I’m a little fried from yesterday’s frantic running around, so while there are a couple of physics things I’d like to write about, I have neither the time nor the brainpower. So here’s a silly little poll, prompted by the large amount of ice I go through at home (I’m trying to lose some weight,… Continue reading Silly Poll: Beverages
Month: September 2009
Physicists for President
I’ve gotten a couple of emails asking what I think of the fact that the new president of Williams College is a theoretical physicist. So, here are my (very brief) thoughts on the matter: 1) As a general matter, I’m happy to see scientists in administrative positions. They tend to have a better appreciation of… Continue reading Physicists for President
Mysticism and SF
Over at SciFi Wire, the house magazine of the Polish syphilis channel, Wil McCarthy has a piece with the eye-catching headline “Is Mysticism Overtaking Science in Sci-Fi?“ What really excites me right now–and not in a good way!–is the recent spate of superficially sci-fi movies that are not merely scientifically illiterate, not merely unscientific or… Continue reading Mysticism and SF
Links for 2009-09-30
Oscar-O-Meterâ¢: The A.V. Club’s third annual guide to the fall prestige movies, part one | Film | A.V. Club “Provided you take our word for it and don’t go back into the archives, the A.V. Club’s Oscar-O-Meter feature has quickly become the definitive tool for Oscar prognostication. Through a rigorously scientific process, our writers have… Continue reading Links for 2009-09-30
Donors Choose 2009: What Would You Pay to See Me Do?
SteelyKid has a bit of flu, so we’re all a little discombobulated in Chateau Steelypips. I’m going to be trying to get a full day’s worth of work before noon, which won’t leave room for much blogging. But here’s something for you to think about/ comment on: the day after tomorrow is October 1, which… Continue reading Donors Choose 2009: What Would You Pay to See Me Do?
Joshua Rosenau Deserves a Medal
I’ve grown thoroughly disgusted with most of the science-vs-religion stuff in blogdom, mostly because my views on the matter are kind of moderate, and don’t fit well with the rather extreme positions taken by most of the bloggers and commenters who focus on this issue. This dooms me to either being ignored, or called names… Continue reading Joshua Rosenau Deserves a Medal
Links for 2009-09-29
YouTube – LittleDog Clips and Outtakes Very cool walking robot footage. (tags: robots video youtube technology gadgets science) Essay – Why Good Writers Can Be Bad Conversationalists – NYTimes.com “Like most writers, I seem to be smarter in print than in person. In fact, I am smarter when I’m writing. I don’t claim this merely… Continue reading Links for 2009-09-29
Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson
This book is, in some ways, a complement to Unscientific America. Subtitled “Talking Substance in an Age of Style,” this is a book talking about what scientists need to do to improve the communication of science to the general public. This is not likely to make as big a splash in blogdom as Unscientific America,… Continue reading Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson
Nobel Prize Betting Pool
It’s that time of year again, when the Nobel Prizes are announced– the official announcements will be made starting next Monday. And, as usual, people are speculating about who will win, on both an amateur and professional basis. Meanwhile, as we’ve done in the past, I will offer a valuable prize to anyone who predicts… Continue reading Nobel Prize Betting Pool
Links for 2009-09-28
Smarter people go to college, so average university students less intelligent? : Gene Expression “Remember that a substantial proportion of college graduates are less intelligent than a substantial proportion of those without college degrees. While the proportion of the population with college degrees increased, and that increase was disproportionately from the higher end of the… Continue reading Links for 2009-09-28