A Perspective on US Education

Ironically, despite the United States having the best-surveyed education system on the globe, U.S students consistently score lower in math and science than students from many other countries. According to a Business Insider report in 2020, the U.S. ranked 38th in math scores and 24th in science. SOURCE:  WorldPopulationReview.com

So, why this contradiction in the data?

Was someone lying?

Test scores don't lie...

Education in the US of A today is not the same quality as education in the US of A 50 years ago...  Education has gotten WORSE instead of BETTER...

WHY???

We could blame the problem on the teachers.  We could blame the problem on the students. We could blame the problem on the parents.  We could blame the problem on the system.

All would bear some responsibility...

I retired in 2015 after 45 years of working in and around education which included me teaching classes to students who had graduated from high school and wanted more education.

These students were:

• academically lazy as they did not want to do homework
• not interested in drilling down on a subject
• not very good at presentations
• not very good at team work
• not very good at reading out loud
• not very good at writing or spelling
• not very good with critical thinking skills

What bothered me the most was they all wanted to be told exactly what to do without trying to figure it out on their own.

This was very disappointing to say the least.

I could just imagine what these people would be as parents trying to get their children to STUDY and be good students...

I was not the best student until I left college, went into the military, and returned to college.  Once I returned, I became the best student on campus.  I did the homework, read the assignments, sat in the front of class, answered questions, figured out on my own what the professor wanted me to do, and made sure my assignments always exceeded the professor's expectations.  I was in college to learn, not just get the highest grade.

But, what I don't really understand is how we could be considered to be the best when our scores are not that good at all...  That false sense of security has got to be impacting our employers who have to be hiring the people and retraining them...

How successful has that been I wonder or is that more data that has been kept hidden from us?

Sky Stars

 

Two Biblical Heroines Uncovered

The Israelite commander Barak depicted in the Huqoq synagogue mosaic. Several BYU students 

were part of the team to help excavate at the ancient Jewish village site. Credit: Jim Haberman

As they brushed the last layer of dirt from a small section of mosaic on the synagogue floor, the archaeologists were momentarily baffled by the odd image beginning to emerge.

"Then we realized we were looking at the story of Jael pounding the stake through the head of Sisera the Canaanite," said BYU ancient scripture professor Matthew Grey. "We brought out a phone and pulled up Judges 4 to read the story while we uncovered the scene."

Almost every summer since 2011, BYU faculty and students have joined a consortium of universities led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to excavate the synagogue in the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. This year's work on the building's beautiful mosaic floor, which dates from the late fourth—early fifth century C.E., yielded a unique discovery: fragments showing Jael and the prophetess Deborah.

"This is the first time we've seen a depiction of the biblical heroines Deborah and Jael in ancient Jewish art," said project director and UNC professor Jodi Magness.

Situated in the southwest corner of the building just to the left of the synagogue's entrance, the panels highlight how the women helped save Israel through their gifts and intrepidity. One patch shows Deborah sitting under her palm tree, giving instructions to the Israelite general Barak to guide her people in battle (Judges 4:4–10). 

Below that, another patch shows Jael driving a tent stake through Sisera's temple, taking out the Canaanite general to help Israel defeat their enemy (Judges 4:17–22).  READ MORE...

Wave at Sea

 

Probing Dark Energy

Dark energy illustration. Credit: Visualization by Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute. Simulation by Martin White, UC Berkeley and Lars Hernquist, Harvard University





Could one of the biggest puzzles in astrophysics be solved by reworking Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity? Not yet, according to a new study co-authored by NASA scientists.

The universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, and physicists don’t know why. This phenomenon seems to contradict everything scientists understand about gravity’s effect on the cosmos: It’s as if you threw an apple in the air and instead of coming back down, it continued upward, faster and faster. The cause of the cosmic acceleration, dubbed dark energy, remains a mystery.

A new study marks the latest effort to determine whether this is all simply a misunderstanding: that expectations for how gravity works at the scale of the entire universe are flawed or incomplete. This potential misunderstanding might help researchers explain dark energy. However, the study – one of the most precise tests yet of Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity at cosmic scales – finds that the current understanding still appears to be correct. The study was from the international Dark Energy Survey, using the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile.


