Author Archives: William Hooke

“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 →

“Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.”– Proverbs 27:2 (NIV) Yesterday’s LOTRW post closed noting that geoscientists and their engineering and social-science colleagues currently confront a dilemma. In the face … Continue reading →

And well he should. Here’s the background. The greatest generation was born into an era of rapid IT innovation that gave us the telephone and radio (and hinted at television). They then endured the Great Depression, a decade of hardscrabble economic … Continue reading →

Would you rather be part of a generation of great people, or part of a great generation? The answer should be easy. At each point throughout history, great people are everywhere. Truth is, get to know anyone – that’s anyone – … Continue reading →