I’m teaching my “Brief History of Timekeeping” class again this term, and as always, I’m tweaking things a bit. This is one of our “Sophomore Research Seminar” courses, intended to introduce students to academic research, so it’s not specifically a physics class, but I’m choosing to take the statements about research outside the student’s field… Continue reading Semi-Competent Astrophotography and Sidereal Days
Category: Physics
The Sun Is Red Because The Sky Is Blue
SteelyKid missed the bus this morning– she was dressed and ready, but I was talking to Kate, and if there isn’t a person at the end of the driveway when the bus comes around the corner, they won’t stop. So I drove her over to school myself (which is faster, anyway). The GE research lab… Continue reading The Sun Is Red Because The Sky Is Blue
Science Story: Letters to Famous Physicists
(When I launched the Advent Calendar of Science Stories series back in December, I had a few things in mind, but wasn’t sure I’d get through 24 days. In the end, I had more than enough material, and in fact didn’t end up using a few of my original ideas. So I’ll do a few… Continue reading Science Story: Letters to Famous Physicists
PNAS: Mark Jackson, Crowd-Funding Entrepreneur
I’ve decided to do a new round of profiles in the Project for Non-Academic Science (acronym deliberately chosen to coincide with a journal), as a way of getting a little more information out there to students studying in STEM fields who will likely end up with jobs off the “standard” academic science track. The fourteenth… Continue reading PNAS: Mark Jackson, Crowd-Funding Entrepreneur
Eureka: Discovering Your Inner (New) Scientist
Two new items about Eureka: Discovering Your Inner Scientist: 1) WAMC has now posted the interview I did with Joe Donahue on The Roundtable. This was a fun interview, and covers a number of examples from the book, so I think gives you a really nice sense of what it’s all about. 2) There’s a… Continue reading Eureka: Discovering Your Inner (New) Scientist
What Does a Faster-Than-Light Object Look Like?
I exchanged a bunch of emails a week or two ago with a journalist who was working on a story involving the possibility of faster-than-light travel. He wanted me to check some statements about the relationship between FTL and causality. FTL creates problems for causality, because if you have an object moving faster than light,… Continue reading What Does a Faster-Than-Light Object Look Like?
PNAS: Dr. Mathochist, Software Engineer
I’ve decided to do a new round of profiles in the Project for Non-Academic Science (acronym deliberately chosen to coincide with a journal), as a way of getting a little more information out there to students studying in STEM fields who will likely end up with jobs off the “standard” academic science track. The thirteenth… Continue reading PNAS: Dr. Mathochist, Software Engineer
Diversity Is Frustrating: Cartoon Polygon Physics
Back in December, The Parable of the Polygons took social media by storm. It’s a simple little demonstration of how relatively small biases can lead to dramatic segregation effects, using cute cartoon polygons. You should go read it, if you haven’t already. I’ll wait. This post isn’t really about that. I mean, it is, but… Continue reading Diversity Is Frustrating: Cartoon Polygon Physics
Science Story: Night Owls
(When I launched the Advent Calendar of Science Stories series back in December, I had a few things in mind, but wasn’t sure I’d get through 24 days. In the end, I had more than enough material, and in fact didn’t end up using a few of my original ideas. So I’ll do a few… Continue reading Science Story: Night Owls
PNAS: Brandon Bartell, Business Analyst
I’ve decided to do a new round of profiles in the Project for Non-Academic Science (acronym deliberately chosen to coincide with a journal), as a way of getting a little more information out there to students studying in STEM fields who will likely end up with jobs off the “standard” academic science track. The twelfth… Continue reading PNAS: Brandon Bartell, Business Analyst