Welcome

Posted on March 11, 2010 by admin

Welcome to the Retread Resources Blog:  as of 7/20/12

Summer is always a difficult time in the essay business if you are in the earth sciences.  We ES types are more interested in being outside looking at earth science stuff like rocks and landforms then sitting and typing on a computer.  That is why most of us got into this geology business in the first place.   I will try and keep the essays flowing but if I seem slack it is just a priority thing and the glory of summer. (that is when no snow covers my rocks)

Thanks As I Found It for the header image.

You are invited to visit our sister sites  As I Found It & Ideal Totem, see and purchase some awesome photographs and the new DIE.

Ideal Totem & As I Found It both had image galleries featuring geological and earths science related stock images. 
In addition you are invited to Read As I Found It's blog shared with Ideal Totem for informative and cogent essays about photograph as well as the art and science of seeing that art.

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Post Normal Science, Real or Oxymoron? Revisited

Posted on August 12, 2012 by admin

The Meeting

This piece of public art is called “The Meeting”.  Often I do feel like I am talking to bronze statues.  At least they never disagree with me. Continue reading →

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Neanderthals in Northern Spain Had Knowledge of Plants’ Healing Qualities

Posted on July 18, 2012 by admin

A researcher at work in El Sidrón Cave. (Credit: CSIC Comunicación)

From the press release:  Until recently Neanderthals, who disappeared between 30,000 and 24,000 years ago, were thought to be predominantly meat-eaters. However, evidence of dietary breadth is growing as more sophisticated analyses are undertaken.

 

 

Continue reading →

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Niccoló Machiavelli Revisited

Posted on June 29, 2012 by admin

In the essays:  Ends, Means and Justification or Not,  More Thoughts  On Communications, and Epistemology — Truth as Related to Science. I examined the philosophical underpinning of the Ends Justifying the Means.  I could find none.  That aside we see that this kind of thinking is prevalent in all politicians, many lay people, most religious, True Believers and most importantly anyone who wishes to gain power over others.  It is accepted society wide as long as it is what you think you agree with.

All to often the well meaning join the ranks of the power hungry & “True Believers” to press this kind of agenda.  If we examine Niccoló Machiavelli, one of the earliest to have articulated in clear terms this idea, we see he examined how power was distributed and what it takes to have and hold it. Continue reading →

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Human Predicament Two

Posted on May 26, 2012 by admin

Eric Hoffer

A definition reminder:  The Human Predicament is a catch phrase to signify our supposed recognition of humanities place in the universe.  It is a predicament in that while we may be partially aware of what that position is we have limited influence over it.  Our collective and individual egos seem to continually get in the way. Continue reading →

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Technical Discussion — Garden Macro

Posted on May 20, 2012 by admin

This will be a joint blog essay between As I Found It’s Blog and Retread Resources’ Blog.  I received several requests for more science about the water drop lens.  Using a water drop to magnify or reflect is an old technique.  Continue reading →

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Human Predicament & Models One

Posted on May 7, 2012 by admin

Now that I have your attention and you have been enticed to read this far I must explain I do not have any solutions to offer and I am not selling any new or recycled old ideas for humanities salvation.  If that is not to your liking stop reading and find someone else’s blog to occupy your time with. Continue reading →

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Dark Matter

Posted on April 18, 2012 by admin

Continue reading →

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Real Measurements, Models & Crocodilians

Posted on March 31, 2012 by admin

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a new paper at PLoS:
Insights into the Ecology and Evolutionary Success of Crocodilians Revealed through Bite-Force and Tooth-Pressure Experimentation, G. Erickson et al. Continue reading →

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Universe’s Scale

Posted on March 13, 2012 by admin

In the previous essay “I know This Much” we examine what we know and do not know about the natural world.  Cary and Michael Huang AKA the Huang Twins, have taken a more universal view of what we know about scale.  In having done that, I for one want to lionize them.  In 2010 they published The Scale of the Universe an interactive presentation that illustrates universe at different scales.  Their newest interactive is The Scale of the Universe 2 I can not say enough about this new interactive. Their work speaks for itself and far more eloquently then I am capable of.  It is simply awesome and when a gray hair like me uses awesome, you know how special I think it is. Continue reading →

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“I Know This Much”

Posted on March 8, 2012 by admin

This is Essay number 154.  This Blog is now 2 years old.  Of those 154 entries about 148 of them have been I hope cogent essays.  All 148 are essays the others are editorials and announcements.  That averages about 6 a month.  I had and still do aspire to a post average between 3 and 4 essays/month.  That is about all my brain can handle and I suspect all any, even the most dedicated reader, wants to handle.

Continue reading →

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