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Mostofusgrewupthink- ing there were very few other planets in our galaxy, and per- haps in the uni- verse. Recent ev- idence from new telescopes and more accurate measurements indicates that there might be even more plan- ets than stars in our own galaxy. This is a radical depar- ture from the "truth" we had been taught in school. We can- not help asking the question, "What if there are other sen- tient beings on some of those planets?" Theologians shutter when forced to think about extra- terrestrial sentient life forms. Some religions do not have room to accommodate a Cre- ator who would not limit the pinnacle of that creation to a single planet. Perhaps their Creator is too small. Comedians, of course ask, "Are there even sentient be- ings on Earth?" At this time of the election cycle it seems less likely that there are, but I still hold out hope that mankind on Earth has a chance to get its act together. Science fiction has thrived on the assumption of other in- telligent life forms through- out the universe, inventing Star Trek-like "warp drives" to exceed the speed of light in order to overcome the vast distances that separate us from one another; in the best selling science fiction se- ries Dune, the space ship pi- lots who have consumed large quantities of the sand worm byproduct called "spice" use their enhanced mental powers to guide their vessels through the "folds" of space. Astronomers have also re- cently viewed the formation of galactic clusters; since light travels at a known speed, they can calculate that these clus- ters were in the formation process 13.5 billion years ago. The vastness of this kind of time scale is really incompre- hensible. A science teacher I worked with said his students had lost their sense of wonder; they watch television shows where heroes jump from one end of the universe to the other, all between commer- cials. Most of us cannot com- prehend the vastness of our universe. In contrast to the sciences of cosmology and astronomy, scientists using microscopes are learning more about less. The lowly flat worm, the pla- narian, is able to reproduce it- self if cut in half. If you cut off the head, the head regenerates a new tail. Likewise the tail regenerates a new head. I sup- pose in this way it can divide and conquer. The peculiar thing about the planarian is that its cells do not contain a key struc- ture found in the cells of ev- ery other living animal—the centrosome. In cell biology, the centrosome is an organ- elle that serves as the main microtubule organizing center (MTOC) of the animal cell as well as a regulator of cell-cy- cle progression. It was discov- ered by Edouard Van Beneden in 1883. Centrosomes are re- quired for survival of an or- ganism according to scien- tists. This discovery about the planarium poses a conun- drum for scientist who had as- sumed that the centrosome was a necessary ingredient to a cell. It creates a puzzle for those scientists who are work- ing in the field of regenerative medicine; most research now has focused on stem cells. It is unclear where the discovery about the lowly planarian will lead us. Nevertheless, its dis- covery will require a reexam- ination of many accepted no- tions of life. These new discoveries are part of the slow growth of ba- sic science; progress in basic science does not happen with great rapidity, but it evolves over time as new generations of scientists build upon the work of prior generations, of- ten using new technologies to observe the complex creation where we live. Sometimes this progress is rather smooth in- crements; in many cases, how- ever, it happens haphazardly as new evidence about our creation is discovered. For centuries we believed the sun revolved around the earth, and despite some clues that now seem obvious, we assumed the world was flat. Once a spherical earth be- came common knowledge we gave little thought to the pos- sibility of a flat earth. Technology, the applica- tion of science to the real world evolves at a far faster rate than basic science. Most of us have lived through sev- eral great leaps in technol- ogy. We take for granted the power of our cell phones, but less than 50 years ago the computing power in our hand held phones would have taken up an entire air con- ditioned room. We almost take that kind of progress for granted, and once our fingers and minds have absorbed the new technology we embrace the new conveniences it pro- vides. Just look at all those people walking with their heads down, thumbing their cell phones. While we em- brace new technologies be- cause they often make our lives simpler, new discoveries in basic science are often dis- arming because they can con- flict with long held views we have about the world around us. This conflict creates what is called cognitive dissonance. As one expert put it, "This [cognitive dissonance]is the feeling of uncomfortable ten- sion which comes from hold- ing two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time." Another has described it this way: "Cognitive dissonance is the mental conflict that peo- ple experience when they are presented with evidence that their beliefs or assumptions are wrong." Those who em- brace a literal interpretation of the Bible, for example, ex- perience stress when told that science has discovered that the Bible is not scientifically accurate. When we experience cognitive dissonance we really have three choices: change our behavior or thinking, jus- tify our behavior or thinking by rationalizing it, or dismiss- ing whatever causes the dis- sonance. Over the long span of time humankind has had to overcome cognitive disso- nance and view the world dif- ferently. I am optimistic that will continue. Editor's note: The column was originally published Feb. 4, 2012. JoeHarropisaretired educator with more than 30 years of service to the North State. He can be reached at DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. JoeHarrop What's new under the sun? Cartoonist's take Proposedfueltax increase Editor: Did you know that Califor- nia law makers have taken the millions and millions of tax dollars we pay at the fuel pumps, money that is only sup- posed to go toward building and maintaining our roads, and reallocated toward other projects? Did you know that the main project that these funds have been diverted to is that high-speed train to no- where? If that thing even gets built, will it ever serve Red Bluff? Now, to add insult to injury, our California law makers are proposing