My List of Science Facts all People Should Know

Inspired by the Science Cheerleader, here's a non-exhaustive list of science facts all people should know, loosely grouped in categories. I chose these because I've spoken to people who had seriously misguided understandings of one or more of them. Though I provide citation, these facts are those I've learned in school or college, or just by reading.

1. Science works by comparing theory to observation; anything that makes a physically observable change can be described by science.
2. There is no center of the universe.
3. The moon's phases come from our viewing angle of the 1/2 of the moon which is illuminated by the Sun, not the Earth's shadow on its surface (that's a lunar eclipse).
4. 99% of the solar system's mass  is in the Sun.
5. The Sun/Earth/Planets are about 4.5 billion years old, and the universe is about 13.75 billion years old.
6. Light from the Sun takes about 8 minutes to get to the Earth.
7. The Earth is 93,000,000 miles from the Sun.
8. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, and matter cannot be accelerated faster than that (or probably a significant portion of that speed).
9. Disease is caused by germs, not by magic, energy imbalance, or sin.
10. Medicine works by eliminating infection (or removing or controlling the germs), and repairing physical damage to the body.
11. Humans have been around for about 200,000 years, and our family of species have been around for about 2,000,000 years.
12. Humans evolved from lower order creatures, and, genetically speaking, all life on Earth shares a common ancestor.

I consider this stuff basic knowledge, akin to how to tie your shoe or feed yourself. Don't be duped into the student's conundrum: why do I need to know it if I'm not going to use it every day. You need to know it in order to build on it, in order to inform your day to day interactions. I've commented on that in previous posts.

[To come: examples of why each is important.]

My Skeptic Story in the JREF!

You can read about my path from crazy religion to skeptic at the JREF Blog. (FYI, its "Raman" not "Ramen" -- but not a biggie.)

Science Rules -- The Tenets you should know

According to the Science Cheerleader (thanks TWIT for the heads up), these are the 18 basic tenets of science you need to know to be a smartie pants. I bet there are more, and these are not all "fundamental," but they are a good start. I grouped them into easier-to-remember er...groups, paraphrased them somewhat, and provided little explanations to put each in context (I bet you can come up with other reasons why they are important to a lay-person):

1. Laws and Forces
1. The laws of physics apply everywhere. [ref.] (which means aliens can't travel faster than light, either)
2. Every observer sees the same laws of nature. [ref.] (which means there is no fluidic space)
3. Nuclear energy comes from the conversion of mass. [ref.] (which makes the sun shine brightly)
4. Everything comes in discrete units and you can’t measure anything without changing it. [ref.] (which means there is a smallest unit of something)
5. Electricity and magnetism are two sides of the same coin (electromagnetism). [ref.] (which means there is no magic)
2. Matter and Energy
1. All elements (those things on the periodic table) are made of atoms. [ref.] (the smallest subunit of an element -- you just gotta know this stuff)
2. Atoms [are composed of protons and neutrons and] are bound by electron glue. [ref.] (meaning atoms are made of something more fundamental still)
3. The way a material behaves depends on how its atoms are arranged. [ref.] (molecules are made of atoms; and matter is made of molecules)
4. [Protons and neutrons] are constructed with quarks and leptons. [ref.] (kinda like stem cells for atoms?)
5. Energy (the ability to do work) is conserved and always moves from more useful to less useful forms. [ref.] (which means that the energy you use has to be transformed into an equal but less useful state and can never be reformed -- so don't waste gasoline)
3. Universe
1. Stars live and stars die. [ref.] (even our Sun, which will, some day, expand and engulf the Earth)
2. The universe was born at a specific time and had been expanding ever since. [ref.] (its about 13 billion years old)
3. The surface of the Earth is constantly changing. [ref.] (which means gay sex did not cause the earthquake on the east coast of the United States in 2011)
4. The Earth operates in many cycles. [ref.] (which means you can use science to divine the tides, location of mineral deposits, and how to solve global warming, and can leave your magic behind)
4. Life
1. All living things are made from cells, the chemical factories of life. [ref.] (the basic unit of life)
2. All life is based on the same genetic code. [ref.] (so far that we've found)
3. All forms of life evolved by natural selection. [ref.] (c'mon, evolution has had billions of years to do it, a creation myth is not required)
4. All life is connected. [ref.] (which means you should get out of your car and onto your bicycle as much as possible)

[Next up: My list of science you need to know.]

