Top Physics Breakthroughs of the 13th Baktun

We’re at that time of year where people publish lists of top stories of the year, but as many crazy people will be happy to remind you, this Friday marks the end of another calendrical period, in the Mayan calendar. So, I’m going to steal an idea from a college classmate on Facebook, who wrote:… Continue reading Top Physics Breakthroughs of the 13th Baktun

On the Time for Talking

As I’m sure you wish you hadn’t heard, there was another school shooting in Connecticut on Friday, one that was hellishly awful even by the standards of such things. The Internet, of course, instantly exploded with the depressingly predictable standard response. And it’s hard to put into words just how depressing it is that there’s… Continue reading On the Time for Talking

‘Tis the Season

Chateau Steelypips Christmas Tree 2012

It was a long and irritating week, for reasons that I can’t discuss on the blog, and just when it finally looked like there might be some motion in a positive direction, I got a call from day care saying that SteelyKid had a fever and needed to be picked up immediately. But, on the… Continue reading ‘Tis the Season

How to Think Like a Scientist

Thrilling legal documents

I have made allusions to a work-in-progress at various points recently, but my general policy is not to reveal any details until things become official. Well, as you can see from the above photo of signed contracts, it’s official: I sold the work-in-progress to Basic Books, my publisher for How to Teach Relativity to Your… Continue reading How to Think Like a Scientist