The building where my office is is one of those 60’s era brick buildings with lots of basically identical little offices arranged along indistinguishable hallways. Tenured professors are known to get lost in there trying to find specific offices. To make it a little easier, some of us decorate our doors: The key identifying the… Continue reading Dorky Poll: The View from (Outside) Your Office
Category: Academia
Career Alternatives for Physics PH.D.’s
Physics World has an interview with Alastair Reynolds, who was trained as an astrophysicist but is now a full-time SF author: How does your physics training help with your writing? Less than people imagine. I think the most important attribute for a science-fiction writer is to be fascinated by science — in all its manifestations.… Continue reading Career Alternatives for Physics PH.D.’s
Reverse Age Discrimination?
While I’m ranting about Inside Higher Ed articles that pissed me off, here’s another. Rob Weir walked uphill through the snow to his first academic job, and thinks the academy shouldn’t be hiring the spoiled kids we have these days: [J]ust about one year ago the popular media sounded alarmist notes about how “gray” the… Continue reading Reverse Age Discrimination?
The College Football Bowl Picture
Over at Inside Higher Ed, they have a piece looking at the state of college football as we enter bowl season. This is dominated by two large tables of numbers, one good, and one bad. The first table is the good one, as it explains why the college football “championship” is so messed up. It… Continue reading The College Football Bowl Picture
Dorky Poll: Cleanliness is Next to…?
Via Kate, a story from a legal blog about a decisions in the case of a messy professor: “Clean your room or get out!” Words from a frustrated parent to a messy teenager? Not quite. The mess-maker in this case was a chemistry professor at the University of Texas, who ignored repeated warnings to clean… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Cleanliness is Next to…?
America’s Best Churches
This could easily be a Links Dump item, but it’s so good that it deserves more prominent placement. Inside Higher Ed has a spoof Editor’s Note from an imaginary US News & World Report ranking of churches: In thanking those who took the time to write, I would remind all in the community of believers… Continue reading America’s Best Churches
Inside Peer Review
Over at Unqualified Offerings, “Thoreau” offers some musings about peer review. I saw this and said, “Aha! The perfect chance to dust off an old post, and free up some time…” Sadly, I already recycled the post in question, so I feel obliged to be less lazy and contribute some new content. I generally agree… Continue reading Inside Peer Review
Scientist as Detective
On a happier science-related note, the AIP’s Physics News Update highlights a very nice article in The American Journal of Physics about the wide-ranging scientific investigations of Luis Alvarez: Scientist as detective: Luis Alvarez and the pyramid burial chambers, the JFK assassination, and the end of the dinosaurs Luis Alvarez (1911-1988) was one of the… Continue reading Scientist as Detective
To Whom It May Concern
I am writing this letter in support of J. Randomstudent’s application to your graduate or professional program. I have known J. since the fall of 20__, when he was a student in my introductory physics class. From the very first day of that course, J. was a constant presence on my grade roster. I assume… Continue reading To Whom It May Concern
The Pipeline Problem
Inside Higher Ed has an article on yet another study of why there aren’t more conservatives in academia: Colleges have been increasingly competing to offer “family friendly” policies — in the hopes of attracting the best academic talent from a pool of Ph.D.’s that includes both more women than ever before as well as many… Continue reading The Pipeline Problem