Category: Science and Math

Essays on science and math

NASA Meatball Logo with Pluto 1

Pluto: Too Awesome to Be a Planet

If you’re a science nerd like me, you’ve probably been following the adventures of NASA’s New Horizons space probe. Finally, Pluto is no longer a distant blob in the sky, but a real place...

Rene Descartes Dualism Diagram 1

Experience vs Memory

I saw an interesting TED Talk about the psychology of experience vs memory. In the talk, psychologist Daniel Kahneman talks about two competing parts of our conscious mind: the experiencing self and the remembering...

Signs of the Zodiac 1

Space Age Astrology

I don’t understand how astrology still holds any sway over modern society. Given what we know about the laws of physics, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. After all, you don’t see many people...

Cosmos Title Card with Cosmo Kramer 3

Progress and Science Deniers

A couple of months ago, Bill Nye the Science Guy had a debate with the proprietor of the Creation Museum. Meanwhile, Neil deGrasse Tyson was busy filming a reboot of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos which...

Smarch Calendar 3

The Lost Month of Mercedonius

We take it for granted that there are twelve months in the year, but this has not always been the case. The Roman-derived calendar that we use today has had anywhere from ten to...

Saint Gaudens Double Eagle 3

Decimal Currency in America

The metric system has never caught on in the U.S., but when it comes to decimal measures, there is one place where America has been a pioneer. We were one of the first countries...

Hill Valley Clock with Ten Digits 4

America and the Metric System

When I was a kid, we watched films about the metric system. (And when I say films, I mean actual reels of film. Most of these movies were made well before I was born.)...

Six-Fingered Mouse Cursor 4

An Intro to Dozenal Numerals

Our number system is based on the number ten, which makes sense, since we have ten fingers to count on. The decimal system is the base behind metric measurements, and our whole system of...