We had a meeting yesterday with the chair of the CS department, who wanted to know about our computing needs. Sadly, she just meant that she wanted to know what computing things we would like our students to be taught, because my real computing need, as I said to Kate last night, is “I need… Continue reading The Computer Industry Is Making Us Crazy
Links for 2010-02-10
News: Anything But Studying – Inside Higher Ed “Students’ relatively small dedication of time to out-of-class studying has remained about the same since the survey was first conducted in 2003. In 2008, students in the physical sciences and engineering averaged 15.1 hours each week on out-of-class academic work; while students in the biological sciences reported… Continue reading Links for 2010-02-10
Radio DogPhysics: Northern Great Plains Edition
Just a reminder, I will be on KSOO radio Tuesday evening, 6:30 pm ET, if you’d like to hear about How to Teach Physics to Your Dog on the radio at the end of an extremely long day. If you’re in broadcast range of Sioux Falls, SD, tune it in, or you can listen live… Continue reading Radio DogPhysics: Northern Great Plains Edition
Non-Dorky Poll: Time to Rise and Shine
No substantive blogging for you today, as my alarm clock decided not to go off, causing me to oversleep by the hour that I usually spend on bloggy things. So that you’re not left without blog-related entertainment, though, here’s an appropriate poll topic: How early do you have to set your alarm to get to… Continue reading Non-Dorky Poll: Time to Rise and Shine
Links for 2010-02-09
BBC News – More cat owners ‘have degrees’ than dog-lovers My favorite bit is the note that “Cat and dog numbers were last estimated in a scientific peer-reviewed journal in 1989,” because, of course, peer review is critical to the process… (tags: pets dog society education social-science) Bright Idea: The First Lasers — A history… Continue reading Links for 2010-02-09
Amazing Laser Application 1: Light Show!
What’s the application? The use of lasers to provide an entertaining light show for humans, dogs, or cats. What problem(s) is it the solution to? 1) “How will I entertain my dog or cat?” 2) “How can we distract people from the fact that Roger Daltrey has no voice left?”
Laser Smackdown: The Finalists
A couple of weeks ago, I announced a contest to determine the Most Amazing Laser Application. After a follow-up post listing the likely candidates, we have a final list of candidate applications, an even dozen of them (after consolidating some related topics): Cat toy/ dog toy/ laser light show Laser cooling/ BEC Laser ranging/position measurement… Continue reading Laser Smackdown: The Finalists
My Boskone Schedule
The usual “This is the stuff that looks interesting to me” post, based on the preliminary online program. Subject to change if they move things around, or if I discover something I overlooked that sounds more interesting, or if I decide I’m hungry, and opt to blow off panels in favor of food. This year’s… Continue reading My Boskone Schedule
Way Cuter Than the Puppy Bowl
There was some discombobulation yesterday afternoon that kept me from posting these– I had meant them to be a Super Bowl alternative for the non-football-inclined. They’ll work just as well as a Monday brightener, though. So here’s a clip of SteelyKid a couple of weeks ago, laughing at the “got your food wrapper” game: And… Continue reading Way Cuter Than the Puppy Bowl
Links for 2010-02-08
More than 300 cases of mumps reported in Monsey, New Square | LoHud.com | The Journal News “At least 60 percent of the people in Rockland who have gotten mumps during the current outbreak had not been fully immunized, Facelle said. Mumps were common before the vaccine became available. In 2008, there were only two… Continue reading Links for 2010-02-08