20 Feb 2023 Antikythera Mechanism @ East Bay Nerd Nite

The Antikythera Mechanism may be the most fascinating and improbable artifact in human history.  This is my talk on the subject at East Bay Nerd Nite, July 2019. Watch on youtube (click link) for the best viewing experience....

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22 Feb 2016 Bay Bridge Steel Available for Artists – Free!

Artists — There are still hundreds of tons (yes, tons) of Bay Bridge steel available, for free, for projects intended for public spaces within California. Other than those guidelines, they are fairly flexible. The next application deadline is coming up...

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13 Feb 2015 Remembering Coach Schmitter

I've been thinking about Coach Charles Schmitter lately. He was a true man of the world - he spoke five languages fluently, traveled all seven continents, stayed married for five decades, and taught me a great deal about fencing and...

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15 Jan 2015 Dept. of Depressing Porcine Statistics

Since the late 1970s, pork consumption has increased nearly sevenfold in China. Half a billion pigs are birthed, raised in metal sheds, killed and eaten each year. The Chinese government subsidizes the industry to the tune of $47 per pig. Each...

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23 Dec 2014 Passing Thoughts and a Bandoneón

Reuters consistently beats out every other news outlet for intelligent, in-depth coverage of the Syria conflict. Why do the others, including the NYT and the BBC, give the topic such short shrift? Also - what gives with the BBC constantly...

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19 Nov 2014 Inside the Blue Dollar

My latest article for the Argentina Independent, on the inner workings of the underground market for US currency in Argentina. Huge thanks to Marc Rogers, at the Indy, for his editorial acumen, reportage, and incredible patience on the long journey from...

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10 Nov 2014 Voices: Why we should care about Syria

A beautiful piece on the intersection of war, empathy and memory, by my friend Kristin Deasy. (Special for USA TODAY. November 10, 2014) (Photo: Bulent Kilic, AFP/Getty Images) The other night I was lying stretched out on my apartment floor, trying to...

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30 Oct 2014 VOTE

To my American friends: There is an election next Tuesday, November 4th. Vote. I'll say it aloud: our political system is corrupt. Vote anyway. Though your ballot is outgunned by billionaires and their funded campaigns, vote. The candidates are disappointing, discussion of...

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13 Oct 2014 Coldest Place In The Universe

This one gets the nod for bending the rules of the universe, no small matter. In a cavern in Italy, an international team of researchers have created the coldest cubic meter in the universe, only a fraction of a degree above...

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