Score one for science and zero for creationism in Texas. The Texas Board of Education voted unanimously to reject any creationist supplements to its science curriculum. This is quite a change for this notoriously "right wing" school board.
Evolution has been coming under attack ever since Darwin (and his predecessors) proposed the concept. The fight between teaching school children we were created by magic or we were created by a complex biological function seemed to finally come to an end with the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. Evolution won.
When I was in high school, I saw a film which tried to explain evolution. The animation presented showed a fish that sprouted legs, walked onto the beech, then became a lizard which eventually turned into a bird. The animation took about three minutes. Despite the fact the narrator said this conversion process took millions of years to accomplish, most of the other kids sitting at my table shook their heads and whispered things like, "I don't believe a fish can turn into a lizard", or "I've never seen a fish jump out of the ocean and turn into a bird". Although the biology teacher was adept at his subject, I really don't think he was ever able to fully explain evolution to these kids. And I believe he was probably better at it than the majority of teachers out there, which may explain why so little of the population understands the theory today, or even what the word "theory" actually means.
Too much CSI has dumbed down the word "theory", making it something like a shot in the dark or merely a guess. I'm not over exaggerating the importance of Darwin's theory when I state it is the underpinning of all our understanding of biology. Evolution is the umbrella process that incorporates "survival of the fittest", "natural selection", and "mutation". Without those parts, biology is relegated to "it works by magic".
So I celebrate the Texas Board of Education and hope the teachers really teach the theory so that kids can actually learn it and understand it. Otherwise in a few short years we're going to see more polls showing the American people overwhelmingly believe magic is the best way to explain our origins.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
on Ghettos
When Robert and I, along with our friends Jeff & Corie, visited Venice, I wanted to spend time roaming around the original Ghetto, the very place where the name came from. It was an enclave of Jewish people who had been compelled to live in a particular area by the Venetian Republic. I was out of luck however, because it was a Saturday and everything was closed for Shabbat.
Forced segregation is one thing, but many different types of people purposely choose to congregate and live in a particular area. There is power in numbers, and being surrounded by people who are similar to you can be empowering and safe.
Back in the 1970's, the city of Washington D.C., our nation's capital, was predominately black. It reached a pinnacle of 71% black just before the 80's came. One area that was probably closer to 90% is the H Street area. In recent years the population has shifted and now whites have taken a slight majority at 51%. H Street is changing. The lower income levels of the population along the street has made for ripe pickings when it comes to cheap property. Recently the city tried to pass ordinances for H Street that would ban chicken wings (because they presumably draw rats and choke dogs) and would remove hair salons from future financial development funds. To most people these two proposed ordinances were racially motivated.
The city has also targeted this area for much development including new sidewalks, decorative street lamps and new street cars. The increased development meant the existing store owners' property taxes increased dramatically. Also, many of the property owners were charged "frontage", meaning they had to pay a fee for every foot of property along the street. These sudden fees and taxes have driven many stores to close. On the other hand nearly twice as many new stores have cropped up along the burgeoning way. Some of the older residents are pointing to these new stores and noting the lighter color of the new store owners' skins. Many older residents bemoan the loss of the familiar neighborhood they grew up in, or raised families in.
It provokes thoughts regarding racism, progress, development, and nostalgia. Is change always good? We would typically look at the new sidewalks, storefronts, etcetera and see it as a good thing, as progress. But what has been lost in order for this progress to be made?
The famous Castro Street in San Francisco has traditionally been home to the LGBT community for decades. I will admit that the sheer freedom I once felt, walking hand in hand down the Castro with Robert, without fear or even any adverse glances, was beyond wonderful. To be surrounded by "people like us", "our own kind" was both emotionally satisfying and thrilling. Despite the differences in political, historical, even sexual concepts, the LGBT was and is a community and you could never find it more visible than in the Castro, with a possible exception of Greenwich Village in NYC.
As the housing prices climbed along the Castro, many older LGBT residents sold and moved to other locations. The city of San Francisco has become a welcoming place, without any need for a ghetto. Gay men and women can walk down most of the city's streets without fear, most of the time. The beauty of the well kept neighborhood is attractive to families and soon many couples with young children were moving in. These families were usually very tolerant of their LGBT neighbors, and wanted to raise their children in a very diverse, open and liberal area. However, the next wave of residents were a bit more conservative. They were looking for a good, clean neighborhood with many amenities, good schools, and a terrific location for commuting to down town.
