The Imminent Return of Sunday Sensational Science

I'm hard at work on quite a few Sunday Sensational Science posts at the moment, all springing from my recent trip back home. Arizona's got lotsa science. And most of it is stuff that I could whip up something off-the-cuff for, since I've got plenty o' Arizona science facts rattling around in my brainpan. But I decided I want to go in-depth. I want to take the opportunity to learn more than I knew before. And there's one billion or so photos to sort through. So, nothing sensational just yet.

In the meantime, let me point you to a few posts that aren't science at all, but were interesting nonetheless, and at least contain elements that kinda sorta resemble science.

There's Vagabond Scholar's Diagrams of Conservatism, helping us "Visualize the Insanity:"


It's actually an interesting discussion, not just a lot of snarky diagrams.

For the one or two of you who don't read Pharyngula, I'd just like to point out his discussion about atheists and society:

There is a strange correlation: most of the atheists I know are straight, yet when I post a pointless poll like this one, I know with near certainty which way the godless hordes of Pharyngula will try to skew it.

Do you agree with President Obama's decision to extend certain benefits to gay partners of federal employees?

51.38% Yes
48.62% No

It goes further, too. We atheists tend to strongly favor women's rights and equality in the marketplace, yet only about half of us are female. I could bring up an article like this one, in which conservative democrats demand that abortion services not be provided under universal healthcare, and I know how most of the progressive godless readers here will respond: with anger.

And he's right. The yes votes currently stand at 93%. I imagine our concern for social justice is just one of the many reasons religious right frothers hate us so.

For those of you wondering what that recent spike in gas prices was all about, here's a possible answer:

A rogue oil commodities broker was caught manipulating a spike in world oil prices forcing his company to eat $10 million in losses. The disclosure occurred Tuesday when the price of crude oil reached a year’s high $73.50 a barrel at a time when the U.S. posts its highest demand on gasoline for the summer vacation season. By Thursday oil prices fell to $66.50 a barrel, down almost 10 per cent from Tuesday’s peak.

As that post points out, this isn't the first time we've been shafted like this.

For those of you wondering what the "science" element was in that last one, well, economics is a science.

And that's just about enough for a holiday weekend.