Science Rules -- Science and Critical Thinking

There are no two ways around it: in order to be a critical thinker, you need to have a basic understanding about how the universe works. Humans, we crafty little buggers, have developed a method by which we can describe the universe, and thereby come nearer to understanding it. That method is called science, or the so-called "Scientific Method."

There are basic tenets of science, founding principles really, which have been developed and proven in experiment after experiment for many years now. Science, much like the law (insert ironic coughing here), acts like a self-referential sounding board to not only prove these basic tenets, but to prove and refine the proof, increasing the reliability that the tenets actually describe the actual universe actually -- "peer review."

How fine the basic nature of these tenets gets depends a lot on your personal expertise. A mathematician may have cause to question, for instance, whether "1 + 1" actually equals "2," and what "1" means anyway, but that level of inquiry is inefficient for the bulk of us. On the other hand, as to most of us, the fact that the universe is expanding is enough to know, but that may not be an assumption an astrophysicist might want to make in her work.

What is the point, you may ask, of bothering to know much about science. The answer is that a knowledge of basic science can keep you from expensive mistakes. For instance, if you're wondering if someone is selling a useful (product, political system, food replacement therapy, overly expensive water purification system, religion, "alternative medicine" (aka "SCAM"), or power enhancing bracelet), a good first step is to compare the claims to certain tenets and see if the proffered thing meets the sniff test. If it does not, place your wallet firmly back into your pocket. [Interesting: google "how to stop getting ripped off" and you'll be able to spend your hard-earned money on books which teach you the same. Ironic?]

Another, related, answer is that a knowledge of science can help you navigate our technological world. Every day we're heaped with new and better stuff, gizmos, and thingymabobs. Each of them has (a group of) scientists working on the science behind them: materials researchers, computer scientists (said with feeling), electrical engineers, technical support/writers, and even packaging engineers! If you know the basis for the science behind the things you use, you can become a better consumer...besides, its just neat! (No, your iPhone does not work by magic, and is not going to give you cancer.)

Yet another reason to know these things is that it makes you a better person. Smart people are savvy people are people who can speak intelligently on all manner of topics. Smart people can make better choices because their brain is functioning, churning out neurons in an effort to keep up, making more room for more information, and (so I've heard) staving off diseases like Alzheimer's. Smart people can, for instance, differentiate between political rhetoric and political discourse. Smart people can choose the lesser of two evils. Smart people are compassionate and moral.

To come...links to the above points, and an actual LIST of the tenets of science every person should know!

Misogyny is subtle but can lead to unlawful discrimination

Recently, when Rebecca Watson recounted an encounter with a strange man in an elevator, a little firestorm broke out. In that case, the man propositioned her after having attended the same event in their common hotel bar. Although she didn't assert feeling threatened, the event caused her to comment that it's not OK. differences on that point are what caused the dispute.

The dispute involved a famous skeptic, and his opinion that a little light flirting is nothing to be upset over. However, this seems to miss the point. Where as a man might think, "I'm just asking; she can always say no," women don't have that luxury, even in our modern society. Like it or not, women remain vulnerable in our society. They're paid less, hold fewer positions of power, and are as likely to be blamed for being sexually assaulted as their attackers. Which leads to the point: it's all about context.

A proposition puts the woman in the awkward position of having to say no. If that happened in a crowded room, or from someone known to the woman, the playing field is more level. But in an unattended elevator, the woman has to decide: is this guy a creep, or is he just a jerk. Not the choice the guy was going for no doubt.

All this lead me to think about interactions between the sexes at work. When is light flirting OK? The answer is soundly: never. In every sex discrimination case I've worked on, the woman gets the short end of the stick, and the employer has to deal with the aftermath. People fall in love, have relationships, and sometimes they work. But when It comes to the workplace, that needs to take a backseat to the common need for a safe environment.

