Robert's Ruminations

I arrived at the Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, at about 10:30 AM. The trolley operator asked to read my sign as I disembarked. I did not have a particular clever sign -- it was a portable chalkboard on a stout carrying pole. The message was a simple statement: "Science: a proven remedy, selected by evolution." The bit about evolution was there because I thought it was important to understand our species evolved into scientists, because being a scientist is a survival trait. There were many other more clever signs -- you can find several of the best at this website: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/04/23/these-were-the-best-signs-from-the-marchforscience/ . There were women wearing pink knitted caps in the shape of brains on this occasion. A few held signs explaining that they personally were still alive because of medical science advancements. "Remember polio? Me, neither." "You know it is serious when the nerds come out."

April 21st, 2017 Tomorrow, it is my intent to add my body to the crowd that will be seen for the March for Science 2017. My role is just adding to the body count, so the journalists covering the event can remark on the human turnout for this cause. This will be for the San Francisco “Satellite March for Science”, not the hopefully big March for Science to held in the Nation’s Capital. There are 609 such satellite events around the World. The events will of course be open to all manner of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians, and also sympathizers, supporters, friends, and the merely curious. Among the STEM people, we may have “practicing” (i.e. they get paid to do research, teaching, or other support of science) and non-practicing (otherwise employed, retired). As the Marches were deliberately scheduled for the annual Earth Day, and because the motivation for the Marches is in part due to recent changes in the USA federal government, there will be a strong envir