John L. Taylor @johnnylogic@qoto.org

[A video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z4QdiqP-q8) from the paper "[Shape oscillation of a levitated drop in an acoustic field](https://arxiv.org/abs/1310.2967)," by W. Ran & S. Fredericks (Clemson University, Department of Mechanical Engineering). #cymatics #science #video

I stand at the seashore, alone, and start to think.

There are the rushing waves
mountains of molecules
each stupidly minding its own business
trillions apart
yet forming white surf in unison.

Ages on ages
before any eyes could see
year after year
thunderously pounding the shore as now.
For whom, for what?
On a dead planet
with no life to entertain.

Never at rest
tortured by energy
wasted prodigiously by the sun
poured into space.
A mite makes the sea roar.

Deep in the sea
all molecules repeat
the patterns of one another
till complex new ones are formed.
They make others like themselves
and a new dance starts.

Growing in size and complexity
living things
masses of atoms
DNA, protein
dancing a pattern ever more intricate.

Out of the cradle
onto dry land
here it is
standing:
atoms with consciousness;
matter with curiosity.

Stands at the sea,
wonders at wondering: I
a universe of atoms
an atom in the universe.

---
Originally from “The Value of Science,” public address at the National Academy of Sciences (Autumn 1955)

#Feynman, #Poetry, #Science, #Wonder

Two more things to keep in mind in addition to the above:
* **Brandolini's Law**: "The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude larger than is needed to produce it." Also known as the **bullshit asymmetry principle**.
* **The Gish Gallop**: A rhetorical technique in which a person in a debate attempts to overwhelm their opponent by providing an excessive number of arguments with no regard for the accuracy or strength of those arguments.

#Denialism, #Fallacy, #Science, #Skepticism

I ran across the FLICC model of science denial a while ago while reading _How to Talk to a Science Denier_ by Lee McIntyre. I can say that throughout the years of engaging flat-earthers, stop-the-stealers, creationists, Covid deniers, vaccine skeptics, QAnon believers, and the like, I have faced every one of the techniques outlined. ([Image Source](https://skepticalscience.com/history-FLICC-5-techniques-science-denial.html))

#Denialism, #Fallacy, #Science, #Skepticism

"Each dot is an entire galaxy containing billions of stars... The galaxies seen in this image are all in the distant Universe and appear as they did 10-12 billion years ago. They are colour coded in blue, green, and red to represent the three wavebands used for Herschels observation. Those appearing in white have equal intensity in all three bands and are the ones forming the most stars. The galaxies shown in red are likely to be the most distant, appearing as they did around 12 billion years ago." ([Source](https://www.herschel.caltech.edu/image/nhsc2010-008a ))

And, yes, the image does look like a picture of a 1970's brown carpet.

#Astronomy, #Galaxies, #HerschelSpaceObservatory, #Science

"This video is taken from a 16-mm movie made in the 1950s by the late David Rogers at Vanderbilt University... It depicts a human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (neutrophil) [a type of white blood cell] on a blood film, crawling among red blood cells... The neutrophil is 'chasing' Staphylococcus aureus microorganisms, added to the film." ([Source](https://goopenva.org/authoring/459-white-blood-cell-chases-bacteria/view))

#Biology, #ImmuneSystem, #Science, #Video

By way of #introduction, I am a Director of Research working on online #fraudprevention. I aim to protect people from fraud while establishing trust and safety for businesses.

My professional interests include #datascience, #machinelearning, #dataengineering, #designthinking, #innovation, #research, and #dataethics. My personal interests are numerous and include #philosophy (esp. #ethics, #science, and #epistemology), #psychology (esp. #cognition, #positivepsychology, #therapy), and philosophies of life (esp. #buddhism, #humanism, #stoicism, #taoism).

Hobby-wise, I am an #exercise and #martialarts enthusiast. I also enjoy #nature, #hiking, and the #outdoors, generally.