Category Archives: Science

Life In Color/Colour

Posted on 22 February 2022 by catholicsensibility

David Attenborough is like the Walter Cronkite of nature documentary hosts. While outside whited itself out, inside there was color on the morning tube. Life in Color is the latest Netflix/Attenborough collaboration. It’s an excellent one. It has the advances … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Science, television | Leave a comment

When Whales Walked

Posted on 3 November 2021 by catholicsensibility

PBS continues to make amazing science films. One of the best recent ones looks at evolution in the fossil record, including how the title animals developed from wolf-like swimmers on an Asian seashore to deep ocean dwellers larger than the … Continue reading →

Posted in film, Science | Leave a comment

Fake Noon Coming To My State

Posted on 2 November 2021 by catholicsensibility

I see Minnesota politicians agree on one more clock change in 2022, then stop the falling back and springing forward. Sleep disruption beckons for oppressed US inhabitants again this weekend. It’s not as bad as the forced early waking and … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Politics, Science | 1 Comment

Booster

Posted on 2 November 2021 by catholicsensibility

On my way to get a booster shot yesterday, I ran across a medical opinion piece from my friend Jeffrey Tucker’s libertarian confreres. It wasn’t at that link–the piece disappeared from my news feed. (Apparently, my internet corporate masters figured … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science | Leave a comment

The Drowning Christian Parable

Posted on 30 October 2021 by catholicsensibility

Discussed here. Curtis Chang, co-founder of the project Christians and the Vaccine chats about the use of the parable: God sends masks, distancing, and a vaccine. What more could a person want? It’s actually a miracle of institutional cooperation and … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, humor, Science | Leave a comment

Fruiting Body

Posted on 3 October 2021 by catholicsensibility

On my evening walk and the fungi fibers inside the stump of a tree some neighbors had cut down earlier this summer blossomed into a fruiting body. Same pink and peach colors as six weeks ago. I went back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

The Long Future

Posted on 30 September 2021 by catholicsensibility

Fascinating piece on the BBC on how Marie Curie’s discovery of radioactivity turned human speculation on the future on its head. In 1921, the celebrated scientist was returning to Europe from the US with a fraction of an ounce of … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

Some Biology

Posted on 8 September 2021 by catholicsensibility

A friend in social media alerted me to a Catechesis on the Human Person penned by Bishop Michael Burbidge. I suspect other people may be better qualified to discuss this document from a different perspective, but let me offer mine, plus … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Church News, Science | 3 Comments

Cardinal Burke + Ventilator

Posted on 16 August 2021 by catholicsensibility

An American cardinal progresses from pandemic denial to ventilator care. Not a happy thing, even in taking notice of it.  I suppose we are at the stage where some good may come of it, aside from his hopeful recovery. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Church News, Commentary, Science | 2 Comments

Strange Family

Posted on 9 August 2021 by catholicsensibility

Living things are arranged into families. We know that today mostly based on genome sequencing. But a lot of the earlier groupings were spot-on because of obvious characteristics–a group of animals being clearly cat-like or flowers being like the rose.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Science | 1 Comment

USPS: Echo Satellite

Posted on 6 August 2021 by catholicsensibility

Nearly forgotten in the mists of time and science denial was an interesting experiment long, long, long before GPS satellites were even on the drawing board. A Minnesota scientist had an idea that if balloons covered by reflective metal were … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Leave a comment

My Favorite Mission

Posted on 4 August 2021 by catholicsensibility

Fifty years ago today, my favorite space mission left lunar orbit. It was a perfect alignment of summer vacation (therefore no interference going to school), the first serious scientific moon landing, and an early morning tv slot with Walter Cronkite. … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Science | 1 Comment

Let’s Have Another Surge

Posted on 21 July 2021 by catholicsensibility

Why not? Because 2020 was so much fun, especially for health care workers. Last time I checked, the operation for vaccines was developed under Mr Trump’s administration. So I find it super curious so many of the man’s ideological supporters … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Politics, Science | Leave a comment

Vax Goals

Posted on 7 July 2021 by catholicsensibility

So, the country falls short of its new president’s 70% goal. In the heady post-war fifties, there would be a lot of trust in the science of the day. Some conservatives just don’t want to get on board, or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Science | Leave a comment

Mask Maturity

Posted on 19 May 2021 by catholicsensibility

Apparently, our corporate masters’ spies thought I would be enchanted by facebook posts discussing masks. Pretty sure I annoyed a few people who were celebrating their freedom from facial coverings. My pastor mentioned he heard from a parishioner who was … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Science | 3 Comments