Be curious my friend!

To paraphrase a TV commercial, "Be curious my friend." There is no better advice that one can give. Children are born curious. Did you ever think about the reason most children are always asking, "Why?" Adults, particularly parents and teachers, have a very effective way of killing the question. They tend to be irritated by the constant question - often because they don't know why, or because they can't be bothered to stopping what they are doing to explain. I am guilty of this charge! (Fortunately, I did not kill all curiosity.)

Children who survive the rejection of their questions may well grow up to be doctors and scientists, both professions which require constantly asking "why." In school I was often accused of being "nosy." Maybe I was, but I have always been curious about everything around me. I can remember my first "research projects." Dad had thrown several old wrist watches into a drawer. At age of around 11 or 12 I asked whether I could take they apart to see how they worked, and he granted my request. I was fascinated at what I found under the covers, and it quickly became apparent that an engineering career was not in my future . . . I could never figure out how to put them back together!

I did grow up to be a scientist. A person of this profession cannot continue to ask "why" about everything, and must focus attention on one area of "whys." I became a Soil Scientist, more specifically a Soil Chemist, and ended up with a 30 year career as Professor of Soil Chemistry. That type of career requires associated research activity which usually is even more focused. My research was primarily in the area of reactions at soil-solution interfaces. I like to believe I made a contribution to the understanding of chemical reactions in soils, but that is for others to evaluate. I have no illusion that I will be remembered long, though. As King Solomon wrote,
"No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
    by those who follow them." ~ Ecclesiastes 1:11 (NIV)
Rarely, today, are remembered the writings of such men as Justus von Liebig, considered the "father" of both modern Chemistry and Soil Chemistry. My writings are certainly not in their class, and are destined to be soon forgotten, if not already forgotten.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I am busier in retirement than I ever was when working!" It's true! But why? Simply because the person is now free to pursue all the "whys" that appeared in their mind prior to retirement. They are now free to pursue whatever they wish, and are no longer restricted by expectations. One must always remember, though, that energy level has decreased so it takes longer to reach results. (And one must factor in an afternoon nap.) Life becomes more interesting than ever before.

In my case, questions have migrated to such as: "Who are my ancestors?" "Could I run a business?" "Was the beginning really a Big Bang, and, if so, how did that really happen?" "Could I be a successful photographer?" And so on and so on. Of course, there are also those remaining Soil Chemistry questions that I never managed to address. To this is added: "Sure, I can write you something on that subject." "Sure, I can help you get that on the internet." and a variety of other "Sure, I can . . .") Retirement life is interesting, and I am beginning to become tired -- not ready to give up, though! I still have too many who, why, where, when, how questions to ask. My mind still go on non-stop, but my body is saying it is time to embrace the fact that you will soon be 80 years old, and I am wearing out. I don't wanna embrace that!

Choosing the correct path . . . or not!

In 1967 I was living in New Haven, Connecticut. A group of us decided to spend a weekend hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Our goal was to climb at least one “4000 footer,” and we chose to climb Mount Madison on Saturday. Our decision was to park along US-2, north of the mountain, ascend via Kings Ravine and descend via ridge trails. The head wall of Kings Ravine is very steep, and at some places one could touch hand to trail by leaning slightly forward. Any steeper would have required roping in for safety. At the time I was pretty close to peak condition. A couple of weeks earlier I had taken a back pack trip over the last 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail, followed by climbing Mountain Katahdin. I was hiking with an equally fit partner. When we reached the ravine head we looked back and noted the rest of the group just entering the ravine, at least an hour behind us.

My partner said, ”Why don’t you pick up Mount Adams while you are here. I have already climbed that mountain, so I will let the group know where you are.” The day was overcast, but comfortable above timberline, so I headed toward Mt. Adams. It was around noon by the time I got there, so sat down and ate my lunch while enjoying the view of my next objective, Mount Madison.

I didn’t dare sit there too long, though, so soon headed across to catch up with my friends. When I reached the peak of Mt. Madison I saw a small group just disappearing into the timber. Assuming this was my friends, I quickly followed them – a VERY bad decision! When I caught up with them I discovered it was a group of Boy Scouts heading east down the Daniel Webster Trail into Dolly Cop Campground.  At this point, I had no choice but to continue downward. I knew I did not have enough remaining energy to climb back up the mountain in order to descend the agreed upon trails.

I had no excuse! Earlier in the day I had purchased a White Mountain Trail Guide, and it was in my day pack. I did not consult the book maps to be certain of the trail I should follow. I did not even look at the trail markers to be certain of name and direction. My mind was closed: it "said" my friends were disappearing into the timber, so I must follow them. As my college roommate would sometimes say, “Don’t confuse me with the facts. My mind is made up.”

