Physics after accelerators, the need for more athletic thinking, a call for more phenomenological thinking in physics, and a goofy phenomenological model for politics. —— More things in heaven than earth § Unqualified Offerings A vision of a post-accelerator world for fundamental physics. Fit for Physics – Dynamics of Cats An argument that we need…

In which we look at the history of lunch, the breathtaking inanity of the NYTimes’s Style section, what kills us then and now, the latest tempest in the blogging teapot, and some of the best songs from one of my favorite bands. ———— Lunch: An Urban Invention As late as 1755, according to Samuel Johnson’s…

In which we look at the failure of elites, and the international language of bad dancing. ———— Why Elites Fail | The Nation A pure functioning meritocracy would produce a society with growing inequality, but that inequality would come along with a correlated increase in social mobility. As the educational system and business world got…

In which we look at failures of academic collegiality, the allocation of resources in the liberal arts, teaching as a big grey area, advice for new teachers, common misconceptions about education, an ambitious plan to reform jury duty, and a former member of Fred Phelps’s hateful Westboro Baptist Church. ———— Confessions of a Community College…

In which we look at an impassioned plea from a gay seminarian, a satirical video about the Singularity, and two more dispatches from the imminent death of traditional publishing. ———— Letter from a gay Christian classmate « Mercy not Sacrifice I am asking you to set aside your quiet whispers for a potent disquietude; I’m…

In which we look at basketball analytics, complaints about ancient Rome, the latest dispatch from the imminent death of publishing, and the optics of spy satellites. ———— Where the Heat and the Thunder Hit Their Shots – Interactive Feature – NYTimes.com The shooting patterns for the players on the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City…

In which we look at the job situation for different specializations, yet another dumb modest proposal to fix education, and a smackdown of NBA players who are ignorant of fashion history. ———— Physics and Physicists: Job Advertisements For Theorists and Experimentalists In Physics Today Apr/May 2012 Anyone reading my blog on the Problem in Pursuing…

In which physics tackles a burning question from the world of computing, a famous biologist says something idiotic, and the world’s smallest violin plays for frequent fliers. ———— Does Your Download Progress Bar Lie to You? | Wired Science | Wired.com Different browsers do this differently. Some show a little bar to indicate how much…

In which we look at a great commencement speech, the oversupply of mediocrity, the nominees for a science blogging award, and Facebook games distilled to their essence. ———— Wellesley High grads told: “You’re not special” | The Swellesley Report Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to…

In which we look at a prize for science blogging, a new book club, and the unhappy situation of associate professors. ———— 3quarksdaily: Sean Carroll to Judge 4th Annual 3QD Science Prize As usual, this is the way it will work: the nominating period is now open, and will end at 11:59 pm EST on…