Braman's Wanderings

We have had a weekend full of unhealthy air. I had plans to work in the yard, but those plans had to change.

The pictures here are from two years ago, and the interface has changed since then. However, I wanted to illustrate that for much of the weekend we have been in the Very Unhealthy range.

For the rest of the time it has been mostly in the Unhealthy range.

The smoke is coming mainly from a fire to the north, and is funneling down the Central Valley. During the week the smoke plume was higher up, but as the weekend started the smoke plume dropped down closer to the surface of the valley.

I have only gone out of the house to pick up my newspaper and to walk down the street to the mailbox. Of course, I wore a mask even to do these quick little tasks.

My grass looks somewhat like this, and really needs mowed, but I will not do yard work with the AQI so high.

The grass can just wait and grow a little bit taller. I can always set the mower on the highest setting and make two passes or use the trimmer to cut down the tallest grass. It is just too dangerous to spend too much time outside.

I am just glad that I do not have to drive through this air tomorrow and go to the office. I do need to go to the office soon, but hopefully can wait until the air quality is much better.

The good news is that the wind direction is forecast to change soon and hopefully the smoke will be carried away.

I did do some reading, including reading a book about reading. Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention by Stanislas Dehaene was an interesting book. There was really good information in this book about how reading works in the brain.

However, I disagree with his assertion that since you have to learn to read the brain was not designed and it evolved. To me, the plasticity of the brain, which allows people to learn and adapt to different cultural learning and reading methods shows that there was design. Also the ability of the brain to reprogram itself to overcome brain damage shows incredible complexity that comes from design.

Steven