Blinded by science

As my day job is working as a research scientist, I find it important to live by decisions based on empiric evidence.  Living in the USA, and especially in the Deep South, that's not always easy.  This is, after all, the region of the nation best known for discarding settled science in favor of various flavors of religion.  Alabama still requires disclaimers in school science textbooks that claim the principle of evolution is somehow still unproven.  Many other similar topics are disputed by those who can't or won't accept the scientific method:  climate change, the age, and even the shape of the earth.  Fortunately, these misguided individuals can be refuted by a most infallible authority- the slogan t-shirt.  In my collection, I have multiple shirt that proclaim "science doesn't care what you believe."  That is to say, science is true, whether or not you find it convenient to accept it.  This adage is most apropos throughout and after our most recent global pandemic.  For selfish personal and political reasons, many people chose to blame various parties for the origins of the deadly virus, despite having little or no evidence to support their claims.  Early on in the struggle with the new virus, there was little real evidence to be had that supported anyone's claims.  But that has slowly changed, and today another convincing piece was added to the pile.  The prestigious science journal Cell published a paper with strong evidence that the virus arose from a food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.  This adds to previous work that suggests the most likely source of the virus was a natural spillover from animals sold as food in the market.  Not an accidental escape from a lab.  Not a deliberate pathogen released to target specific populations.  Not any other fanciful theory concocted without evidence and repeated by those with crackpot political views.  As far as humankind is able to determine at this moment in history, this is the best explanation of the pandemic's origin.  Of course, that's not to say future, better evidence will change things if and when it comes to light.  But that's how science works- more and better data improve our understanding of all things.  And as always, one's personal opinions, or religion, or politics don't matter, because science doesn't care what you believe.

 

Anniversary

 It was one year ago today that I began this blog, with the intention of returning to an online presence that involved more long form discourse, and less of the short-attention-span posts of the social media that is now the current fad.  As someone always drawn to anachronisms, blogging appealed to me partly because it is now considered old fashioned.  I've not really settled on a unifying theme for this blog, but instead share random observations about some of my interests: typewriters, postal mail, food, and books.  A year after it began, it's likely what is found here hasn't much altered the course of the world.  But whose hobby ever does?  Here's to another year!

Keep on truckin'

 After a long period of development, the newly designed US Postal Service's mail trucks are finally being deployed.   They certainly won't win any beauty contests, but of course that isn't their main goal.  Practicality is the primary aim, and from early comments by mail carriers who use them, the new vehicle is a success.  With many improvements in safety, comfort and reliability over the 1980s era Grumman-built mail trucks still in wide service, the new Next Generation Delivery Vehicle is a marked improvement in the delivery fleet.  The NGDV is part of an ambitious 10-year plan by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to streamline and modernize the world's largest postal system.  DeJoy has been widely criticized for the plan's implementation, which has triggered significant degradation of service in many parts of the country.  Whether these deficits can be overcome remains to be seen.  There are even concerns that postal delays will impede mailed ballots in November's presidential election, four years after new Trump appointee DeJoy was accused of deliberately slowing mail service to affect absentee ballots.  Hopefully, the growing pains of the USPS restructuring will be temporary, and the service can return to its previous efficiency.  Until then, at least some spiffy new trucks will be a welcome improvement.

Hot off the press 3

 Just received from the indefatigable press of Fred Woodworth: Mystery & Adventure Series Review #63.  This 40-page issue of the completely analog 'zine contains articles about the boy's adventure books A Trace of Memory by Keith Laumer, the Dan Perry series book Radium Island by Kent Sagendorph (which is referred to as "Indiana Jones on Steroids"), and the regular Typographic Corner column.  Of course, the issue also has an extensive "Letters to the Editor" section, in which Fred interacts with his loyal readers.

As always, copies of this and other Fred Woodworth publications may be obtained by writing postal mail to him at Fred Woodworth, PO Box 3012, Tuscon AZ 85702.  (The familiar city of Tucson, AZ is purposefully misspelled in Fred's usage for purposes of protest.  Humor him and spell it that way; your mail will reach him all the same.)  As for cost, Fred writes, "Subscription is at no fixed price - free or whatever you care to donate, if anything.  Donations, however, MUST be in either cash or stamps, not checks. I cannot accept checks."  In the past, Fred has described banking errors that have led him to completely avoid them.  I occasionally send him cash via mail without trouble.  Join me as a reader of Woodworth publications and you will support a magazine whose "purpose is to promote obsolete culture and its ideals."