a $52-Billion bailout of additional tax that we will pay at the pumps, money that they say they will use to fix our roads. I don't believe that they will use that money correctly either, do you? For me, an independent trucker, fuel is already close to $3.00 per gallon. This new tax would push the fuel price up to near $3.73 per gallon. We al- ready pay about $1.00 per gal- lon tax, money that has been misused — stolen. So big deal, just pay the 73 cents more per gallon. The problem is that results in $73.00 per day taken right out of my house- hold earnings!!! If I only work 20 days each month, that is a monthly decrease of $1,460 right off our dinner table. How many of us here in Red Bluff can afford $1460 a month less from their family budget? Not me. — Stan Kolbert, Red Bluff No more taxes Editor: The state of California is al- ready over taxed but the infra- structure is still in very bad shape. Governor Brown has ruined us for the second time and as his parting gift wants to leave us with the boondoggle bul- let train. It's time for the residents of California to stand and say enough is enough. We're the laughing stock of the whole country because of some of the idiots in the state government. Adding more taxes to al- ready over taxed residents is ludicrous. — Linda Davidson, Red Bluff Say no to Senate Bill 1 Editor: Sacramento has it's hands out again, looking for an enor- mous increase in gas taxes and vehicle registration fees via SB 1. Our representatives drive state furnished cars and use state gas cards and so are somewhat insulated from the budget woes the rest of us ex- perience with fuel costs and DMV fees. Actually only a small por- tion of the funds collected by SB 1 are ear marked for road repair. Money can be diverted directly to that darned train our governor wants to try to build that even the feds won't help him fund. These transportation cost increases are aimed directly at those who need to use cars and trucks to get to work, food and health care that's located in places that they can't afford to live. Yeah, this is aimed right at the poorest of us. It's time to start complaining loudly enough so that Sacramento hears. — David Barnes, Red Bluff County should ban marijuana Editor: I think it would be awesome if Tehama County would be the first county in California to take a stance not to legalize recreational marijuana. Even though the voters have voted to pass the recreational use it is still against federal law. The states actually have no jurisdiction to legalize any narcotics for recreational use, which are categorized a sched- ule one illegal drug. Narcotics are governed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, which operates under the De- partment of Justice Federal Of- fices. The DEA enforces federal anti-drug laws and investi- gates major drug sales and dis- tribution of these narcotics. The DEA has been involved in the national controversy over medical marijuana serv- ing as the federal govern- ment's enforcer in going after local cannabis clubs and oth- ers who allow distribution of marijuana that even includes states and local government, city councils and supervisors, if they're incline to do so. I do believe in medical mar- ijuana over some opioids it helps thousands of people who do not want the possible side effects some other prescription drugs cause. There used to be two differ- ent departments, the Bureau of Narcotics was in the Treasury Department and was respon- sible for the control of mari- juana and narcotics, such as heroin. The other was the Bu- reau of Drug Abuse Control in the Department of Health, Ed- ucation and Welfare, was re- sponsible for the control of "dangerous" drugs, including depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens, such as LSD. In 1969 President Lyndon Johnson introduced legisla- tion that combined the two into one agency: The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, located in the Depart- ment of Justice. In 1970 Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act Ti- tle II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. In an effort to help stem the illegal distribution of pre- scription pain killers, Con- gressional supporters of DEA tried to grant the law enforce- ment agency the power to dis- approve new healthcare drugs. Ultimately the plan was scut- tled by the House-Senate con- ference committee. Colorado has a bill pending in the legislature that would allow pot growers and retailers to reclassify their recreational pot as medical pot instead of the recreational pot knowing it will cost them more than $100 million a year in taxes. Colorado needs this reclassi- fication to protect them from a potential federal crackdown and this could happen to any or all states that allow recre- ational marijuana. Please let's be smart about this. We couldn't afford to lose any more tax dollars. Let's wait until the FDA changes the classification of marijuana from a schedule one narcotic. — Kathy Nelson, Red Bluff Letters to the editor The lowly flat worm, the planarian, is able to reproduce itself if cut in half. If you cut off the head, the head regenerates a new tail. Likewise the tail regenerates a new head. I suppose in this way it can divide and conquer. State and National Assemblyman James Galla- gher, 2060 Talbert Drive, Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530 895-4217, http://ad03.asmrc.org/ Senator Jim Nielsen, 2634 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530 879-7424, senator. nielsen@senate.ca.gov Governor Jerry Brown, State Capital Building, Sacramento 95814, 916 445-2841, fax 916 558- 3160, governor@governor.ca.gov U.S. Representative Doug La- Malfa, 507 Cannon House Of- fice Building, Washington D.C. 20515, 202 225-3076 U.S. Senator Dianne Fein- stein, One Post St., Ste. 2450, San Francisco 94104, 415 393- 0707, fax 415 393-0710 U.S. Senator Kamala Har- ris, 501 I St., Ste. 7-600, Sacra- mento 95814, 916 448-2787, fax 202 228-3865 Local Tehama County Supervisors, 527-4655 District 1, Steve Chamblin, Ext. 3015 District 2, Candy Carlson, Ext. 3014 District 3, Dennis Garton, Ext. 3017 District 4, Bob Williams, Ext. 3018 District 5, Burt Bundy, Ext. 3016 Red Bluff City Manager, Rich- ard Crabtree, 527-2605, Ext. 3061 Corning City Manager, Kris- tina Miller, 824-7033 YOUR OFFICIALS Joe Harrop ChipThompson, Editor How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: Daily News 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Saturday, April 8, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4