How do you react when you hear (or read) “the science is settled?” Frankly, it can be a bit irritating because of who says it and why. For example, politicians use it to avoid problems. Sometimes they use it to bluster as they try to impose their will on the rest of us. Scientists may use it to brush off questions or defend their ideas from challenges. On a more positive note, sometimes we say it simply because we know the science in question is true. For example, all human beings are born with a combination of x and y chromosomes that defines their sex as male or female. We understand that part of science very well, even if it irritates people who demand political correctness.

Confidence in what we know, or at least what we think we know, has been around for as long as the human race, and so have curiosity and (often) a willingness to learn. Over 125 years ago an American physicist famously said, “While it is never safe to affirm that the future of Physical Science has no marvels in store even more astonishing than those of the past, it seems probable that most of the grand underlying principles have been firmly established.” The science was settled, or maybe not, but science is a restless enterprise. And, as it turned out, the caution about marvels lurking in the future was right on target.

Physics was settled, and then along came the theory of relativity, among other discoveries. With new theories, measurements, and findings, physics branched into particle physics, astrophysics, biophysics, and other divergent specialties. And while particle physicists use the Standard Model to explain which sub-atomic particles exist and how they relate to each other, current research sometimes reinforces the model and sometimes shakes it.

Chemistry was settled, but four new elements were added to the Periodic Table as recently as 2016. And driven by a stream of discoveries reaching back 150 years and more, chemistry branched into physical chemistry, organic chemistry, nuclear chemistry, and other divergent specialties. Ironically, the most recently discovered elements are all unstable, perhaps in some way reminding us of the dynamic nature of science.

Geology was settled, and then theories of plate tectonics shook the conventional wisdom. Geology teachers during that transition would explain about continental drift, all while glancing around the room to see if any of the old guard would challenge the new concepts. Later, a new generation of geologists began to question and refine the broad theories of plate tectonics. And so new ideas and theories continued to arise to improve (and occasionally overturn) the old ones.

Perhaps the one field of science that most often triggers the phrase, “the science is settled” is climate science. However, we don’t seem to hear that from scientists as much as we do from politicians and activists. Over the past few decades climate researchers have learned about the significance of aerosols in the atmosphere, the impacts of volcanic eruptions, the effects of cloud types and cloud cover, the variability of energy incoming from the sun, and any number of coupled feedback loops between the various processes that affect our climate. Climate scientists are still learning, which is good, but it also shows that the science is not settled.

Regardless of the topic, when you hear that “the science is settled,” it is worth asking why. Why would someone think it is settled? Why would someone make that claim? Honest inquiry leads to better science as well as better policy, and honest inquiry should not be silenced.

Many of you like the photos I share on Facebook, and I really appreciate those endorsements! Some of my photos, on canvas prints, decorate my home and I know of at least two more hanging in another home. I am excited to take this to the next level by posting some of my favorite photos in a PicFair photo gallery. You can browse the gallery at will, and even buy prints or full-resolution downloads of any images that strike your fancy. God blesses us with a lot of beauty in His creation, and sometimes we even have a chance to capture some of it with a camera. The collection will continue to grow and evolve, and I hope you enjoy it!

https://jesseyow.picfair.com

Our choir rehearsed the music over and over. We learned the tune, learned the lyrics, and even learned some dynamics. It was a lot of work, and the piece was moving, fun, and unforgettable. So unforgettable, in fact, that we could not get that music out of our brains until we started serious work on the next piece. What do you call a song that you enjoy, maybe even love, but can’t get out of your head? An earworm. An earworm that won’t let go, but continues to tickle your ears until displaced by something else.

What else tickles your ears, figuratively speaking? Things we like to hear, over and over, whether it is music, a child saying, “I love you,” or words of sorely needed affirmation. Not everything that tickles our ears is so positive, though. In fact, some of it can be risky, even dangerous.

II Timothy 4:3-4 warns, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” Paul was warning Timothy about people turning away from God’s truth to embrace whatever made them feel good, and it rings true now just as it rang true then.

We see people everywhere who prefer their own truth. Maybe we do it, too. We choose news sources that tell us what we want to hear, fact checkers that echo our preferred version of reality, and conversations that reinforce our personal values and perceptions. A risky thing, and one that can become even more dangerous when it involves God’s truth. We may know some of God’s truth, but what if we try to keep that truth nailed shut in a box made of our own ideas and opinions? A dangerous business, trying to keep God in a box.

