Category: science

  • Can Robots Lie Like a Rug?

    Can Robots Lie Like a Rug?

    I’ve been reading Isaac Asimov’s book I, Robot, a collection of short stories about the relationship between humans and robots. One very thought-provoking story is “Liar!” One prominent character is Dr. Susan Calvin. If you’ve ever seen the movie I, Robot you know she’s cast as a psychiatrist whose job is to help humans be…

  • Every Minute Counts in Physical Activity for Health Even If Your Step Counter Does Not Count It!

    Every Minute Counts in Physical Activity for Health Even If Your Step Counter Does Not Count It!

    If you want a quick read for how every minute counts in physical activity for your health, see the JAMA article “Physical Activity for Health—Every Minute Counts” (Katzmarzyk PT, Jakicic JM. Physical Activity for Health—Every Minute Counts. JAMA. 2023;330(3):213–214. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.11014). Just for fun, I tried to see if about 5 minutes of juggling would result in a change…

  • I’m Reading Isaac Asimov’s Book “I, Robot”

    I’m Reading Isaac Asimov’s Book “I, Robot”

    I just got a copy of Isaac Asimov’s book “I, Robot” the other day. I’ve been thinking about reading it ever since seeing the movie “I, Robot.” As the movie opens, you see the disclaimer saying that the movie was “…inspired by but not based…” on Asimov’s book of the same name. In fact, the…

  • Watch Out for Spaghettification on Skinwalker Ranch!

    Watch Out for Spaghettification on Skinwalker Ranch!

    I’m not up to speed on the math of black hole portal wormhole vortices and whatnot, but I think the actors on The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch need to be careful what kind of incendiary devices they’re tossing into the Triangle Area. I barely got through the general physics introductory course at Iowa State University.…

  • Thoughts on Battery Powered Toothbrushes

    Thoughts on Battery Powered Toothbrushes

    Sena bought a couple of Equate Polaris Vibraclean non-replaceable battery-powered toothbrushes with charcoal bristles (see below for remarks on charcoal) for us. When the battery dies, you just throw the brushes away. We had a rechargeable electric toothbrush a long time ago, but getting replacement parts for it was too expensive. We went back to…

  • Wormhole Vortex Portal at Skinwalker Ranch!

    Wormhole Vortex Portal at Skinwalker Ranch!

    I watched The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch the other night and the investigators got really excited over seeing what they called a wormhole portal in the Triangle area of the ranch. Somehow, it was detected by LiDAR, which stands for light detection and ranging. It measures distance using light instead of sound like radar does.…

  • What’s Up with Shared Clinical Decision Making for the RSV Vaccine?

    What’s Up with Shared Clinical Decision Making for the RSV Vaccine?

    There are probably some questions about the new Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV) vaccine. Because I’ve seen TV commercials about the new website RSVandMe, I checked on a few things the other day. The RSVandMe website and the companion website are both produced by the RSV vaccine maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). As such, I consider them marketing…

  • What’s Up with Seasonal Vaccines This Fall?

    What’s Up with Seasonal Vaccines This Fall?

    I just read an interesting article in JAMA on this fall’s Covid-19 vaccine. Most of it is from the FDA meeting in June (Rubin R. This Fall’s COVID-19 Vaccines Will Target Omicron XBB Subvariants, but Who Needs Them Remains to Be Seen. JAMA. Published online July 05, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.10053). One expert was quoted, indicating that there will…

  • Thoughts on Extraterrestrial TV Shows

    Thoughts on Extraterrestrial TV Shows

    A couple of nights ago, I watched a few TV shows on the Travel Channel about UFOs, extraterrestrial abductions, implants, and whatnot. I think there was some sort of marathon given that it was the Independence Day weekend. Anyway, I was surprised to see Marc D’Antonio on a show called Alien Invasion: Hudson Valley. The…

  • Braunschweiger and Miracle Whip Nostalgia Sandwich

    Braunschweiger and Miracle Whip Nostalgia Sandwich

    Sena bought two items at the grocery store that brought back memories: Braunschweiger and Miracle Whip. You may recall the Miracle Whip vs Mayonnaise challenge blog posts last August-September. Miracle Whip took a beating and it’s partly because I suspect the makers changed the recipe for it. I can’t change that. On the other hand,…