Links for 2011-08-25

Overblown anti-Higgs hype, just for balance.

"For the project, students were asked about their views on the state of race relations on campus. Not surprisingly (as this is the case at many places), the views of white students about the state of race relations were generally much more positive than those of minority students. Then the sociologists looked at what factors were linked to whether students had a more positive or more negative association about the state of race relations — specifically examining the impact of racial interactions in the classroom, the dormitory and the dining hall.

While students may spend more time each day in their living quarters, and may grow intellectually in the classroom, the role of dining hall experiences is paramount when it comes to defining the state of race relations, the study found, inspiring its title: "Food for Thought.""

"I am honored that you chose to work with me as your graduate advisor. Obviously, this is a mutual agreement between us since I also chose you as my student. I hope that we have a productive and beneficial collaboration together as you pursue your PhD degree.

I would like to convey to you some of my expectations, goals, plans for you so that you will have a better idea on what to expect. I would also like to tell you what you can expect from me, and maybe you can also tell me what your expectations are. Hopefully, they overlap a lot, and we have a mutual agreement on what these next few years will entail."

"What does this have to do with grit and long-term goals? Well, the only dreams worth pursuing are those that pass the underwear test. These are the pursuits that don’t bore us, even after we put in 10,000 hours of practice. They contain the kind of subtle thrills that don’t get old, that we don’t adapt to, that keep us motivated and interested for years and years at a time. Sure, there will be frustrations along the way, but these frustrations don’t feel permanent, which is what allows us to keep on working and learning and improving. Because that’s what it takes to succeed, to accomplish something interesting."