We all have blind spots when it comes to our own version of truth, but how do we know what they are? Well, that’s the problem with blind spots: they hide where we can’t (or won’t) see them. Then how do we replace our flawed understanding with the real truth? In the case of news media, fact checkers, or conversations, we need to relentlessly seek the truth by sifting and comparing information, digging into facts, and doing our own research. Worthwhile, but steady, lifelong work.

When it comes to matters of eternal value, our blind spots are like earworms: they have to be forcibly displaced, and we can’t do it by our own efforts. I have very good news, though. In John 8:31-32 Jesus says, ““If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” God already did the heavy lifting for us. He gives us His truth, found in Jesus and His word. Please don’t try to keep it in a box!

The Visual Capitalist recently posted an interesting map of “America’s Entrepreneurial Spirit,” but the analysis seems to be based only on business license applications recorded in each state.

Visualizing America’s Entrepreneurial Spirit During COVID-19

If you look closely, the trends from one region to another might not be what you expect. For example, why are different states like Illinois and Mississippi both doing so well? And why is Illinois (a heavily regulated state) doing better than California (another heavily regulated state)?

Some states license more kinds of businesses than other states, so states with more of a hands-off approach would fare poorly in this rack-up compared to states that try to license everything. But is it really possible to license and regulate everything? Can you think of any kinds of entrepreneurial start-ups that might not need a business license?

Every election cycle we vote for the candidates we believe to be the best choices (or the least-worse choices!) for Congress. The candidates with the most votes win. You might think that a House of Representatives and a Senate assembled from so many best-choice candidates would be awesome in its efficiency and productivity as they work for the voters and the good of the country. Or maybe not. Consider:

Over the past two or three decades Congress did not reform federal immigration law when Democrats controlled Congress, when Republicans controlled Congress, or when control was split between the two parties. Many of us would like to have secure borders, a reasonable path for immigrants to become citizens, and protection for immigrant families. One might conclude that our political parties have other, higher priorities than to reform federal immigration law to achieve such objectives. Or maybe the politicians believe the immigration mess somehow works to their advantage. Anyone for a game of political football?

Over the past two or three decades Congress did not clean up federal election law when Democrats controlled Congress, when Republicans controlled Congress, or when control was split between the two parties. Many of us would like to have elections that are secure and honest, avoid voter suppression, and avoid voter disenfranchisement. One might conclude that our political parties have other, higher priorities than to reform federal election law to achieve such objectives. Or maybe the politicians believe the election mess somehow works to their advantage. People joke about dead people voting in Chicago, and those jokes have roots in reality!

On the most basic level, Congress is responsible to pass the annual budget for the US government. You might say that if Congress had just one most fundamental job, passing the annual budget would be that job. The budget sets priorities, reflects values, and affects and implements policies. Yet according to Pew Research, Congress has never completed more than four of its twelve annual appropriations bills on time in any year since 1997. Almost every year, instead of passing a budget through the regular process (that Congress defined for itself), they instead pass a budget in the form of continuing resolutions or omnibus bills. More often than not, the omnibus bills are too big to read before voting, and all kinds of special interests hide in the verbiage. Think of them as bugs sucking nutrients from your garden, except that these special interests are bugs sucking money from the budget, which means from the taxpayers. One might conclude that our political parties have other, higher priorities than to develop and pass an annual budget. Or maybe the politicians believe the budget mess works to their advantage. Regardless, year after year, they shirk what is arguably their most fundamental job.

At this point you might wonder if we could sue Congress for malpractice, since it is clear that they do not do their job. However, a successful lawsuit for malpractice needs to be able to point to a competent practice as a benchmark for comparison. Yet, as Mark Twain’s Blue Jay Yarn, a humorous commentary on human nature, notes, “A jay hasn’t got any more principle than a Congressman.” It looks like we have not had a benchmark of competence for at least 150 years.

The situation is discouraging, but we can have hope for something much better. This hope does not come from Congress or elections, though. Psalm 146:3-4 advises, “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” Instead, Psalm 146:5-6 describes our sure alternative when it says, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever.” God’s children are sojourners in this world, with lasting citizenship under God’s rule.

