In comments to my review of “The Race for Absolute Zero”, I promised to try to write up an explanation of BEC on the blog. A bit of preparatory Googling demonstrates, though, that I already did, in the fall of 2006, talking about identical particles, Pauli Exclusion, and BEC. You might’ve thought I would remember… Continue reading Identity and Exclusion
Month: January 2008
Big Science and Outreach
In comments to my complaint about the over-identification of physics with particle physics, I noted that this is largely because high-energy physicists have been successful in getting the media and general public to buy into their belief that high-energy physics is the coolest and most important thing in physics, for a number of reasons. Jonathan… Continue reading Big Science and Outreach
Whoosh Goes the Randomizer
I’m not organized enough to make this a regular feature, or to use it to divine the future, but every now and then, I get a really good run of songs on the iTunes shuffle, and make a note. Here’s a batch from this weekend (with a smattering of comments):
Georgetown 4, Syracuse 2 (OT)
Well, ok, the final score was really 64-62, but it was 4-2 in the five-minute overtime period after forty minutes of old-school Big East basketball failed to resolve anything. On paper, this shouldn’t’ve been much of a game– Georgetown is #9 in the country, while Syracuse dresses only eight scholarship players at the moment– but… Continue reading Georgetown 4, Syracuse 2 (OT)
links for 2008-01-22
Coyotebanjo: Day 03 “In the Trenches” (shout-out Friday edition) The “Friday Shout-Out,” an interesting classroom technique. (via Pedablogue) (tags: academia education society psychology) onipress.com 23-page free preview comic for the upcoming Jumper movie. (tags: books movies SF) Graphene breaks speed record – physicsworld.com “Its high intrinsic mobility… means that graphene is the only material where… Continue reading links for 2008-01-22
Miscellaneous Football Thoughts
A few more detailed comments on the games leading up to the Chateau Steelypips Showdown in two weeks: The Patriots looked a little shaky, but again, I was never that worried that they would actually lose. Their defense isn’t as intimidating as it was a few years ago, but they did enough to get the… Continue reading Miscellaneous Football Thoughts
School Killings and The Problem With Relative Numbers
The mysterious Revere looks at school killings today (or, more accurately, looks at a study looking at school killings). He/she/they opens with an arresting factoid: The second leading cause of death in the 5 to 18 year old age group in the US is homicide. These are school aged children and the first thing that… Continue reading School Killings and The Problem With Relative Numbers
The Steelypips Bowl
The good news: Kate’s New England Patriots beat the Chargers to win the AFC championship My New York Giants beat the Packers in overtime to win the NFC champioship The bad news: They play each other in the Super Bowl in two weeks. This is perhaps not the most positive sporting development for marital harmony…
Great Moments in Hubris
I stopped by a Sports Authority store yesterday to buy a couple of whistles before tonight’s intramural basketball game (a persistent problem in the last few years has been that the students refereeing the game don’t have whistles, and thus fould go uncalled). There were laser-printed signs taped to the front doors saying (approximately): When… Continue reading Great Moments in Hubris
Fundamentals of Sports Announcing
Brent Musberger is the single worst announcer in sports. “That’s a bold assertion,” you say. “I find that hard to believe. I mean, he’s famous.” Allow me to explain: Musberger generally calls games for ABC as part of a two-man announcing team. Musberger is the “play-by-play” guy, and the other member of the team, the… Continue reading Fundamentals of Sports Announcing