Timothy Burke has a typically excellent post about the problems with academic tenure. Not the usual “It’s an abomination that prevents that Magic Power of the Market from working its wonders” complaint from outside, but problems from the academic side: Oso Raro and Tenured Radical underline one of the biggest problems with the tenure system… Continue reading Mysteries of Tenure
Category: Academia
You’ve Got to Have Money to Learn Math
EurekAlert provides the latest dispatch from the class war, the the form of a release headlined ” Family wealth may explain differences in test scores in school-age children“: The researchers found a marked disparity in family wealth between Black and White families with young children, with White families owning more than 10 times as many… Continue reading You’ve Got to Have Money to Learn Math
Literary Divination
Over at Making Light, Abi has proposed a parlour game using books as Tarot cards. As always for Making Light, the resulting comment thread is full of dizzyingly erudite responses, and clever literary in-jokes. But it strikes me that there’s a fundamental flaw in the game– Abi’s examples all involve selected works, chosen to be… Continue reading Literary Divination
Uncomfortable Questions: Physics Curriculum
Johan Larson asks: How would you change the requirements and coursework for the undergraduate Physics major? This is a good one, but it’s a little tough to answer. I have ideas about things I’d like to change locally, but I’m not sure I really have the perspective I would need to be able to say… Continue reading Uncomfortable Questions: Physics Curriculum
Uncomfortable Questions: Infuriating Student Habits
Anon_student asks: You seem to enjoy teaching most of the time, but what traits/habits in students absolutely infuriate you? Hoo, boy. There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one… If I’m allowed to group things together into a larger category of offense (and it’s my blog, so I can do what I damn… Continue reading Uncomfortable Questions: Infuriating Student Habits
Uncomfortable Questions: Research University
“A” asks: Given the chance, would you take a job at a major research-university, or do you enjoy teaching a lot and doing some research at your small liberal arts college? My first answer is “no,” though I guess it would depend on the terms of the offer. In general terms, though, I’m very happy… Continue reading Uncomfortable Questions: Research University
Women of AMO Physics
Via Steinn, a “meme” asking people to name women in science: Rules: 1. You can’t choose people from your own institution or company. 2. You can’t google or use the internet to aid in your search. (But if you know someone is a scientist, but not sure what disciple, you can look that up). 3.… Continue reading Women of AMO Physics
Reforming Intro Labs
Over at Physics and Physicists, ZapperZ is thinking about the intro curriculum, and offers a suggestion: I believe that we should have a more open-ended experiment to be given to the students. So I’ll give an example. Note that while thing is something that I’ve thought about for a while, I’m still writing this off… Continue reading Reforming Intro Labs
Interstellar Economics
Paul Krugman is now a famour economist, but many years ago, he was “an oppressed assistant professor, caught up in the academic rat race.” So, he did what any good academic would do in that situation: he wrote a silly paper to cheer himself up. In this case, a paper discussing the issues that arise… Continue reading Interstellar Economics
Tips for Speakers
Over at the new(ish) Of Two Minds, Shelley has posted a video giving advice on scientific presentations from a couple of guys at Michigan. They offer a few quick tips to giving better presentations: Know your material well enough to give it without slides Skip the outline (for short talks in particular) Minimize text on… Continue reading Tips for Speakers