geoguy

What is 'grassroots' science as opposed to 'science'? Science is science and is not about agendas, popularity or political correctness. If you want the broad population involved then give them the tools of scienctific understanding....chemistry, physics and so on. This goes back to your: "Such as the production of a new chemical for some particular application should have in its process or generation really the environmental reality that such a product will have, how will it react in the atmosphere, the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere." The 'grassroots'? how the heck can anyone begin to assess any environmnetal impact without nitty gritty understanding of matter and energy? Otherwise what 'environmetalism' is (as it has become) are folks lapping up someone else's statements and using them as 'evidence' to prove some point or another. Students in chemistry need a handle on mathematics to even begin to understand chemistry.....students in the environmnet need a hard science base to understand complex issues. Any one can follow the instructions on a chemsitry set and mix three chemicals to turn a red liquid bto blue. That's the level of environmentalism. Teach science. Hard science. This will create a well educate populations and a larger base for advancement in all the sciences from space exploration to environmnetalism to the health sciences.

"Such as the production of a new chemical for some particular application should have in its process or generation really the environmental reality that such a product will have, how will it react in the atmosphere, the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere.' If you can get any consensus on that then we'll make you God. Your 'environmental reality' will be removed from mine and someone else's. Claiming any reality or 'the answer' on complex subjects moves out of the realm of science and into the sphere of politics and ideology. In theory I agree with you but in the 'real world' science needs to be independent of myopic views and agendas.

I agree with much of your sentiment and some of your approach. I'd put the emphasis on basic 'science' more so than any one aspect of science (such as environmnetalism). A strong scientific basis for judging information gives citizens' awareness and understanding of environmental and other issues such as health care, information technology, energy use, etc. When one emphasizes environmental variables beyond 'motherhood and apple pie' then education is politicised and lobbies line up from Libs vs Cons, first world vs developing countries... less government vs more government and so on. You don't want to take an issue such as 'global warming' and just entrench existing positions. I'm a confessed Econut but it 'pisses me off' when some groups make the environment a political issue. Important issues get lost in the muck of ideological debate. Not everyone has the same opinion on 'wind power' as a positive energy source or agrees that 'vegetarianism' helps the environment. Teach science and give folks an understanding of what good scientific methodolgy is. I don't have a friggin clue about the properties of gases and their impact on global warming...haven't looked at a gas molecule since first year university. How do I receive the flavour of the day announcement on 'proof' of global warming? I look at the science behind the pronouncement. Is it actual nitty gritty science with nitty gritty controlled variables or is it a statement tossed out as a sound bite based on some educated speculation but not actual 'science'. I don't care 'what scientists say'...I'm a scientist and my opinion on areas outside of my field has no more value than the mailman's. Teach SCIENCE, Physics, chemistry, biology, etc. A population understanding scientific methodolgy will do more to impact the environment than environmnetalism without the science.

Sure, I've been to Tenessee. Several times. Hot spot for Paleozoic paleontology. Stop ten of those 'nice Tennessee people' at random on the street. Then give them a map with no names on countries. Go ahead....I bet either one or 'none' wold be able to find Iraq. Few would even start looking at the right spot on the globe. This after almost 5 years of war the 'red' state eagerly supported.

That's probably 95% from your state that couldn't point out Iraq on a map. TN is one of the chubby, low academic states. 10 to 1 they could tell you where the nearest Mcdonald's is and the name of some football team....but find Iraq on a map after almost 5 years of war?...Ha Ha:D ...forget it.

Most Americans don't pay a lot of attention. Many know who Hillary is...perhaps know 'some' of the other candidates but couldn't tell you if McCain is a Demo or Rep, etc. DrDNa is more or less on the mark when he states "Because the TV/radio/newspaper/internet pundits said so." Few could name a single 'liberal' Hillary policy or a single Thompson 'conservative' policy. Most of the images are PR jobs and are subject to the latest ad campaign. 10 to 1 that 50% of Americans couldn't pick out more than one candidate, Hillary, by name in a police line up and 90% so ignorant they couldn't find Iraq on a map.

