I promised a while back to write a post on a topic of your choosing, in exchange for a $30 donation to my DonorsChoose challenge. I’ve got a fair number of requests, and I should really start paying them off. The first one comes from Ewan McNay, who aks: what quantum mechanics can tell us… Continue reading DonorsChoose Incentive: Quantum Physics and Free Will
European Nobels in Perspective
There’s been a bunch of talk about the apparent European dominance in Nobel Prizes this year, and whether it means that American science is in decline, blah, blah, blah. I’m a little surprised at this– nobody took last year’s abundance of American laureates as a sign of the collapse of European science, after all– but… Continue reading European Nobels in Perspective
White House: “More Study Needed” on Gore Nobel
(WASHINGTON, DC) On the heels of reports from Oslo that the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and former US Vice President Al Gore, a White House spokesman issued a statement saying that “significant uncertainty” remained regarding the recipient of the prize. “The President feels that… Continue reading White House: “More Study Needed” on Gore Nobel
Nobel Peace Prize: IPCC and Al Gore
The Nobel Peace Prize was announced this morning, and will be split between an international panel and everybody’s favorite PowerPoint presenter: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 is to be shared, in two equal parts, between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore… Continue reading Nobel Peace Prize: IPCC and Al Gore
links for 2007-10-12
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 – Speed Read The Nobel committee explains the Chemistry prize (tags: chemistry Nobel science news) PhysicsCentral: Nanobowl Video Contest: Win World’s Smallest Trophy! Make a YouTube video showing the physics of football, win a nanoscale trophy (tags: youtube science physics football sports) Freaky Ninja Turtle Dog Click the image… Continue reading links for 2007-10-12
DonorsChoose: Weighing In
If you’d prefer a more positive approach to fundraising, here’s another post to highlight a specific project, one of many that are asking for funding to meet depressingly basic needs. In this case, the proposal is titled “Weighing In”, which is pretty accurate: Our 7th & 8th graders from our classes in Buffalo, NY are… Continue reading DonorsChoose: Weighing In
“New Atheists” Are Cheap Bastards
At least, that’s a conclusion a cynical person might be tempted to draw from the fact that the ScienceBlogs Leaderboard for the DonorsChoose challenge is dominated by us “Neville Chamberlain” types… At present, the ScienceBlogs participating in the Challenge have raised more than $14,000 to help schools and school children. The Seed Media Group (publishers… Continue reading “New Atheists” Are Cheap Bastards
Literature Nobel: Doris Lessing
In the “Social Networks Brighten My Morning” file, I am inordinately amused to be getting status updates from a Nobel laureate on Facebook. Speaking of Nobel laureates, the latest chunk of dynamite money was awarded this morning to novelist Doris Lessing: “that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has… Continue reading Literature Nobel: Doris Lessing
links for 2007-10-11
By popular request, I’m moving the links below the fold. Click “Read on” to find a wealth of links to Nobel Prize information, colorful bunnies, and early basketball information.
America’s Best Formulaic Science Writing
Attention-grabbing anecdote about science-related issue. Short biographical sketch of quirky researcher working on scientific problem. Short explanation of the scientific problem’s history and significance. Anecdote about quirky researcher’s work on scientific problem. Short explanation connecting back to initial attention-grabbing anecdote. Pithy summary of What It All Means. (Repeat steps 2-4 as needed to fill out… Continue reading America’s Best Formulaic Science Writing