One of last year’s highest-traffic posts was, weirdly, Talk Like a Physicist. I say “weirdly” because it wasn’t much more than a link to Tom at Swans On Tea. It’s that time of year again, and Tom’s back with an updated list of vocabulary for your physicist-talking needs. I don’t have much to add, but… Continue reading Talk Like a Physicist
Category: Silliness
Notes Toward an Improbable Result: Grade Points per Pound
Inside Higher Ed has an article on grade inflation this morning, which reminds me of my improbable research theory. Academic scolds are always talking about grade inflation, saying that the average grade years ago used to be lower than it is now. Medical scolds are always talking about the obesity epidemic, saying that average weights… Continue reading Notes Toward an Improbable Result: Grade Points per Pound
Everyone’s Best “Friend”
“OK, here’s your profile.”” “You used the good picture of me, right?” “Of course. Look here.” “Oooh. I like that one. I look regal.” “Yeah, I guess. So what do you want to add?” “What do you mean?” “Well, you can add applications, and become a fan of various things. Here, I’ll make you a… Continue reading Everyone’s Best “Friend”
The Queen on Facebook
The book is now starting through the production process, and people at Scribner are thinking about publicity. I got email asking whether I could set up a Facebook page for Emmy as a promotion. I’m not sure whether that meant a fan page for the dog, or a Facebook profile for her, as if she… Continue reading The Queen on Facebook
Best and Worst Interview Questions
I spent a few hours Sunday afternoon interviewing students for positions in the Minerva House program, a student life initiative that I’m involved with. The interviews were don by a panel– me and four students– and we tried to mix in a few oddball interview questions with the serious stuff. The most successful of these… Continue reading Best and Worst Interview Questions
The Purpling of Blogdom
Williams has long held a dominant position in a number of categories of blogging: Dan Drezner on economics and politics, Marc Lynch on the Middle East, Ethan Zuckerman on the developing world and really cool conferences, Derek Catsam on history and Red Sox fandom, yours truly on canine physics. And I’m sure I’m forgetting several… Continue reading The Purpling of Blogdom
Foundation and Left Behind
In Friday’s installment of his ongoing examination of Left Behind: The Movie, Fred Clark points out some gaps in the movie-Antichrist’s plan, where it departs from the loopy prophetic cosmology of the Left Behind books. He then notes how they could’ve done better: If Team Nicolae had really done their homework, they’d have consulted with… Continue reading Foundation and Left Behind
Academic Set Theory
Theorem: The set of students who can learn the material of a course without attending lectures or working homework problems is always smaller than the set of students who think they can learn the material of a course without attending lectures or doing homework problems. Years of intense study have so far failed to produce… Continue reading Academic Set Theory
A Finishing School for Third-Rate Burglars
I’m getting twinges in my neck indicating that I’ve been spending too much time looking at the computer, and I’ve got some computer-heavy work coming up in the next couple of weeks, so expect reduced blogging in the next few days. I couldn’t let this essay in the New Yorker (via Matt Yglesias) pass without… Continue reading A Finishing School for Third-Rate Burglars
Jesse Ventura Is to Blame for This
I realize it’s been several years now since the World Wildlife Federation won their lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation, forcing Vince McMahon to re-brand his whole preposterous enterprise. Still, when I see a press release with the headline: WWF seeks innovative solutions to bycatch through worldwide competition I expect the “competition” to be settled… Continue reading Jesse Ventura Is to Blame for This