Remote Geiger Detector and a Rant

I have been thinking about a great many things of late. And regarding the subject of the K-T Extinction event - I do believe it would be useful if we could detect radioactive materials with something like a Geiger counter but from a safer distance. This could be useful for finding the remains of meteorites - if in fact they are radioactive in nature. It would be useful also for doing any research associated with past nuclear disasters - such as Chernobyl and other places. These areas are obviously unsafe for people to study first hand with any realistic safety - but we should still be able to study the after affects in order to gain a greater understanding and hopefully prevent future disasters like them.

On another note - I am a bit peeved about something I have noticed popping up in my spam filter. Some folks actually have the nerve to send ads attempting to entice me to practically "buy" my own PhD. You know the ones - the nonaccredited "universities" and such. I have no use for such things. If a PhD is in the possible future for me - then it will be by honest hard work - not by the quick, dirty, and in my mind highly suspect and dishonest means of acquiring any sort of diploma. If I am meant to achieve such a point in my career - I will do it the right way - not the sleazy way. Such a degree has to be earned through the proper channels. I seriously doubt that there is a single Rhodes Scholar out there who ever earned any of their degrees by such a route. I am not attempting to compare myself to them by any means but the route they took to success should be a litmus test of sorts for anyone trying to earn any degree: Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate.

There is a right way and a wrong way to do various things - the honest hard-working way and the lazy dog way, respectively. The wrong way reminds me of when some classmates would pay the smart kids to do their homework for them or the ones who just wrote the right answers from the back of the math textbooks instead of actually using their own braincells to figure it all out. They always did really bad when the exams were passed out - because they never did their homework. This is not the way to become the next Einstein, people!

As a matter of fact I am one of those types of people who have absolutely no respect whatsoever for any person who goes about getting any degree in this way. Do they even have to endure the rigorous comprehensive and peer review? Who do they consider their peers under such circumstances? What kind of dissertation could they possibly give and to whom? What do they write their theses about? Are their arguments valid and sound? Do they follow the basic laws of logic and reason? How is honesty and integrity foolproofed? How do we know Joe Smith actually did the work required to back up his claims? Who was his advisor(s)? How are we to know whether or not he may be lying and faking his results?

A case in point: The Discovery Institute of Seattle, Washington - if it still exists - has many of it's members and affiliates who have "earned" their so-called PhD's by this route. I am not entirely sure but I do believe that some quite literally bought theirs'. And our country allows these losers to have some say over important issues like what to teach children in biology class. Yes, I am speaking of their "intelligent design" wedge movement. Their primary argument is a case of what is called circular reasoning. It's akin to defining a word with the word itself. It is empty and illogical and has no meaning whatsoever. But the DI argues the case so convincingly that members of Congress actually fall for their Sophist-like arguments - something like dishonest lawyers. Scientists rely on logic and these morons are so close-minded and illogical that it is practically impossible to have a decent discussion about their claims. This is why real scientists and scholars won't get involved - because as my mother always used to say - you can't argue with crazy people. And the DI is obviously quite daft. They are like the head lemmings and actually expect the world to follow them into the abyss.

Ok! Enough of my ranting for awhile! Until next time...