Sunol Regional Wilderness

Doesn't take long to get there from San Francisco, and some great walks, wildlife, and views. Recommended, not strenuous for day hikers for sure.

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Little Yosemite

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What is Wealth Inequality in the United States?

Check the video on Mashable:  http://mashable.com/2013/03/02/wealth-inequality/

TLDR - more inequality than we imagine, or wish.

Maybe GMO seeds are not all that?

An article in Grist questions the actual improvements due to the use of GMO seeds. http://grist.org/article/gmo-fail-monsanto-foiled-by-feds-supreme-court-and-science/

But GMOs took the biggest punch this week from academia: Tom Philpott highlights a USDA-funded study [PDF] by University of Wisconsin scientists who found that several types of GMO seeds (including Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready varieties) actually produce a lower yield than conventional seeds. Only one seed — a corn that produces its own pesticide to combat the corn borer — offers any significant yield benefit. In other words, planting most genetically modified seeds results in less harvest per acre than planting non-genetically modified seeds.

Its worth following the links on this, the study seems credible.   Nothing is black and white, I expect there are cases where a GMO product may be beneficial to crop yields, particularly in the short-term, at least maybe.  But what is certain is that the large seed companies patenting these technologies, and using interlocking product strategies that Microsoft would be proud of, stand to make a lot of money. Corner the market on food production with a patent strategy, anyone? Queue the efforts to discredit the study.

So what is that thing on Mars?

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/msl/20130211/ventifacts

rickshaw bags

Walking around today in our neighborhood

Matt Won!

northern Minnesota visit

Grand Marais to be specific.  See the forecast below.  Wouldn't you know we arrive on the 1degree day....

foolin' around - Koalas To The Max

http://www.koalastothemax.com/

X37b Space Plane - latest

from Weird Warp:  http://www.weirdwarp.com/2013/01/air-forces-secretive-x-30-7b-space-plane-blasted-off-again/

Mihai's article at Weird Warp raises interesting questions about x37b's missions, and what it can or cannot do relative to other approaches for getting stuff back and forth from orbit.

The apparent success of the form-factor of the x37b leads me to hope that similar approaches will turn out eventually to be economically feasible for the emerging private space industry.

why are species endangered?

Its a disappointment-filled irony that we are investing so much in research on artificial intelligence, robotics, and similar technologies while watching species, including "charismatic megafauna", become so endangered.

Its also heartening to see technology being applied to help address the problem, for example, drones being deployed to help save white rhinos - http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/12/23/crowdfunded-drones-could-save-white-rhinos-from-extinction/

I'm happy to see continued investment on the robotics/AI front, but I very much want to see increased focus and investment to help make sure we minimize the losses in our natural world.  Every loss is poignant and I believe future generations will be aghast at what we're allowing to happen.   Even if the wild dreams of science fiction come true and we can re-create lost life in the future, what is happening now, especially at our hands, is shameful.