California State Parks are among some of the most beautiful and unique places on earth. From towering redwoods, to coastal beaches, to deserts; we’ve got a little of everything here in California.

However, for years CA state parks have been receiving less and less funding from the state. This lack of funding shows in old facilities, lack of simple repairs, and even complete CLOSURES of some of our parks.

To solve this problem, and bring much needed funding back to California parks, Proposition 21 will appear on the California ballot on November 2nd. Proposition 21 would levy an $18/year fee increase on all vehicle registrations (except mobile homes, trailers and commercial vehicles) in the state of California. These fees would set up the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund which would set aside money strictly for use in California State Parks. According to Yesforstateparks.com, $500 million will be generated in the first year if Proposition 21 passes.

At first glance, the $18/yr fee might seem like yet another tax levied upon tax payers who receive little or nothing in return. However, the State Park Access Pass surcharge will allow all vehicles registered in the state of California free access to all state parks! So when you consider the natural beauty of California, this is a great deal for an all access pass. Not only that, but this fund would finally ensure that our state parks have all of the funding necessary to complete repairs and renovations. State parks belong to all of us, and in California they are an enormous tourist attraction which draws millions to our great state, and contributes nearly $4.32 billion a year to the economy of California.  I think we owe it to ourselves, and to all people who come to California to enjoy our state parks, to ensure that we can preserve these great places for decades to come.  We can’t afford not to.

You can find out more information on Proposition 21 at Yesforstateparks.com

Here’s a link to the science behind fold.it

In this case, we are talking about climate change. The infographic below illustrates just how poorly a job the media does at communicating Science to the general public. For those who are wondering, a Scientific consensus is NOT the same thing as a general consensus. What it means, in this context, is that 97% of climate scientists agree (based on evidence) that climate change is occurring. As you can see, the reporting that the media engages in is either dishonest at worst, or completely stupid at best. Granted many journalists do not have backgrounds in Science, but I am completely baffled as to why (aside from trying to sell more units) any journalist would want to purposefully misrepresent such an important issue.

I think the important lesson to learn from this, aside from the fact that the media cannot communicate most Science for their lives, is that Scientists have to interact more with the general public. Instead of relying on the media to hopefully do a decent job at pushing their research to the public, Scientists have to learn to write papers (and give public access to said papers) for the general public in mind. These issues of communication failures are yet another reason why open science is a good thing, and why increasing scientific literacy in the US is a good thing.

Check out the infographic below, courtesy of Renegade Conservatory Guy. Click the image for the full size PDF.

Biologists define Evolution as descent with modification.  This includes small-scale evolution (changes in genetic frequency in one population from one generation to the next- or microevolution) and large-scale evolution (the descent of different species from a common ancestor over many generations- or macroevolution.)  In a nutshell, Evolution explains the process of the passing on of genetic traits from one generation to the next.

Understandably, this definition (even in its most stripped down form) is often times not readily understood by those who have little or no Scientific background.  Is it any wonder that large portions of the non-scientific population do not believe in Evolution?  After all, a Gallop Poll in 2007 found that “only 14% believed that “humans being have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process.”  That’s 14% of the general American public that believes in Evolution. Where have we gone wrong?

Consider a brief survey conducted by Steven R. Jakobi, in which he asked 306 of his students in an introductory level Biology class to define Evolution.

According to Jakobi:

“In an informal survey, only five percent of 306
college freshmen students in an introductory biology course
provided a correct scientific definition for the theory of
evolution.”

Only 5% of college students can accurately define Evolution? No wonder only 14% of the American public accepts Evolution. There is no way to accept something as true until you can actually comprehend what it is that you are being asked to accept. Herein lies why we need more Science education in the United States. The United States is lagging behind just about every other industrialized nation in the world in regards to acceptance of Evolution. This misunderstanding, and thus, rejection of Evolution only does great disservice to us all. It harms our educational systems, our society, our quality of life, and our future.

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The full text of Steven R. Jakobi’s survey can be found here.

At any rate, stay tuned… Some great things will be happening around here!

Dennis Hong, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech discusses new robots that he has been working on in his lab.  These bots range from humanoid looking machines, to others that look like something out of a sci-fi film.  Which is exactly where Hong gets some of his inspiration from.  Watch this short video to discover how watching Star Wars as a child influenced Hong to create these amazing robots.  From bots that climb, and even play soccer, this is definitely worth a watch.

Full NSF article on Dennis Hong and the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at Virginia Tech can be found here.

Ecovative Design is an outfit in Green Island, NY that is aiming to replace conventional packing materials (like styrofoam) by growing an alternative. The process of creating the composites involves using agricultural waste and fungi to actually grow a new composite material. The material production process uses less oil than traditional styrofoam materials, and can also be composted in your backyard after use. This certainly seems like the future of composites, so keep your eyes peeled for more developments!

My disconnection from these experiences is what first piqued my curiosity into what seemed like archaic rituals designed to create control and fear. I can’t help but reflect (and this is likely for the first time) that I somehow knew all along that religion was just something that I didn’t need. Everything about the church seemed riddled in superstition and dogma. Somehow I knew that I just didn’t need God, or any other spiritual experiences to help me explain my existence. I didn’t need religion to comprehend what goes on around me. Faith just didn’t seem like an appropriate way to live ones life, and I saw no benefit in having my morality shaped by an institution that promoted ignorance.

Reading Nietzsche in high school certainly accelerated my path away from religion. While I’m unable to pinpoint an exact day that I finally embraced Atheism, I know that I was a skeptic ever since my earliest contacts with the Catholic Church. I am grateful that I did not grow up in a culture that looked upon Atheists as complete scum, but also that I was able to finally break free and think critically about the religion.

This post probably has very choppy flow, but in all honestly, it is one of the first times I have thought about my personal experience with the church in roughly a decade. For years I have just written off religion as something that other people battle with. Something that other people are fighting to give up, and to pursue whatever makes them tick. It’s only then that I’ve begun to realize– I went through it, too.

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The BioNode has been added to The Atheist Blogroll. You can see the blogroll in my sidebar. The Atheist blogroll is a community building service provided free of charge to Atheist bloggers from around the world. If you would like to join, visit Mojoey at Deep Thoughts for more information.

Conspiracy theorists have been eating this story up for weeks, and it’s even been carried by news organizations like Huffington Post (big surprise there) and CNN.  Most of these stories are opinion based pieces cooked up by tin-foil hat wearing men who seem to think that “they” are out to get us.

Many Geologists have come out to debunk this rumor, among them is Gary Byerly, Professor of Geology at Louisiana State University who said:

“I think the rumors are very unfounded,” Byerly said. “For one thing, the methane is not really a gas at that depth, due to extreme pressure. It’s really in a gelatinous or semi-solid state, so it’s not going to accumulate into a giant gas bubble.

“It’s extremely unlikely that something like (an explosion and tsunami) could happen. I just don’t know how this bubble could form. You’re not going to have an explosion that deep underwater because there’s not enough oxygen down there.”

So there you have it.  Scientific fact that debunks yet another internet rumor.  So if you’re sitting around your house, waiting for the methane apocalypse, I recommend you go outdoors and enjoy your life.  There is no science to support this methane bubble explosion claim, it’s just another hysterical rumor furthered by conspiracy nuts, evangelicals who are awaiting the return of jeebus, and other ignoramuses.

Honestly, would you believe this guy?  He’s a total quack.

What could be better than nature photography (time lapse, at that!) and Brian Eno?  I’m taking the day off today to do some exploring, where could I be?  Who knows!  Will report back soon.  Until then, enjoy this video.