Author: Chad Orzel

An Incomplete List of Pop-Culture References in How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog

I’ve been going through the manuscript for the book making up a list of glossary words (a frighteningly long list), and also noting miscellaneous pop-cultural references– quotes, direct mentions, paraphrases, etc. I’m sure I’ve missed a few– many of them occur in section titles, which my eyes tend to slide right over as I read… Continue reading An Incomplete List of Pop-Culture References in How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog

Grade Inflation? Blame the Baby Boomers

A lot of pixels have been spent discussing this study of grade inflation, brought to most people’s attention via this New York Times blog. The key graph is this one, showing the fraction of grades given in each letter category over the last fifty years: Lots of effort is being put into trying to explain… Continue reading Grade Inflation? Blame the Baby Boomers

Links for 2011-07-19

Views: Perspective in Math and Art – Inside Higher Ed “As a mathematician, I expect that people at parties will tell me that they’re no good at math. I’m used to my fellow professors confessing their ignorance of my subject. I understand that many of my students think math is hard and scary. That’s why… Continue reading Links for 2011-07-19

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Negotiations Break Down Again; Administration Warns of Possible Depression

(A white house, Niskayuna, NY) Negotiations stalled for the 125th consecutive minute, dashing early hopes that a compromise might be reached in the tense talks that have gripped this otherwise quiet suburban neighborhood. As the crisis enters its third hour, both sides reiterated their long-standing positions. “It’s 8:45pm, MythBusters is over, it’s time to go… Continue reading Negotiations Break Down Again; Administration Warns of Possible Depression

What This Panel Needs Is an Editor: “Book Inflation” at Readercon

This past weekend, Kate and I were at Readercon, a SF convention outside Boston. This particular con is, as the name suggests, very literary in nature, and features a lot of panels of a more academic inclination. Unfortunately, my feelings about the humanities side of academia are in the “Oh, please,” phase of their oscillation,… Continue reading What This Panel Needs Is an Editor: “Book Inflation” at Readercon

Quantitative Comparisons Between Disciplines

As many a thoughtless person has observed when learning what I do for a living, physics is really hard. But you may have wondered just how much harder is physics than other subjects? Well, now, we have a quantitative answer: This is a shelf of books at the Burlington, MA Barnes and Noble, clearly showing… Continue reading Quantitative Comparisons Between Disciplines

Belated Paparazzi Blogging 071511

Yesterday’s foray into procrastination by mathematical modeling forced me to shift some actual work into the evening hours, which meant that I completely forgot about Toddler Blogging. Which is fine, because lately SteelyKid has been reacting to cameras in approximately the same way as the reclusive celebrity of your choice, so all my pictures of… Continue reading Belated Paparazzi Blogging 071511

Links for 2011-07-15

Guest Blog: Why Is Quantum Gravity So Hard? And Why Did Stalin Execute the Man Who Pioneered the Subject? In fact, the field of quantum gravity was born in 1916, even before physicists had properly explained the other fundamental forces, electromagnetism and the nuclear forces. Twenty years later, a young Russian physicist by the name… Continue reading Links for 2011-07-15

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