We set out to see parts of the Eastern US we’d never been to. [photo gallery] Our secondary goal was to find hiking and bicycle trails along the way. It turned out to be very difficult to identify acceptable cycling trails on the Web. The various “trails” websites, etc. are frequently misleading. For example, we were looking [...]
This classic is finally available as an audiobook!
Still relevant after all these years, and a must read for anyone interested in political history.
Government remains the paramount area of folly because it is there that men seek power over others — only to lose it over themselves.
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This entertaining little book sheds light on many subjects. First, it is a concise biography of the life and ideas of René Descartes. He outlines how Descartes’ Discourse on the Method led to the birth of the modern era. He also gives a clear overview of Cartesian Dualism and why we struggle with it to this day.
Second, [...]
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson (2004)
Just finished reading this delightful survey of modern scientific thought and the history of how we got here. Some of the biographical vignettes are truly inspiring, and others heartbreaking.
I found only one area where recent discovery has superseded his account—so called “junk” DNA. It is now known that these areas [...]
I’m currently reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. About a third of the way in he introduces Clair Cameron Patterson who could be the model of the modern citizen/scientist.
Here is a short synopsis of his career: Born in Iowa; attended Grinnell College, U of Iowa, U of Chicago; participated in the Manhattan Project to [...]
Just back from a short vacation in the Yucatan with my brother and sister-in-law. We started and ended our tip at Merida, which has a delightful old city center to explore. [photo gallery] First on our list was Uxmal, my personal favorite! Located in the gently rolling Puuc Hills, it is one of several significant Late [...]
Next on our tour was Chichen Itza, perhaps the most famous Mayan ruin of all. [photo gallery] Most of what we see today is a combination of Terminal Classic Maya and Post-Classic newcomers such as the Toltecs.
The site is dominated by the iconic El Castillo Pyramid, which was dedicated to the feathered serpent god [...]
On our drive to the coast we stopped for a few hours to see the ruins at Coba. The site sits between two lakes and is divided up into groupings several kilometers apart. These are much more rustic with less restoration. [photo gallery] One exception was the Ball Court which was very small an intimate compared with the others [...]
Our final stop was Tulum on the east coast. [photo gallery] While the buildings may be less elaborate, the setting is certainly spectacular. A thick wall surrounds the site on three sides with the ocean on the fourth. The site has its own small cenote as a source of fresh water. There is a guard house of sorts just [...]