Michael Riordan

Posting Citizen Journalist • Eastsound, WA • Member since Nov 25, 2016

Michael Riordan writes about science, technology and public policy from Orcas Island, where he lives and kayaks. He holds a PhD degree in physics from MIT, having worked on the experiments that led to the discovery of quarks. He has taught courses about the history of physics and technology at Stanford University and UC Santa Cruz. He is author of "The Hunting of the Quark" as well as coauthor of "The Solar Home Book", "Crystal Fire", "The Shadows of Creation", and — most recently —"Tunnel Visions: The Rise and Fall of the Superconducting Super Collider" (Chicago, 2015). Riordan has published articles and essays in "The New York Times", "Washington Post", "San Francisco Chronicle", "Seattle Times", "Harvard Business Review" and "Technology Review". A Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, he was awarded the 2002 Andrew Gemant Award by the American Institute of Physics in recognition of his efforts communicating physics and its wider cultural implications. His book "The Hunting of the Quark" is available at: http://plunkettlakepress.com/hoq.html

Articles by Michael Riordan

Recent comments

"Yes, indeed, the Senate SHOULD block these appoinments, not “could,” but will they? To me that’s the $64 billion dollar question today.

Dec 01, 2024 on
Gabbard and Hegseth. Why Are They Not Profoundly Ashamed?

"I’ve been avoiding any comment until now, instead reading and listening to what others say, and mulling things over in my mind. So now I’m ready to give [...]

Nov 16, 2024 on
The Election of Donald Trump

"This DCE phenomenon may (or may not) be related to my experience with “upcoding” at Peace Health/St. Joe’s, which charged Medicare $346.00 for a 15-minute follow-up [...]

Aug 22, 2022 on
Grand Theft - Medicare

"Aw c’mon, Dick, please give your avid readers (myself included) the benefit of your 30 years experience working with classified materials and your writerly abilities. We want to hear what [...]

Aug 15, 2022 on
CONFIDENTIAL. SECRET. TOP SECRET. That's it!

"Easy, Dick. Government officials from the DHHS versus Medicare Advantage plan employees. But in cases of appeal, which I am currently doing, Medicare apparently offloads the responsibility of at least [...]

Aug 15, 2022 on
Medicare Advantage. The Government Wants Your Comments.