paint Choices That Can Cut Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Your Chemical Usage.”

Population and Violence?

Spite is a natural behaviour among organisms, just like mutualism and parasitism. Behaviourists define war as a loose-loose interaction in which each party is harmed by the exchange. Among humans, war is typically fought to gain control of resources. The Nazis’ moved against the Soviet Union and waged war in North Africa primarily to gainContinue reading “Population and Violence?”

On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon

One of the things we look for in good science is the ability to make predictions. In 1972, an MIT team modeled twelve different possible scenarios for the future based upon different responses to the environment. Since then, we have followed the BAU2 (Business as Usual) scenario. Based upon our desire for continued economic growth,Continue reading “On Track for a Societal Collapse Soon”

Water Troubles

The Colorado River Is In Trouble. The great river of the American West has headwaters in the marshes created by the snow-melts at La Poudre Pass (Colorado). Soon afterwards, the water diversion projects begin. These water fields and provide life to communities. Before leaving the Coyote Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park (also Colorado), aboutContinue reading “Water Troubles”

Derechos

Derechos are massive wind storms that can stretch linearly for hundreds of miles. They can include bands of showers and thunderstorms, and they can spawn tornadoes. Traditionally, for something to qualify as a “derecho,” the wind storm must extend 250 miles (~400kM), have wind gusts that equal or exceed 58mph (121 kM/h) with multiple gustsContinue reading “Derechos”

Oral Histories

Three are lots of oral histories collected from older people before they pass. The stories and events that one generation takes as granted become the history for the next. Here are a few oral history sites–some simple, some more in-depth–that might interest you. Library of Congress, Voices of Slaves Society of American Archivists: Oral HistoriesContinue reading “Oral Histories”