#winasone

 The day eagerly anticipated in the Deep South is here at last: College Football Season is fully here.  Sure, there was a "Week 0" game last weekend in Dublin, Ireland.  But with the kickoff tonight of the UAB Blazers vs Alcorn State Braves at Protective Stadium, the season is officially underway.  Second year head coach Trent Dilfer expects an improved Blazer defense this year to support the impressive offense led by quarterback Jacob Zeno.  On a warm late summer evening, the Blazers will work towards getting the season off to a strong start.  While I certainly hope for a good result from the Blazers, I also am looking forward to one of life's guilty pleasures:  stadium food. 

Addendum: UAB won, 41-3. Go Blazers!

Collections

 It is an irresistible urge in many people to collect...things.  Whatever primordial drive it is that leads people to collect objects of any description, it seems to be a fairly common one.  There is even a TV show devoted to examining the collections (in this case, mostly show business related) of extraordinarily devoted collectors.  I, myself, have previously covered my hobby-level collecting of typewriters- nothing that would earn any attention, much less a TV show appearance.  But I also collect books.  Primarily books I read, or intend to eventually read.  After reading them, I rarely part with them, so over a long-ish lifetime, there is now a sizable library in my home.  My "to be read" (TBR) list is long, and the plan has always been to whittle down this list in my retirement years, when I hope to have more time to devote to printed matter.  But then there are other books that I collect because they are collectable.  Rare, old, author autographed, or otherwise noteworthy, these join the household library because of some quality that makes them a special volume.  Sometimes these are also read, and sometimes they are merely admired for existing.  A recent NY Times article reassured me that I am not alone in my accumulation tendencies.  Thus affirmed, I expect I will go on adding to the library, to whatever end it is that I do this.  Collectors rarely have and end goal, I think, but engage in their hunt to accumulate for its own purposes.

So along those lines, my most recent addition is a travel book from Jack Chesher entitled London: A Guide for Curious Wanderers.  I really like the whimsical and historical anecdotes in this book, and the colorful illustrations.  I've been to London a couple times, and hopefully will return some day soon.  When I do, this book will go with me.

Names from the past

 I just saw a name in the news that brought back some very old memories.  It seems that a prominent scientist, Leonard Hayflick has died at the ripe old age of 98.  As a very young graduate student back in 1987, one of my faculty advisors gave me a scientific paper to read that Hayflick had written.  It was already a classic paper that was part of the basic knowledge all bioscientists must learn.  Hayflick had found that individual cells can be grown in the lab, in artificial conditions, but without any special modifications they had a strictly limited lifespan.  A given cell would divide to give two cells, and those divide, and so forth.  But no matter how well they were cared for in the lab conditions, they would only divide a certain number of times.  My faculty advisor, Dr. Jerry Thompson, introduced me to this basic tissue culture principle at the very beginning of my career in science.  I'd spend a little over five years as a graduate student.  Another four or so as a postdoctoral fellow, and then another 25 as a working scientist.  But I still remember Dr. Thompson, Dr. Hayflick's paper, and the principles of biology I learned by reading that paper (and it was actually a printed piece of paper, in the days before .pdf or indeed, the internet.)  What hadn't occurred to me was that Dr. Hayflick was still alive.  Or was until very recently.  (Dr. Thompson died suddenly many years ago.)  Such a blast from the past.  Here's to you, Dr. Hayflick.

