Miscellaneous stories that caught my eye in today’s New York Times: First, on the science sdie of things, a long article about how people are living longer, not to mention bigger and healthier, than their ancestors. It compares medical records for Civil War veterans with people of similar age today, and finds amazing reductions in… Continue reading Sunday Times Round-Up
FYI
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Union College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position starting in September 2007. The position is open with respect to research specialization and candidates with an active research program in any area of physics or astronomy are invited to apply. A Ph.D. in physics or a closely… Continue reading FYI
Hard-Rockin’ Physicists
The prolific Bora at A Blog Around the Clock is looking for the rock stars of science, as part of a long chain of people picking up this quote from Morgan Spurlock: We’ve started to make science and empirical evidence not nearly as important as punditry–people wusing p.r.-speak to push a corporate or political agenda.… Continue reading Hard-Rockin’ Physicists
Having a Life is Hard
For those following the discussion about having a career and a life, referenced in this post, there have been some interesting additions in recent days. Janet Stemwedel added a post clarifying some terms, and Rob Knop offers his own thoughts, and points out that academics aren’t the only ones struggling to have a life and… Continue reading Having a Life is Hard
A Little Perspective, Please
I’ve linked to Inside Higher Ed almost every day this week, so why stop now? Today’s Views section features Terry Caesar being outraged over RateMyProfessors.com (which he refers to in BLOCK CAPS throughout). Among the many sins of the site, he includes this paragraph: In fact, students at RATE don’t even have to be students!… Continue reading A Little Perspective, Please
Stephen Colbert Is the News
I don’t usually post YouTube links and that sort of thing, because I figure everybody else in the world has watched them before I get there, but this clip of the Colbert Report is too good not to link. He gets right in the metaphorical face of a couple of morning shows that have done… Continue reading Stephen Colbert Is the News
Irreconcilable Differences
Via Dave Sez, Ed at the Sports Frog wants a divorce from ESPN: I have carefully thought this through and I believe a divorce is our only resolution. I have been loyal and faithful to you and you have shit on me, cheated, lied, took 5 months to send me a check and you won’t… Continue reading Irreconcilable Differences
Science Is Hard
Jonah Lehrer at the Frontal Cortex asks an interesting question: Why is science so much work? But I’m curious why science takes so long. I know this is an incredibly naive question, but why do post-docs have to work so hard? What is it about the scientific process that forces the average researcher to come… Continue reading Science Is Hard
Why They’re Leaving
Inside Higher Ed had a piece yesterday about leaks in the science pipeline— that is, reasons why so few students end up majoring in science, math, or engineering these days. The hook for the article is some Congressional hearings on the subject, but the author lists some possible explanations related to the structure of academia… Continue reading Why They’re Leaving
Something New Under the School-Choice Sun
Harry Brighouse at Crooked Timber is enthusiastic about something that appears to be that rarest of rarities, a new idea in the education funding debate: instead of giving the best students money to move to different schools, let schools bid for the best students. Betts suggests this: first fund the schools equally on a per-student… Continue reading Something New Under the School-Choice Sun