Physics Buzz: When chemistry dunces bake “Shirley Corriher, a former research biochemist at Vanderbilt University, got her start in the kitchen burning scrambled eggs beyond all recognition. Later, when she ruined recipes while taking a cooking class, she impressed her teacher by being able to explain scientifically what had gone wrong. Red cabbage gone purple?… Continue reading Links for 2009-12-09
Month: December 2009
On Market Rates
There’s been a bit of a kerfuffle in the SF blogosphere about what writers should be paid for short fiction, which has led to a lot of people posting lists of their short fiction and what they were paid for it (Scalzi has links to most of them). This naturally leads me to wonder what… Continue reading On Market Rates
How to Teach Physics to Other People’s Dogs
John Scalzi sends along photographic proof of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog working for a dog who isn’t Emmy: This isn’t quite an “in the wild” shot, as it’s not at a store or a store-bought copy (John wrote a blurb for the book, so he got sent a copy), but we’re getting… Continue reading How to Teach Physics to Other People’s Dogs
David Stern, Eliot Spitzer, and Bernie Madoff
… walk into a bar. No, wait, that’s not what I want… In the interval before this morning’s Mike and Mike show became the Tiger Woods Scandal Hour, they were talking about Tim Donaghy and his allegations about the NBA, which basically amount to the league being just a few steps up from the WWE.… Continue reading David Stern, Eliot Spitzer, and Bernie Madoff
Links for 2009-12-08
News: Lincoln U. Ends Obesity Rule – Inside Higher Ed “For the past few weeks, “Fitness for Life” may well have been the most discussed college course around. From now on, however, no one at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania will be required to take it. The course became famous because of a requirement adopted at… Continue reading Links for 2009-12-08
Since the Last Progress Report, I Have Worked on This Progress Report
It’s that time of year again when I have to fill out my annual Faculty Activities Sheet, reporting on everything I did last academic year. Technically, I should’ve done this a while back, but it always slips into the December break. This always takes much longer than it ought to, in large part because it’s… Continue reading Since the Last Progress Report, I Have Worked on This Progress Report
Poll: Sounds of the– What?
It’s officially December, so there are no longer really solid reasons for objecting to the playing of Christmas music. With the exception of the sort of stuff that shows up in Mellowmas, that is. And speaking of Mellowmas, there is this. About which, a poll: A Bob Dylan Christmas album:(survey software) Please choose only one,… Continue reading Poll: Sounds of the– What?
Links for 2009-12-07
Sunday Conversation: The case for Pluto | SciGuy | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle The controversy just never ends… (tags: science astronomy planets media blogs) Chromoscope How the Milky Way looks at a variety of different wavelengths. (tags: astronomy space science pictures physics galaxies) Less Wrong: Parapsychology: the control group for science “There’s no particular reason… Continue reading Links for 2009-12-07
Gold, Frankincense, and Mars
I’m kind of fried from all the recent driving, and I’ve got some stuff to catch up on. So we’ll ease back into regular blogging, by posting a clip from last week’s Colbert Report with everybody’s favorite Jesuit, Brother Guy Consolmagno, talking about how alien life would affect Christianity: The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs… Continue reading Gold, Frankincense, and Mars
Links for 2009-12-06
Questions Odd and Profound – NYTimes.com “In the following pairs of excerpts, which sample, A or B, is from a Royal Society letter, explaining earnest scientific endeavor, and which is the work of a deeply skeptical satirist in the guise of Lemuel Gulliver? “ (tags: science history literature culture books) The 10 Best Books of… Continue reading Links for 2009-12-06