With the “Vox Day” business winding down (one way or another), it’s time to unwind with something less contentious and controversial: Framing! No– seriously. Most of the really loud opponents have publically washed their hands of the whole topic, so I expect this will be relatively non-controversial. What could possibly go wrong? Anyway, Janet is… Continue reading Framing Stem Cells
links for 2008-04-11
A thought — Words Words Words — The Dream Cafe Weblog “If President Bush has sunk lower than others, it is only because he is being stood on by giants.” (tags: US politics silly) Mythbusters’ Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage | The A.V. Club Zombie Feynman says it’s science, and that’s good enough for me.… Continue reading links for 2008-04-11
Non-Dorky Poll: Drinking Songs
I’m feeling pretty harried this week, because I’m teaching using a new curriculum, which requires all-new lecture slides and notes and homework assignments. I’m also going away this weekend, to Williamstown for the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of my college rugby club. As a result, I’ve been losing more mental processor… Continue reading Non-Dorky Poll: Drinking Songs
John Scalzi Should Be Ashamed of Himself
I’m not sure whether he’s making some kind of obscure point, or just trolling, but John Scalzi gave a recent installment of his “Big Idea” series over to the witterings of “Vox Day,” talking about his book The Irrational Atheist. Curse you, Scalzi, for getting me to even look at that. And it’s not just… Continue reading John Scalzi Should Be Ashamed of Himself
Humorless Scold Smackdown
Inside Higher Ed notes in passing that several NCAA Presidents are complaining about alcohol advertising during the NCAA Tournament. The source for this is a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest: According to CSPI’s analysis of broadcasts of the semifinal and championship basketball games, the NCAA is exceeding the limits on… Continue reading Humorless Scold Smackdown
links for 2008-04-10
Satisfying application of physics Another great idea for an intro mechanics lab. (tags: physics academia education experiment science) Michigan laser beam believed to set record for intensity Includes a great lab-porn picture of the laser in action. (tags: science physics optics news experiment) ‘U.S. News’ Adds Surveys That Could Alter Methodology :: Inside Higher Ed… Continue reading links for 2008-04-10
Dorky Poll: Calculators
Over at Cosmic Variance, Julianne waxes rhapsodic about her calculator, a HP-15C. This is such an obvious Dorky Poll topic that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier: What sort of calculator do you use? My students, particularly the future engineers, are always shocked by my answer:
Neil Lewis of the New York Times
The much-promised peer-reviewed research post is going to slip by another day, becuase I had forgotten about a talk by Neil Lewis last night on campus. Lewis is an alumnus of Union, and a writer for the Times best known for writing about the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he was speaking as… Continue reading Neil Lewis of the New York Times
Web Design Is Stupid
The College maintain an “OnCampus” page, intended to serve as a clearinghouse for electronic resources on campus. I have it set as the home page for all my campus computers, because it lets me access a lot of stuff very quickly– Blackboard, course rosters, academic calendars, etc. This page has always consisted of two bands… Continue reading Web Design Is Stupid
links for 2008-04-09
Most powerful laser in the world fires up “The Texas Petawatt laser reached greater than one petawatt of laser power on Monday morning, March 31,” Good thing, or they’d feel pretty dumb about the name. (tags: physics optics science news) Cats Laughing Everybody’s favorite band of SF authors, on the Intenet. (tags: SF music internet)… Continue reading links for 2008-04-09