I've had a head cold all week. It's terrible, and entering into the achy, can't-drive-so-I'll-nap-and-drink-coffee-at-Starbucks-in-Virginia-because-I-needed-to-get-out-of-the-house-but-underestimated-my-fatigue phase. I should at least be no longer contagious by the time Mom stops by on Sunday, giving me a chance to acquire whatever contagions she picked up flying through O'Hare.
One good thing came of this trip. (It wasn't the Mexican food in Leesburg - what the hell was I thinking?) I listened to parts of both hours of Science Friday, hosted by Ira Flatow. Ann, it's taken me four years to actually getting around to sampling the program. And I can safely say that your enthusiasm for the show wasn't just your characteristic enthusiasm for life in general. It's an excellent program that discusses substantive issues in an easy-to-understand way.
One of the programs discussed the future of food production in the developed and developing world (and provided the fabulous phrase "fundamentalist locovore"). It's a must-listen for those who care about local food, yet may find themselves scratching their heads about how imported grass-fed mutton from New Zealand could be better for the world than locally grown beef. Don't worry - (sadly) the program shied away from becoming a quant fest with lots of numbers, though there were some distressing statistics on the significant drain on our resources due to meat production.
The other part I listened into covered the newest Chris Mooney book, co-authored with Sheril Kirshenbaum, titled Unscientific America . (For those of you who don't know, this is likely a play on the title of a prominent science magazine, Scientific American. I look forward to reading this book - Ms. Kirshenbaum provided an interesting exposition in the radio interview.
I hope the book covers the issue of competing legitimacy. In a previous post on California Proposition 8/gay marriage, science, and religion in America, I mentioned how a part of Mike Huckabee's talk at Cornell hammered home that the assumptions governing a lot of scientists frustrated by public skepticism of evolution and global warming are probably incorrect. With a different set of starting assumptions, the position of the skeptics of science becomes not only understandable, but reasonable and legitimate. Recognizing that a different system of trust is operating is important for anyone who wants something more than an excuse to yell and berate the ignorance of the other.
I hope to pick up the book and do a review in the coming weeks.
In any event, I'll have to add Science Friday to my regular media consumption. Next on the list - last week's podcast including an interview by my representative, Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) about smart energy grids and potential concerns/dangers with them.
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