Having policies which can encompass all this is crucial. Similarly, training employees to discern acceptable behavior from misogynistic behavior can protect both employees and the company.

I'm no prude, but what is vital is context. If two coworkers want to have a relationship, a well drafted policy should account for it. But healthy relationships almost never start with inappropriate propositions. That is where the devil lies: female employees must feel safe, which is more important than the supposed freedom to flirt. Why? Because we're not males and females, but humans trying to get along. In the workplace, getting along means being set up for success to do the best job we can.

My New Road Bike

As earlier reported, I got myself a Cannondale CAAD 10. Though I'm no expert, I wanted to write a little review. As I said earlier, this is my first road bike, so take my comments with appropriate measures of salt.

Coming from my commuter bike the three things which stand out are the weight, the posture, and the ride. This new bike weighs 1/2 of what my GT Tachyon does, I swear. I'll have to do some measurements to find out. The lighter weight gives an impression of floating, a bit. Which is great and liberating, but also a bit disconcerting, especially when navigating traffic. (Its gonna be interesting in a year when I start thinking the CAAD is too heavy!) But the weight difference really lets you push and levels out the hills. Its relatively easy to achieve speeds of 20+ MPH, though it looks like I can sustain a speed of about 18-19 on the flats if I push it.

The posture's going to take some getting used to. Because of the way the body is hunched, you have to put too much weight on the handlebars. This was leading to numbness in my fingers. I asked about this in the bike shop, and the salespeople all sort of shrugged and asked if I was varying my hand position (not very helpful). However, one sales person thought to suggest tilting the handlebars slightly to alter my hand position when on the hoods, and did so. The second half of the ride from the bike shop was far more pleasant. Numbness is clearly a fact of life for cyclists, and managing it is probably the best I can hope for.

As to comfort, the more upright posture on my commuter bike is definitely more comfy, but I feel plenty strong enough to support myself on the road bike, and don't think back/neck issues will be a problem. The salesman suggested that many aches and pains would go away as my "core strength" increased. That I believe, because I noticed that when I was hovering over the saddle and pumping hard, the pressure on my hands decreased, and since I was out of the saddle, the pressure on my butt decreased, too.

Which sort of leads to the ride. The combination of unique posture and really low weight makes the bike feel a bit jumpy compared to my commuter bike. Cornering is easier, as is riding really slowly (like when waiting for a light that's about to turn green, and not clipping out). Riding fast is clearly easier, too. What seems to be harder is steering a slow to moderate speeds. The front end turns more quickly, leading to a jumpy feeling. This I suspect will diminish over time as I become a more astute rider.

Well, all that and only two rides under my belt. The weather is fine here in Sacramento. I can't wait for Saturday!

Road bicycle 4

In the end, I chose the CAAD 10. Many people who should know commented on what a great bike it is. The Supersix was definitely better, but at my level, I won't notice the difference, and when I get that good, I may want something better than the SS anyway. Besides, the $600 will pay for pedals, shoes, and a helmet, maybe more.

Road bicycles 3

Test rode the Cannondale CAAD 10, Specialized Allez Comp, Bianci Nirone, and the Trek 2.1. The Cannndale was clearly superior.....but....

I just got off the phone with my ex-now good friend who told me to check out the Cannondale Supersix 105. I touched the carbon bikes in the shop, and so now I have to test ride it...

Still, my goal here was to give a beginner's impression of entry level road bikes, and, maybe I've been riding for a few years, I can just begin to distinguish between the subtle differences of the rides. Two things struck me most:

First, the Shimano 105 gear set was much easier to use than then SRAM Apex. Second, the Cannondale felt stiffer and I felt more confident on it. Despite wearing my clip-less shoes on cheapo regular pedals, I did not feel shy standing in the saddle -- whereas on the other bikes I felt wobbly.

I can tell that riding a road bike's gonna be exciting and scary, but that i'm going to FLY! Can't wait to ride the Supersix! Update: googled a comparison between the CAAD 10 and the Supersix and found this forum discussion. Food for thought.

