(With apologies to Georg Cantor) Theorem: There are an infinite number of stupid ways to park. Definition: We define as stupid any parking method that places any fender of a car outside the legal lines bounding the space. Proof:Consider a line L through the center of a legal parking space, parallel to the lines bounding… Continue reading The Diagonal Parking Theorem
Writing Relativity vs. Writing Quantum
Fall term classes ended yesterday, officially– my last class was Friday– so I’m shifting over to spend more time working on the sequel to How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, which involves talking to Emmy about relativity. Progress has been slower than last time, largely because the previous book was written while I was… Continue reading Writing Relativity vs. Writing Quantum
Links for 2010-11-16
An Open Letter to MFA Writing Programs (and Their Students) « Whatever “So, MFA writing programs, allow me to make a suggestion. Sometime before you hand over that sheepskin with the words “Master of Fine Arts” on it, for which your students may have just paid tens of thousands of dollars (or more), offer them… Continue reading Links for 2010-11-16
The Mild Grover
The other night at dinner, SteelyKid kept demanding that we sing. As there’s only so many times you can sing the alphabet in a row, I decided to mix it up a little, and sang her the first verse and the chorus of “The Wild Rover” (these lyrics are close to the ones I know,… Continue reading The Mild Grover
How Do You See Interference Between Independent Lasers?
This is adapted from an answer to a question at the Physics Stack Exchange site. The questioner asked: It seems that if the coherence length of a laser is big enough, it is possible to observe a (moving) interference picture by combining them. Is it true? How fast should photo-detectors be for observing of the… Continue reading How Do You See Interference Between Independent Lasers?
Links for 2010-11-15
The Shadow Scholar – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education “I’ve written toward a master’s degree in cognitive psychology, a Ph.D. in sociology, and a handful of postgraduate credits in international diplomacy. I’ve worked on bachelor’s degrees in hospitality, business administration, and accounting. I’ve written for courses in history, cinema, labor relations,… Continue reading Links for 2010-11-15
Bonus Autumnal Toddler Blogging
We had freakishly good weather today, so I went outside to get some raking done. SteelyKid came out with me to help: We also got some video of the Dinosaur Leaf Attack game we were playing, but YouTube is struggling with the file for some reason or another, so I can’t post that. The important… Continue reading Bonus Autumnal Toddler Blogging
Short Story Club: “Stereogram of the Gray Fort, in the Days of Her Glory” by Paul M. Berger
I just realized that I haven’t posted anything about this week’s Short Story Club entry, “Stereogram of the Gray Fort, in the Days of Her Glory” by Paul M. Berger.This is largely because I don’t have a great deal to say about it. This is another “After the magic apocalypse” story, only this time the… Continue reading Short Story Club: “Stereogram of the Gray Fort, in the Days of Her Glory” by Paul M. Berger
Links for 2010-11-14
Baubles vs. Hard Truths | Mother Jones “Here’s the problem: most plans to reduce the long-term deficit consist of three things: shiny baubles, smoke and mirrors, and actual deficit reduction measures. You want to minimize the former and emphasize the latter, and on that score I don’t think Simpson-Bowles does very well.” (tags: economics politics… Continue reading Links for 2010-11-14
Books for Reading Out Loud?
SteelyKid and I are currently on our second pass through the Winnie-the-Pooh book my parents got her (which is identical to the one I had as a kid). We read one story every time she goes to bed, so that’s one every night, and one at weekend nap times. She only sort of pays attention… Continue reading Books for Reading Out Loud?