The results, authored by a group of scientists that includes some from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), were presented Wednesday, August 24, at the International Conference on Particle Physics and Cosmology (COSMO’22) in Rio de Janeiro. 

The work helps set the stage for two upcoming space telescopes that will probe our understanding of gravity with even higher precision than the new study and perhaps finally solve the mystery.  READ MORE...

Sea Creature

 

The Big Bang Means Something Different Now

If there’s one hallmark inherent to science, it’s that our understanding of how the Universe works is always open to revision in the face of new evidence. 

Whenever our prevailing picture of reality — including the rules it plays by, the physical contents of a system, and how it evolved from its initial conditions to the present time — gets challenged by new experimental or observational data, we must open our minds to changing our conceptual picture of the cosmos. 

This has happened many times since the dawn of the 20th century, and the words we use to describe our Universe have shifted in meaning as our understanding has evolved.

Yet, there are always those who cling to the old definitions, much like linguistic prescriptivists, who refuse to acknowledge that these changes have occurred. 

But unlike the evolution of colloquial language, which is largely arbitrary, the evolution of scientific terms must reflect our current understanding of reality. 

Whenever we talk about the origin of our Universe, the term “the Big Bang” comes to mind, but our understanding of our cosmic origins have evolved tremendously since the idea that our Universe even had an origin, scientifically, was first put forth. 

Here’s how to resolve the confusion and bring you up to speed on what the Big Bang originally meant versus what it means today.  READ MORE...

Hungry Fish

 

FOX News - Most Watched by Americans

 Why?

It may be because Fox News presents more truthful news than the other media outlets...

We know that ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN are not talking about what is happening at our Southern Borders...  about all the illegal immigration and illegal drugs that are coming across the border...

We know that ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN have been reporting that the Hunter Biden Laptop Story was MISINFORMATION...  when in reality it was not and even Zuckerberg now has admitted that the FBI asked him to present it as misinformation...

We watch FOX News because we want news that is not just truthful but news that is not censored...

FOX News is reporting that the FBI has been politicized by the Democratic Party especially with the raid at Mar-a-largo in the hopes that it would prevent Trump from running for President in 2024...  This sounds like the same kind of shit that countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran like to do in their countries...

So, is the USA trying to become like them now???

What is TRUTH?

The truth is what we believe and we believe it because someone said it is the truth.  But, just because they said it was the truth does not necessarily make it the truth.

Former President Trump was accused of colluding with the Russians and the Democrats said that was the truth...  and, the mainstream media reported it as being the truth...

But, once Trump left office, we found out that this truth was in fact a lie and not the truth at all.

Facebook reported last year that the story about Hunter Biden's Laptop was not the truth that is was misinformation.  the mainstream media again reported that the Hunter Biden Laptop story was not the truth.

A year later, we find out that the Hunter Biden Laptop was the truth and Facebook said that the FBI suggested that they report it as misinformation so that people would believe it was not the truth.

If our leaders are not telling us the truth then who are we going to believe?

today's lie is tomorrow's truth and today Truth is tomorrow's lie. 

This is how we now must live our lives.

Sunday Morning

 

It is a no-brainer that Sunday comes around once a week, but the question is this:

Is Sunday the beginning of the week or the ending of the week?

Not that it makes any difference but it is a curious question.

I personally favor the ending of the week but what the hell do I know?

Sundays in the Valley

Not really a whole lot to do actually outside of going to Church in the morning.  But then there is going out to lunch which is fine as long as you go before Church gets out...  After that, it is all up for grabs:

• Stay at home
• go to a movie
• go to the mall
• go to the park
• go to the lake
• visit with friends

I suppose it is this way everywhere as the Valley is no different than anywhere else...

Still,

the valley is different...

It is not like the city nor is it like the country except that there is lots of land around everywhere...  and, not all of it is being farmed or cultivated for suburban communities.

