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Physics, Politics, Pop Culture
"Uncertain Principles" features the miscellaneous ramblings of a physicist at a small liberal arts college. Physics, politics, pop culture, and occasional conversations with his dog.
You've read the blog, now try the book: How to Teach Physics to Your Dog will be published December 22nd by Scribner.
"Prof. Orzel gives the impression of an everyday guy who just happens to have a vast but hidden knowledge of physics." (anonymous student evaluation comment)
Emmy is a German Shepherd mix, and the Queen of Niskayuna. She likes treats, walks, chasing bunnies, and quantum physics.
Category: Physics
I gave a guest lecture this morning in a colleague's sophomore seminar class about time. She's having them look at time from a variety of perspectives, and they just finished reading Longitude, so she asked me to talk about the...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 11:35 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Religion
Over at Physics and Physicists, ZapperZ notes a fairly useless interview with Guy Consolmagno, and suggests some alternative questions: 1. How old do you estimate the universe to be based not only on your observation, but also the consensus among...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 10:25 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Science
A couple of days ago, I answered a question from a donor to the Uncertain Principles challenge page in this year's Social Media Challenge (we've raised $1,807 thus far-- thank you all). If you'd like a question of your own...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 7:58 AM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Physics
The sneaky folks at the Nobel Foundation have thrown a spanner in the works when it comes to the Physics prize. All the speculation has surrounded exotic quantum effects and theoretical esoterica, and they turn around and give it to...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 8:23 AM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Academia
I tagged Steinn's post on publishing a comment a few days ago, because I thought it was pretty funny. In the interim, it's been picked up by the usual suspects as more evidence of the need to completely discard the...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 9:57 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: SF
There's another paper about the Fermi Paradox highlighted on the arXiv blog today. This one describes extensive numerical simulations which purport to show that no more than 1,000 spacefaring civilizations can be exploring the galaxy with non-replicating slower-than-light robotic probes....
Posted by Chad Orzel at 9:14 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: PNAS
(On July 16, 2009, I asked for volunteers with science degrees and non-academic jobs who would be willing to be interviewed about their careers paths, with the goal of providing young scientists with more information about career options beyond the...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 11:29 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Space
The Internet has been all abuzz today over the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. Tor has the best one-stop collection of reminiscences, but there are plenty of others. They're roughly equally split between "Wasn't that the coolest thing ever?"...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 10:28 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: PNAS
(On July 16, 2009, I asked for volunteers with science degrees and non-academic jobs who would be willing to be interviewed about their careers paths, with the goal of providing young scientists with more information about career options beyond the...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 12:17 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Physics with Emmy
I'm watching an episode of NOVA scienceNOW (eccentric capitalization makes it hip!), and Neil deGrasse Tyson is doing a segment on extrasolar planets. I'm only half listening, because I'm also trying to keep SteelyKid from trying to eat any of...
Posted by Chad Orzel at 8:50 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Island of Doubt 11.23.2009
The Frontal Cortex 11.22.2009
Gene Expression 11.23.2009
A Blog Around the Clock 11.21.2009
Guilty Planet 11.22.2009
