Links for 2009-11-25

"As an administrator, I'm constantly struck by the unacknowledged contradiction among many faculty between "consult us in all things" and "back off and leave us alone." It's not that I don't understand the impulse; depending on local practice, 'service' may or may not count for tenure or promotion. If it doesn't, then the duck-and-cover approach makes short-term sense. Certainly, anybody who has put in time in contentious meetings (hi!) can attest that they can be draining, that you'll sometimes see people at their worst, and that some great projects end with a whimper. All true. And that's before accounting for difficult personalities in powerful roles, people who don't know how to run meetings, and resource battles. It ain't always pretty."

"The 24th of November is a very significant date in the history of science. On this date an event took place that would contribute to a major change in the way humanity viewed the world and its place in it. On this day in 1639 the British astronomers Jeremiah Horrocks and William Crabtree became the first observers to record a transit of Venus."

"Science doesn't work despite scientists being asses. Science works, to at least some extent, because scientists are asses. Bickering and backstabbing are essential elements of the process. Haven't any of these guys ever heard of "peer review"?"

"From time to time, you come across authors talking about how their books are their babies. I've been thinking about the release of The Mermaid's Madness, and decided to see how well the analogy holds up."

"Seriously, when Obama's done drumming up support for legislation that might allow me to see my daughter graduate from college and prevent me from dying before my 50th birthday, what's next on the agenda? Will he try to keep my life's savings from evaporating in a stock market that operates free of serious governmental oversight?"

Queen and Beaker, together at last.

"Look, I can't tell my back from my front either. It's a sore subject for me. ALL BODIES ARE BEAUTIFUL. Some are just more challenging visually than others."