I realize it’s been several years now since the World Wildlife Federation won their lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation, forcing Vince McMahon to re-brand his whole preposterous enterprise. Still, when I see a press release with the headline: WWF seeks innovative solutions to bycatch through worldwide competition I expect the “competition” to be settled… Continue reading Jesse Ventura Is to Blame for This
Author: Chad Orzel
Blackboard and WebAssign
Several other people in the department have started using WebAssign to handle homework assignments in the introductory class, because it provides a way to assign and grade daily homework without forcing the faculty member to do a ton of grading (the college has a policy against student graders). WebAssign takes textbook problems, randomizes the numbers… Continue reading Blackboard and WebAssign
How Far Did You Roam as a Child?
Via Kathryn Cramer (on Facebook, of all places), an article from the Daily Mail about how kids these days don’t get around much: When George Thomas was eight he walked everywhere. It was 1926 and his parents were unable to afford the fare for a tram, let alone the cost of a bike and he… Continue reading How Far Did You Roam as a Child?
links for 2009-01-27
We Need a Civilian GI Bill :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education’s Source for News, Views and Jobs "Unlike the original bill, which rewarded service, this new bill would be a rescue measure. As in the past, a primary goal would be to decrease pressure on what today is a shrinking job market and… Continue reading links for 2009-01-27
The Graveyard Book Wins Newbery Medal
In what will surely come as a surprise to the people who say mean things about the award, the John Newbery Medal for children’s literature was awarded to Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. Mr. Gaiman, 48, won for “The Graveyard Book,” a story about a boy who is raised in a cemetery by ghosts after… Continue reading The Graveyard Book Wins Newbery Medal
Gatekeeping vs. Bad Teaching
Much of LiveJournal has been sunk in a sea of suck for the last couple of weeks, but there’s a really interesting discussion of science education over at “Faraday’s Cage is where you put Schroedinger’s Cat.” The first post has to do with the idea of “gatekeeping”: In my class today, a very brief discussion… Continue reading Gatekeeping vs. Bad Teaching
Editing and its Discontents
FemaleScienceProfessor posted a few days ago about “intense” editing of scholarly writing, and the different reactions students have to the experience: Although an individual student’s response to being intensely edited can vary with time and mood, there tend to be typical responses from each student. These typical responses are no doubt related to very deep… Continue reading Editing and its Discontents
links for 2009-01-26
Gold saved! RSC Italian Job competition is won | RSC Blog After all that waiting, you can finally know what Charlie Croker was thinking in the most famous cliffhanger in film history. (tags: science physics silly movies) Analysis of a head of a beer over time | Dot Physics Making physics relevant to student concerns.… Continue reading links for 2009-01-26
13 Things That Don’t Make Sense, by Michael Brooks
Michael Brooks’s 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense turned up on a lot of “Best science books of 2008” lists, and the concept of a book about scientific anomalies seemed interesting, so I ordered it from Amazon. It’s a quick read (a mere 210 pages, and breezily written), but ultimately a frustrating book. It took… Continue reading 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense, by Michael Brooks
Science Is What Makes Us Human
In his inaugural address, President Obama pledged to “restore science to its rightful place.” Following up on that, the Corporate Masters have launched the Rightful Place Project, asking bloggers, readers, and scientists to define the rightful place of science. Many of these responses will focus on narrow matters of policy, but as many have said… Continue reading Science Is What Makes Us Human