My Content: Hubs, Answers, and Forums
0Chaos, Quantum Effects, Supercomputers, and Free Will
In the 19th Century, many scientists viewed the Universe as being predictable in principle, like the inner workings of a clock. We've come a long way since then.
8Tactical Toothbrush in Defense of Liberty?
This article is about do-it-yourself political theater for those who support the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. And yes, it involves 'tactical' toothbrushes.
7How Safe are Children Adopted by Gay Married Couples?
Should our government's child adoption policies make a distinction between gay married couples and straight married couples?
13What Should We Do About Forest Fires in the USA?
We now know that forest fires play a vital ecological role. It's not desirable or possible to prevent all forest fires. But how much is too much?
16Larry's Take on the Aspartame Debate
This article explains why Aspartame is not 'evil'. But Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners do not help overweight people to slim down either.
10A West Coast Mystery: The Butterscotch Tree
Why does the resin of California's Jeffrey Pine tree smell like butterscotch?
6Is the Body Mass Index Pseudoscience?
This article looks at the uses, as well as some problem areas of BMI--including basic maths and individual differences.
12What to do about Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria?
This article looks at research and rotation as countermeasures to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in harmful bacteria.
0Fermat Fun to the Fourth Power
This article is an historical and cultural sketch of Fermat's Last Theorem.
8Larry's Take on Time Travel
This article gives an overview of time travel in science fiction, briefly touches upon the classic Grandfather Paradox, and presents a conundrum, Larry and Nell's Razor.
14We've Got to Do SOMETHING About School Shootings! Oh, Like What?
Inappropriately prescribed antidepressant meds are a common denominator of most recent School Shootings. Draconian Gun Control and Soviet-style preventive detention are not reasonable solutions.
10Larry's Strength Training Exercises for Hiking
This article describes strength training exercises that can enhance performance on mountain hikes, and prevent sore muscles afterward.
14A Surprising Fact about Prime Numbers
This article shows that the difference between the squares of any two prime numbers greater than 3 is always divisible by 6.
4The Supermarket from Hell
This article describes some unpleasant experiences in a neighborhood supermarket. These involve rude employees and apparently deliberate cheating of their customers.
4Two Pythagorean Oddities
For relatively prime Pythagorean Triples, the largest of the three numbers must always be odd. The article shows why this is the case.
10I Do Not Bite Stray Dogs
This article looks at two nonstandard approaches for preventing bites from stray dogs, at any time of the day or night.
7Safe Handshaking Puzzle
This article explores the mathematics of low-cost, sanitary handshaking between men and women. Although the general solution is unknown, the solution for the 3 by 3 case is described in detail.
4Turbines that Break Wind
Is wind power a solution to our long-term energy problems? This article looks at base load, peak load, grid stability, economics, energy storage, Rare Earth metals, and environmental trade-offs.
4Mamikon's Psychic Computer Program?
This article looks at Mamikon's Attractor Puzzle. At first blush, it appears to be a psychic computer program. But is the 'obvious' interpretation correct?
10Larry's Pony Express Hike
This article describes a little-known hike along a short segment of the famous Pony Express Trail, in the Northern Sierras. Driving directions from Sacramento are included. Hi-yo Silver! Away!
7Do you have the Right Stuff to be a Cryptozoologist?
This article considers the limitations of Cryptozoology as a scientific career. We also touch upon some credible albeit inconclusive evidence for one particular Cryptid, Bigfoot.
4Larry's Tetrahedron Puzzle
Can you find the distance from the base of a Regular Tetrahedron to its center, if you know the height of this figure? This article also describes an important tetrahedron for chemists.
6Extraterrestrial Ants Puzzle
This article describes an original logic puzzle: How do extraterrestrial ants on Planet Ox communicate with each other about food sources. No formulas and no equations.
7Larry's Perspective on Sobriety
This article explores do-it-yourself approaches that increase my distaste for alcohol. We should also continue medical research on alcoholism, and apply these findings.
2Larry's Symmetry Puzzle
This article describes a geometric puzzle involving symmetry, and the lack thereof. No specialized mathematical background is needed, just the ability to visualize.
6We Can Have Meaningful Multiparty Elections
This article uses a novel Game Theory approach to compare true multi-party systems that use rank-order ballots, with Tweedledee-Tweedledum two party systems.
8Kick the Filthy Smoking Habit
This article describes conventional and nonstandard approaches for kicking cigarette addiction. Subtopics: acetaldehyde, Cold Turkey, exercise, gradual withdrawal, harm reduction, and Swedish Snus.
9Weather, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and More
This article contains informed speculations about the putative connection between weather and rheumatoid arthritis. It also mentions some non-medicinal, do-it-yourself approaches.
13Larry's Take on Maths Education in the USA
This article examines the symptoms and causes of the under-performance of our maths education system in the USA. We also take brief looks at a few proposed remedies, including the old Soviet model.
18A Bone of Contention in the World of Dog Training
This article compares coercive dog training with the reward-based approach. We examine issues about alpha canines and alpha humans, the nature of pack animals, and how that affects dog training.
12Language Concepts in Border Collies
We humans are not the only ones who can build upon an existing vocabulary, when a novel situation arises. Super-smart Border Collies can do that too.
