We’re back from Boskone, which included lots of fun stuff, and not enough sleep. I also cleverly forgot to bring my lecture notes home from work, which means I need to go in early to figure out what the hell I’m talking about in class today, so there’s not much time for blogging at the… Continue reading Thought Experiments Made Real
Month: February 2007
A Message from the Queen
You may think it’s the year of the pig, but know this: Every year is the Year of the Dog.
Daniel Keys Moran
Over in LiveJournal land, Kate has an open letter to Daniel Keys Moran: As someone who very nearly cries at the idea of a completed Trent novel languishing on your hard drive, may I introduce you to Lulu or Cafe Press? Both will print books from uploaded files, as they are ordered, for the price… Continue reading Daniel Keys Moran
Open Thread: Answers
Because I said so.
Open Thread: Questions
Why not leave a question in the comments?
Straight Talk About Alcohol
Inside Higher Ed has a story today about a former Middlebury College president who is launching a non-profit organization to advocate a serious discussion about drinking age laws in the US. As he notes, real data on the topic are a little hard to come by: What was striking about the research, McCardell said, was… Continue reading Straight Talk About Alcohol
Karl Schroeder, Sun of Suns [Library of Babel]
I am totally mystified by the vagaries of the publishing industry. Karl Schroeder’s latest novel, Sun of Suns apparently came out back in October, but I can’t recall ever seeing a copy in a bookstore. I think I would remember it, because he’s on my “buy immediately” list after Permanence and Lady of Mazes. And… Continue reading Karl Schroeder, Sun of Suns [Library of Babel]
New Limits on Constancy
There’s a press release on EurekAlert about new measurements limiting the change in the fine structure constant from the Time and Frequency division of NIST in Boulder: Some astronomical and geological studies suggest there might have been very small changes in the values of fundamental constants over billions of years, although the results have been… Continue reading New Limits on Constancy
Not All That Much of a Paradox, Really
In general, EuerkAlert has been a useful source for drawing my attention to interesting things that I might not otherwise notice. Every now and then, though, there are press releases that just make me faintly embarrassed for everyone involved. Such as yesterday’s announcement from LSU: Subhash Kak, Delaune Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering… Continue reading Not All That Much of a Paradox, Really
Dorky Poll: Favorite Calculational Shortcut
I’m giving an exam at 9:00 this morning– neither snow, nor more snow, nor blowing snow, nor single-digit temperatures shall stay the progress of shaping young minds. Anyway, to keep things lively while I’m proctoring the test, here’s a poll question inspired by the exam: What’s your favorite calculational shortcut? Today’s test is on basic… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Favorite Calculational Shortcut