Weekend Reads 4/4/15

Nudging Climate Scientists To Follow Their Own Advice On Flying

The authors of the report say that it’s time for the climate science field to create a culture of work and travel that’s low-carbon. To meet international climate goals, aviation emissions must fall dramatically. Technological fixes won’t get us there — the bulk of the necessary cuts will need to come from a reduction in the number of flights. But the Tyndall analysis found that academic researchers are among the highest producers of aviation-related emissions.

Defending Darwin

Some colleagues ask why I bother, as if I’m the one who’s the provocateur. I remind them that evolution is the foundation of our science, and we simply can’t shy away from explaining it. We don’t avoid using the “g-word” when talking about gravitational theory, nor do we avoid the “c-word” when talking about cell theory. So why avoid talking about evolution, let alone defending it?

What the 2016 Republicans have in common with the 1989 Democrats

Whit Ayres is one of the savviest Republican political strategists around. So, when he speaks, as he did at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Tuesday, I listen — intently. But it was what he didn’t say and couldn’t say during his compelling, hour-long session that stood out.

Like Tears in Rain: Our Scars on Mars Fade

That was about 2½ years ago, and Mars hasn’t sat still. Weather and winds have beaten at the marks left by Curiosity’s accoutrements, and they’ve faded with time. JPL just released this amazing animation composed of images taken by the HiRISE camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing the erosion of the marks over time.