In a (not-so) secret laboratory in his basement, Thiago Olson has created a small nuclear fusion reactor,. Nuclear Fusion is the kind of energy technology that powers the sun and many people have high hopes that if fusion energy can be harnessed on a large scale that it could provide abundant and clean energy for the world and end our dependence on fossil fuels.

Also in the news today: France has won a bid to build the first large-scale experimental fusion reactor in the world. It is expected to cost more than $15 billion.

Photo Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.

This Thursday the musical “Mary Poppins” opens on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater. It has been playing a few years in London with great success. In the report on NPR they talked about how this staged version is a blend of the old music from the movie plus a lot of changes and additions. It sounds like a great show. A trip in the fall to NYC would be nice. The report also had excerpts of some of the music. There are some complete songs on the website.

Check it out. LINK TO NPR.

Scott

I know it’s dated. But Conan O’Brien is very funny. It is an interview that was published in the Stupid Questions column of Entertainment Weekly before he hosted the Emmys in August.

Here it is.

Steve

Apparently it caused quite an uproar among fat people in San Francisco where it was put up.
In spite of the fact that I am fat it doesn’t offend me.

HT to my friend David (who needs a Programming job, BTW and as indicated by his TEST result, he’s a smart fellow.)

LINK - Politicians Sweep Midterm Elections

I admit to being pretty cynical and jaded about politics these days. I voted for one guy because I liked his name. . . .

Disguised as mild-mannered lieutenant Governor Luther Strange, our hero can assume his alter-ego STRANGEMAN at any time of the day or night to fight crime and wipe out injustice . . .

He lost though.

Scott

Bryan Caplan, professor of Economics at GMU, has written an interesting essay on the deficiencies of democracy to produce good policies.  He asserts that the average voter is wrong on many issues which leads to policies for which the cost to the voter is small but which have wide-ranging negative effects.

Beware!  His views may make you mad.

You can find it here.

Steve

MSNBC, in conjunction with Newsweek, has posted a very insightful article on the new evangelicalism and its chafing at the power and policies of the Religious right. Because I now call myself a Christian libertarian, there is much that I disagree with about this movement. By calling on government to social action, the new evangelicals relinquish there responsibility to help the poor at a personal, local and church level. Government power is coercive. The church’s responsibility to help the poor should be the result of renewed heart, full of compassion. So I think both the religious right and the new evangelicals are wrong. But if I had to throw my hat in one ring or the other, I would go with the new evangelicals any day.

You can read the article here.
Steve