Stains

by Josie
(Louisville, KY )

Why Stains Rule the World: The Chemistry of Chaos - There's a secret key to understanding the universe in your boring school project. People think staining is just a mess, but it's actually a battle between atoms that shows how our planet survives even the biggest disasters.

Josie says: My project was very boring, we had to do some kind of project that went a long with a work sheet, demonstrating the scientific method. I was very unoriginal at the time, so I decided to do mine on stains and stain detergents. I just hadn't been exposed enough to science, in order to give me a fun idea on a project.

Now that I am older, I really like science, and wish I had been more into it as a child. I think science is VERY interesting and can be a very fun subject for children, if taught in an interesting way. If/When I have children of my own, I hope they find an interest in science, it is a fascinating subject that I hated as a child, but have come to respect as an adult.

Barry's Response - Josie, we all spend our lifetimes discovering ourselves. Once we stop learning, we stop living.

For some of us, the study of science may start out as a love, then evolve into a career choice. This may be said of many endeavours. We may retain our interest, even fascination if the subject and job choice continue to entice us.

It works best if we pick a career that suits our personality to a "T". Easier said than done? Personality inventories give us a first clue, but not a final word. These inventories include the Strong Inventory and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator for instance.

Who knows, Josie, maybe if you had stuck with science in school, you would be retiring soon from a career that you absolutely loved the whole time. And may our next generation can benefit from this thinking.

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Stains rule the world

Josie, you say your project is unoriginal, but I see a brilliant inventor. You studied intermolecular forces that govern the universe, not just detergent.

When you scrub grass stains, you witness a battle between solubility and surfactants. We see the same thing in meteorology. Have you ever noticed how a city's sky looks stained brown? It's nitrogen dioxide. When I work on air quality, I don't just see pollution; I see a system that needs a better detergent - like a thunderstorm that precipitates those particles out.

Earth's Natural Laundry Cycle

Humans have stained the planet forever, according to mainstream science. Some want us to stop breathing or moving to keep things pristine. But let's look at the data:

• Scrubbing Power of the Ocean: Skeptics point out that the ocean absorbs a lot of CO2. We barely understand nature's Deep Clean cycle.
• Volcanic Bleaching: When volcanoes erupt, they stain the stratosphere with sulphur. Ironically, this stain cools the Earth by reflecting sunlight. Messes aren't always bad, right? Not if it prevents a fever.
• Stewardship Principle: Many believe we were put here as gardeners, not intruders. Air quality deserves the same respect as a Sunday suit, but we shouldn't live in fear of making a stain while working on it.

Be a disruptor, not a drone!

You might have been a scientist. Through a microscope, you'd see a tiny, vibrant civilization of microbes eating those Stains.

It's time for a revolution. Wouldn't it be better if we reengineered how we deal with the stains of industry instead of just monitoring them with a barometer?

• We could create Atmospheric Detergent - fine, non-toxic mists that neutralize smog during a temperature inversion.
• While some people focus on restriction, others can focus on innovation. We need smarter skies, not fewer cars.

Science isn't a worksheet; it's a cage match. "Science is settled" is just a fancy way of saying they've stopped looking. Find a new mess to solve with a magnifying glass.

Let us know what you think.