That’s shocking mostly in a Claude-Rains-in-Casablanca sort of sense (“I am shocked–shocked!”), but there are a couple of stories in Inside Higher Ed this morning presenting new findings that seem like they ought to be really obvious. The first is a new study of the University of California system that finds that different majors are […]
Month: June 2007
Hugo Nominees: Best Novella
I’ve never really understood the distinction between “Novellas” and “Novelettes”– I know it’s a length thing, but I don’t have a good feel for where the dividing line is, and I can never remember which is longer. And, as far as I can tell, the only place this ever comes up is in SF awards. […]
“Supersolids:” Make Up Your Mind, Already
The mysterious saga of “supersolid” helium continues this week. If you recall, there were some new results a little while back showing that the effect depends on disorder in the samples, followed by neutron scattering studies that didn’t show the expected distribution of states in the sample. These results suggest that something else is going […]
Big Media Me
The video link I posted earlier appears to require some plug-in to play, which is a pain in the ass. I’m going to try posting it via YouTube, then, and see if that’s better behaved.
Scientists in the Media
Tara’s post about science journalism has sparked a lively discussion, with John Wilkins, Chris Mooney and Carl Zimmer joining Jennifer Ouellette in defending science journalists. Interestingly, this all sprang up yesterday, on a day when I wound up appearing on tv.
Ranking the Unmeasurable
Today’s Inside Higher Ed has a story about growing resistance to the US News rankings: In the wake of meetings this week of the Annapolis Group — an organization of liberal arts colleges — critics of the U.S. News & World Report college rankings are expecting a significant increase in the number of institutions where […]
Baghdad Update: Mosques
My friend Paul, the Official Middle East Correspondant of Uncertain Principles, has been doing another rotation in Baghdad, and has sent an update on the “surge.” This latest dispatch describes some… reliability issues with the Iraqui police forces who are supposed to be stepping up to provide internal security. There’s a certain Monty Python element […]
Uncertainty by David Lindley
One of my colleagues raves about David Lindley’s Where Does the Weirdness Go? as a basic introduction to odd quantum effects, but somehow, I’ve never managed to get around to reading any of his books until now. I recently had a need to know a bit more about the historical development of quantum theory, though, […]
Great Moments in Student Course Evaluations
In response to a question about “Other aspects of the instructor’s teaching,” one student in my recently completed E&M class wrote: Prof. Orzel gives the impression of an everyday guy who just happens to have a vast but hidden knowledge of physics and the course was taught in that slightly utilitarian approach. I’ve been looking […]
Non-Dorky Poll: Bad Wedding Songs
It’s the first day of the summer research session today, which means I’m going to be run ragged getting my three (!) summer students started with their various projects. So, here’s a pop-culture post inspired by the wedding Kate and I went to over the weekend: What’s the most inappropriate song you’ve heard played at […]