by Sara Nora Ross, PhD

The new Obama administration is still in flux on its stance toward investigation of war crimes of U.S. torture. Public opinion is likely in flux, too. Decisions will be made. I think it’s time we grow some new skills at decision analysis to support the wisdom and endurance of public decision making processes. With an administration committed to transparency and explanation, the ideas here are meant to support it as well as the public at large to assess the adequacy of decisions. Every decision begins with a question or proposition. Whether well or poorly framed, its adequacy should be tested during the decision making process, at least if we are game to outgrow our childish ways, my chief hope in writing this. In other words, Einstein was right, and we need to educate ourselves about what it means to solve problems at a higher order of complexity than the thinking that created them.   Full story »

“It has no escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.”

The words are those of Francis Crick and James Watson who, in their seminal 1953 Nature paper, correctly identified the structure of DNA and placed it at the centre of genetically inherited characteristics.

In “On the Origin of Species” published almost 100 years before, in 1859, Charles Darwin had first expounded his theories of natural selection. On February 12, it will be 200 years since the birth of possibly one of the greatest scientists of all time.

Darwin was well-aware that his theories would challenge the prevailing views about man’s place in the scheme of things. It took him more than 20 years before he could, eventually, be persuaded to put his work together and publish. Then it unleashed the storm he had been expecting. Full story »

Ann called it, “juxtaposting,” I believe. So this morning, when I encountered a host of inspirational refrigerator magnets in my local bookstore, it occurred to me that I might test one of the theories in the circular rack before me.

First, the theory:

Next, the test: [Warning - the following may be disturbing.] Full story »

Holy Shit!  They found Jesus’ Bible and the folks over at the Rapture Ready forums, at least some of them, are already convinced that this is just one more easter egg laid down by God to let us know that the end times are right around the corner.

Ok, so it’s not Jesus’ actual Bible and the whole stink is being caused by the police in Cyprus declaring that the book they found in raiding an antiquities dealer could be 2,000 years old.  The world of Biblical archeology is neat stuff except that it’s generally ruined by people needing to find proof for their belief.  The practice goes all the way back to Constantine sending his mommy off in search of the True Cross and her subsequent population of European cathedrals with relics.  Jesus must have had like 300 fingers.

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When baseball resumes in Moundville this year, it will do so after a 22-year rain delay.

In the intervening years, the town has reinvented itself around the rain. Homeowners have rigged giant sheets of plastic, like umbrellas, over their homes. Officials have constructed a series of canals around the town to siphon off water. Townsfolk have to go to the giant gymnasium if they want a rain-free place to exercise.

And the town itself has even earned a new nickname: Mudville.

The world is a whole lot cozier for Mudville’s creator, author Kurtis Scaletta. Full story »