Tag Archives: science

Secondary Causes: Both/And, not Either/Or

How the Grand Canyon was formed depends on who’s talking. Scientists say it’s what happened as a river cut through the Colorado Plateau. Since I think scientists are right about the Colorado River’s role in making that mile-deep gulch, and … Continue reading

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Robots on Mars, an Empty Sample Tube and a Laser

Several days ago, a robot on Mars selected a hollow coring bit from its tool kit, drilled into a rock, withdrew the tool and placed the core into a sample tube. At least, that’s what should have happened. But just … Continue reading

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Minnesota, July, 2021: Drier and Deeper in Drought

(Drought conditions in Minnesota. (July 6, 2021)) My part of Stearns County, Minnesota, had moderate drought back in mid-June. This week’s map promoted us to severe drought. Maybe the map’s drought data included the 38 hundredths of an inch we … Continue reading

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Marlowe’s Faustus: Chorus, Soliloquies and Film Noir

“Doctor Faustus…” starts with a 194-word soliloquy. Sort of. It’s delivered by Chorus, named last in Marlowe’s “Dramatis Personae.” Ancient Greek tragedies had a chorus, acting like today’s narrators. Again, sort of. Aristotle said that chorus was a character, so … Continue reading

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Perseverance on Mars: February 18, 2021

(Mars 2020 getting ready for launch last year.) I’ll be looking at NASA’s Mars 2020 Ingenuity helicopter, the spacecraft, and an experimental oxygen generator. With a quick look at news of the mission’s landing this afternoon. Outward Bound: July 30, … Continue reading

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