Solar-Polared Handbags

The future is now safe and secure!

Sen. Joseph Biden

In his opening comments on the hearings for John Roberts for the US Supreme Court, Sen. Joseph Biden, made some very Mundane-SF remarks.

And we'll be faced with equally consequential decisions in the 21st century. Can a microscopic tag be implanted in a person's body to track his every movement? There's actual discussion about that. You will rule on that, mark my words, before your tenure is over. Can brain scans be used to determine whether a person is inclined toward criminality or violent behavior? You will rule on that. And Judge, I need to know whether you will be a justice who believes that the constitutional journey must continue to speak to these consequential decisions or that we have gone far enough in protecting against government intrusion into our autonomy, into the most personal decisions we make. Judge, that's why this is a critical moment.

Whether John Roberts himself believes in Mundane-SF, or subscribes to the existence of psi powers, alien intelligence, etc. is a different matter.

Island nations in trouble

One member posted this lecture link about global warming. The lecture includes slides, graphs. Informative.

Some perception is not so relative

Though we watch distorted images on a movie screen, we "flexibly [adjust] to viewing position such that sitting at the right place isn't required. The brain makes small adjustments to the image the eyes receive, such that the picture appears the way it is supposed to--even when you look at it from different locations." --PhysOrg

Dead Cats the Fuel of the Future?

Inventor denies the newspaper account that said he uses them, but said he preferred using "paper, plastics, textiles and rubbish."