Last week, Sean raised the critical academic question of when to serve food associated with a seminar talk. He did not, however, address the more important question, namely what to serve at a seminar talk. So I’ll do it, scientific-like: Which of the following items should be served at an event associated with an academic… Continue reading Seminar Food Poll
Category: Polls
The Witten Thing
I had a bit of a discussion via Twitter with Eric Weinstein yesterday, starting with his statement: Ed Witten has no Nobel Prize. Now tell me again how this era’s physics just feels different because we are too close to it. Basically, he appears to feel that Witten is sufficiently smart that he ought to… Continue reading The Witten Thing
Historical Physicist Smackdown: Precision Measurement Edition
Keeping up the string of poll questions about less-well-known physicists (started here), here’s a list of physicists who are known for having made very precise measurements of physical quanitites. Which of them is the best? Which of these physicists who made precision measurements is the best?(poll) (Note: I have deliberately limited this to physicists who… Continue reading Historical Physicist Smackdown: Precision Measurement Edition
Historical Physicist Smackdown: Optics Edition
In the same basic vein as yesterday’s post about thermodynamics, the following poll contains a list of physicists who are not household names, but who made significant contributions to the science of optics. Which of them is the best? Which of these physicists from the field of optics was the best?(polls)
Philosophy of Science Poll: Emotions
While I’m stealing post ideas from Twitter, here’s another poll question, thanks to Eric Weinstein, who wrote earlier: And @CameronNeylon, when you write “Good science means not having an (emotional) allegiance to any theory surely?” I must strongly disagree. This position results from the luxury of living on the far side of an adaptive valley… Continue reading Philosophy of Science Poll: Emotions
Historical Physicist Smackdown: Thermodynamics Edition
The question of who is the greatest physicist of the physicists who are household names– Newton, Einstein, Maxwell, etc.– has been debated thousands of times, and will undoubtedly be debated thousands of times in the future. What isn’t as often discussed is the ranking of physicists who aren’t in that rare group of household names–… Continue reading Historical Physicist Smackdown: Thermodynamics Edition
Academic Poll: To Grade, or Not to Grade?
Over at Dot Physics, Rhett wonders about the role of homework in a world that includes cramster: Then what is the problem? The problem is with my jobs. Yes, jobs. I have two jobs. My first job is to help students learn. I am a learning-faciliator if you like. I do this in many different… Continue reading Academic Poll: To Grade, or Not to Grade?
Pop Quiz: Michelson Interferometer
Inspired by one of yesterday’s easy questions, a pop quiz for you. The figure below shows a Michelson Interferometer: A laser falls on a beamsplitter, which allows half of the light to pass straight through, and reflects the other half downward. Each of those beams then hits a mirror that reflects it directly back where… Continue reading Pop Quiz: Michelson Interferometer
Canine Poll: Do You Know Your Enemy?
I’ve got a couple more things to say about Unscientific America, probably, but I opted for some more David Foster Wallace last night, and don’t feel like typing them up now, so I’ll give you all a break. Anyway, what you’re really here for is the baby and dog stuff, so here’s another poll question… Continue reading Canine Poll: Do You Know Your Enemy?
Poll: Threats and Menaces
SteelyKid’s nearly over her coxsackie virus, but has just enough spots left that we can’t take her to day care. Which means another day of baby wrangling, and another poll question chosen by the dog: What is the biggest single threat to your household security?(surveys) Emmy is convinced that we’re insufficiently serious about home defense.