Onward and Upward!
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: In railroading a switch diverts a train from one track to another. In plumbing, a valve can redirect the flow of water between pipes. In early electronics, directing electrons along a certain path was controlled by what North American scientists called a tube, while British … Read more
Full Transcript: At about 10 years of age Cub Scouts enter into a pact summed up by the acronym WEBELOS which unpacked stands for We’ll Be Loyal Scouts. Fourth grade boys work toward a Webelos Badge, while Fifth Graders work toward what’s called an Arrow of Light badge. These older Scouts carry the responsibility of … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: Two days before the United States celebrated Independence Day in 2021, a pathetic majority of justices on the Supreme Court published an opinion that exhibits, not only their reckless indifference to the truth, but also their contempt for the Mission Statement, the Value Proposition, … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: An ion is any atom that bears a positive or negative electrical charge. Positively charged ions are called cations; negatively charged ions, anions. The imbalance between quantities of electrons and protons gives rise to electron movement both within and between atoms. Electronics is, therefore, … Read more
Full Transcript: A yoke originally referred to a wooden frame. It could be fitted to a person’s shoulders to help them carry a load in two equal portions. It was used to join two animals, such as oxen, to help them work together. It refers to the bar, at the end of a wagon’s tongue, … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: I recall an episode of The Odd Couple where Felix was in court representing his roomie; much to Oscar’s dismay. As Felix was questioning a witness about his interpretation of events, the witness said: “Well I assumed. . .” Felix cut him off saying … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: The number of individual atoms contained in just one drop of water is estimated to be over one billion trillion. Some scientists hold that such a drop has the energy potential of continuously producing more than one hundred horsepower sustained over a period of … Read more
Full Transcript: One of my favorite TV characters was the Church Lady on Saturday Night Live. Her facial expression had all the warmth of a descending hatchet and appeared as though it was ultimately achieved through a lifetime of sucking on green persimmons. To many of us, enthusiastic about matters of faith, she represented an … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev was promoting glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”) in an attempt to overcome the Soviet Union’s economic stagnation and stunted growth. These initiatives promised the “utmost respect for the individual citizen and favorable consideration for protecting one’s personal dignity.” By creating … Read more
Listen to the Audio and/or Subscribe to the Podcast Full Transcript: Computers are mathematical processors. And, because information in almost all forms can be reduced to a binary form, computers can handle far more than math. Through the Internet of Things, we’ve come to rely on a variety of small devices to exercise control over … Read more