Location:Kroy Way,Sacramento,United States

Road bicycles 2

In my quest to get a new road bike I visited my local Mike's Bikes to check out the Cannondale CAAD 10 and the Specialized Allez Comp Compact M2 Apex (with SRAM Apex components, as opposed to the  Specialized Allez Elite Comp with Shimano 105 components like the CAAD 10). Unfortunately, it was close to closing, so I only got to ride the Cannondale.

This was my first time on a road bike. Strange as it sounds, I was excited, even nervous. So of course the tire exploded with a pop like a cap. ...

After returning to the shop for a replacement wheel, and again 'cause I had no idea how to shift, I got to ride around the block before closing.

The ride position was so unusual for me, that I really had no way to evaluate the bike. One thing I could tell, though was that it's gonna kick ass when I get it on the road. Already have my plans for an 80 mile ride!!

Road bicycles

So, in my former life as a 20-something I was an avid mountain biker. I enjoyed the crash and chaos and the mud. However, I was never very coordinated, and prone to gnarly tumbles down rocky hills. In my youth, that was not much of a problem; the scrapes and bruises were badges of honor! Now, though, that I'm 44 and wear a shirt and tie every day for work, I'm not interested in looking death in the eye.

During law school, there was a long and unfortunate hiatus from biking. I can't really tell you how it left me, but I'm thrilled that now its back full force, but in a different way: road biking.

This started about two years ago when I pulled my dusty old mountain bike out of the closet and started do to the 1/2 hour commute to work every day (in lieu of treadmilling my fat away). After a year of slogging down T Street on that leaden beast, I decided to upgrade to something designed for the task:

Me and my GT Tachyon

This bike was nearly perfect for me when I got it about six months ago. (The shop where I got it bills it as a flat bar road bike, but that is a marketing thing to sucker (I say sucker, though it is a really good commute bike) people like me into buying it.) It was much lighter than my old Trek mountain bike, the skinny tires makes the road fly by, and the geometry was great for the 7 mile ride. But then I discovered the American River Bike Trail.

This trail is possibly the best thing that Sacramento has to offer. Its long, relatively well maintained, and follows a very beautiful river from its confluence with the Sacramento River past two man-made lakes, and is strewn with wild life to look at (I've seen wild turkeys, quail, snakes, rabbits, egrets, and squirrels).

As I ride my trusty commute bike, I'm finding I can keep up with many (far from all) of the wanna-be pro riders on their made-for-the-purpose road bikes. And I'm finding I'm enjoying the speed! So the logical conclusion is: buy a road bike ASAP. To that end, I've been reading as much as I can stand about the dizzying array of road bike types and styles, and have learned a tad bit.

First, I learned that they come from no fewer than 10 manufacturers (I'm sure I've not cracked the surface, and I'm discounting anything custom made as far out of my price range.) Second, I've learned they come in a wide price range, where the price difference have mostly to do with frame material, the type of parts, and the coolness factor. Third, I've realized I don't want a crappy bike, but one that will make the other bikers not feel so bad about being behind me.

With all being said and done, it seems the bike I'll select will have an aluminum frame, a composite fork, and a Shimano 105 components (see review here). Mostly because the manufacturers I've been looking at offer such configurations in the price range.

Here's a list of the bikes I've considered so far:

1. Cannondale CAAD 10 5 105.
2. Scott, Speedster S20.
3. Trek 2.1.
4. Specialized Allez Elite Compact Double.
5. Felt F85.
6. Fuji Roubiax 1.0.
7. Giant Defy 1.

I'm reeling from the numbers...component types and price mostly...and from the marketing speak. The only thing to do is go try them all. Finding dealers with my size might be a challenge, and that is the next step. But first a ride.

Transformation

I'm going to transform this blog from one about legal issues to a generalized blog about things that interest me. As such, the post numbers should increase dramatically. Right now, the things that are obsessing me are:

1. Whether I should sign up for a charity bike event in October, and which one.
2. Why I cannot seem to find gay bicyclists to train with in Sacramento.
3. Which road bike I should get.
4. What next steps I'm going to take in my career as a lawyer.

Taking them in random order, I'm going to list the bikes I'm interested in. PLEASE provide feedback, if you read this and know anything about road bikes.

