Black holes tear logic apart

Black hole and accretion disk
Black hole and accretion disk

“It seems that every practitioner of physics has had to wonder at some point why mathematics and physics have come to be so closely entwined. Opinions vary on the answer. ..Bertrand Russell acknowledged..”Physics is mathematical not because we know so much about the physical world, but because we know so little.” ..Mathematics may be indispensable…


Opportunity Favors the Heretic

Hematite distribution in Sinus Meridiani
Hematite distribution in Sinus Meridiani

“.. modern science seems to have exploded into a multitude of highly specialised areas and distinct disciplines that may at times be interconnected, but that by and large ignore one another. There appears to be an overwhelming trend toward a proliferation of distinct and autonomous “subdivisions”. Researchers in different fields often experience great difficulties understanding…


Spirit Chases a Martian Mirage

Spirit vista
Spirit vista

While this report was being written came worrying news that the Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, is not functioning normally. On January 21, 2004 ground controllers were able to send commands to Spirit and received a simple signal acknowledging that the rover heard them, but they did not receive expected scientific and engineering data during scheduled…


Comet Wild 2

Comet Wild 2 jets
Comet Wild 2 jets

‘The remarkable properties of comets are not even remotely explicable by any of the numerous ad hoc assumptions of ‘modern’ comet theory.’ – Prof. R A Lyttleton, Journey to the Centre of Uncertainty, Speculations in Science & Technology, Vol. 8, No. 5 p. 344. NASA published the following News Release (2004-001) on January 2, 2004:…


Ockham’s Beard

Saturn from Cassini
Saturn from Cassini

Mel Acheson’s thought provoking and entertaining “epistemological commercials” have enlivened the free Thoth email newsletter and many of our public meetings. I feel it is appropriate that I include, with permission, his most recent “commercial” at the beginning of this momentous year. Why do I consider 2004 to be momentous? First, the Cassini mission arrives…