Steven Gould’s 1992 YA novel Jumper is one of my favorites in the category, a story about an abused teen who discovers that he has the ability to teleport, and how he uses that power to make a better life for himself. It’s very much in the tradition of the famous Heinlein juveniles, though with… Continue reading Steven Gould, Jumper: Griffin’s Story [Library of Babel]
Month: September 2007
Non-Dorky Poll: Silver and Gold
The Silver Pavilion: The Golden Pavilion: Which do you like better?
Occasional Random Pop Songs Post
I had a 9pm intramural hoops game last night (the other team didn’t show, so we won by forfeit, but it still pushed bedtime back a bit), and I have an 8am meeting today, not to mention the beginning of a nasty head cold that is turning my brain to cotton wool. Sounds like a… Continue reading Occasional Random Pop Songs Post
Many Worlds, Many Headaches
So, I’ve put myself into a position where I need to spend a substantial amount of time thinking about weird foundational issues in quantum mechanics. This has revealed to me just why it is that not that many people spend a substantial amount of time thinking about weird foundational issues in quantum mechanics. Let’s consider… Continue reading Many Worlds, Many Headaches
Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions
Physics World has a somewhat puzzling news article about the solar system: Physicists have known for some time that the motions of Pluto and the inner planets are chaotic. This means that a small external force on a planet could, over time, cause a major change in the position of the planet within its orbit.… Continue reading Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions
Guilty Pleasures
Sean Carroll is disappointed with academia, at least as revealed through the Chronicle of Higher Ed’s article on guilty pleasures of academics: As it turns out, compared to my colleagues I’m some sort of cross between Hunter S. Thompson and Caligula. Get a load of some of these guilty pleasures: Sudoku. Riding a bike. And… Continue reading Guilty Pleasures
Pimp Me New Music
It’s been over a month since I last hit iTunes for new music, which is a long time for me. I’m going to be going on a mini buying spree tonight, so I have a simple question for my musically inclined readers: What albums from the last couple of months should I be getting at… Continue reading Pimp Me New Music
Non-Dorky Poll: Giant Buddha Smackdown
A simple question: We have the Great Buddha at Nara: and the Great Buddha at Kamakura: Which is better?
The Great Beer Mystery
I was just reminded again of a mysterious thing in Yokohama, that some readers may be able to help with. One of the first nights we were in Yokohama, I went up to the bar on the 70th floor, just to see what it was like. I was neither cool enough nor rich enough to… Continue reading The Great Beer Mystery
Good Sports Weekend
I had a long post about Norman Spinrad all typed up when Firefox crashed, so you’ll have to wait for train-wrecky SF goodness. So here’s some sports commentary to pass the time. It was a good sports weekend in Chateau Steelypips: 1) I don’t really follow college football, but I do have a certain affection… Continue reading Good Sports Weekend