Friday, September 12, 2008
The only collisions were with a few stray gas molecules that wandered into
the vacuum of the 1.9 Kelvin beam tube. A beam was then successfully
circulated in the opposite direction in an adjacent tube. There are no
plans to collide the beams before October. In mid-December it will shut
down until spring when serious colliding will begin. Meanwhile they will
be "training" the magnets to withstand the forces at full field. The
controversy over the danger of creating a devastating black hole only
served to arouse public interest in a very basic science experiment. The
public has every right to raise concerns about risks of science
experiments. It was calmly and correctly dealt with by the courts, as it
should have been.
Excerpts from a statement warning that science in the U.S. "is under
attack as never before," appeared as an ad in major newspapers this week.
The statement www.defendscience.org has 2300 signatories including 14
Nobel laureates. It is inconceivable to scientists that any rational
person could deny the truth of evolution. Why run the ad his week, you
may ask?
Dear Mr. Gibson: Having agreed to be "deferential" and being a nice guy
besides, you were picked by Sarah Palin's handlers to conduct her first
media interview since the nomination. You were not unaware of how little
the nation knew of her. As the only reporter granted this privilege you
had a responsibility. In view of her links to Pentecostalism, and what
little we've been able to piece together about her views on other issues,
I was praying, figuratively speaking of course, that you'd start right off
with the big one: what is your opinion of Charles Darwin's theory of human
evolution? All the others, sex education, stem cell research, choice, gay
rights, church/state separation, are easy once that one out in the open.
You greeted her politely, if at arms length, and went right to the first
question: "Can you look the country in the eye and say, I have the
experience and the ability to be not just Vice President, but perhaps
President if the United States of America?" Isn't that the same question
McCain was asked? "I do Charlie, I'm ready," she replied. What did you
expect her to say? No, I'd better go back to school and find out how
things work outside Alaska? For weeks we've heard not one unscripted word
and all you can think to ask her is whether she's ready? And you wouldn't
let it go. "When he asked you to be VP," you persisted, "did you think
for a minute, 'N'?" If she did, she's not going to tell you on
nationwide television. Are we supposed to spot look for beads of sweat or
a shifty look in the eyes? "I did not," she said, "I thought yes, right
off the bat". You wouldn't drop it, "And you didn't say to yourself, am
I ready?" "I didn't hesitate, no." My God! Give it a rest
Charlie. "Doesn't that take some hubris," you asked? "I answered yes,"
Palin responded, because I know you can't blink." It probably got better,
but I was asleep by then.
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