Have you ever had similar experiences? Have you started out with a specific goal in mind, along with a route to meet that goal, only to be distracted by something that led you off your path?  Our lives are like that. I am convinced that we each have an ideal life path, and if we stay on that path we will arrive, content and happy, at the end of our days. However, our path is not always easy and we so often become distracted by side roads. Too often we arrive carrying a “bucket list” of unfulfilled wishes. These wishes are probably the result of either wanting something not on our intended path, or taking a side trip just when that wish would have been fulfilled . . . or perhaps a simple assumption that this is the correct path to take. Sometimes we can even be so intent on reaching a goal that we bypass things along our path. For example, at one point my path took our family to Europe for a year. One day we were on the Autobahn, probably no more than 15 to 30 minutes from the East German border. I was so intent on reaching a goal that I by-passed a teaching opportunity to take our children to the fence separating East and West Germany.

One of the best books ever written on this subject is John Bunyon’s  A Pilgrim’s Progress. He presents one ideal path of life, but it is not always an easy path. Pilgrim is always being lured off the path for one thing or another and must search his way back to his life’s path. If we really examine our life, every one of us is Pilgrim. We are always coming to an intersection in the path. Instead of evaluating the pros and cons of each intersection as it is encountered, we tend to take what appears to be the easiest or more attractive path. Once there we tend to lose our way back and must ether bushwhack through unknown area, or just follow the new path wherever it takes us. There are rarely situations in which we can retrace our life tracks, but we must find that side road that returns us to our correct life path.

To complete my story, I did continue to Dolly Cop Campground. It was deserted except for a few hiker cars, so I had to hike out to the road I knew my friends would be using to return to our cabin. Once there I encountered a driver who took me the several miles to our parking spot. As I got out of the car the first of my friends emerged from the woods. They hadn’t even had time to miss me, and all was well . . . except that I began to shake with hypothermia. My resources had been completely exhausted.

We have choices, and not all choices are wise or even comfortable. We are prone to explore things as we go through life, and we often loose our way in the process. We can easily become exhausted, discouraged, and depressed. No matter how far off our life path we may wander, however, God is always available, ready and able to rescue us and get us back onto the correct path. Our task is simply to accept His help and direction.

Has science confirmed the Bible?

This video is fascinating! My position is that Scientists may differ and argue with Christians, but at bottom line, Science and the Bible must agree. The problem always comes in interpretation. I have heard of a "planet X" having been discovered, but have seen little description of what it is. This video is an "eye opener" on the subject. Some of the assumptions related to geology and time may be questionable, but if there is such a heavenly body as here described, the earthly repercussions explained are likely right on. This may also explain some of the very strange stories in the Bible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ftTm34xfk&feature=youtu.be

2016: A Political "Earthquake"!

We have a modern version of Tammany Hall! (Never hear of Tammany Hall? There is a good summary at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammany_Hall). The modern version is called the United States Political system. Right now it is rearing its ugly head in the Republican Party, but the Democrat Party is just as bad. There is rebellion within the Republican Party, and those in control are not going to give up their position easily, because it yields power and money. Yet, the power of Tammany Hall was finally broken, and we may be witnessing the beginning of the destruction of the U.S. political power system. Unfortunately, the result of power destruction could also mean the destruction of our two party political system. One thing that history tells us, is that it takes a powerful person to break up a power structure. FDR had the strength to destroy the Tammany Hall power structure – what about today? I am not a Trump supporter, but the people are speaking! They see him as having the strength to break up the Republican Party power structure. Will the Democrat Party power structure follow? Sooner or later, I predict that it will! It is becoming obvious that American Republican voters have had enough and are in full rebellion; party leaders had better take notice! The U.S. election process is a competitive event, and that is fine. However, the attempt to destroy an opponent is not acceptable! And that is the tactic in use by the Republican Party right now.

As I said, I am not a Trump fan, and I believe Ben Carson is the best person for the job. Again, however, the people have spoken (assisted by the mass media!) and most do not agree with me. Cruiz and Rubio are fighting like sixth graders, and showing no signs of being ready for presidential diplomacy. Maybe they will “grow up” a bit in the next four or eight years, but for this year their “anti-Trump” activities certainly shows they are not ready for nomination as POTUS candidate.  As for Kasich, he seems to be living in the past. I have voted and expressed my feelings, but others are not agreeing with me. Trump has many faults, but so do we all! Would he make a good president? I don’t agree with those who say he would be a disaster – probably in large because he is a threat to them! One thing is certain, he will not be bought, and therefore money also will likely being drying up for those who can be. He may be “rough around the edges” as a politician, but he is likely to make some needed changes and could become one of the best presidents (horrors!). He says he is a Christian; this may be true, but, if so, he should note some Bible stories of what happened to persons who thought they were all powerful. Two good examples are Daniel 4:28-32 and Acts 12:21-23. Maybe a bit of humility is in order, but I suppose Trump thinks humility is not what voters want to hear. Perhaps he is correct – there was only fleeting interest in Carson, who is definitely a humble man!

