Links for 2009-12-23

"It's sad to say this but most people I work with are just not that into science. It's not that they're not good at it - they clearly are - it's just that they're interested only in their little niche, and are thoroughly satisfied with all that it entails."

Define "worth it."

High-school teaches take parabolic flights to simulate low gravity and impress their students. Somebody named Grover Whitehurst is a soulless grouch.

You have to like any list that starts off with "The Physics of Rugby"...

"We have on our evaluation form (which is filled with useless questions) the following question:

Agree-Disagree: Instructor starts and ends class on time (1 - Strongly disagree....6 - Strongly agree)

I pick this question because it has a definite answer. Essentially, everyone should agree on this answer (including the instructor). For the past few years, I have been very careful to EXACTLY start and end class on time (and I mean down to the exact second). It has kind of become a game of mine. So, everyone should agree with the starting and ending class question, right? Well, no. I don't get 6's on this question. The scores I get are similar to the scores for the more subjective questions. Odd."