Tag: science

Watch “Reefer Madness: The Science of Marijuana with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dr. Staci Gruber” on YouTube

Those of you who have been paying attention know that this is an important conversation in my life. I currently eat a 55 mg thc gummy daily to combat chronic pain. Which, for me, works far better than the opiates that they gave me in hospital. Unfortunately, they don’t get me high, but being pain free for hours is a high all of its own.

Everything happens for a reason

DCF 1.0

I have heard this saying more and more over the years. It always seems to be uttered by people who are trying to cheer someone who is going through a particularly tough time in their life. Scientifically, this saying is true. It’s a dumbed down and generalized version of Newton’s third law of motion which states, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The folks who pepper their speech with this saying are also fond of espousing that they think, “The universe has a plan”.

universe-has-a-plan

Yes, these pompous idiots actually believe that the universe is a sentient being that, not only knows you exist, but actually cares about what happens to you. The level of arrogance possessed by the human race never ceases to astonish me. Sure, the universe has planned out every little fart in your life, just like the ocean has big plans for each and every grain of sand on its floor.

I do understand that we humans have an overwhelming need to answer every question, but what good is an answer that is obviously a load of crap?  No other species on earth has the luxury of being able to think beyond survival. We have that luxury and what do we do with it? We come up with trite little sayings meant to feed our already over inflated egos. But, it’s more than that, isn’t it? If everything happens for a reason and the universe has a plan, then we are not responsible for what happens to us. We can point the convenient finger of blame when things don’t go our way. Oh, it’s not my fault that I got fired, the universe (or Jesus, Allah, Vishnu etc.) has a plan and I wasn’t meant to have that job. Never mind that you stole from petty cash, sexually harassed a co-worker or disrespected your boss… it’s the Universe.

More of us should spend time looking through a telescope at the night sky in order to get a good healthy dose of just how insignificant we really are. A little humility would go a long way in this world. Perhaps, if we weren’t so puffed up we wouldn’t be so quick to go to war with each other. We might not go around belittling everything that is different from us by proclaiming that we are number one all of the time. We might actually realize just how little what we do, say and think matters in the grand scheme of things… and by grand scheme, I don’t mean the big script in the sky that has everyone’s roles all neatly written out. Conceivably, if we realized how unimportant and unnecessary we truly are we might spend more time on the questions that actually matter, like how can we live in better harmony with the planet that is hosting the parasite that we call the human race, as opposed to getting all caught up in blaming invisible forces or deities for our inadequacies. It would be a lot less of an effort to live and to take responsibility for our pathetically tiny lives if we just looked outside ourselves for a few minutes and saw just how little for which we are actually responsible.  I notice that these very same people who blame the universe never credit the universe and it’s plan when things go well in their lives… nope, they are perfectly happy to claim full responsibility when they have a success. So, which is it? Does the universe have it all planned out or not?

Or maybe, just maybe…

einstein

In my lifetime

 

 

It was my birthday this past week. I am now just 3 years shy of 50. So, I thought this would be as good a time as any to take a look back and share some of the things I have seen in my lifetime.

 

I saw television go from black and white,

 

 

 

to colour,

 

 

 

to high definition.

 

 

 

When I was little, we had 3 channels and I was the remote control, now I have over 1200 and there is still nothing on.

 

I have seen entertainment centers go from this,

 

 

 

to this.

 

 

 

I have seen the telephone go from this,

 

 

 

to this,

 

 

 

to this.

 

Also an entertainment center.

 

This was what my first computer looked like.

 

 

 

 

This is what my computer looks like now.

 

 

 

 

I have seen particle accelerators go from this,

 

Bevatron particle accelerator, responsible for the discovery of the antiproton.

to this…

The Large Hadron Collider at Cern responsible for the discovery of the Higgs Boson

and take up this much space.

I have seen vaccines eradicate smallpox and polio.

Although both could soon be making a comeback due to a combination of lack of funds in developing countries and ignorant mothers choosing not to vaccinate their children in developed countries.

I have seen the civil rights movement go from this,

 

 

 

to this.

 

 

 

I have seen the women’s rights movement go from looking like this,

 

 

 

to looking like this.

 

 

Sadly, both the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement are still necessary as neither has yet achieved equality.

 

I have seen the Berlin Wall come down, signifying the end of the cold war… something I never thought I would see in my lifetime.

I have seen many changes to the world in which we live in my lifetime and I look forward to many more, currently unfathomable, changes to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Canadian environmentalist in his natural habitat

Today’s Canada week entry is consummate Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist, David Suzuki.

David Suzuki

David Suzuki is my favourite Canadian scientist. Suzuki was trying to educate the public about the environment before it was cool and he is still a leader in the field. Through his Suzuki Foundation (founded in 1991) he is actively researching and trying to implement real solutions to our lack of environmental sustainability.

Here he is talking to George Stroumbouloploulos (the smartest interviewer on television today), on the CBC show The Hour, about alternate energy sources among other things.


In 1979, David Suzuki began hosting a TV show called The Nature Of Things. A science magazine show that focuses on the natural world, how we live in it, and how we can better live with it. The Nature Of Things is aired in nearly 50 countries world wide and is one of the most truly educational shows on television. For me, there were a few truly memorable episodes of the show.

As a proponent of medical marijuana (and legalized marijuana in general) the episode done in 1998 called Reefer Madness 2, which explored the effects of medical marijuana and people dealing with it’s legalization was groundbreaking, as it debunked quite a few myths about the plant.

As a huge fan of Charles Darwin’s work in the field of evolution, the 3 part episode entitled Darwin’s Brave New World, aired in 2009, was riveting television.

Below is a trailer for Darwin’s Brave New World.

Suzuki has been widely recognized and honoured for his work over the years. he is a recipient of The Order of Canada, The Order of British Columbia and UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for science among many other international awards. He holds 26 honorary degrees from universities around the globe and is showing no signs of slowing down at the age of 76.

To say that I admire this man is a real understatement. Building a career he is, not only,  passionate about, but world renowned for,  from meager beginnings, David Suzuki is a tribute to what an education can accomplish. He is a scientist, a teacher and a true Canadian inspiration.