Author Archives: gymnosperm

The Naturalist and the Seven Microatmosphere Disparity, or Carbon Dioxide Loves to Swim

Posted on July 5, 2013 by gymnosperm

Humans are naturalists by nature. We like to use our wonderful, color sensing eyes to peer through the leaves into the netherworld beyond to better understand how our world works. We’ve hacked the leaves back quite a bit now but … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Biology, Carbon Cycle | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A bit About Adiabatic, (Without the Devil)

Posted on June 27, 2013 by gymnosperm

Air does basically two things; either it warms and rises , or it sinks and cools. Winds follow the pressure gradients that emerge between these regimes. Ironically, cold air masses are warming and rising and warm air masses are sinking … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Carbon Theology, Climate, Climate Change, Global Warming, History, River | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Wild Idea #6743: Possible Impact Signatures in Seafloor Isochrons

Posted on June 22, 2013 by gymnosperm

Who knows from what depths the well of ideas flows? For me it is often during the liberation of rote manual work that frees some bandwidth while still requiring a minimal level of focus and blood flow to the brain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteroid Impacts, Geography, Geology, Magnetic Reversals, Paleogeography, Plate Tectonics, Seafloor Isochrons | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Die?

Posted on June 16, 2013 by gymnosperm

A very good question, and one that will be added to the “Great Mysteries of Nature Nobody Seems to be Thinking About” post. The oldest living things we know of are the gnarly bristlecones that have a couple three millennia … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Economics, History of Life | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Bought a Gun

Posted on June 8, 2013 by gymnosperm

In a strange way I feel like a real American now. Armed to defend life, liberty, etc.; well, at least life on my side of the muzzle. Never thought I would own one. I remember as a kid playing at … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Biology, Economics | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Manual Prayer

Posted on June 3, 2013 by gymnosperm

We pray with our hands. Not only clasped in church or other supplication, but in the everyday actions of our lives. Cooking and gardening are prayerful acts as is building or repairing things we need. Music, art…. Hands are primate things. Perhaps our simian … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Biology, History of Life, Manual Prayer, Metaphor | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Candyassification

Posted on May 18, 2013 by gymnosperm

Admit it, the world is getting more candy assed. Gone are the tough handed men of the past who dragged canon over mountains; who sailed wooden ships into the unknown with both skin and bone in the game. All we want … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Economics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

(Too Much) Fun in the Photons

Posted on May 9, 2013 by gymnosperm

Having thus far avoided grossing everyone out with pictures of my penance for past overindulgence in photons, there can be no reason to begin now. Suffice it to say the swelling is going down, my face has been spared further … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Passwords and GDP

Posted on May 1, 2013 by gymnosperm

Passwords suck. Be fair, how much of your life have you wasted for a lost username or password? It would be one thing if it were airline security, but mostly it is some random website you don’t give a rat’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Economics, Having one's head up one's maths | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Subjective and Objective

Posted on April 19, 2013 by gymnosperm

Those who have studied English might call this a “watershed”. As a carpenter and mountaineer I always objected to this term as imprecise because what is really meant is ridge or divide where water flows one way or the other. … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Biology, History, Metaphor | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment