Herding Humans

Magnificent Martian mountianscapes beckon (10 Sept 2015) with briny water in wet sand flowing downhill in warm near zero sunshine. However hype & fear overtook science as NASA exaggerates to get money for its future Phobos outpost and the Planetary Protection Office bans landings in life-likely spots from “filthy humans”: eco-doomers already on Mars? No mid-ocean alkaline hydrothermal vents there so, evidence-based science please!

 
Wo! Pluto – sunset on 3.5km ice mountains by a frozen nitrogen sea in an orange methane misty sky. Back on Earth, we’re still battling the twin demons of science: fear & greed, with evidence & reason. First up: The Sahel desert is greening again, from more CO2, leading to increased plant water use efficiency. Also, duelling population projections – but they don’t mention their failed predictions & future fertility rebound evidence. Organic foods take another scientific beating – more about money than facts. Herded humans, again? And, an old favourite: logic & evidence contradictions in the “hottest year ever” meme. Oh well.
   
Getting more personal  : Hans Rosling – Don’t trust The Media to understand the world, check facts & arguments yourself. University trigger-warnings protect students offended by critical thinking. However academic resistance is beginning. Good & about time!
 
So lets try evolving away from being herded humans. If our new ancestor Homo naledi could care for their dead 2.5 million years ago then lets care even more for our living with skepticism, optimism and calcuated daring as we expand across the extensive reaches of space and speed up the evolution of innovations (new good ideas) in our minds.
 
Horrible-to-Herders Brady