But Officer, I wasn't Much Over The Speed Limit

Two months ago, scientists reported that a packet of neutrinos (don't ask) traveled 450 miles from the high energy physics laboratory (CERN) near Geneva to the Italian laboratory at Gran Sasso, faster than the speed of light.

The experiment has been somewhat improved and tried again, with the same results. The packet of neutrinos traveled the 450 miles and arrived 62 nanoseconds before a beam of light would have arrived. How fast is that?

Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer computer scientist, used a visual aid in her lectures to show students how long a nanosecond is - that is, how far would a pulse of light travel in a nanosecond. She would hold up a length of copper wire 11.8 inches long. That's a nanosecond.

So the neutrinos exceeded the speed limit by about 62 feet.

Not much, but enough to shake up the world of high energy physics.

CERN is using their new Large Hadron Collider, completed in 2008 - 2009, for high energy experiments. The LHC is about a third of the energy level of the United States' Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) near Waxahatchie, Texas, which was cancelled by Congress in 1993 as it neared completion. Had SSC been completed, it seems likely that the new discovery might have occurred a decade earlier in the United States rather than in Switzerland.

Vegetable Patch Diversity

I'm planning to put in a garden this spring. All the usual vegetables: corn, beans, cabbage, broccoli, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, pizza.

Anyone able to recommend a good seed catalog?

Seventy Years Ago Japan Underway

Seventy years ago yesterday, the first Japanese naval units scheduled to join the attack on Pearl Harbor, slipped out of their home ports. These were the fleet submarines assigned to patrol around Pearl Harbor in advance of the air attack. Some of the submarines carried midget submarines to be used in the final hours before the attack.

The Kido Butai, the Japanese navy's main battle force of six aircraft carriers, remained in the Kurile Islands, undetected by the US Navy's communications intelligence specialists.

Negotiations continued in Washington.

Elections - Not Over Yet

Late last summer the County Board of Elections attended two days of training in Raleigh. Among the things we learned: the General Counsel of the State Board of Elections informed us that historically, there are more election protests and challenges in odd year elections (municipal election years) than in even year elections, when more eminent officeholders and aspirants seek election.

The explanation: perhaps familiarity breeds intensity.

So far in Pamlico County, elections protests are proceeding quietly and politely. Next Monday, we meet for a preliminary hearing on a protest of the Grantsboro election. On Tuesday, we meet to commence a recount of the election of Oriental town commissioners. The margin between commissioner Johnson's vote for another term and candidate Grady's vote is three votes. That is less than 1% and therefore qualifies for a recount. This is the third election in a row that the fifth seat in Oriental has been within three or fewer votes, including one tie.

The next time someone says to you, "oh, my vote won't count," let them know that sometimes it counts for a great deal.

And never forget: in a democracy, there are no unimportant elections!

On Understanding Herman Cain

Never mind.

Super Committee Discussions

If you want to know what's really going on inside the Super Committee working on the nation's budget, here's an insight:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/12/opinion/sunday/20111113_MCFADDEN_CARTOON.html?ref=opinionhttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/12/opinion/sunday/20111113_MCFADDEN_CARTOON.html?ref=opinion

Raising Cain

I didn't watch last weekend's republican debate, and no new polls are out yet. Still, one of the surprising results of polling to date is the continued strong showing for Herman Cain.

I just came across a blog post from a couple of weeks ago by Bruce Bartlett, an experienced republican operative, titled "The Secret of Herman Cain's Success." It is worth reading, for the view it gives of the post-civil war history of partisan leanings by African Americans.

His post includes useful reminders of the history of the Democratic Party as a pro slavery party and a racist party for a century after the Civil War. I think he gives insufficient recognition to support of some white southern democrats during this period for economically progressive and populist measures. I totally reject Bartlett's view that republican policies at the present time are at all beneficial for racial minorities or anyone else not in the top one percent economically. Herman Cain, of course, is in the top one percent.

If you read Bartlett's post, be sure to read the comments. They contribute a lot to understanding the context.

I'm working on my own detailed critique of Bartlett's views.

Mario Monti, Technocrat, To The Fore

So now, at the insistence of Brussels technocrats, economist Mario Monti has become Prime Minister of Italy.

This completes the process begun in the 1980's and 90's when Italian technocrats, briefly in control of Italy's government, sought to exchange Italian economic independence for German central bankers.

There were many economists who warned that a plan where countries had to borrow money in someone else's currency would eventually not work.

Eventually may be this year, next year or the year after, but looks like sooner rather than later.

Many Italians cheered the departure of Berlusconi and the arrival of the technocrats. Lat's see what they say a year from now.