Maybe,

It is all the lakes and parks that we have that are not necessarily found in other areas of this state or other states for that matter.

Maybe,

it is all the walking trails that we have that are available to exercise, leisure, or serious hiking and camping.

Maybe,

it is all the farmer's markets that we have selling homegrown fruits and vegetables that are better than store bought.

Being retired,

the Valley suits my LAZY ASS ATTITUDE as I drift in and out of consciousness on my back porch sitting in one of them thar lounge chairs we purchased from Wally World.

I look out my suburban house window out into the field across the street and I see a family of deer just slowly walking around as if they have nothing to fear...

Deer are beautiful creatures and it is very enjoyable to watch them.  

From my back porch, I can see hummingbirds swarming around our feeders...  I can see squirrels and rabbits scampering from one side of the yard to the other side...  I suppose just to see if they can go there...

And, there are all kinds of birds that fly around and into the trees that are in our yard...  Ironically, we planted trees in our yard 20 years ago while our neighbors cut all of their trees down...  now they complain they have no animals to look at.

Our Valley is not for everyone.  It may be too slow of a lifestyle for most people who are used to the fast pace of the city.  The only fast pace I see in the city is dodging cars as you try to cross.

Did You Know?

That working out in a gym is not really going to help you lose weight...

This is a NO SHIT statement!!!

The only way that you are going to lose weight is to EAT LESS...

I mean we have diets that have you counting FAT GRAMS and then there are diets that have you counting CARBOHYDRATES and there are other diets that have you counting CALORIES...

These are all bullshit...

Just eat less.

In fact, many nutritionalists say you should eat 5 small meals a day and while that is fine, they don't really define small.

Others say your plate should be divided this way:

• 1/4 for meat
• 1/4 for starch (rice or potato for example)
• 1/2 for vegetables

NOTE: the meal is considered to be 4 oz and the starch is considered to be 1 cup or less...

I have also heard from some specialists that you should drink 8 ounzes of water before each meal so you won't eat that much.

But first you have to admit that there is a reason and a need for you to lose weight otherwise all you are doing is spitting in the wind and fooling yourself that you are serious.

And, the whole deal is up to you...  

Are you determined?

Are you disciplined?

Are you serious?

August is Dying Quickly

The month of August is rapidly coming to a close...  after today, there are only 3 more days left and then we open up the month of September and while the temps are still like summer, we are heading into the fall and more than likely a cold winter...

I saw a woolly bear today while I was walking and tried to remember what my grandmother said about it being a precursor for a hard or mild winter...

Woolly Bear Folklore:

According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly bear in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found. The longer the woolly bear's black bands, the longer, colder, snowier, and more severe the winter will be. Similarly, the wider the middle brown band is associated with a milder upcoming winter. The position of the longest dark bands supposedly indicates which part of winter will be coldest or hardest. If the head end of the caterpillar is dark, the beginning of winter will be severe. If the tail end is dark, the end of winter will be cold. In addition, the woolly bear caterpillar has 13 segments to its body, which traditional forecasters say correspond to the 13 weeks of winter.

Personally, I don't think much of folklore although at times it seems to be a pretty good predictor...  still...  folklore is folklore...  is it not?

What I do know...  is that for the past several years, the months of September, October, November, and December in the Valley have been relatively mild temperature wise and that January, February, and March have been typically cold months with some years being colder than others...  

In this valley we can pretty much count on 12-15 weeks of cold weather before it feels like spring has returned and we can start wearing our tennis shoes and sandals again.  These 12-15 weeks can include December as well as April...  as winter tends to flip-flop once in a while.

Animal Bridge

 

Tracing Earth's Path Through the Galaxy

"To see a world in a grain of sand," the opening sentence of the poem by William Blake, is an oft-used phrase that also captures some of what geologists do.




We observe the composition of mineral grains, smaller than the width of a human hair. Then, we extrapolate the chemical processes they suggest to ponder the construction of our planet itself.

Now, we've taken that minute attention to new heights, connecting tiny grains to Earth's place in the galactic environment.