What you see is not what you think you see...

Recently a cop was accused of obstructing justice and perjury after asserting that he did not see his colleagues unlawfully beating up another, undercover cop (they though he was the suspect in a crime the force was investigating). Turns out the first cop was chasing a suspect in the same crime, and ran right by the cops doing their nefarious duty. However, his story that he just didn't see the violence was so incredible to the court, that his conviction stood.

This story prompted Union College researchers to conduct a study (of undergraduates), where the subjects were asked to follow someone and make mental notes about him. Seems that about two thirds of the time, the subjects did not see a fight which had been staged for the purpose.

This research shows that we have a better opinion of our ability to absorb visual cues around us than we do. Such an insight is important when dealing with coworkers who present vastly differing versions of events. Maybe they just literally saw things differently. For this reason, it is important to always get both sides of a story when making employment decisions based on employee reports.

100 Years of High Tech: IBM

IBM: Celebrating 100 years in business.

Online Reputation Monitoring

Google launched an on-line reputation monitoring tool: Me on the Web. Click link for more information.

Discrimination in the Face of Worker's Compensation Claims

The California Workers’ Compensation Act provides for no-fault remedies to injured workers, on the theory that eliminating the proof requirements attendant on ordinary injury claims will save the parties time, money, and headaches. However, the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board (“WCAB”) has jurisdiction over two other types of cases which do not fit the “no-fault” mold on which the workers’ compensation system was established: liability for discrimination associated with workers’ comp claims, and serious and willful violation of the workers’ comp laws. This article outlines what employers may expect as respondents in a Labor Code § 132a discrimination cases.

A. Procedure Before the WCAB

Because of the reduced proof requirements in workers’ compensation benefits matters, procedure before the WCAB is designed to be “simple, informal, and expeditious.” (See http://tinyurl.com/CalWCAB, for published rules.) The WCAB “need not adhere to rules of pleading and practice binding ordinary courts. … This liberal way of proceeding, free of formalism, applies also to the manner in which parties are brought under the jurisdiction of the commission … although the constitutional requirements of due process must be observed.” (DeMartini v. Industrial Acc. Com. (1949) 90 Cal.App.2d 139.) As a result, for instance, employers’ dispositive motions, such as demurrers and motions for summary judgment, are rarely heard by WCAB judges.

Summary of Logical Fallacies

Why do we study logical fallacies? The reason is simple: to avoid making them, and to avoid being duped by them! I've been writing about those fallacies that have come up in my work, but here is a taxonomic chart of "all" the logical fallacies categorized by type.

Enjoy it, and see if you can find and correct a logical fallacy in your work today.

Our Common Law Highlighted by Frenchman's Case

In the news: former head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested recently in New York for alleged sexual assault -- and subsequently resigned his post. The case has all the trappings of a summertime blockbuster. However, for the French, conduct of the case in American courts can be perplexing, regardless of individual's political opinions of Mr. Strauss-Kahn. As the New York Times explains:

While the American justice system has its origins in British common law and involves ordinary citizens at almost every level, the French judicial system is rooted in the Napoleonic Code and is largely conducted behind closed doors. Suspects are typically ushered into courthouses through discreet side entrances, out of view of the public.

State-appointed magistrates prosecute and pass judgment in most trials without the oversight of citizen jurors, who serve only in the most serious cases. In such cases, formal charges come — if they come — only after a lengthy inquest by an investigating judge, who collects evidence on behalf of both the prosecution and defense before determining if a trial is warranted.

And in further contrast to the American system, investigating magistrates are legally bound to secrecy during an inquest.

Because of this secrecy the French judiciary has more discrete control over the case, managing the investigation on an intimate level, and deciding only then whether a trial is merited. A jury is only provided in extreme cases, the author explains.

As such, the extreme publicity which pervades the US system is perplexing to the French, who criticize it as "theatrics" and alternately praise it as a system which "does not hesitate to apprehend even the most emblematic personalities with lightning speed" -- the same criticisms and praises which our system gets from the locals, too.

