Author Archives: William Hooke

“Nothing can be truly great which is not right.” – Samuel Johnson Some twenty years ago, the Weather Enterprise[1] – the aggregated collection of government agencies, private corporations large and small, and academic institutions providing weather observations, science, and services … Continue reading →

The killing of George Floyd has triggered a global lament over the racism that pervades and persists throughout the world, resisting every effort to expunge it. What’s most damning? That very persistence testifies we’re not trying very hard.  Whether here in … Continue reading →

“Dance with your heart, and your feet will follow.” (variously attributed.) “Make love your aim.” –the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 14:1)[1] The 2020 AMS Summer Policy Colloquium is entering its second day, and I’m again reminded why it’s my favorite … Continue reading →

“Our comforting conviction that the world makes sense rests on a secure foundation: our almost unlimited ability to ignore our ignorance.” ― Daniel Kahneman, (Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011) “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! … Continue reading →

“It is the little grey cells, mon ami, on which one must rely.”– Hercule Poirot (speaking literally under the authority of Agatha Christie). Streaming video has made binge-watching a thing. But covid-19 has taken binge-watching viral[1]. Deprived of dining out, travel, … Continue reading →

“The trick is this: keep your eye on the ball. Even when you can’t see the ball”– Tom Robbins In today’s all-covid, all-the-time world, coronavirus images such as that shown here have replaced the happy-face as the emoticon of choice. … Continue reading →

“What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”– Jesus (Luke 13-20-21, NIV) Today’s LOTRW post celebrates Dionysius Exiguus … Continue reading →

“Our progress won’t be in science alone. It will also be in our ability to make sure everyone benefits from that science”– Bill Gates, (speaking of measures to cope with the pandemic), The Economist, April 25-31 print edition op-ed The 2020 AMS … Continue reading →

“My good players have all broken their noses a couple of times.” Clark (Ted) Miller, while football coach at Wilkinsburg High School, ca. 1950’s[1]. Face mask? Not talking about that cloth thing that we’re all wearing nowadays. Read on. Every one of … Continue reading →

“Covid-19 is not the end of the world but you can see it from here.[1]” World leaders have their hands full at the moment with covid-19. Why should they lift up their gaze and make the case for climate-change research … Continue reading →