Turn on, tune in, drop out. The rallying cry of the counterculture and hippie movement of the late 60s and early 70s, when LSD and other psychedelic drugs were perceived as being a shortcut to spiritual Nirvana and an essential tool in opening minds to new experiences. Research on the effects of psychedelics was in vogue, and for a time it was hoped that they would offer a panacea for many ills. Too many bad trips and the decline of the hippie culture saw the research quietly shelved and forgotten about. However, that is gradually changing and there seems to be a renewed interest in the medicinal effects of these drugs.
General science
Vaccinations for a healthy society
A recent news story reported that a mother in the UK was ordered by the high court to vaccinate her two children. The mother had objected on the grounds that she was vegan and had been raising her children as such and that the vaccine was introducing pollutants into their bodies. The children’s father appealed to the court to force the mother to agree to vaccinate the children and thankfully in this instance the court agreed.
Rogue space rocks
Every so often scientists announce that a large space rock or asteroid will pass within a couple of hundred thousand kilometres of Earth. The tabloid press proclaim a near miss and that we were lucky to dodge Armageddon. Headline grabbing stuff it may be, but the truth of the matter is, that it is only a matter of time until the Earth experiences an impact event when one of these asteroids makes it through our atmosphere and explodes with tremendous force creating significant damage.
The relentless march of science
It has been a busy few weeks in the science arena. In the shadow of NASA’s announcement on the “Earth-like” planets around other stars, we heard that we no longer need to have our five portions of fruit and veg a day. We should now be aiming for 10 portions a day. The more, the merrier if you want to significantly reduce your chances of getting heart disease, stroke and cancer. In China significant inroads have been taken on the road to clean nuclear fusion, with a major breakthrough in burning hydrogen at a temperature hotter than our sun for well over a minute. This is one of the key requirements for a fusion reactor, which would offer unlimited clean energy and a move away from fossil fuels.
Observing Jupiter in Binoculars
For the last number of months, Venus had dominated the western sky after sunset. Now it is moving into the twilight on it’s journey around the Sun. In the evening sky, the planet Jupiter will dominate proceedings over the coming months. Jupiter, a gas giant consisting primarily of hydrogen and helium gases is the largest planet in our solar system with a diameter of almost 140,000 km. These nights, Jupiter rises in the east shortly after eight o’clock and there is no mistaking it, as only the moon or Venus shines brighter in the night sky. It glows with a silvery brilliance that is unmistakable.