The Psalmist writes, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a). This statement of praise reflects a deep complexity to life that comes with a downside and an upside. The downside includes many things that we don’t understand. For example, when “idiopathic” comes up in your diagnosis, it means that the doctors have no idea what causes your disease or condition. Idiopathic retinopathy, then, means poor retina health, but the doctors do not know why. Under such circumstances, how can we praise God? Perhaps because He is our creator, and He loves us.

But if the downside is puzzling and sometimes confounding, the upside can be amazing. Think about how our eyes work with our brains to process what we see around us. Cameras and advanced optics certainly help, but ultimately it is our eyes that sense an optical signal and our brains that process it for us to see colors, shapes, patterns, and beauty. Consider these images, for example:

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Perhaps one of the upsides of this complexity is being able to enjoy and perhaps even marvel at beauty we find all around.

This article from Visual Capitalist provides descriptions of misinformation that appear in news media or online. Some misinformation, like satire, is good for a belly laugh. Gotta keep your sense of humor, since other misinformation is not so innocuous.

How To Spot Fake News

The map above (copied from our January 9^th post) shows National Weather Service offices and forecast areas across the United States. Weather systems usually arrive from the west, southwest, or northwest, depending on where you are, so it seems like the more weather observations you have upwind of you, the easier it would be to develop a good forecast. For example, understanding and forecasting the weather would be easier east of the Rocky Mountains than it would be on the Pacific Coast. After all, an office in the Midwest could draw upon observations from weather stations ranging from nearby to tens or even hundreds of miles upwind to know what might be coming. In a way, distance represents time, since it takes time for the weather system to arrive from a distant point of observation. Whether those observations come from a few minutes, hours, or days earlier, they represent a short-term weather history that can lead to better understanding and prediction.

Weather history can help forecasts in other ways. For example, Livermore lies in a local rain shadow caused by Rocky Ridge to the south, Pleasanton Ridge to the west, and Mount Diablo to the northwest. History shows that our part of Livermore often receives less rain than the Bay Area forecast might predict when storms sweep in from the Pacific Ocean. If weather forecasters take that geography-driven history into account, their forecasts for our very local area become more accurate.

What would happen if a local weather office decided to ignore information from stations upwind or ignore local weather history? What if they decided to rewrite that information according to what they wanted? This would mean ignoring useful, relevant information that could improve understanding and forecasting. In a sense, ignoring that information would be like throwing away short-term history (upwind observations) and long-term history (historical local weather behavior).

Sadly, we see a variety of movements in our country that aim to ignore short-term and long-term history. When the news media choose to hide or distort news coverage, this in effect ignores recent reality. Long-term history goes by the wayside when activists remove statues or other artwork, change the names of schools or other public buildings, abandon classical literature in schools, or distort documented history. We know from examples in other countries (until those examples are ignored or erased) that these movements will cost us dearly if allowed to continue.

It is easy to see the problems, but not so easy to suggest constructive, actionable solutions. It may take a little time, but you need to pay attention to reliable news sources. It may take a little homework, but you should consider getting involved in local or even regional politics. Write letters to your elected representatives. We (the taxpayers) pay them to represent you, regardless of whether you voted for them. If you can’t write, phone their office. Keep track of what the school board, city council, and state legislature are up to. And whenever you have an opportunity, speak the truth, preferably with a spirit of respect. Factual, historical truth matters, and your voice can make a difference. Trite and often-said, but still a bedrock truth!

Today is sunny and warm, with a gentle breeze and clear skies. The mockingbirds are back from wherever they went for the winter, singing at the top of their lungs as they joust for territory. The rest of my pruning will have to avoid new mockingbird, scrub jay, and hummingbird nests under construction. Meanwhile, the first of our three apricot trees started its bloom:

Do you ever thank God for giving us another new day? It improves our perspective if we step back from the daily chaos, at least for a moment, to thank God for His blessings and providence. Sometimes it helps to look around…

Here in Livermore, many of our plants and trees are in their dormant season. Roses look stubby and barren after their annual pruning, the garden lies fallow waiting for this spring’s tomato plants, and deciduous trees have long since lost their leaves. The Sierra snowpack grows as each storm sweeps in off the Pacific, and points further east seem locked in the depth of winter. Our hardenbergia are in full bloom, though, and even a few honeybees found their way to the blossoms. This is when California’s climate shines, and we thank God for reminders that Spring is on its way!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:4-8 (ESV)