"Finally, a small note for the critics: science isn't a religion, and Einstein isn't our sacred god." Science has politics just like religions and many scientists are attracted to fame and like science-splaining in the same fashion as preachers. Human beings are human beings, don't go picking on religion.

Who do you trust? On what grounds do you base that trust? In a normal person's day, in the messages that come at them, almost all are trying sell them on something. This includes companies, universities, newspapers, etc. The more complex the pitch the more likely they are trying to smother you with bullshit. And the normal person gets hit with a crazy number of messages every day. Things were better with newspapers. Each newspaper had a vastly smaller area of effect. The editorial pages had both the editor's opinion and other opinions. Those days are gone. I don't blame people who act in a manner reasonable to them. I do blame the people (excluding teenagers) who act in the same way you describe and have money and education. They buy from Amazon, saving a few bucks and helping put local stores out of business. They encourage friends to sign up on Facebook and join their Facebook page, for reasons that make sense to them. Few of them are capable of critical thinking and they prefer what their own groups says. In the end run you are better off with your circle of friends. They may be there when the zombies attack or the world comes to an end. There is always another disaster over the next hill. Everybody sticks with their own.

Why pick on the cats around the table? The owners are the ones ultimately responsible - well, in truth. The law shields them and as long as their stocks or dividends go up, do they really care about how the company is run? Most of them are normal people with their life savings invested. Their percentage of the pot in small compared to the wealthy whose percentage of the owners is tiny. This is a system designed for the rich to act with impunity through their companies.

SpaceX intends to go to Mars and establishing humanity there. Do people realize how much this will cost? SpaceX cannot depend on the government to fund it. How else can the company get the necessary money?

"but always with the blessing of the town itself" True. I have sympathy for them because, after Walmart had dealt with the first 50 small towns, the 51st small town did not have a chance. What they thought they were giving their blessing to was not what the amoral professionals on the other side were setting up. An experienced predator makes mincemeat of the rabbits and even gets the rabbits to give their blessing.

Have you driven through America recently and seen the state of small towns? Walmart came and killed small local stores. The towns weathered that, mostly, but it was a hard hit. Amazon came and people can't be bothered to think about their neighbor and buy from Amazon instead. It has hit cities hard. What do you think it does to small towns? Drive through this country. Spend $100,000 on a software security person? In many of these towns nobody makes that much money. Volunteers are all that keep them going.

Power plants use steam to power the turbines that make the electricity. Making steam requires water. When the system is working, the water is flowing and much less likely to freeze. If the plant stops working, water will be left in pipes and small vessels. When that water freezes it can rupture the pipes or vessels. It could easily take months to fix those problems. It certainly is possible to drain the water from the system, they have to do that for maintenance. If, however, the weather is very cold and that cold has already tripped the system off-line, then the cold can freeze the water faster than it can be drained. The drain valves will also freeze shut making life even more entertaining.

Thanks for the correction. I have been living in ignorance for more years than I like confess.

Effectively gold does not corrode. As an alloy it would be used for ship hulls, bathroom fixtures, any exposed steel situation, etc. Paint does wonders for stopping corrosion, but it wears off and has to be replaced. Also for a lot of situations, once rust gets in it becomes impossible to stop. Gold also conducts amazingly well. Forget copper or silver, everyone would use gold wire. A wonderful, wonderful metal and very valuable in its own right.

Powell's Bookstore in Portland.

They are not a good company and do not deserve links like this.

"have evolved over time to lose the genes that control their adaptive immune systems" Animals, plants, whatever do not evolve over time 'to' anything. This is no different than saying birds evolved over time to gain wings to fly. "Anglerfish have traded in their immune faculties" Again, there is no 'trading' in evolution. Creatures do not control their own evolution. If scientists will not speak properly about their own subjects, why should they be trusted?

There are intelligent, sensible people who will vote for Trump. They are not interesting to write about because their answers are thoughtful and not suited for Twitter. The castigation of Trump supporters does nothing to change their choice. They view the mob howling against Trump to be running like lemmings in the wrong direction for the country. If those people get in charge, will they be better than Trump? They do not think so. I find it difficult to make a rational argument to these people as to why they should vote for that mob. Voting for Trump? I don't know. Voting for that mob? Yuck. I need to vote for one of the two. Biden says some things I like, about nuclear power, for example. Trump does some things I like, going after China, for example. I don't know. If the mob would go away it would make the choice so much easier, but they are not going away and a vote for Biden is a vote for them. Grrr.

There is a broad class of people who do marry and have children, those who have a religious belief. The majority are good normal sorts, the types you would like for neighbors. They are also more likely to have more than one or two children. They find a way in spite of the economy. If a big segment of the population chooses a philosophy and way of life that causes causes them to diminish, is that a bad thing?