Looking out to the universe
At an even larger scale, astrophysicists seek to understand the universe and our place in it. They use laws of physics to develop models that describe the orbits of astronomical objects.

Although we may think of the planet's surface as something shaped by processes entirely within Earth itself, our planet has undoubtedly felt the effects of its cosmic environment. This includes periodic changes in Earth's orbit, variations in the sun's output, gamma ray bursts, and of course meteorite impacts.

Just looking at the Moon and its pockmarked surface should remind us of that, given Earth is more than 80 times more massive than its gray satellite. In fact, recent work has pointed to the importance of meteorite impacts in the production of continental crust on Earth, helping to form buoyant "seeds" that floated on the outermost layer of our planet in its youth.

We and our international team of colleagues have now identified a rhythm in the production of this early continental crust, and the tempo points to a truly grand driving mechanism. This work has just been published in the journal Geology.  READ MORE...

Classic Sunday Morning Newspaper Cartoons

 

A Common Infection May Cause Cancer

A new study suggests that Clostridioides difficile is responsible for certain colorectal cancers.

According to data gathered by scientists at the Bloomberg Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the bacterial species Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, which is well known for causing serious diarrheal infections, may also cause colorectal cancer.

The research, which was recently published in the journal Cancer Discovery, may reveal another problematic role for this microbe, which causes over 500,000 infections annually in the United States, many of which are very challenging to treat.

“The uptick of individuals under age 50 being diagnosed with colorectal cancer in recent years has been shocking. 

We found that this bacterium appears to be a very unexpected contributor to colon malignancy, the process by which normal cells become cancer,” says Cynthia Sears, M.D., Bloomberg~Kimmel Professor of Cancer Immunotherapy and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Researchers in the Sears Lab reported several years ago that more than half of colorectal cancer patients had bacterial biofilms — dense colonies of bacteria on the colon surface — while only 10% to 15% of healthy people without tumors had biofilms. 

However, one sample stood out to the researchers when they infected mice with biofilm samples originating from specific colorectal cancer patients because it significantly raised colorectal tumors in the mice. This slurry caused tumors in 85% of the mice, while in most controls, tumor development is less than 5%.  READ MORE...

Drummer

 

Medival Graves Found in Germany

Early medieval weapons and jewelry found in southwestern Germany near the Danube River. 

(Image credit: State Office for the Preservation of Monuments in the RPS / Yvonne Mühlei)

Archaeological treasures, including Stone Age pottery and medieval graves with swords and jewelry, have revealed a long history of human habitation near the Danube River in Germany.

At the site, in the Geisingen-Gutmadingen district of Tuttlingen, in southwestern Germany, archaeologists discovered one grave from the Neolithic, or Stone Age, that dates to the third millennium B.C. and contains distinctive pottery from the Corded Ware culture. They also found 140 early medieval graves, dating to between A.D. 500 and 600, that contain goods including swords, lances, shields, bone combs, drinking glasses and earrings.

"Our Gutmadingen district is probably much older than we previously assumed," Mayor Martin Numberger said in a statement. The district had previously been dated to 1273 based on the first written records of settlement there.

The finds were made by a team from archaeology firm ArchaeoTask GmbH in an area near the Danube river where a rainwater retention pond is planned. The Stone Age grave points to the presence of a The Corded Ware people, who are now known mostly for their pottery decorated by geometric lines formed by pressing cord into clay and leaving the impressions to dry. These people were probably pastoralists who kept animals such as cows and sheep, and some also practiced early farming of crops such as barley. Graves from this period are rare in southwestern Germany, according to local officials.

The early medieval graves date to the century after the end of the Western Roman Empire, which fell in 476 A.D. when the German warlord Odoacer deposed the Roman emperor Romulus Augustus. This period is part of what is known as the Migration Period, or the Völkerwanderung, when various tribes in Europe moved around, often conquering one another and pushing each other into new territories. Historians consider this period the transition between antiquity and the early Middle Ages.  READ MORE...

Pandas