10Larry's Tips for Hiking Safety in Cougar Country
This article describes some lesser-known safety precautions for people in mountain lion country. It also reviews common-sense measures, like always hiking in a group.
18Larry's Experiment, Does MSG Cause Obesity?
In some developed countries, obesity has become a serious health problem. This article describes a simple experiment, which sheds some light on the putative link between MSG and overeating.
7The Scare-of-the-Month Club and Evil Chemicals
Some of our infinitely wise opinion leaders tell us that 'evil' chemicals in our food and water are 'bad for us', and that we should be very afraid. Let's separate the wheat from the chaff.
46Does Cotton Clothing Kill Hikers?
Some hikers believe that it's always dangerous to wear cotton clothing on outdoor treks. We'll examine this claim from a chemistry perspective.
4Alternatives to Traditional Dog Ownership
Being a responsible dog owner requires a lot of time, effort and patience. This article explores four alternatives to conventional dog ownership for busy people.
6Larry's Take on Extraterrestrial Biohazards
What would happen if extraterrestrial life forms found their way to our fair planet? And how would these risks compare with those of invasive Earthly species?
2First Impressions of Just War Theory
Political and military leaders have less integrity than ordinary citizens--even in 'democracies'. Now the Pentagon has recruited professional philosophers to legitimize its wars of choice.
18Larry's Take on Gun Control and Violent Crime
Let's analyze some firearms scenarios involving self-defense and violent crime. The insight that we gain could be useful in tweaking gun regulations in a rational way.
4Additional Uphill Hiking Techniques
We'll look at two uphill hiking tactics: Rhythmic Breathing and the Rest Step. However if you're already an endurance athlete, uphill hiking technique may be less important for you.
12My Favorite Bear Stories
Bears are wild animals, and should never be regarded as cute and cuddly. But they're not inherently vicious either. We can all learn a thing or two from these extraordinary creatures.
22Who's Afraid of the Flying CO2 Monster?
"The science is settled" on Man-Made Global Warming, according to Al Gore's famous oxymoron. However there's been no measurable global warming trend since 1998. What's up with that?
7Hacking Dr Pepper
The recipe for the Dr Pepper beverage is a big corporate secret. This article attempts to shed some light on the subject. It is based upon information that is readily available on the Internet.
10Larry's Take on the Population Disinformation Bomb
The available evidence supports the Demographic Transition model over the outdated neo-Malthusian hypothesis, favored by environmental extremists.
2Can You Solve Larry's Polygon Puzzle?
Not all mathematical puzzles are hopelessly complex. Here's a geometry puzzle that can be solved by drawing simple pictures.
21Why is the Product of Two Negative Numbers Positive?
Most of us were befuddled by sign conventions in high school algebra. This article explains the reasoning behind the two product/quotient rules.
45Larry's Take on the Claim that Gravity Is Magnetism
We don't know enough to state with certainty that gravity is magnetism, as some bloggers speculate. However Einstein's famous energy-matter equivalence from Relativity theory is relevant here.
4Larry's Take on Hiking Poles
This article explores the pros and cons of using hiking poles. It also describes how to use your hiking pole to save the life of another hiker, who's being attacked by a mountain lion.
17The Saturated Fat Monster
Conventional wisdom has it that saturated fats are 'bad for you'. However that's not quite accurate. This article presents a balanced view of dietary fats for grown-ups.
8Larry's At-Home Exercise to Strengthen Weak Upper Legs
This article describes a slow-paced indoor exercise, called Gorilla Walking. This therapeutic exercise isolates and strengthens the thigh muscles, aka the quadriceps,.
8The Lobotomy Nobel
The Lobotomy Nobel of 1949 had tragic consequences. How could the highly educated people within the medical profession and the Nobel Committee make such a huge mistake?
12Don't Jump Up; Sit!
Many dog lovers are annoyed when their canine friends jump up. Here's a distraction technique for dealing with the problem, without losing your cool.
22The Vocabulary of Murder
This article is a lighthearted look at the language used to describe an unspeakable crime--murder. For international readers, it can provide some insight into the culture of the USA.
2Frank Benford's Law
When we look at the first digits from a wide variety of measurements, a striking pattern emerges. This is known as Benford's Law, and as the First Digit Problem. Does Nature have a sense of humor?
9Tweak your Aerobic Exercise Routine to Boost Well-Being
Tweak your aerobic exercise routine with ABAB Testing, to find the 'sweet spot' that optimizes your well-being. This article also explores a few aerobic options, including Trikking.
9Exercise for Wimps
This article explores the psychology of exercise. Having a good exercise routine just plain feels good. If you're skeptical of this claim, try the Slouch Day experiment described in the hub.
6How to Pace Yourself While Hiking Uphill
If we're in good health, hiking uphill is not difficult--if our upper legs have normal strength. However we must pace ourselves properly. And uphill pacing is a skill that can be cultivated.
9How to Make Salty Tasting Rice or Pasta with Less Salt
It is possible to make rice or pasta, using less salt, without sacrificing the salty taste. How? With common-sense chemistry.
4Larry's Take on Organized Religion in the USA
What are the good points and not-so-good points of which consumers of organized religion should be aware? And how do religious enterprises succeed from a business perspective?
