December 2016 – BroadViews

During the recent World Series one of the constant interruptions was an ad featuring a group of youngsters marveling about a mysterious stranger who obviously was “greatly respected,” and a man of “considerable power and influence. “ He came into town, received the best in goods and services from merchants, but never seemed to pay for anything.

It turns out that the stranger used a variety of mobile payment methods, including his smartphone and his Apple watch. All he had to do was turn the appropriate device to the appropriate interface, and presto – payment made. How wonderful. How efficient. How cool.

I wonder if the boys knew that the mysterious stranger likely left town disappointed. Sure, he had a cup of coffee, a meal in a nice restaurant, a new hat and a book, all swiftly paid for with a wave the wrist, but something was missing – all of those items didn’t satisfy him as much as they once did. Why not? Because it was too easy. Continue reading “If You Want a Better Cup of Coffee, Pay with Cash”

The overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that anthropogenic climate change is a very large and growing problem that affects us all. The scientists reached this conclusion through decades of research, modeling, observation and analysis. They are the professionals, and the science is settled.

Donald Trump agrees with the scientists. Maybe. Sort of. He recently admitted to the New York Times that he thinks “there is some connectivity [between human activity and climate change]. He said that “there is some, something. It depends on how much.” One can’t read too much into this statement, however. Over the past 7 years Trump’s position on climate change seems to have (quite literally) changed with the weather. He signed his name to a public statement supporting “meaningful and effective measures to control climate change, an immediate challenge facing the United States and the world today.” Then he described climate change as “bullshit,” a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. He called it a “very expensive form of tax.” But, he also saw fit to build a sea wall at his Irish golf course in order to protect the property from erosion caused by ”a sea level rise as a result of global warming.” Continue reading “The U.S. Heads Towards a Science-free Science Policy”