We had a good crowd, lots of questions, and an interesting group of student skeptics at UCSB this evening. Next up is a little sleep, then a plane hop to Sacramento, and a talk at UC Davis at 6:30, in 194 Chemistry. I also think I'll break up my next talk a bit more; this one bounced about over some fairly dense sciencey stuff, and a little more variety and more opportunities to discuss should be more fun.
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I've survived my spring break; now I have my first week back, while my husband tries to survive his.
Week of March 17-23
Monday we moved the appliances and all the kitchen stuff back into the kitchen, packed up all my stuff from the previous week, all my husband's stuff for the forthcoming week (…
It is time for the first big challenge of the week: getting my circadian rhythms straightened around. It feels like about 11:30 in the evening, my biological time, but it's actually 6:30am Lindau time. Today is actually tomorrow.
My strategy was actually planned. Yesterday was mostly travel through…
In comments to the Sagan post, Niall asked about how I spend my time. This is about to change, as today is the last day of my class for the fall term, then we have an extended break, but it's probably interesting in a life-in-academia way to put up my schedule at the moment:
Monday, Wednesday,…
The trip to California went well. Suspiciously well, in fact, to the point where, even though I am now back home, I am still waiting for something to go wrong.
I first became suspicious during the two-hour drive over to Dulles Airport. There was no traffic. How odd. My rule of thumb when flying…
UC Davis is not in Sacramento.
You still awake?!
Correct! I fly in to Sacramento, and take a train to Davis.
I just got back to my room, after drinking something blue and alcoholic. Don't worry, I won't be awake for long.
This?
What's this?! HTML doesn't work?! Then I bid you good night sir!!!
*dramatic exit to bed.
http://www.outofthefryingpan.com/cocktails/images/blue.hawaiian.small.j…
Hey PZ, I saw this poll and thought of you.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/19/2010-01-19_trijicon_co…
yeah that poll needs some adjusting!
59% say it is ok for US Marines to have bible quotes on them!
38% say bad idea
3% stooped
uh, bible quotes on their rifles.
i need sleep
UC Davis! I saw Nine Inch Nails play there in 2005 and now you're going to be there. My favorite band and my favorite skeptic at the same location... I love it. Wish I could make it down from Portland to see this but I cannot. Davis is a nice place. Enjoy!
What's color got to do with anything?
Hey PZ, I found another poll that shows human ignorance:
http://uwaga.onet.pl/28849,wideo,144181,homeopatia_pomaga_czy_szkodzi_c…
about homeopathy.
Czy wierzysz w skuteczność homeopatii?
(Do you believe that homeopathy is effective)
Tak (Yes)
72%
Nie (No)
18%
Nie mam zdania (No opinion)
10%
TVN has just made a program about homeopathy and they concluded that it probably works. Polish people are very gullible, so telling them the truth in a poll can have a enlightening effect.
Cardassian ale? I saw some of this on sale at the Hilton, Las Vegas and nearly bought some...
travel safe PZ and try not to wear yourself out. Fellow pharynglites should see you are well fed, "watered" and have company - but therein lies the peril, letting you get some sleep is not high on our agenda ;)
I guess for now it'll be all talk no blog. There aren't even any creationists dropping by to be given a good whoopin'.
PZ will be pleased to hear this :
More heavy rain on tap for Southern California
:P
MadScientist:
OK, here's our best impersonation of a creotard troll:
You people are just in denile because THERE IS A GOD and he loves you vary much. Your just angry at GOD and athiesm is just another religion anyway. I can't wait until Jesus comes back and I'll be looking down at all you SINNERS burning and frieing in HELL!
I'll pray for you.
Top that heathens.
@Legion: Thanks but I think the creationists are in a special class of stupid and you need a lot more practice to fake it.
@thisisatest and https: voted. Moving slowly, now 58% yes, 39% no.
194 Chem! I remember sitting in that old lecture hall years ago to hear Duane Gish explain why evolution violated the second law of thermodynamics and was therefore impossible. During the Q&A I realized that Gish knew the rebuttal to the second law argument but was pretending there wasn't one. And thus I also realized what mendacious bastards creationists are. It made the trip to Davis a valuable learning experience.
That was decades ago. This afternoon I'll travel to UCD to hear PZ in the same venue. Awesome!
And I'm glad to hear that last night's presentation at UCSB was a kind of rehearsal for the UCD event. I guess by the time PZ gets to Sierra College next week, the speech will be honed to a razor-sharp edge. (I wonder: Is there a convoy of Dead-Head-like fans who will follow PZ to each stop in northern California?)
Nothing good can come from drinking anything blue.
Two, two, two polls in one post!
Blue alcohol = blue vomit. Not that I have learned this from experience or anything.
I won't be seeing you at UCD but I look forward to seeing you at Sac City next week =D
This will be an interesting day. Spend most of it doing a western blot, some of it arguing with my academic adviser, and finish it off with PZ Meyers live.
I remember taking my first chemistry class in 194 Chem back in 1975. Damn that was a long time ago! Go Aggies! Nerd alert: I also got to run the projector when our dorm showed Lawrence of Arabia in the same lecture hall (the biggest on campus). I won't be driving the 100 miles to see you this evening but I plan to catch you at DeAnza and perhaps Stanford!
Just a quick note.
When you're at Sac City, you have to arrange to meet with one of my favorite skeptics, Robert Carroll. He's a retired philosophy instructor at City College, and maintains the website, Skeptic's Dictionary.
He was my philosophy instructor a very long time ago.
http://www.skepdic.com/
Quick note guys, the event opens doors at 6:30; the actual event starts at 7PM. The event page's time has been changed to reflect this. Sorry for any confusion! See you later tonight PZ!
You must be quite a draw, PZ--Chem 194 is the biggest lecture hall on campus.
I remember having Chem 2A (Introductory Chemistry For Everybody) there. Not to mention many happy evenings with Campus Cinema.
Welcome to Northern California, PZ! Sorry for the weather. Lots of rain is typical for this time of year, but thunderstorms aren't. Normally we have just one or two big storms pass through per year; you've just come in at the right time to catch one.
Pffft, it's all about Santa Cruz on Saturday! I'll be there with bells on (hopefully they won't distract you from your talk).
Ha! Zedheads! [man, awesome ninth slide tonight...]
If there are, he's going to regret turning down my offer of roadie services.
You must be quite a draw, PZ--Chem 194 is the biggest lecture hall on campus.
He is quite a draw, but Chem 194 is no longer the biggest hall on campus. The new SciLec 123 hall down the street holds 100 more people. It's probably booked for a class tonight. And Jackson hall, in the Mondavi Center, holds 1000 people or more. There's been quite a bit of construction on campus the last few years.
Stasiu88@12,
I went to the link but couldn't locate the poll, not speaking any Polish.
Better be careful out there in California... you know there is just a bunch of racists out here!
http://lifeisgrandandotherlies.blogspot.com/2010/01/they-say-youre.html
Sorry to break the news to you all!
Dendy you dumb dumb. I wouldn't doubt it if you were a racist.
People as dumb (and angry about it) as the treefucker usually are. They need some way to try and feel better about themselves.