Math & Science  (I was a physics major) T. Buckingham Thomas physics Oberlin WOBC Richwood Tom Thomas Chyron Infinit Pittsburgh Articles that are largely about scientific or mathematical questions are listed below.  To search for specific names or events that might be listed elsewhere, use this utility:   King Solomon's Pi Does the Bible say that the value of pi is 3.00, not 3.14? 1950 Atomic Ping-Pong Learning about nuclear fission and stereo sound with the help of a very tall bus. . 1960 The Flying Yardstick Under the stereo-imaged catalpa tree, I invent an inefficient flying wing. Nix to Redox A modest suggestion for a change in chemical terminology. Alma Mater In letters to my mother, I tell of my studies at Oberlin College and some of the people I met there. Catalysts Aren't Cheerleaders A lecture from freshman chemistry. The Relativitator Files Correspondence, possibly flirtatious, about a whimsical "scientific instrument." Passing Notes A quarky tale of two physics majors. Apollo on the Moon My reactions to that historic year, from letters. . 1970 Determination of Audience Size Preparing to leave Syracuse, I propose how ratings could be measured at Marion CATV. The Ted Baxter System WJM-TV's fictional newscaster invents a method for betting on football that actually works. Science and Computers Musing about scientific issues, I acquire calculators and an early "home computer." The Arctangential Error Meter When is an analog display like a fence? The MENKY The 1988 design for a one-handed computer keyboard. . 1990 Clouds in My Coffee Another physics major was curious about these swirls until I found a relevant article.  Bad rhymes ensued. Left on Base Doesn't Matter Correlating baseball statistics with winning. Powers of Ten Museum An imagined vist to a museum of models on widely different scales, from atoms to galaxies. Augie and the Topology of Leashes Why the pup next door had to bark for help. . 2000 The Year 2001 Should it be prounounced twenty-oh-one? Pickover's ESP Experiment A link to a web page for the credulous. Oberlin College Science Center A photo tour of the new and remodeled labs and classrooms, October 2002. The Diamond Brick Road A graphical representation of one season's race in a baseball division. Merchant of Nothing Playing the probabilities to make the gullible think they're buying something of value. I Need a Stat, Stat! The statistic doesn't actually have to be relevant; it just needs to seem that way. Socrates and Leadfoot Two philosophers discuss why Pittsburgh drivers slow down for tunnels. Divine Digits Zoey's ideal dollhouse, my three simultaneous equations in two unknowns, and our idealized concept of God. Inoculated If we can be immunized against certain diseases, does the same principle work for homeopathy?  No.   Advancing knowledge outmodes old beliefs An obtuse response Big Bangs may be cyclical Call-in polls depend on who's calling Correlation doesn't mean causation Days with more than 24 hours?  Why not? Dodecahedron:  A Halloween costume Electricity out?  Nothing to worry about Epoch began January 1, 1970 Escervaire:  A curve Game 5's winner wins 5 out of 6 series; why? Non-standard coordinate systems for maps Percentagewise, reducing expenses slightly might increase profits hugely Placebos, including kisses and magic herbs Probability is low, although not zero Snowier winters for Cleveland? Stealth bomber in my neighborhood? Sundials may have defined "clockwise" "Too hot" or "too cold" weather makes up 73% of the year Venusian surface, death star Mimas, Sputnik

The public is grossly misinformed about how the real world works, the media feeds that ignorance, and we urgently need to address this situation before we are populated by a generation of affluent but unaware citizens who can lead our species back into another Dark Age — and are already forming up ranks to do just that. No, that is not overstating the case. A lot of people hate my skepticism, and I think I understand why. The psychics offer wonders and endless possibilities in a world that often seems difficult and mundane. They promise health, wealth, wisdom, eternal life. But if you examine the record, it's not the psychics but the hard-nosed scientists who have actually delivered the things that improve human life. And, to me, science describes a world far more interesting than any psychic fantasy. It's a good world — not perfect — but it's ours. So we'd better learn to live with it, the way it is. — James Randi