Employee Posts in Social Media May be Protected

Recent cases (Hispanics United of Buffalo (2011) and American Medical Response (2010)) brought before the NLRB involve case where employees posted complaints about working conditions on Facebook. In Hispanics United, the comments apparently started as a disparagement of a particular individual's work practices. Whereas in American Medical Response, the employee posted complaints about work conditions, combined with disparaging epithets about a manager (calling him a "dick" and a "scumbag"). In both cases, the employee was terminated.

In the American Medical complaint, company policy proscribed employees from, inter alia "making disparaging, discriminatory or defamatory comments when discussing the Company or the employee's superiors, co-workers and/or competitors," in its "Blogging and Internet Posting Policy." This policy is similar to one upheld (against Union opposition to it based on the quoted portion) in an NLRB Opinion letter at Sears Holdings, 18-CA-19081 (2009):

[Employees may not use social media in, inter alia,] Disparagement of company’s or competitors’ products, services, executive leadership, employees, strategy, and business prospects.

However, the policies and cases were distinguishable on several grounds. The American Medical employee was denied union representation in the company's internal investigation and discipline, the employee apparently made a combination of the offensive remarks listed with possibly-legitimate remarks about the workplace,and the American Medical policy was less detailed and more restrictive in other details. Whereas, the Sears Holdings matter regarded only whether the policy was itself per se violative of the rights of employees to converse about work. (Another difference is that the opinion letter was produced under a Republican administration.)

In the end, American Medical settled and so no court has yet weighed the extent to which the NLRA protects employee's use of social media. Employers are understandably shy about letting these cases go to litigation. Build.com, for instance, settled a similar case before the NLRB in April of 2011. Additionally, the NLRB is considering requiring a poster, outlining the rights of workers to discuss their working conditions -- which would apparently apply even in a social media setting.

Look for my next article, which will be about the limits of Free Speech in the Employment Context.

Why it is sometimes OK to mock...

"Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them" -our own Thomas Jefferson

Wage and Hour iPhone App

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an iPhone app allowing employees to track their work hours (and the work hours of three of their friends) and determine the wages they are owed. Also available in Spanish. The app can track regular work hours, break time, meal time, and overtime.

It contains a glossary, contact information and materials about wage laws via links to the Wage and Hour Division's web site.Users can post comments, view summaries of hours worked, and email the data. Click to download.

Search Engine Optimization, Fact or Fallacy?

As discussed in a recent Skeptics with a K episode, in the obsession with becoming first in a Google search for important key words, it is easy to be duped by "experts" who claim they can improve your page ranking with so-called "Search Engine Optimization" or SEO. (Which, by the way, if it worked, would have had an SEO firm as the first non-paid result when I googled for it, but instead came up first with Wikipedia.) However, SEO is based on the premise that the web designers know something about how Google prepares its results.

In fact, Google is highly secretive about the black box of its search algorithms. As such, after a web-master gets hold of your website, even if your page ranking increases, you have no way to test whether the increase was due to the web-master or a change to Google's algorithm, or magic fairy dust. Without testable results, there is no way to determine if your money was well spent.

That's not to say that there are not best practices for designing a web page which Google can read and properly rank. Google itself publishes a webmaster guide on SEO.Chief among those best practices is generating a LOT of original and useful content -- at least part of the focus of Google's results.

One point the Mercyside Skeptics missed is that even if the webmaster of choice had an inside scoop on page ranking, you'd have to pay him extra not to redesign your competitor's site, thus negating any advantage you had. Personally, I think its best to focus on content, and less on page ranking.

Getting at Google

Self promotion is all important in business, and the Internet is today's Main Street. It may not always be clear why you need a shop there, but without one, a business person can seem backward. However, Google recently altered it search algorithm to improve results for users by prioritizing original content over republished material.

Google had this to say to NPR:

"The sites that do put a little bit more individual care and attention and work into the content of their site — whether it be a product description, or a blog post," says Matt Cutts, Google's lead engineer on the Panda update, "those are the ones that users tend to prefer a little bit more and appreciate."

The lesson is: in order to keep up with business, you also must keep up with your website. Attract new business though fresh, original content. Suddenly, everyone has to be a writer!