I once saw Lex Luther do it . . .

Can human beings cause earthquakes? Scientists are seriously debating this issue. Some are suggesting that the immense amount of water piled behind the Zipingpu Dam triggered a nearby fault that killed 80,000 people in China. The story is covered in the January 16, 2009 edition of Science (available online only to subscribers.). The reservoir began filling in 2004 and the 7.9 earthquake occurred in 2008. The article cites seismologists who claim that you don't need much mechanical disturbance to trigger it an earthquake.

Removing fluid or rock from the crust, as in oil production or coal mining, could do it. So might injecting fluid to store waste or sequester carbon dioxide, or adding the weight of 100 meters or so of water behind the dam.

Some scientists suggest other possible occurrences. For instance, they suggest that the water piled behind the Koyna Dam caused a 6.3 trembler that killed 200 people in India in 1967. I do realize that earthquakes can be lethal, so I shouldn't sound as though I'm making light of them. The reason for the title is a chapter of the original Christopher Reeve Superman Movie. In the movie, Villain Lex Luthor started an earthquake by aiming an atomic warhead cruise missile along the San Andreas fault. That part of the movie is something I wondered about for many years. Can humans set off earthquakes? Based on this article in Science, the notion is at least plausible.

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If you dig a hole straight down, where would you end up?

If you dig a hole straight down, where will you end up? I live in Missouri. I was always told that I would end up in China. Not true. For that to happen, I would need to start digging my hole in Argentina, not in Missouri. How do I know? I used an antipode finder.

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Bush National Security Advisor doesn’t know the difference between Nepal and Tibet

This incredible video was posted on Huffpo.    In the video, President Bush's National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley (who was appearing on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos) repeatedly confused Nepal and Tibet.   Watching this clip, I wonder whether Stephanopoulos caught the problem.   Apparently not, so shame on both of them. …

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Father’s Day versus fatherhood

I am cynical about the day called Father’s Day.   For most of my life, I have seen it as yet another store-sponsored holiday.  America traditionally “celebrates” Father’s Day by buying trinkets from a store.   I can’t think of a better way to degrade any occasion.

Father’s Day has become something much more meaningful to me since I became a father, but it is not about receiving trinkets bought at stores. I write this fully aware that there are other, more comprehensive, ways of interpreting the trinkets.

What is it to be a father?  Like most things in life, being a father is not about being brilliant.  It’s mostly about pacing yourself.  It’s about staying reasonably focused over the long-haul.  It’s about dealing with fatigue.  It’s been about repeatedly saying “no” to one’s momentary desires in order to accomplish something much more important in the long run.

I envisioned this blog to be a place for ideas.  For that reason, I’ve minimized revealing much information about my family.  It’s not that I’m not crazy about my family. I am.  I adore my wife and children.  It’s just that I’ve tried to respect their privacy. Then again, writing about events from six years ago doesn’t quite seem quite so invasive.  Therefore, I’m using this post about my real life children to illustrate the idea of parenthood.

It is true that being a father is about bringing home a paycheck to feed and clothes little children.   Therefore, being a father can sometimes …

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