March 2019

Nuclear Reactors 666 - The U.S. Department Of Energy Has Issued Secret Authorizations To Six Companies Who Seek To Sell Nuclear Technology To Saudi Arabia

        I have blogged before about the U.S. interest in selling nuclear power reactors to Saudi Arabia. One of the problems with such sales is the fact that some technologies that can be used to support nuclear power reactors can also be used to help construct nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia has been reluctant to commit to assurances that it will not use U.S. nuclear technology on any weapons projects.

Radioactive Waste 386 - Problems With Spent Nuclear Fuel Canisters At San Onofre - Part 1 of 2 Parts

Part 1 of 2 Parts
       One of the common themes of this blog is that although the design of nuclear power plants and equipment to handle nuclear materials may be superb, in the end, the people operating the equipment must be capable and conscientious. The problem with commercial nuclear power operations is that the prime directive of a corporation is to make money.

Nuclear Weapons 375 - University of Maryland Researchers Are Working On A New Technique For Detecting Radioactive Materials In Shipping Containers

        The possible smuggling of nuclear materials across national borders for a dirty bomb is a great concern to agencies fighting terrorism. Less than four percent of the containers being shipped into the United States are inspected. Any improvement in techniques for checking shipping containers for nuclear materials will improve the chances of stopping such materials from coming into the U.S.

Stop Threatening The Boyfriend

Defining toxic masculinity against wholesome/regular/normal masculinity seems to have left too many men (and women) baffled, as if ALL masculinity (and ALL men, and ALL lives... we ALL know the drill by now) is threatened. I really hope these people are able to discern the difference between malignant and benign tumors. Once you can identify what's toxic and what's not, it's easy to see how, while men can benefit from some toxic masculinity (in a way that makes others sick), we ALL actually art hurt by it in the long run.

Spring Noms

We usually think of "the holiday season" when it comes to seasonal desserts, but every season has its special treats. Springtime means pastel petit fours (AKA super cute tiny cakes), jewel tone macarons and flower-shaped sugar cookies in my book! I love going to the pastry shop at this time of year and seeing the tiny confections shaped like bunnies, carrots and eggs, not only because they're cute but because I'm happy to have just one small treat rather than bringing home a big box of them! 

Calories Are So Last Year

Calories merely measure energy, but they've evolved to become one's worst nightmare, the barometer of the healthiness of a meal and a cultural obsession. The Economist reports that we've been counting on calories to tell us what makes us fat but it's a misleading way to go about it, and we already know that "calories in, calories out" doesn't work for the long haul; just look at Biggest Losers who maintain their new habits yet still gain weight back.

If I Could Talk To The Animals

How many of us wish we could actually communicate with animals--not just issue commands that pets may or may not follow (I'm looking at you, cats), but to understand what they say to us? It turns out that there are plenty of researchers trying to do just that right now, and many animals are yielding surprising results, proving that they are already trying to communicate with us. That might be obvious to some, but what researchers are finding is that we might actually be able to understand many of these critters if we just look at it from their angle.

Pages