Along the Castro, for decades, one could find stores with mannequins in the display windows sporting leather harnesses, chains, clamps, tattoos, mohawks, and any number of other accouterments. The LGBT community has been marginalized by society for its sexual orientations, and thereby for its sexual "proclivities". Perhaps as a way to rebel against that marginalization, the community has embraced an "in your face" attitude about sex. As we gain more and more acceptance within the general public, we no longer have such a dire need to rebel. These storefronts are beginning to fade away on their own. However, recently some of the new families moving into the Castro have begun to complain about the displays. Citing their children's impressionable minds, they have demanded that the stores black out their windows or remove any of the "offending" items. This is an effort to "clean up" the street and make it even more family friendly.
And that is how the ghettos disappear. Should we bemoan the loss, or celebrate the progress?
Forced segregation is one thing, but many different types of people purposely choose to congregate and live in a particular area. There is power in numbers, and being surrounded by people who are similar to you can be empowering and safe.
Back in the 1970's, the city of Washington D.C., our nation's capital, was predominately black. It reached a pinnacle of 71% black just before the 80's came. One area that was probably closer to 90% is the H Street area. In recent years the population has shifted and now whites have taken a slight majority at 51%. H Street is changing. The lower income levels of the population along the street has made for ripe pickings when it comes to cheap property. Recently the city tried to pass ordinances for H Street that would ban chicken wings (because they presumably draw rats and choke dogs) and would remove hair salons from future financial development funds. To most people these two proposed ordinances were racially motivated.
The city has also targeted this area for much development including new sidewalks, decorative street lamps and new street cars. The increased development meant the existing store owners' property taxes increased dramatically. Also, many of the property owners were charged "frontage", meaning they had to pay a fee for every foot of property along the street. These sudden fees and taxes have driven many stores to close. On the other hand nearly twice as many new stores have cropped up along the burgeoning way. Some of the older residents are pointing to these new stores and noting the lighter color of the new store owners' skins. Many older residents bemoan the loss of the familiar neighborhood they grew up in, or raised families in.
It provokes thoughts regarding racism, progress, development, and nostalgia. Is change always good? We would typically look at the new sidewalks, storefronts, etcetera and see it as a good thing, as progress. But what has been lost in order for this progress to be made?
The famous Castro Street in San Francisco has traditionally been home to the LGBT community for decades. I will admit that the sheer freedom I once felt, walking hand in hand down the Castro with Robert, without fear or even any adverse glances, was beyond wonderful. To be surrounded by "people like us", "our own kind" was both emotionally satisfying and thrilling. Despite the differences in political, historical, even sexual concepts, the LGBT was and is a community and you could never find it more visible than in the Castro, with a possible exception of Greenwich Village in NYC.
As the housing prices climbed along the Castro, many older LGBT residents sold and moved to other locations. The city of San Francisco has become a welcoming place, without any need for a ghetto. Gay men and women can walk down most of the city's streets without fear, most of the time. The beauty of the well kept neighborhood is attractive to families and soon many couples with young children were moving in. These families were usually very tolerant of their LGBT neighbors, and wanted to raise their children in a very diverse, open and liberal area. However, the next wave of residents were a bit more conservative. They were looking for a good, clean neighborhood with many amenities, good schools, and a terrific location for commuting to down town.
Along the Castro, for decades, one could find stores with mannequins in the display windows sporting leather harnesses, chains, clamps, tattoos, mohawks, and any number of other accouterments. The LGBT community has been marginalized by society for its sexual orientations, and thereby for its sexual "proclivities". Perhaps as a way to rebel against that marginalization, the community has embraced an "in your face" attitude about sex. As we gain more and more acceptance within the general public, we no longer have such a dire need to rebel. These storefronts are beginning to fade away on their own. However, recently some of the new families moving into the Castro have begun to complain about the displays. Citing their children's impressionable minds, they have demanded that the stores black out their windows or remove any of the "offending" items. This is an effort to "clean up" the street and make it even more family friendly.
And that is how the ghettos disappear. Should we bemoan the loss, or celebrate the progress?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
on Titania
Here's a quick quiz: What substance makes your smile brighter, your skin clearer, your paintings more colorful, your memory larger, and your air less polluted? The answer is Titania!
Titania is actually Titanium Dioxide. Titanium is a very tough metal that can withstand extreme heat and abuse, which is why it is the metal of choice for the space shuttle. The human body doesn't seem to reject Titanium very often which is why it is also the metal of choice for joint replacements. Titanium Dioxide is a very special substance that can be produced in eight different variables, some by adding immense pressure and some in more synthetic ways. However it is created, Titania is all around us, in most of the products we use.
Pigment White number 6 is called Titanium White, and what any painter will tell you is indespensible when creating a masterpiece. In any food where the manufacturer wants the color to really stand out, or wants white, the color is called E171, or Titanium Food Color. It is used to make plastics white, which was a huge breakthrough, allowing labels and logos to be printed directly onto plastic containers instead of making paper labels.
The sunscreen we apply to our skins, to protect us from UV light, has some zinc oxide in it which reflects the sun's rays, but mostly it utilizes Titania to block the absorption of the UV rays into the skin.
The toothpaste we use is typically white. Now this makes intuitive sense in a psychological way because who wants to brush their teeth with something black, green, or brown? However, Titania has a really wonderful quality humans have been taking advantage of a lot lately. It can take UV light and convert it to oxygen! Yep, it's an oxygen generator. This is how it turns your teeth white, as long as you can somehow guarantee your teeth are exposed to UV rays.
Oxygena is an Italian produced ceramic floor (and wall) tile that utilizes Titania in its glazing. The tiles can actually produce oxygen, making the air a bit fresher around them, again as long as they are exposed to UV light. In fact, because they produce oxygen, any pollution that has accumulated on them will easily wash away because the oxygen doesn't allow the pollution to stick. In this way Titania has been dubbed a "pollution scrubber". There's even a brand of stucco, the exterior cementitious coating building material, that utilizes Titania to "self clean" its surface. Imagine, buildings that self clean themselves, remove pollution buildup and add oxygen back into the air!
The Japanese have successfully used Titania to trap electrical impulses and create computer data memory at an extremely high efficiency level. Is there anything this substance can't be used for?
Titania uses a process called PhotoCatalysm, in other words, it uses the light energy to break apart air molecules to produce oxygen. This process of light energy conversion is being looked at by inventors as a possible source for energy production.
Titania, the miracle metal!
Titania is actually Titanium Dioxide. Titanium is a very tough metal that can withstand extreme heat and abuse, which is why it is the metal of choice for the space shuttle. The human body doesn't seem to reject Titanium very often which is why it is also the metal of choice for joint replacements. Titanium Dioxide is a very special substance that can be produced in eight different variables, some by adding immense pressure and some in more synthetic ways. However it is created, Titania is all around us, in most of the products we use.
Pigment White number 6 is called Titanium White, and what any painter will tell you is indespensible when creating a masterpiece. In any food where the manufacturer wants the color to really stand out, or wants white, the color is called E171, or Titanium Food Color. It is used to make plastics white, which was a huge breakthrough, allowing labels and logos to be printed directly onto plastic containers instead of making paper labels.
The sunscreen we apply to our skins, to protect us from UV light, has some zinc oxide in it which reflects the sun's rays, but mostly it utilizes Titania to block the absorption of the UV rays into the skin.
The toothpaste we use is typically white. Now this makes intuitive sense in a psychological way because who wants to brush their teeth with something black, green, or brown? However, Titania has a really wonderful quality humans have been taking advantage of a lot lately. It can take UV light and convert it to oxygen! Yep, it's an oxygen generator. This is how it turns your teeth white, as long as you can somehow guarantee your teeth are exposed to UV rays.
Oxygena is an Italian produced ceramic floor (and wall) tile that utilizes Titania in its glazing. The tiles can actually produce oxygen, making the air a bit fresher around them, again as long as they are exposed to UV light. In fact, because they produce oxygen, any pollution that has accumulated on them will easily wash away because the oxygen doesn't allow the pollution to stick. In this way Titania has been dubbed a "pollution scrubber". There's even a brand of stucco, the exterior cementitious coating building material, that utilizes Titania to "self clean" its surface. Imagine, buildings that self clean themselves, remove pollution buildup and add oxygen back into the air!
The Japanese have successfully used Titania to trap electrical impulses and create computer data memory at an extremely high efficiency level. Is there anything this substance can't be used for?
Titania uses a process called PhotoCatalysm, in other words, it uses the light energy to break apart air molecules to produce oxygen. This process of light energy conversion is being looked at by inventors as a possible source for energy production.
Titania, the miracle metal!
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