A Plan and a Story

SteelyKid at work on a plan

OK, here’s my idea: We put a leash on Emmy and we put her up on top of this rock that’s on top of all these other rocks. Then she jumps down into these petals. so she’ll be safe. And you pull on the leash so she jumps down a little faster. I’m down here… Continue reading A Plan and a Story

Deficit Models, Bureaucratic Empathy, and Work-Life Juggling

Every now and then, I run across a couple of items that tie together a whole bunch of different issues that weigh heavily on my mind. That happened yesterday courtesy of Timothy Burke, whose blog post about an NPR story is so good that there aren’t enough +1 buttons on the entire Internet for it.… Continue reading Deficit Models, Bureaucratic Empathy, and Work-Life Juggling

Dinner in the Invisible Kingdom

SteelyKid with the "kingdom" she built with magnetic tiles.

[Scene: Dinner at Chateau SteelyPips. DADDY is starting to say something about his day at work, when STEELYKID interrupts.] STEELYKID: If you eat too many hot dogs, you’ll turn into a hot dog! DADDY: That would be pretty silly. Luckily, you’re eating chicken for dinner. Eat your chicken. STEELYKID: There’s a magic hot dog, and… Continue reading Dinner in the Invisible Kingdom

Science Online Advice: Overthinking Online Privacy

This is the third post in which I’m pulling a revise-and-extend job on some things I said at Science Online at a few panels on bloggy stuff, and the one I’m least settled about. Previous posts covered the in how-to-do-outreach session (posted Monday and the blogging long term session (posted yesterday). This one covers the… Continue reading Science Online Advice: Overthinking Online Privacy

Cute Kid Update

SteelyKid with the "kingdom" she built with magnetic tiles.

It’s been a good while since I did any Cute Kid Blogging, due to excessive busy-ness. There’s big news among the younger residents of Chateau Steelypips, though: SteelyKid lost one of her front teeth the other day: That gap? Wasn’t there on Friday morning. Lest you think we’re horrible people who let her run headfirst… Continue reading Cute Kid Update

Blast From the Past: Letter to and From Luis Alvarez

My letter to Luis Alvarez and his reply

I have mentioned before that when I was a kid, I wrote a letter to Luis Alvarez, the 1968 Nobel laureate in Physics, asking some questions about his theory that an asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs, which had been featured in a NOVA special. I got a very nice letter back from him, very graciously… Continue reading Blast From the Past: Letter to and From Luis Alvarez