Supernatural – Odd STEM

A Quick Look at Unlucky 13

“Maybe it’s nothing so deep or analytical.”

With Friday the 13th coming up, it’s hard not to wonder about the number 13. Is that number really a source of bad luck, or is that just in the imagination? Various reasons have been given for 13’s reputation, some of which are related to Christianity and the Christian Bible[1]. Also there are various discussions of “perfect” 12 being more common, like for the number of months. But the calendar is more of a long-term thing. I’m looking for a more practical everyday reason.

Witches’ Brew

“But what if there’s more to it than that?”

Like other aspects of culture, witches have stereotypes that are fueled by tradition, fiction, and modern media. A well-known aspect of witch stereotypes is the brewing of potions or witches’ brew, often in a large black cauldron. The purpose of a potion could be to cure illness, obtain immortality, or try to “induce love”, according to Wikipedia.[1] Other historic purposes for witch’s brew can be found on the web as well. The ideas for tradition and fiction are often based on truth. In fact, the mixing of natural ingredients in potions eventually helped bring about modern medicine. Could there be any truth to other supposed uses of witches’ potions, beyond potential use as medicine?

The Distance Between Heaven and Hell

“You can calculate just about anything, if you really want to.”

Around Halloween time, you may see someone dressed up like Satan or maybe watch scary movies that involve Satan or demons. But the day after Halloween is All Saints Day, which celebrates people of a more holy disposition, particularly the Christian Saints. And then there is Christmas in December, celebrating the birth of Jesus with images of singing angels. That’s quite a reversal over night or even in two months, as if Heaven and Hell aren’t so far apart. Granted, they may be metaphysical places that we can’t travel to physically, what if we could? How far apart might they be?

Could Jack-O’-Lanterns Work?

“Must the candle be lit?”

Creating Jack-o’-lanterns is part of both Irish and Christian tradition, with the controversial claim that these carved vegetables ward off evil spirits.[1] Such wary evil spirits are supposedly afraid of the scary faces carved into the vegetables (currently pumpkins in the U.S.). The same protective benefit is said to also come dressing up like a ghost for Halloween[2] or having stone gargoyles on the exterior of a building[3], though gargoyles tend to be out all year round. Is there something to the claim of Jack-o’-lanterns providing protection from evil spirits, or are these carved vegetables just fun Halloween decorations?

The Monster Under the Bed, Coronavirus Conspiracies, and the Best Pizza Ever

“…not something as trivial as the whereabouts of a lost sock.”

As a young child, I was afraid there was a monster under my bed, that would grab my feet and pull me into its lair. Over the years, I have learned that I am not the only one to have imagined such a thing. It seems so common, that it’s a cliché in American culture and even others.[1] But how or why is that even possible? What could I have in common with all those other people to cause this experience? What does it mean for humanity? Continue reading “The Monster Under the Bed, Coronavirus Conspiracies, and the Best Pizza Ever”

Our Underestimated Past

“Were the people of past generations crazy? Delusional?”

The month of January tends to be a time for reflecting on the previous year, in addition to planning for the year ahead. A lot can change in one year. In fact the world seems to be changing at an accelerating rate. The past century has seen the invention of digital computers, people walking on the moon, the rise of the Internet, cell phones for billions of people, medical care that is better than it has ever been, etc.[1] Younger generations are said to be advancing over the previous generations because of growing up with computers and mobile devices. With all our modern advances, past generations seem to intellectually pale in comparison. Is that really the case? Continue reading “Our Underestimated Past”

Santa’s Flight-Path Challenge

“This might take some trickery.”

Though there has been much speculation, no one really knows how Santa Claus does it all. Traditionally, he and his crew spend most of the year making and gathering toys for children all over the world. Then he delivers them all on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning. The delivery itself creates some alarming statistics for how fast Santa’s sleigh must travel and how much time Santa has at each house, for delivering presents and consuming whatever milk and cookies the children leave for him. But I’m wondering, how can Santa even figure out a flight path? How does he choose the first house or the last house or any of them in between?

Continue reading “Santa’s Flight-Path Challenge”

Anxiety, Dandelions, and Witches

“While I’m (potentially) jumping to conclusions, as a bonus I could throw in conspiracy and global warming.”

Most people have occasional anxiety, especially with modern life being as complicated as it is. I myself sometimes have anxiety for no apparent reason, even when avoiding caffeine. On one particular occasion in the past year or two, I noticed having anxiety at a time when a couple people I know were having allergy symptoms. So I wondered if there were some kind of connection. Continue reading “Anxiety, Dandelions, and Witches”

Wolves and Software Development

“…it seems appropriate to label one way the right way and the other way the wrong way.”

Years ago I heard about a Native American story about two wolves constantly battling each other inside each one of us. One wolf has a positive attitude towards people and life, the other negative. The question came up, which wolf wins? The answer is, the one you feed. I can see some truth to that. Negativity can cause more negativity, whether in the same person or other people. Being positive can be somewhat contagious as well. Self-help books point out that we tend to think in the way that we practice. But is the lesson of the wolves just for how we approach life? Continue reading “Wolves and Software Development”

Mythology And Data Compression

“…it’s interesting to see a connection between something so old and something as modern as computer technology.”

While in school (years ago), I heard mythology described as an attempt by some cultures to explain various natural phenomena. That gave me the impression that a member of such a culture would believe in what a myth from his culture told him. I thought this made cultures with myths seem naive. Did people really believe that the sky is carried on the shoulders of a giant god named Atlas?[1] Continue reading “Mythology And Data Compression”