Personalities

 I'm working my way through a couple of books that have been on my TBR (to be read) stack for a while.  Well, one has, the other is fairly new.  The first is "Apropos of Nothing", by Woody Allen, one of my favorite film makers.  His memoir came out a few years ago, at the height of the Me Too movement, and because of the accusations against Allen at the time, the book received little attention,  I finally got a chance to read it, and found it a fascinating story of a childhood in Brooklyn that resulted in one of New York City's greatest boosters.  Since I share an affinity for New York (is it a great city or THE Greatest city, I've not yet decided), I feel a basic kinship at the outset.  The book is a fast paced story of an indifferent student quickly making a life in show business, first as a joke writer, then standup comedian, and ultimately as a prolific film maker.  Almost by necessity, Woody drops a lot of names in his book.  One can hardly do otherwise when one's early life is as a staff writer on a tv show with co-writers like Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks.  Imagine the chatter in that room! But naturally, most attention will be drawn to Woody's account of the accusations against him.  To those who might have missed it, the gist is that he was accused by his former girlfriend Mia Farrow of molesting Farrow's young daughter who was seven years old at the time.  As the charges came out during a time when this sort of thing was a focus of national attention, and the philosophy of "always believe the woman" was prevalent, Allen suffered some severe consequences.  He lost the support of former friends, business deals were cancelled, and he became an artistic pariah.  My first instinct, too, is to believe the woman, but I am now convinced in this case such a policy is misguided.  After reading his account (in addition to other independent reporting), I am persuaded that Woody is innocent of the charges against him, and the censorious Hollywood groupthink community condemns him in error.  In short, two intensive official investigations have exonerated him.  Numerous witnesses corroborate his version of the story, and there is ample evidence of Mia Farrow being a vindictive and unstable individual.  Read Woody's full, detailed explanation and see what you think.

Next, I began the more recent memoir from Michael Richards, best known for his character "Cosmo Kramer" on the popular 1990s tv show "Seinfeld".  The show was a big part of my life in those years, and even today I frequently resort to quotes and references from the show.  Michael Richards reveals himself in this book to a degree I hadn't expected, and is a different sort of person than I'd always assumed.  Sure, he's not exactly the "hipster doofus" of his Kramer character, but they both share some perspectives.  Richards himself is much more classically oriented that I expected; his early life was full of classic acting and reading.  With some time spent in a Catholic school education, his reflections on the nature of life and our meaning in the universe are soul searching and deep.  No light and frivolous tv sitcom personality here.  After overcoming a difficult and chaotic early life, he landed fame and success with Seinfeld, for which he'll ever be known.  And yet, fame and fortune is no insurance against cruel twists of fate.  Richards is also known for the fateful outburst during his standup performance when he berated a heckler in racist terms.  I've not yet reached that part of his book, so I can't say how he explains or relates to the incident.  But recently he has seemed to be making a re-entry into public society after years out of the public eye following that night.  It's clear from the book so far that Richards is a deeply thoughtful person, and that one brief, sudden event has likely weighed heavily upon him.  Only the future will tell how and when he might be once again accepted by the public.

Beginnings

 On this day in 1989, a new chapter of my life began.  In the Cathedral of St. Paul, my lifelong family priest, Fr. Donald Pock asked me that all-important question, to which I replied, "I do."  This began a 35-year long adventure that continues to today.  Kathy and I have seen a lot so far, and I can't wait for what the future holds.  In my otherwise unremarkable life, I've always been proud of an enduring marriage.  I can offer no secret advice on how to achieve it, but am only glad that it's happened to me. So on this day as I reflect to how things have changed over the decades, I am grateful for the steady foundation that underlies it all- a happy and healthy marriage.  And as retirement looms and a new phase of life is about to begin, there is no one I'd rather experience it with than Kathleen. 

Semper Paratus

 Happy Coast Guard Day!  On this day in 1790, the precursor service to the US Coast Guard was brought into being, making the Coast Guard the oldest continuous marine service in the country; older than the US Navy.  Of course, the Coast Guard has changed many times over the years and has taken on many roles.  Most familiar may be it's primary role as a search and rescue service, but it also has responsibilities in law enforcement, fisheries management, maritime safety regulation, upkeep of aids to navigation, and several educational roles.  I was, for a very short time, a proud member of the Coast Guard.  In the mid-1980s, I was a cadet at the US Coast Guard Academy and looked forward to a career as a Coast Guard officer.  But after about two years of the four-year program, reality reared its head and I washed out of the academy, and made a life in biomedical research instead.  All these years later, I am proud to have known some very fine fellow cadets, some of whom went on to long careers of service.  Most are now retired, but a few still serve at high levels of the Coast Guard.  Among my classmates have been two Captains of the USCGC Eagle, the academy's tall ship.  One classmate served as the head of the Academy itself.  Others have reached the rank of Admiral and still serve today.  Mine was a small class at the academy, and I was proud to have known all my classmates.  So on this day, I salute them, and wish them all a happy Coast Guard Day.