Social Sciences

Our outrage over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is due to our preference for democracy over autocracy, and to the danger of Russia pushing further westward into Europe. Perhaps most of all, we abhor the idea of one country violating the borders of another one. This, we feel, should not be allowed in the modern age. Two concepts deserve attention here: “borders” and “another one.” It was not until the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia that much of Europe accepted geographically defined national borders [1]. Not that the agreed borders ended wars, but they did replace “spheres of…

Ever had a nervous breakdown by reading Facebook threads where absolutely incompetent people entertain similar ignoramuses by providing explanations of everything from quantum physics to the way vaccines work? Or did you ever have to apply yoga techniques to avoid jumping into a bar conversation wherein some smart ass worked his audience by explaining things he clearly did not have the dimmest clue about? If you never experienced such a feeling, this post is not for you. In fact, there is a rule of thumb that says that if you walk in an internet conversation and you can't immediately identify…

Black people are no angels but when we are not being angelic, we still should have rights.  All people should have the same rights when under the power of law enforcement that they do when they are free.  No rights are without bounds, obviously someone in custody has rights that are greatly curtailed yet those rights still exist in some limited form.  I propose we amend the constitution of the United States of America to make it clear that the police have a duty to protect the lives of people under their power. It is a fact that being able to fight people who are being violent…

A fascinating development has emerged in the forensic testing of controlled substances. A "white box" study aimed at establishing error rates for this commonly-practiced forensic discipline is currently underway. Below is my interview with the man who conceived the study, Jeremy Triplett. Jeremy, you are a former President of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD), so you've played an important leadership role in forensic science.  Can you tell us a bit about the white box study recently announced by ASCLD? First, I want to thank you, John, for inviting me to talk…

A few weeks ago, in an article where I discussed some new ideas for fundamental physics research, I briefly touched on an incident in which Paul Frampton, a well-known theoretical physicist, got involved in 2011. The paragraph in question read: Among the people I met at ICNFP this year are two remarkable physicists. One of them, Paul Frampton, is known just as much for his interesting new theoretical physics ideas as for a very unfortunate incident that brought him to spend two years time in Argentinian prisons.The story is retold in excruciating detail in a long article by the NYT …

Many assume that trans-phobia, homophobia, and racism are exclusive to certain age groups and absent in other age groups.  This week I considered the controversial term “Trap” used in the art of translating anime, Japanese cartoons, into English language and western culture.  In doing so I found apart of the anime fan culture which is comprised of broadly millennial age (late teens, 20’s and 30’s) people who are in many ways more transphobic than Archie Bunker, and in others more PC than Rachel Maddow. A multimedia presentation on this subject is embedded below.  You can…

(PHILADELPHIA) A novel signaling pathway plays a significant role in the production of aldosterone, a hormone that promotes heart failure after a myocardial infarction, according to a study conducted by Thomas Jefferson University researchers. The findings, which will be published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that aldosterone production is mediated by a protein called beta-arrestin-1. Beta-arrestin-1 binds to angiotensin II receptors when they are activated by angiotensin II. Aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex. Its levels are elevated…

This is my observation. Intelligent people are a minority.    There is an abundance of businesses, causes, and charities that are addressing problems. Addressing and milking them for every dime they can make to the tunes of billions dollars. They are scared of the truth, or the solution to the problems.    Whole industries built around perpetuating problems.If things like the cure to cancer is reveled the hospital industry would be devastated. Medical treatments that leave the victims dependent needing drugs and medical care for life, all doctor induced because…

A lack of Vitamin D, due to reduced sunlight, has been linked to depression and the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but research by the University of Warwick shows there is no clear link between the levels of vitamin D in the blood and depression. Exposure to sunlight stimulates vitamin D in the skin and a shortage of sunlight in the winter has been put forward as one possible cause of SAD. However Warwick Medical School researchers, led by Dr Oscar Franco, have discovered low levels of vitamin D in the blood may not be connected to depression. In a study published in the…

WASHINGTON – Romance does not have to fizzle out in long-term relationships and progress into a companionship/friendship-type love, a new study has found. Romantic love can last a lifetime and lead to happier, healthier relationships. "Many believe that romantic love is the same as passionate love," said lead researcher Bianca P. Acevedo, PhD, then at Stony Brook University (currently at University of California, Santa Barbara). "It isn't. Romantic love has the intensity, engagement and sexual chemistry that passionate love has, minus the obsessive component. Passionate or obsessive love…