That's No Moon...It's a Water Tower (Current Event 3)

I get pretty excited about space exploration and the thought of colonizing celestial bodies, so I think the search for water on the moon is a great project. Nonetheless, I recognize that there are those who disagree, and I wonder if the environmentalists will be joining their numbers. This article discusses a continuation of NASA's search for water by means of smashing the crust of the moon at points, and some reactions seem to indicate that there are concerns about the destructive nature of this probe. It raises interesting questions as to the scope of our stewardship; I believe most would agree that we need to use the Earth's resources responsibly (though I believe the environmentalists tend to go to extremes), but does that change as we are able to influence other parts of our solar system? I personally believe we should exploit the resources of the solar system as we are able for the benefit of mankind, but I am certain there will be opposition (not entirely unfounded) to that idea.

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On the Delay of Security in New Technology (Book-Inspired Post 1)

It's interesting to see how long it can take before people will recognize problems with new technology. When reading "The Cuckoo's Egg", I was repeatedly shocked by how both government agencies and the self-proclaimed "enlightened" academics of Berkeley were sluggish in their response to Cliff Stoll's warnings about hackers. It seemed like the problem was so new to them that they had not considered the damage that could be done, so Stoll was dismissed as being overly concerned about the hacking for a good long time.

I suppose that this is true of any new technology -- as seat belts and other safety devices for cars didn't come about until long after automobiles were prevalent in society, so measures for computer and network security didn't really concern the average person until computers had become more common in society (as we saw in the book). I think that one cause of this is excitement about new technology; we become so enthusiastic about the good things that we can do with these new tools that we don't think about how they may also be used for ill. Conversely, there may be some who think that a new technology is just a fad and therefore doesn't merit the time and effort needed to improve security and safety. Fortunately, people like Cliff Stoll see problems with new technology that need to be addressed and (perhaps more importantly) have the persistence to ensure that they are indeed dealt with.

I wonder what the next big technology will be, and how long we'll take to make it safe.

Bigotry at Berkeley (Current Event 2)

Although I enjoyed Cliff Stoll's "The Cuckoo's Egg," I encountered a blind, anti-authority attitude described in Berkeley that I found very disturbing. In the article below, I find that the liberal bigotry of Berkeley is as strong now as it was when Stoll's hacker-hunt was going on. As they passionately hated the military then, so do they hate the Marines now; they treat them as if they are an undesirable, inhuman pestilence. It is disappointing to compare the America of today with the America of my grandfather's time. Why is it that the (I hope) few have the loudest voice? How can people choose to use their freedoms to attack those that would guarantee them? Why are the mistakes of a few used to judge the rightness or wrongness of a nation? To me, these protests at Berkeley typify the rabid dogmatism of the political left and their unwillingness to consider the true greater good of all; these people want their "rights" with no responsibilities.

Berkeley Council Backs Off Marine Action

Weiter, immer weiter (Smallish Post 4)

The proliferation of genealogical research and the technology to expede its progress since 1836 is amazing and makes me wonder what will happen next. I have noticed a movement in the Church to reach out specifically to the German people: my first trip to Germany I took with my father for the purpose of advancing our genealogy, but since then the Church has microfilmed hundreds of medieval German church records, allowing us to extend lines further without the need to find ways to travel to Germany often. For the living, the Church has established Outreach Centers, where senior missionaries provide a haven for young single adults in Germany. This program allows youth to gather in a place where they can have fun and also seek advice on dealing with life's problems and on the Gospel. Finally, the new First Presidency includes, for the first time that I am aware, a native German, Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, who has always been an advocate for his Heimatland. All these things together make me very excited to see what will happen in Germany. I only hope that I can be a part of it.