In Grad Admissions, Where Is Class? :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education’s Source for News, Views and Jobs “A study just published in PS: Political Science and Politics suggests that in graduate departments, class may be nowhere to be found in admissions decisions.” (tags: academia class-war social-science humanities science) Dennis Overbye — Talk to… Continue reading links for 2008-07-10
Next Generation Energy
The Corporate Masters have launched a new group blog, Next Generation Energy, that will be providing regular commentary on energy issues and possible new sources of energy. The authors include a few people already on ScienceBlogs (William Connolley, James Hrynyshyn, and Sheril Kirshenbaum), along with some researchers on sustainable development and alternative energy. They haven’t… Continue reading Next Generation Energy
links for 2008-07-09
Vital Statistics – Summer Sports Are Among the Safest – NYTimes.com “The snowboarding accident rate is higher than the rate for summer pastimes like boating, camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and water-skiing — combined.” (tags: statistics medicine sports science) stand up for REAL science “We have an obligation to our children to pursue only… Continue reading links for 2008-07-09
Unworkable Devices
As a sort of palate-cleanser after the quantum chicanery discussed in the previous post, let me recommend Donald Simanek’s Museum of Unworkable Devices, a wonderful collection of failed ideas for perpetual motion machines, including explanations of why they don’t work. I’m tempted to turn a couple of these into exam questions, the next time I… Continue reading Unworkable Devices
Help Me Locate Kooks
The final chapter of Bunnies Made of Cheese: The Book is currently envisioned as a look at the misuse of quantum mechanics by evil squirrels: qucks and hucksters of various sorts. As a result, I spent a good chunk of yesterday wading through the sewers of alternative medicine books on Amazon, using the “Search Inside… Continue reading Help Me Locate Kooks
links for 2008-07-08
Confessions of a Community College Dean: Ask and Ye Shall Receive… Wise and worldly advice about academic job hunting. (tags: academia jobs education) My Semester With an Asperger Syndrome Student :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education’s Source for News, Views and Jobs I am somewhat uncomfortable about the fact that this article is based… Continue reading links for 2008-07-08
Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos
John Allen Paulos’s Innumeracy is one of those classics of the field that I’ve never gotten around to reading. I’ve been thinking more about these sorts of issues recently, though, so when the copy I bought a few years ago turned up in our recent book-shuffling, I decided to give it a read. Unfortunately, I… Continue reading Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos
Free Books!
Kate and I are giving away books. Not all of them, mind, and they’re not totally free– you need to pay shipping– but a couple hundred duplicate/ disliked/ never-going-to-get-read books are being discarded. If you would like any of them, there are simple instructions on Kate’s LiveJournal. Don’t worry that this will leave us bereft,… Continue reading Free Books!
Uncertain Principles, Certain Results
From yesterday’s snail mail: On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence about the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions. So, there you go. I’m appreciated and my suggestions are welcomed. Of course, it took me a while to figure out when I might’ve contributed… Continue reading Uncertain Principles, Certain Results
Quantum Quantum Quantum
“2. Ever repeat a word so much it starts to lose its meaning? Writing a book is like that, only with 90,000 words.” Quantum quantum quantum, quantum quantum. Quantum.