I said 'sort of war'. I couldn't care less of the internal legalities of the USA. That's irrelevent. Call it a legal war or any other term and it doesn't change the reality. Americans have been mired Iraqinam for years and the day after a major speech by President Pinnochio , the 'war' can't even push OJ off the top of the headlines. Discussion of the war around America is no more animated than who is going to win American Idol....gets less air time than college football. Americans aren't going to accept a draft and send their 18-year-old princesses to be killed for a cause that gets less press than Brittany Spear's flabby belly. It's September, 2007. After all this time stop the average American on the street and ask who the 'enemy' is in Iraq. 'Who' exactly are American soldiers fighting? According to President Pinnochio it's al-Quaida....General Lapdog this week answered the same question by saying Sunni insurgents and Shiite militia....the American in the street would say what? Muslims? terrorists? Iraqis? Iran? or maybe an answer like 'those Sunni guys, no wait, the other ones....what are they called again? Cards and Sheets or something like that. The Muslim ones'

Not at all. All any Demo or Rep candidate care about is winning in 2008....the 2012 election might as well be on Mars in their mindset. 'Iraq' for most Americans has little to do with 'Iraq'. It's all to do with American public opinion and internal domestic politics. Republicans are on the wrong side of the public opinion on Iraq. The republican President has been a master at out manouevering the anti-war majority but it will be to the detriment of Republicans in November 2008. Clinton and Dems running for Congress are salivating that the issue will be the doublspeak of the Iraq fiasco. The odds of a draft is zero. There won't be a draft a draft when the USA is 'sort of' at war. The day after the President Pinnochio's speech, the lead story on CNN is OJ Simpson. Double the troops, triple them or 'whatever' and Iraq slips into the hands of the Islamic fundies whenever the Americans leave....next year or five years from now....the fundies have played Americans like a fish on the line. 'Stability' is a fundi Iraqi state that is 'best friends' with Tehran and instability is a fundi Shiite majority in league with Tehran.

Lots of eggs and canned tuna/salmon. Most fresh vegetables are inexpensive, but more importantly, healthy. note: Let people know you are a struggling student when you go into a store. A lot of business people empathize with your plight and will give you good deals on food and 'stuff'. The 4 years I was at McGill in Montreal I paid next to nothing for food. I'd got to know a lot of shopkeepers, etc. and would do small jobs for them. Instead of earning a dollar an hour and leaving with 3 bucks, they'd pay me in groceries worth many times that. Most folks are always happy to help a student who is trying to better themselves....a bit like buying girl guide cookies or supporting veterans by buying a poppy on Remembrance Day.

Wrong as usual. The Demos definitely want the 2008 election to be about Iraq. Clinton et al are rubbing there hands with glee today. American troops are going to me in the Iraq toilet floating along with hunks of shit in Novermber 2008. The Demos will be declaring 'bring them home' and Republicans will be spouting the same 'progress' garbage. Demos and independents will give Clinton about a 56% Presidential victory and Demos will win another 5 senate seats (that's an estimate from Pat Buchanan, arch 'real' conservative and not a Bush lapdog)

what the heck? This is gold and mica. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Pour them in a glass of WATER and the gold and mica will separate. Odds are the mica silicate plates will float. No need for mercury etc.

I'm not sure what you are trying to do. You have a residue containing gold and mica? Or, to the contrary, is this in a matrix rock such as quarzite? If it's a residue then simply dump the gold and mica into a tall clear glass of water and the gold will sink much quicker....the difference so obvious that you just have to tilt the glass after the gold sinks to separate them. I have to question if you actually have flakes of gold and mica....they will be quite distinct if you look with a hand lens. There couldn't be an element and a mineral easier to separate just by vibrating them on a sheet of paper. No fancy solutions or equipment are necessary. Even blowing on the residue will separate them.

I'm quite rejuvenated by the healthy skepticism on this topic. It's a positive that individuality and creativity and INDEPENDENCE are alive and well in the scientific community. The last thing scientists need is the nanny state with nanny principles sticking it's nanny nose in the labs and experiments of the world. "Im a geologist and see no contradiction believing in Jesus and Creationism" Respect that? My respect is 'F' off and go drown yourself. Science is not about respect, political correctness, community service or other seemingly 'noble' values. It's about scientific methodology....period.

How can brain activity or anything not be linked to QM? Everything in existence is based on the reality of the physical properties of the Universe. Whether or not we can measure QM impact on the brain and it's functions is irrelevent as to the reality. Any model that doesn't take into account first principles is veneer and subject to revision to account for the properties of matter and energy.

what about -Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day? -Don't forget to wash behind the ears? 'ensure your research is justified and lawful' !!!!!! what the 'f' does that have to do with being a good scientist? 'Hey, Hans, I know your real name is Jacob and you are breaking the law by not reporting to the Gestapo and I'm breaking the law letting you work on a cure for polio'. 'discuss issues science raises for society';....PLEASE!!!!! 'Yes, litte Johnny. There is no god and you are an ignorant little boy if you believe such crap your parents teach you. I'm raising this issue to show you that your parents are idiots believing in such mythologies and don't ever believe another word they say on the matter".