On a trip to Italy in the 90's, we visited St. Peters Basilica in Rome. The sculpture shown above was in the Basilica Garden. It is called "Le Mondo entre Le Mondo" or in English, a World Within a World. We were much impressed with this sculpture because it portrays something we all live in, a world within a world. Click on the photo for a larger view.
This page provides me an opportunity to express my thoughts on subjects of interest to me, i.e., subjects within my world.
The first subject which will be discussed on the following page is "Climate Change". This is a "hot" topic today and one that I have studied for the past year. Politicians, scientists, media personnel and others have sounded off on this subject.
Following this discussion, the next page shows a few results of my woodworking hobby. Then, I will talk a little bit about the physics of golf and then touch on
"Politics, Diplomacy and Hate". Okay, lets go back to climate change.
Scientists are generally willing to listen to all sides of an issue. This is the nature of science. Recently, a meteorologist with the weather station, through her statements, indicated a willingness to listen to only one side of the subject. She said that the American Meorological Society should not give its seal of approval to any meteorologist that can't speak to the fundamental source of climate change. Wow!!! If one doesn't agree with the prevailing hypothesis of climate change, silence their voice. While she may have a PHD title, she certainly doesn't qualify as a scientist, in my opinion. She should read the historical accounts of Copernicus and Gallileo, to learn how the governing establishment persecuted them because they were skeptics of the "consensus views" of their times, yet their theories are the accepted theories today.
Please read the following statement by Copernicus:From the "De Revolutionibus, Preface"
"For I am not so enamored of my own opinions that I disregard what others may think of them. I am aware that a philosopher's ideas are not subject to the judgment of ordinary persons, because it is his endeavor to seek the truth in all things, to the extent permitted to human reason by God. Yet I hold that completely erroneous views should be shunned. Those who know that the consensus of many centuries has sanctioned the conception that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the heaven as its center would, I reflected, regard it as an insane pronouncement if I made the opposite assertion that the earth moves."
His heliocentric model of the solar system is settled science today. Yes, the earth rotates about its axis daily and around the sun yearly!!! The sanctioned conception of his time,and the consensus viewpoint, that the earth remains at rest in the middle of the heaven as its center was bogus science,
And read the following:
Whereas you, Galileo, son of the late Vincenzio Galilei, of Florence, aged seventy years, were denounced in 1615, to this Holy Office, for holding as true a false doctrine taught by many, namely, that the sun is immovable in the center of the world, and that the earth moves, and also with a diurnal motion; also, for having pupils whom you instructed in the same opinions; also, for maintaining a correspondence on the same with some German mathematicians; also for publishing certain letters on the sun-spots, in which you developed the same doctrine as true. Thus, with this edict, one of the worlds truly great scientist was ostracized from the church for teaching Copernicus' heliocentric model of the solar system and for being a skeptic of the consensus view of his era.
Today, October 12th, an article appeared in a New York paper, indicating that a low-fat diet has little impact on your health. Up to today, I thought that there was a scientific consensus that a fatty diet would be very detrimental to your health. I think this type of consensus comes about because scientists are unwilling to buck what they think is a majority position and just go along with the majority. Apparently, fat in your diet, as pertains to one's health, still needs further study.