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Darwin’s Birth Day

Had Charles Darwin been able to witness his own gestation period, might he have changed his mind about the evolution of mankind? Assuming that he was an honest and keen observer of nature—and the evidence suggests that he was—the answer is a resounding yes. He essentially said so in 1872 when he wrote: “If it could be demonstrated that any Read More ›

Governors Envision Eco-friendly Fuels At I-5 Rest Stops

Discussion Brief: “Greening The Highway From Baja California To British Columbia,” Cascadia Center For Regional Development, September, 2007 Cascadia Center’s September, 2007 “Greening The Highway” symposium overview and TVW video links Cascadia Center’s September, 2008 “Beyond Oil” symposium overview – program, speaker PowerPoints, TVW video (including Shai Agassi, James Woolsey, Microsoft’s Rob Bernard), links to media coverage “Columbia River Crossing: Read More ›

The Dangers of Over Selling Evolution

Last week, University of Chicago biologist Jerry Coyne criticized Forbes (See “Why Evolution Is True”) for including views skeptical of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in its forum on the 200th anniversary of his birth. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences, I beg to differ with Professor Coyne. I don’t think science has anything to fear from Read More ›

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Empty chairs in university lecture hall
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Professors Show Need for Academic Freedom Bill

Two OU professors who are adamantly opposed to Senate Bill 320 — a Science Education and Academic Freedom bill filed by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso — have recently shown why the bill is necessary. Zoology professors Vic Hutchison and Richard Broughton have passed out fliers encouraging opposition to the bill, which would permit high school science educators to teach the strengths and weaknesses of science topics that can cause controversy. The blatant misrepresentation of the bill that Hutchison and Broughton display creates a climate of fear that warrants such academic freedom legislation. Read More ›

Russia’s economic crisis could have been avoided

The Russian government and people, awash with money, were convinced their economy was invulnerable to the world financial crisis. By September, Russia’s gold reserves stood at $581 billion. The federal budget seemed strong, salaries high, economic reforms successful and government investments wise. In hindsight, it was all too noticeably “Potemkin” and vulnerable. When foreign markets crashed and oil prices fell, Read More ›

Deep Bored Tunnel To Replace Alaskan Way Viaduct – Latest Information

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims in January 2009 proposed to replace the seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct along Seattle's downtown waterfront on State Route 99 with an inland deep bored tunnel. Legislation authorizing and providing substantial funding for the tunnel passed the state senate and house, and on May 12 was signed into law by Gov. Gregoire. The tunnel is expected to cost $1.2 to $2.2 billion, most likely $1.9 billion, including a cushion for cost overruns. The legislation provides $2.8 billion for tunnel construction and Viaduct replacement. Other, related projects - funded by the city, county and Port of Seattle - would bring the total package's cost to $4.2 billion.  Here is the bill, as approved. Links to media coverage and key documents follow. Deep Bored Tunnel Bill Signed Into Law: News Round-up, 5/13/09 Tunnel FAQs, Cascadia Center House OKs SR 99 Tunnel - News & Commentary, 4/22-24/09 Yakima Valley Fruit Growers Support Deep Bore Tunnel, KIRO-AM & Seattle P-I, 4/13/09 "Deep Bore Tunnel Is Best Replacement Option," Yakima Herald-Republic, 4/12/09 99 Corridor Coalition Bored Tunnel Program Update, 3/26/09 "The Time Has Come To Replace Viaduct With Tunnel, Seattle Times, 3/26/09 "Officials Give Viaduct Replacement Details To Ballard Residents," Seattle P-I, 3/23/09 "Expert: Viaduct Bored Tunnel Would Be World Class Project," Seattle P-I, 3/20/09 "Senate Passes Bill To Replace Viaduct With Tunnel," Seattle Times, 3/4/09 SR 99 Deep Bored Tunnel Project Fact Sheets And Maps, Washington State Department Of Transportation, 2/24/09 "WSDOT: Deep Bored Tunnel Would Be Safer In Earthquake," KOMO-AM 1000, 1/31/09 WSDOT: No Comparison Between Boston's "Big Dig" And SR 99 Tunnel, Tacoma News Tribune, 1/26/09 "The Viaduct Decision's Next Step: Tolling," Crosscut, 1/20/09 Deep Bored Tunnel Chosen: Jan.13-16 Media & Govt. Links (Radio, TV, Newspapers, State of WA, more) - includes Cascadia statement More here.   Read More ›