You Snooze...You Lose

At 2:09 a.m. we had a 4.6 earthquake. I say we because quakes are synonymous with California. Alaska happens to be the earthquake leader in the states. But most people hear EARTHQUAKE and think, California. So, who or what can take credit for the shakers? That depends on your belief system. It could be science and the big bang, God who made the heavens and earth, or maybe even aliens. The ones from space.

This mornings earthquake was centered about 100 miles north of us above Sacramento, in the town of Cobb. So I slept through another one. Reports say it was felt in San Francisco.

It's appropriate I'm writing about earthquakes and the formation of the heavens and earth. Big news out of Geneva this morning, they found a Higgs boson. I've got to tell you the first thing I thought of was a bosun's mate from the Navy. Then I thought maybe it's those big hairy animals that lived back in western days.

After a proper search I discovered the Higgs boson is a subatomic particle that is a crucial building block of the universe. This discovery will help scientists fill in our understanding of the Big Bang. It's also been referred to as the "God particle." So, what does this mean? At this point no one really knows. This is so far above my head I couldn't reach it with a rocket. But I did have one question. What did the discovery cost?

How about $13.25 billion? That's a lot of money for something you can't see. But not really. Many different countries and institutions share the expense. To put it in perspective; the total cost of discovery is less than NASA's budget for one year, which is $17.71 billion. It's 2.2% of the yearly budget of the U.S. military. 

While this news reaches into the future and may make science fiction a reality, the week also saw the selection of a new Pope. The first know use of the title goes back almost two thousand years. The procedures of Papal conclave began in 1274 and basically, despite the years and our ever increasing technology, it's been done the same way since.

So there you have it for today and for this week. A look back and a look ahead. A little something for everyone.