Random Wants 2

While browsing at Barnes and Nobel yesterday I ran across this book and immediately fell in love with author Garth Sundem (aka the smartest man on earth). This book contains equations for determining all of the following and more:

• Do I have a snowballs chance in hell?
• Should I become intimate with a coworker?
• Should I call in sick to work?

Those of you lucky enough to hear me whine about my personal problems know that finding a mathematical equation to provide answers is my ultimate dream. Out of a desire not to appear to my shopping companion like the biggest dork ever (though he probably suspected this when I started heavily pushing the book on cod) I did not purchase this book yesterday but I have added it to my Amazon wishlist (hint hint ;)).

Stepping it Up

James Randi is taking his million dollar paranormal challenge to the next level.

From Wired:

Randi says he'll start actively investigating professional mind-readers and mediums for proof of criminal fraud, or opportunities for civil lawsuits. Like Elliot Ness stalking Al Capone, he's not above busting a psychic for tangential infractions like tax code violations or an SEC matter.

At the same time, the foundation will choose six to eight high-profile targets each year, meticulously outline their claims, and then call them out one-by-one.

"We're going to pick people every year and hammer on them," says Wagg. "We're going to send certified mail, we're going to do advertising. We're going to pick a few people and say, we are actively challenging you. We may advertise in The New York Times. This will make the challenge a better tool, to be what it is supposed to be."

The foundation will launch this public-shaming initiative with a list of four targets, including self-proclaimed medium John Edward, and daytime talk show darling Sylvia Browne, who claims she can tell the future and see angels.

Hilariously:

Edward didn't respond to an e-mail query for this story; Browne didn't return a phone call, and neither responded to several minutes of intense concentration.

Techie Food

As a foodie science geek I am endlessly fascinated by “molecular gastronomy” (a term apparently shunned by the cool kids but no one seems to be offering an alternative). Before tasting things like “Pickled Beef Tongue with Fried Mayonnaise” and “Coconut Milk Infused with Cardamom and Pureed Carrot with Maple Syrup Served "Sunny Side Up"” (both at left) I worried that the food might be all neato and no yummy but I was suitably impressed with the taste of most offerings when I dined at WD50 last year. I urge everyone to repress any initial eww reflex and give the food a chance should you ever have the opportunity.

This article on chow.com provides a good run down of the methods to food madness while retaining humor and avoiding snobbery. I was sad (though not surprised) that my dream of someday getting a table at El Bulli is destined to be dashed. A trip to Chicago is cheaper anyway – anyone for a tasting tour at Alinea and Moto this summer?

On the 10th Anniversary of Carl Sagan's Death

I was probably born a skeptic (oh sure mom, you *say* squash is good for me but you also seem to think that a baby brother was an awesome idea.) but my natural inquisitive nature (But why? But why? But why?) didn’t blossom into the cynical eye rolling fun that you see today until I read Carl Sagan’s “The Demon Haunted World.”

In junior high and high school my steady diet of Christopher Pike novels led to the somewhat common geeky desire to flirt with the occult – I went through a very amusing “I want to be a witch!” phase (and people wonder why I was still a virgin at graduation time…) and fantasized about a career as a “parapsychologist” (That is the most embarrassing thing that I have ever written.) until my Dad announced that he would not be funding a degree is such nonsense. I think most teens (even most people) want to believe in magic – teenage life tends to suck a lot(unless you’re having one of those enchanted adolescent experiences) and a little spell casting or alien abduction could certainly have helped out with bullies or boys. To make matters worse the media seems insistent on presenting fantastical stories in the light of real science (I think things are actually better than they were when Sagan was alive – shows like Myth Busters and Penn and Teller: Bullshit! seem to be helping to clarify what is science).

The biggest revelation that “The Demon Haunted World” inspired was the idea that the real world is already so fantastic that we shouldn’t need to make up stories. Reality is amazing. The fact that all the pieces of the universe fit together to create stars and planets and earth and forests and life is infinitely more exciting then any story about magic (The Lord of the Rings excepted – that’s some awesome fantasy with one hot elf piece of ass). I also find the reliability of science appealing, things happen in a consistent manner even if we don’t always understand the why or how (I realize this might make things seem less special but I’d argue that consistency is pretty damn special to begin with). I am constantly trying to force this book on others (somewhat unsuccessfully I might add – no one seems interested in reading a science book *sigh*), I feel like if everyone were able to see our universe as wonderful they would have no need for astrology and crystals and Nostradamus and society could get on with advancing instead of dreamily devoting energies to pseudoscience.

While criticizing pseudoscience Sagan is very careful not to trample on any of the world’s dominant religions (if I remember correctly he has very few qualms about offending Wiccans and followers of fairies) but it seems that religion is currently the biggest threat to science. I hate to fall into the trap of speaking for the dead but I think we all know that Carl (not to mention the founding fathers and Elvis) would not be happy with the way we currently side step science when it comes to politically controversial (though not factually controversial...) issues such as euthanasia, evolution and contraception. Religion should be used as a crutch not as an excuse to lie (Why am I so tempted to end this sentence with “to children”? Please try not to lie to anyone.).

Woo – got a bit preachy and off track there.

Everyone – please read “The Demon Haunted World,” it is awesome. I’d offer to read some mumbo jumbo about numerology in trade but I’d be lying and I just got done advocating against that.

you can read more musings on Sagan here