Category Archives: Politics

I don’t know what we want to be any more

Posted on 27 May 2022 by josephshoer

My job is to explore space. The work I do, day to day, involves figuring out how to get space probes to exotic parts of our Solar System, so that scientists can investigate the inner workings of the planets and … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Social commentary, Space | 2 Comments

Apollo and Dionysus

Posted on 21 July 2019 by josephshoer

As I write this, it is 50 years to the moment after the Lunar Module Eagle ascended from the surface of the Moon, carrying a victorious Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin up to their rendezvous with crewmate Mike Collins in … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Space | 2 Comments

Scientists Should March

Posted on 9 April 2017 by josephshoer

Scientists are planning a “March for Science” in Washington, DC and many other cities on 22 April 2017. Some commentators seem to think this is a bad idea, because it would politicize science. Before I continue, let me suggest the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Skepticism, Social commentary | 1 Comment

We Can’t Grow Forever – so What?

Posted on 22 February 2017 by josephshoer

Two interrelated opinion pieces appear in today’s New York Times. The first is an essay by David Brooks about how the economic growth of the 21st century compares unfavorably to that of the heady 20th century. The second is the … Continue reading →

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Donald Trump will fail as President, but we must still resist him

Posted on 5 February 2017 by josephshoer

Donald Trump will fail as President. Let me explain that statement a little, by defining what I mean by “fail.” Trump will fail to accomplish most, if not all, of the goals that he has publicly stated he wishes to … Continue reading →

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A brief note about the 2016 presidential election

Posted on 27 February 2016 by josephshoer

Hey, Americans. I want you to know that I’m looking for a few things from my national leadership, especially the President. Infrastructure investment. Doing this is how we will solve a huge number of problems: Want to create jobs? Advance … Continue reading →

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What is the nature of the STEM crisis?

Posted on 10 April 2015 by josephshoer

There is a recent National Science Foundation report out that says, over the decade from 1993 to 2013, the number of college graduates in science and engineering fields grew faster than the number of graduates in any other fields. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Social commentary | 1 Comment

Vhonn/Brawn (what could we do?)

Posted on 11 November 2014 by josephshoer

Wernher von Braun is one of the lions of the early American space program: a pioneer who engineered our initial forays into orbit, our steps onto the surface of the moon, and our designs for space stations and Martian colonies. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Politics, Social commentary | Leave a comment

Visionaries

Posted on 7 October 2014 by josephshoer

The Space Review has a fantastic article that invaded my whole way of thinking this morning while I was trying to get into my groove for work. It casts the golden age of space exploration – the Space Race – … Continue reading →

Posted in Concepts, Politics, Social commentary, Space | Leave a comment

Threat assessment

Posted on 6 May 2014 by josephshoer

Sometimes, I wish I had more Republican Congressmen to write to. Human-caused climate change is a national security issue. It threatens our lives, our property, and our way of life. And it is the only thing that we know, for a … Continue reading →

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