One thing is for certain: if the Republican Party leaders continue on their current path and manage to wrest the nomination away from Trump through “negotiations” during the convention, their party will likely be destroyed and a Democrat will be elected as POTUS. I suspect, however, that this will not be possible. I think the more they try to destroy Trump, the more people will become convinced he is their only hope for change. He is likely to go to the convention with a majority for first vote. If so, any attempt to alter this will be immediate party suicide! If he does get the nomination, any subsequent refusal to support him, as has been threatened, may also be suicide but probably more like slow strangulation.    

           

We may not like or support what is happening, but THE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING; THE POLITICIANS BETTER LISTEN, AND LISTEN WELL

Scripture and Science -- complementary?

Memory and Old Age

Next July I will join the Octogenarian fraternity. I don’t like the idea, but it is certainly better than the alternative. Mentally, I feel like I am still around 50 or so, but my body keeps letting me know the truth! I must face the fact that I simply can’t do the things I once performed with ease. For example, I pick up a tree branch and wonder how I ever picked up and walked with a four foot, twelve inch diameter log, then threw it onto the back of a truck. Does anyone identify?

Memory is another problem. Around ten years ago my doctor asked me how my memory was doing. I said I was not happy with my increasing inability to remember things. He responded that, in that case, everything was fine. He went on to say that he had never met a person with Alzheimer’s that had any problem at all with memory (according to the patient, of course!). Actually, my memory is all still there, but it certainly often takes time to recall seldom used items. Names are a particular problem. It will sometimes be a day later before the name I am after suddenly pops up in my awareness.  Fortunately, my wife is good with names, so she can usually help out with an immediate need. Rarely used words are also a problem. 

As I talk to others, I find that I am not alone. My problems seem to be a function of aging – not experienced by all, but not avoided by many. As I have mulled over the problem, I have finally understood the problem. Computers are often compared to human brains, so let’s reverse the comparison. A computer contains two types of memory: random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM). Things used regularly are held in RAM, and those things seldom used are normally placed in ROM. The primary reason your computer is sometimes quick and sometimes takes time to respond can be explained by where the memory you are accessing is stored. Those things stored in ROM usually take longer to access and bring forward.

What about the brain? It seems to also have a section for RAM and a section devoted to ROM. As you age, RAM gets filled up. Therefore, if something needs to be remembered a bit of memory needs to be freed, so something seldom used is transferred to ROM, becoming harder and slower to access. Those items transferred to ROM are most frequently names and words seldom used in day to day conversation. Not only do they become harder to access, but the less they are used the deeper they move into the ROM memory banks and the longer it takes to access them. 

So, there you have it. That is why you have (or will have) more and more problems with remembering things as you age. That is my explanation and I stick with it!

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOILS

How many of my readers have heard of the International Year of Soils? The year will be ending in 28 days. Why an International Year of Soils? Without soil much of the world would be starving. Yes, we can grow plants in water, but not enough to feed the world. Most plants get their food, water, and support from soil. Most food is grown in soil. Trees grow in soil. Think about where we would be without soil. What would we do for protein? We can get protein from plants in correct form and combination, but most protein comes from animals . . . that live on plants. What would we do for shelter? Trees grow in and on soil, so without soil there would be little wood for construction. What would we do for heat and energy? Coal, oil and gas all originate through plant growth. Wind and Solar energy you say? How would you build the equipment to collect the wind and solar energy? Regardless whether the equipment is made of metal, glass, plastic, or something else, energy is required for production, and that energy originates in plants and, ultimately, the soil. That is the reason for an International Year of Soils!

Each month of 2015 had a theme addressing one aspect of our dependence on soil. Here are the monthly themes and a website where you can access related information. I encourage you to explore these websites if you have not already done so.


January - Soils Sustain Life

 February - Soils Support Urban Life


 March - Soils Support Agriculture

April - Soils Clean and Capture Water

May - Soils Support Buildings/Infrastructure

June - Soils Support Recreation

July - Soils are Living

August - Soils Support Health

September - Soils Protect the Natural Environment

 October - Soils and the Products We Use

 November - Soils and Climate

December - Soils, Culture, and People