in summary

I’m giving a the weekly public seminar in my own physics department on Wednesday. 1 This talk is particularly hard for me to construct, in large part because I haven’t figured out what it’s about….

learning to see: my racism

I grew up with a fundamental idea that all people are equal. At least, that’s what we would say out loud, and I know that we believed ourselves. It’s easy to believe this when there’s…

learning to see: geology

I got back from a trip up into the mountains with a question about geology, because this is what always happens to me after a trek with cliff faces and talus and high elevation. I…

learning to see: a preface

Observing comes naturally to us. Maybe it’s so natural to us that we take it for granted, our eyes and ears and noses just consuming surroundings so automatically that we’re seldom consciously aware of the…

excursion in uncertainty

Anna and I went out into the mountains on Sunday, the first weekend in May as a big thaw transpires. Last month was dry and warm, and even though there’s still plenty of snow yet…

remembering Maggie

There’s a lot going on these days: pandemics and earthquakes and societal collapse and generalized widespread anxiety. Also, online homeschool. But there’s been this other dark cloud in our home for over a month, and I realized a while ago that I wasn’t making progress on any other writing because I really needed to write about my dog.

It’s hard to write and re-write something that you know you’ll never get right.

perspective

Setting foot in remote terrain is an act of reformation for me. Before I leave I don’t see how I can make things better, but being out gives me perspective, a focus on direction. And…

readied for disaster

I’m giving this speech at a ceremony today for some college grads, honor society initiates. I think it’s mostly done, which is good because it starts in an hour. * * * I’m delighted and…