… or, Emmy’s Best Thanksgiving Ever! We did the traditional turkey-and-trimmings dinner Saturday with both sets of parents. Again, we brined the turkey overnight, following the Good Eats recipe, and other than a small glitch with the thermometer placement, everything went very well. The turkey was nicely roasted, moist, and juicy. And that’s where the… Continue reading Liquid Turkey
Category: Silliness
Math Nerds Need Social Networks, Too
It turns out that there’s a Facebook group for quantum information types called the Church of the Larger Hilbert Space after a remark by John Smolin (Facebook link here), which I thought was the nerdiest thing I ever saw. Until I looked at the “Related Groups,” and saw “I support the right to choose one… Continue reading Math Nerds Need Social Networks, Too
The Teammate Desirability Factor
Over at the World’s Fair, Dave is asking people for their scientific eponyms, that is, the formula they would like to have named after themselves. These are, of course, entirely made up. Here’s my contribution, from the scientific study of pick-up basketball: the Orzel Teammate Desirability Factor (TDF): The Factor ranges between positive and negative… Continue reading The Teammate Desirability Factor
Simple Answers to Complicated Questions
Dave Bacon watched “Judgement Day” last night, and has a question: It’s not like, you know, there aren’t people who think quantum theory is wrong or that quantum theory is somehow related to the Vedic teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. So why is it that quantum theory (which after all is “just a theory” wink,… Continue reading Simple Answers to Complicated Questions
Semi-Dorky Poll: Bicycle or Running?
Mark P. comments on particles and waves: I think it can be argued that a particle is a “thing” while a wave is a “behavior”, so it’s like asking: bicycle or running? Yes, and? Why wouldn’t that work as a poll question? Here’s let’s try: Bicycle or running? Pick only one, and leave your answer… Continue reading Semi-Dorky Poll: Bicycle or Running?
Stephen Colbert Is Afraid of Me
Well, so are all the other Presidential hopefuls– not one of them has responded to my offer to endorse any candidate who will play me in basketball— but I particularly want to address Colbert. After all, he’s supposed to be the unconventional maverick candidate here, tooling around in a bus stolen from John McCain… Now,… Continue reading Stephen Colbert Is Afraid of Me
The Dressed State Picture
I’ve never been one for costumes, but if you lean that way, and still don’t know what you’re going as tomorrow, Jennifer Ouellette offers some physics-themed Halloween costumes: Schrödinger’s Cat, Maxwell’s Demon, and BEC: If you’re looking for something a bit less mainstream, how about dressing up as a Bose-Einstein condensate this Halloween? That’s what… Continue reading The Dressed State Picture
We’re #1!
Dave at the World’s Fair has an idea for a “meme”: [Y]ou will attempt to find 5 statements, which if you were to type into google (preferably google.com, but we’ll take the other country specific ones if need be), you’ll find that you are returned with your blog as the number one hit. This was,… Continue reading We’re #1!
Overheard on Campus
I was standing in the back of the Taiko Ensemble concert tonight, when two students I didn’t know came in, carrying large, elaborate Nerf guns. They had a certain… hunted look about them. “Hey,” I said, “Who’s winning?” “Oh, man,” said one, “The zombies are kicking our asses. They’re multiplying really fast.” Yes, it’s Humans… Continue reading Overheard on Campus
New “Meme”: Manly or Self-Sufficient?
As mentioned in the previous post, Cut to the Chase offers two lists of skills to look at: The Popular Mechanics list of “25 Skills Every Man Should Know” and a new list of “20 Practical Skills Every Self-Sufficient Adult Should Have.” This seems ripe for an Internet “meme” thing, so here’s a the proposed… Continue reading New “Meme”: Manly or Self-Sufficient?