Why Our Analemma Looks like a Figure 8 : Starts With A Bang “We got a good number of thoughtful comments, many of which are on the right track, and many of which have some misconceptions. Let’s clear them up, and then let’s give you the explanation of what gives us our figure 8, and… Continue reading Links for 2009-08-27
New Toy
I’ve caught the intestinal thing that was making Kate’s life miserable the last couple days, and the less said about that the better. Happily, my new camera arrived (Canon Rebel XSi/ 450D), giving me something to play with while I try to remain hydrated. And I have to say, it’s a nice new toy: I… Continue reading New Toy
Furloughs and Shutdowns
Janet is currently exploring the implications of the California university furloughs. If you haven’t been paying attention, California is so grossly dysfunctional that the state government has had to order all employees– including university faculty– to take 9% of their work time off as unpaid “furlough” days, in order to cut costs enough to have… Continue reading Furloughs and Shutdowns
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, SPAC 8/25/09
For my birthday, my parents got me two tickets to see Bruce Springsteen play in Saratoga Springs last night. The idea was that Kate and I would go, and they would come up and spend an evening with the grandbaby. Unfortunately, Kate had some sort of intestinal bug (which I now have, joy), and couldn’t… Continue reading Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, SPAC 8/25/09
Links for 2009-08-26
News: Flu and Football Season – Inside Higher Ed “Personally, I don’t see any major college or professional sporting events being canceled as a result of H1N1,” said Bronson Hilliard, a spokesman for the University of Colorado at Boulder, where eight probable cases of the virus have recently been identified. “Right now, the virus is… Continue reading Links for 2009-08-26
Obsessive-Compulsive Poll: Light Switches
I’m doing better today, but still a little wobbly, and trying to conserve my energy for the Bruce Springsteen concert tonight. Thus, a poll: Imagine you have a light switch box containing multiple switches, like to one at right. These switches control lights in adjoining areas of the house– say, the living room, and the… Continue reading Obsessive-Compulsive Poll: Light Switches
Changing Standards of Mass
NPR last week had a story about the changing kilogram: More than a century ago, a small metal cylinder was forged in London and sent to a leafy suburb of Paris. The cylinder was about the size of a salt shaker and made of an alloy of platinum and iridium, an advanced material at the… Continue reading Changing Standards of Mass
Links for 2009-08-25
Tor.com / Science fiction and fantasy / Blog posts / Making Lists: Mindblowing SF by Women and People of Color “[S]ince someone always finds a way to claim that they just don’t know where to find such or who the women and/or people of color writing in the genre are, I hope that this list… Continue reading Links for 2009-08-25
Even the Queen
“So what do I need to do, again?” “First, you have to pick a username. So people know who you are.” “OK. How about ‘Emmy the Magnificent, Queen of Niskayuna and Surrounding Regions.’ That should do the job.” “Ah, no. That’s 64 characters. Nobody would ever reply to you with a username that long. How… Continue reading Even the Queen
You Say You Want a Revolution?
I’m suffering through a wretched cold at the moment, which will limit my blogging activity. If you’re looking for something to do, though, you might want to check out the Revolutionary Minds blog set up by the Corporate Masters. This is basically a short-form online version of a feature from Seed, in which they ask… Continue reading You Say You Want a Revolution?