Q and A – What Happened to the Golf Ball the Astronaut Hit on the Moon? – Question – NYTimes.com "Alan Shepard actually hit two balls on the Apollo 14 mission of 1971, and they are still on the Moon, he said in a 1991 interview on the Academy of Achievement Web site for students."… Continue reading links for 2008-10-14
Author: Chad Orzel
Neo-Conservative T Cells
I’ve had miserable problems with hives over the past few years. I’m not sure what it is that I’m allergic to, but I take a distressing number of pills in an attempt to control the itching. The past few days, I’ve been coming down with a cold– sinuses full of gunk, a bit of a… Continue reading Neo-Conservative T Cells
The Bright Side
Throughout the unfolding financial meltdown, I keep finding myself thinking that there might be one small, positive effect to come out of this: namely, a much-needed dose of realism and humility for market advocates. Because, really, after reading this Steven Teles post: All through the financial crisis, governments have failed to act in a powerful,… Continue reading The Bright Side
Sveriges Riksbank Prize to New York Times Columnist
The 2008 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Honor of Alfred Nobel has been awarded to Paul Krugman. Usually it’s the Peace prize that’s awarded on the basis of what will make right-wingers’ heads explode in the US. They went for a Scandawegian for that one, though, so the economics peusdo-Nobel was the next… Continue reading Sveriges Riksbank Prize to New York Times Columnist
links for 2008-10-13
Swans on Tea » Grad School Camp It’s crazy, but it just might work. (tags: academia silly education blogs) The Reality-Based Community: Palin at the Flyers: What the @#$%& Were They Thinking? Alternate title: "We Booed Santa Claus, and Governor, You’re No Santa Claus." (tags: US politics stupid) Kevin Drum – Mother Jones Blog: Troopergate… Continue reading links for 2008-10-13
Fall
Why I love New England: That’s the maple tree on the line between our house and the neighbors’. It’s always one of the first trees to turn, and it’s always spectacular when it does. It’s particularly striking when Emmy and I set off for our morning walk and the back yard is still in shadow,… Continue reading Fall
The Pope’s Astronomer, and Galileo’s Telescope
Some time back, I saw Brother Guy Consolmagno talk at Boskone, and said “You know, I should invite him to campus.” For those who don’t recognize the name, he’s an SF fan and an astronomer (well, planetary scientist) who also happens to be a Jesuit brother. He works at the Vatican Observatory, where he is… Continue reading The Pope’s Astronomer, and Galileo’s Telescope
Help Kids, Win Prizes
As you have no doubt noticed, the annual DonorsChoose fundraiser is under way, raising money to help school teachers and children. You can < ahref="http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=19006">donate directly through my challenge, but you can also help them out by voting for them in the AMEX Members Project. Voting runs through midnight Monday, and is free, though you… Continue reading Help Kids, Win Prizes
links for 2008-10-12
nanoscale views: What’s interesting about condensed matter physics "It’s amazing how many complicated phenomena result from just simple quantum mechanics + large numbers of particles, especially when interactions between the particles become important. " (tags: physics science materials blogs) PHD Comics: Undergradese "Translation: ‘Can I do my homework in your office?’" (tags: academia silly education… Continue reading links for 2008-10-12
An Open Letter to the Food Service Industry
When people attending a meeting– particularly a meeting that starts at 8am on a Saturday– elect to drink tea rather than coffee, they do so because they do not want coffee. For this reason, it is imperative that you not select the urns at random from a large pile of them, but rather use urns… Continue reading An Open Letter to the Food Service Industry