P^3 = Physics x Philosophy x Politics
Header picture: the setting sun as observed from a cliff on the northern California coast. A few seconds later, I saw the "green flash" for the first time in my life because the horizon was sufficiently far away due to the height of the observation point, and the boundary of the distant ocean horizon was very sharp and even. Above, from left to right: Lecturing on global warming in Vientiane, Laos; a supernova (lower left in the picture) in a distant galaxy; hot-as-hell habaneros from our garden; and a map of Laos, showing areas where U.S. bombing left unexploded ordnance that continues to this day to injure and kill Laotians.
ABOUT THIS SITE
The physics, philosophy, and politics sections contain (or will contain) links to more extensive articles which can be downloaded in pdf form.
The physics section of this web site will cover some of my favorite topics: Brownian motion, exact Bose-Einstein statistics, cosmology, and electricity & magnetism. I will also discuss global warming science and sky colors in some depth. Some of the entries will be reviews of articles appearing in several journals, particularly the American Journal of Physics and Science. In most cases, articles are preceded by short descriptions at a level understandable by the educated lay person.
The philosophy section will focus on the philosophy of science and the post-modern critique of sience, particularly on what science, particularly physics, tells us about the real world. For example, I will investigate the extent to which physics tells us how things "really" are or if it is only a human construct which mirrors the real physical world with some degree of verisimilitude. An essay I wrote on values in science can also be found there. This section will also address religion and science and the conflict between them.
The politics section will focus mainly on post-WWII history and its relevance to current events, particularly on the nuclear arms race then and now. One pre-WWII subject will be especially focused on: the bombing of Hiroshima. Another focus will be the war in Indochina, especially the war with Vietnam. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will receive special attention. I will also comment on other issues of the day, e.g., the health care debate, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and economic injustice. This section will also address global warming, but in its political dimension.
Some might argue that the title of my site should be 3P rather than P^3, but there is such significant cross-referencing between physics, philosophy, and politics that P^3 seems to me to be most appropriate. Take, for example. Brownian motion, the irregular motion of very small particles. Like everything else in basic science, Brownian motion finds applications in myriad technologies, some harmless and some destructive. It is hard to find a discovery in basic science that doesn't find applications for better or worse.
NAVIGATING THIS SITE
Each of the general topics at the top of the page consists of subtopics which can be accessed by clicking on the general topic. For example, if your cursor hovers over PHYSICS, you will see Brownian motion, global warming, and other topics in a drop-down menu. Click on the one you want.
