BIG Mouth
Opinion piece from a well-informed human
Stopping the flow – why prevention trumps cleanup in the fight against ocean plastics
China’s Yangtze River system dumps an estimated 330,000 tonnes of plastic into the ocean each year. The Ganges River network in India transports about 120,000 tonnes of plastic to the sea annually. The Pasig River in the Philippines carries roughly 63,000 tonnes of plastic per year to the ocean. These statistics are clear signals of the flagrant failure of a global system that treats the world's waterways as conveyor belts for waste disposal. I know these numbers by...
It is time to look in the mirror and escape the hatrix
It is time to escape the hatrix, which is the term I use to describe the matrix of hatred that has consumed so much of our society. I am not a big fan of using all caps for emphasis or begging, but PLEASE take the time to watch/listen to this video (Charlie Kirk’s Death Exposed the Biggest Scam in History ). Jump to the 10-minute mark for what I believe is the most important part of Chase...
How we became a society of psychopaths
Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, persistent antisocial behavior, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to stress, which create an outward appearance of apparent normalcy. (Wikipedia) We in the West are increasingly becoming a society of psychopaths. In just over 24 hours since political activist Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at a Utah university, I have spent far too much time challenging people who have posted messages that I believe tell everyone in their...
Challenging false narratives is important and gratifying
I tell this story not to brag (OK, maybe a little) but to illustrate the value of rational people raising their voices in the face of false narratives. When a group of scientists, engineers, and I launched BIG Media in 2021, I figured that our facts/logic-focused news coverage would surprise many and draw criticism. I vowed to myself (and posted the promise on social media, which is the modern version of swearing on a stack of...
This just in – not all vaccines are good, and not all are bad
Some vaccines are helpful for young people, some are helpful for elderly. Some carry with them a long list of serious side effects, including one in which you are no longer alive. Some vaccines cause more damage within certain groups than do the viruses/diseases being targeted. Some carry minor side effects that pale in comparison to the effects of the disease that they are aimed at preventing. The prospective benefits and risks for each vaccine should be assessed carefully...
Maple syrup, ice hockey, poutine … and vitriol – how did we get here?
Is anyone else fed up with all the vitriolic rants on social media? I remember a time when you could have a rational discussion with people you disagreed with without descending into insults and trotting out talking points that you heard from other people. In my field of expertise, which is geophysics, the cold hard facts of mathematics, physics, and geology can still be used to persuade the person you are discussing an idea with. However,...
Recycling plastic – the beautiful deception
The recycling bin sits at the end of the driveway in Stratford, Ontario, Canada – blue and hopeful under the morning sun. Inside, a jumble of plastic containers – water bottles, yogurt cups, the clamshell that once held local strawberries from the St. Lawrence Market – await their promised resurrection. I place them curbside, believing in this small ritual of environmental salvation, which I have carried out for four decades. It makes me feel...
BIG team growing in number and geographic diversity
The BIG Media team keeps getting bigger, and the content keeps getting better. No sensationalism. No expert testimony. No picking sides. Just a bunch of intelligent, high-integrity people (and me) doing great research on the most important issues, and presenting their findings with logical interpretation and full transparency. This is the way news journalism is supposed to be done. Be part of the change at BIG Media. A quick summary of the BIG faces (left to right, row by...
Trump 2.0 – what does he hope to achieve, and what are his motivations?
While it seems that many would like to see Donald Trump take some lead to the brain, I am more interested in getting inside his brain. Doing my best to filter out the bluster, bravado, and gamesmanship, I attempt in this article to capture the actual intentions of Trump in his second term as president of the United States. Since Trump stepped back into the Oval Office on January 20, he has left many puzzled as...
On the Hunt – geophysicist/novelist/philosopher’s deep dives yield journalistic gems
Today, I direct the spotlight at a scientist who has consistently brought us practical knowledge on the most important matters. I have had the pleasure of working with renowned geophysicist and novelist Lee Hunt for the entire 4+ years that I have operated BIG Media Ltd. Over that time, he has tackled pressing issues with pertinent data and logical analysis. He also excels as a philosopher. He has taken on the most contentious of issues, including DEI, abortion,...