A Model Is Just A Model

Global warming (and the future melting of the polar ice caps) is a "prediction" based on a complex model. It is not an absolute inevitability. "Since there is no way to prove that a model has not omitted some important factor, there is room for reasonable people to disagree about the relevance of the model conclusions to the real system, and to what extent the interpretation phase should be tempered by direct intuitive judgments..." (From Operations Research: Principles and Practice). In "The Population Bomb", a best-selling book written by Stanford University Professor Paul R. Ehrlich and his wife, Anne Ehrlich, (1968), it warned of the mass starvation of humans in the 1970s and 1980s due to overpopulation, as well as other major societal upheavals, and advocated immediate action to limit population growth. Well, the world population has about doubled since that prediction (from about 3.5 billion to over 7 billion) and civilization has not collapsed. Looks like their model was wrong. Turns out that imposing a limit of one or two children on American families or initiating a more extreme plan (like forced abortions) was never necessary. Societies adapt... and future technological improvements change the "factors" in the model.

Fujitsu Microelectronics GMD Alumni

This Facebook page is a place where former employees of Fujitsu Microelectronics GMD can connect and exchange stories about their experiences working at GMD. The Gresham plant first opened in 1988. The site was acquired by Microchip Technology, Inc. in 2002. Click on photo above to follow link to the Facebook page. This link was posted here because some Facebook pages are not searchable by Google.

Crayfish at Dorena Reservoir, Lane County, Oregon
©2014 Photo by Universe 6

Dragonfly at Dorena Reservoir, Lane County, Oregon
©2014 Photo by Universe 6

Humans not responsible for extinction of Australian megafauna

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112839810/humans-not-responsible-extinction-australian-megafauna-050713/

Octopus Walks on Land

Are Australians and Indians Closely Related?

Direct genetic link between Australia and India provides new insight into the origins of Australian aborigines

Cloning Neanderthals

http://www.nextnature.net/2011/02/should-we-clone-neanderthals/

A Jurrasic Park Prequel?

Japanese researchers aim to resurrect mammoth in five years.
(Click on picture above to go to news story.)

I always wondered about the science in the film "Jurassic Park". Could they really do that? It sounded so promising with the new bio-tech tools available. But I have not heard of a single extinct species which has been resurrected so far. Perhaps this will be the first. I am a bit skeptical of promises - back in the 1980s the Japanese promised us "Fifth Generation" software which would make computers as smart as people. They never delivered. We will see how they do with this one...

The Science of Jurassic Park is an easy-to-read book which discusses the cloning methods suggested in the film and book. I enjoyed it thoroughly. You can find a brand new copy of this book for as little as 75 cents at www.half.com. Well worth the pocket change.

Monkey Flower

The orchid, genus Dracula simia, found in SE Ecuador. Named simia specifically because they resemble monkeys. I think they look a bit like squirrel monkeys...

Barry Lopez interviewed by Bill Moyers

Census of Life