I was just sitting back, enjoying some wine and watching a little Rick Mercer Report. A commercial break starts and I see that Sunchip’s has just released a 100% biodegradable chip bag.
Someone finally got it right! I’m not saying this is going to solve our environmental problems , but it’s the kind of commercially available product I’m very happy to see.
So way to go Sunchip’s. I already liked ya, but now i love ya.
We just thought we’d celebrate this milestone moment .. this is our 200th post! 10 months ago Jim and I were sitting down at the Cat & Fiddle and I told him about this crazy idea to start a blog to promote science and reason in our little neck of the woods. We saw an opportunity to speak out about science and to educate our family, friends and acquaintances. I’ve know Jim for the better part of my adult life, and it’s always been hard for Jim to keep his big ugly trap silenced about science and skepticism. I really wanted him to write for Meddling Kids, and looking back I’m so glad I twisted his rubber arm. 10 months, 48 members¬† and 200 glorious nuggets later here we are!
Thanks to all of you who read and comment! Watching the numbers grow every day is a humbling experience.
Marc (BoyInfidel)
BoyInfidel is still alive!
As the strong/silent spouse in the alternative partnership that is Meddling Kids, you don’t hear from me very often, but every once in a while i like to share my thoughts or drop some science.
First of all I’d like to say ‘welcome’ to the growing number of people who read and contribute to this site. Small as we may be, I’m just ecstatic to see the number of subscribers growing daily. It seems that others find Jim’s ramblings as interesting as I do. I’m very happy he continues to write.
Skeptically Speaking is a science and skeptically focused podcast that produced and pumped out by Edmonton’s campus radio CJSR. As a self-proclaimed science podcast aficionado I’m embarrassed to admit I only stumbled upon them today, but I’m very impressed with my first taste (episode 46 … a winner). The 6 person team is led by Desiree, dreamy-toned host and your guide to whats going on in the skeptical movement in the province and around the world.
Take a listen! here’s the site where you’ll find a link to the podcast.
Enjoy, Kids!
BoyInfidel
Looks like our recent theme of Star-Trek technology come to life continues!
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver have successfully stunned and un-stunned worms using ultraviolet light. Some of these little guys were so paralyzed they died. Researchers gave these microscopic worms a dithienylethene bath and then subjected them to small amounts of ultraviolet light which caused them to become immobile. They then exposed them to normal light and they were able to move again … well most of them anyway 
Lead author Neil Branda stated that the process has not been tested on higher organisms yet. While the the applications for use in medicine  is promising, human application is still a few years off..
BoyInfidel
Ok, does everyone remember what happened around this time last year? The world went bat-shit crazy over the fact that the LHC was about to create a giant black hole and eat the planet, or destroy the universe or make Sarah Palin Vice-President of the media of the USA!! GASP!
We’ll get your aluminum foil hats and Black Hole detection kits ready, cause it all about to go down again!
For the last few weeks CERN has been accelerating batches of sub-atomic particles faster and faster and this Friday they will enter the main chamber and collide. I expect the lunatics and fear mongers will have a heyday with this, however until then, read this great article explaining what they’re looking for, why it’s so cool and whether or not we’ll live to talk about it.
BoyInfidel
Today I showed everyone at work just how utterly space-nerdy I really am: I watched the space shuttle Atlantis dock with the International Space Station on NASA TV. All day. I highly recommend it. If your boss walks by just tell them it’s a motivational video.
Their mission is nothing spectacular: just a not-so-routine payload of spare parts. This way the ISS doesn’t need NASA to send another shuttle to bail them out every time the urine recyclers stop working or the Canadarm needs a joint replacement (never!!). While I was very interested in the details of mission, what truly captured me was was the fact that I get to live in this time and this place where we can watch humanity reach for the stars. Now, more than ever, we are making leaps and bounds in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology, nanotechnology, robotics, string theory .. this list goes on. Every field of science is blossoming with new discoveries every minute of every day. Those of us who are just nerdy enough to follow dailygalaxy , NASA_Astronauts and carolynporco tweet feeds know that we are approaching a new Renaissance¬† .. or at least it feels that way. The brilliant scientists at CERN are about to start up the worlds most advanced machine, the LHC, and begin smashing sub-atomic particles together in a way that will reveal secrets about the formation and structure of our universe … this Friday! ¬† We’ve found water on the moon, dark matter on the earth and taken pictures of the beginning of time itself. What an amazing time to be alive!
As as I watched the ISS and Atlantis dance and copulate in orbit above our small blue planet, I felt like I was a part of something special.¬† It was truly moving.¬† Although I’ll never get the chance to be directly involved in these first steps forward towards humanity’s space-faring future, i can be a witness to it. I can be a champion of Science and a preacher of the wondrous glories of the Universe that it shows us.
And so can you.
BoyInfidel
My dad first introduced me to the world of Star Trek, and opened my mind to a world of communicators, dark matter, and replicators. These days we all own mobile devices so advanced they would make a Cardassian jealous, the existence of dark matter has been proven many times over, and now at long last it looks like the replicator is about to make its debut.
While trolling twitter the other day, I happened upon a re-tweet from on old Bible College friend. It drew my attention to a blog post by a certain Dan Phillips. As a self proclaimed “CalviDispieBaptoGelical”, he writes the usual anti-gay, anti-free thought drivel Jim & I have come to love to hate to read.
In his blog post¬†he takes aim at Christopher Hitchens, the drunk, arrogant, hilarious atheist freethinking writer, for not flat out stating that Roman Polanski’s rape of a young girl is evil. (Hitchens article). …. I’ll give you a few minutes to do the appropriate reading. More after the jump …
Usable, drinkable water found on the moon and mars! This is extremely exciting news not only for the scientificcommunity, but for humanity. We now have confirmation that we could live on the moon, grow food and produce fuel for ships. Also, this increases the chances of finding life even within our own solar system.
You’ve probably heard about this little idea out there called ‘Climate Change’. You may have been thinking that scientist are still debating the issue, because Fox news pundits love to use that phrase every time the science is presented.
here is a wonderful and eloquent video that tries to change your mind!