Passing thoughts
jstemwedel | June 12, 2009Some hold that Hell is other people.
Today, I'm inclined to disagree.
At the moment, I'm of the view that Hell is having one's plan to kill a couple hours before meeting an old friend by wandering the streets of a city one used to know really well twenty years ago thwarted by pouring rain.
And while I currently have a dry place to hang out, the internet connection is very slow. And there is no outlet in sight. And my laptop battery is running out of juice.
Yeah, OK, it's a pretty mild Hell. Nonetheless: Boo! torrential downpour! Also: Boo! slow internet connections!
jstemwedel | June 4, 2009Twenty years ago this spring, after finishing my last round of final exams as a college student, I was enjoying a civilized custom called "senior week," a break of approximately seven days in length between finals and commencement. The campus had largely cleared of students who were not seniors, and suddenly we had time to relax and enjoy our beautiful campus before it was time to move on and become adults (or some close approximation).
One of those afternoons during senior week, I was out on the deck on the roof of my dorm, sunbathing (because 21-year-olds care not about incremental…
jstemwedel | June 3, 2009This came up when I was making dinner.
"Pasta primavera?" I asked.
"I think that jumped the shark in about 1972," Uncle Fishy replied.
"Yeah, but would you eat it?" I asked.
"Sure. It's yummy, and vegetables are always good," he said.
But then, as we were eating, it occurred to us that the Happy Days episode that spawned the concept of jumping the shark was broadcast in 1977 (premiering on September 20th, to be precise).
In light of this fact, is there any X for which X can be said to have jumped the shark prior to 20 September, 1977?
No fair using a time machine,
jstemwedel | May 23, 2009The Free-Ride family enjoyed a late breakfast (although you better believe that if either of the Free-Ride offspring claims to be hungry in the next two hours, I'm calling it an early lunch) at a local diner.
While there, the elder Free-Ride offspring struggled to eat an omelette off an unstable plate. Any attempt at cutting, spearing, or spooning sent the plate a-spinning.
Luckily, having some experience with diners (as a former Jersey girl), I was able to solve the problem quickly. All it took was placing two sugar packets under the plate (spaced about 180 degrees apart).
Then, it…
jstemwedel | May 22, 2009You're coming to the close of your sabbatical year. Probably you didn't make quite as much progress on your research or writing project as you had hoped to, but you have enjoyed a much-needed break from the demands of teaching (and especially grading) and committee work. Whenever they see you, your colleagues comment on how well-rested you look.
And now, it's time to reestablish contact with reality.
You're on the phone with your department chair about your duties for the fall semester. Do you choose:
Option 1:
A full teaching load that includes a lower division course that you have never…
jstemwedel | May 10, 2009Every now and then, I have a look at the logs of incoming traffic to see how people are getting here. A bunch of people arrive via search engines, and here's some of what they've been searching for in the last couple days:
swine flu and air travel
math limerick
ethics, jokes
why would i want to blog
states of matter poems
mothers day ethics
what's the poin of going o college [sic]
substitute oil mashed avocado
keep your wonderful head
importance of intellectual honesty in science
how to fake a fever using a tympanic thermometer
I'm guessing that not all of the people making these searches…
jstemwedel | May 10, 2009This was another early morning out in the garden picking snails. It was, however, markedly yuckier than yesterday's foray.
First, to those who have recommended alternate strategies for dissuading the gastropods, I've done the copper tape before. It seemed to help a little, but it was far from perfect -- some of the snails seemed not to mind getting a charge out of sliding across the copper. I think we may have a bit of copper tape in the garage. Perhaps I'll put it along the perimeter of our raised beds.
The drowning-in-beer strategy we have tried. Each time, a few slugs and snails have…
jstemwedel | May 9, 2009At least, if you're a member of a philosophy department:
Spending the day with them is enough to get your mind working on interesting problems and productive ways to approach solving them -- and this is true even if while you're together you aren't really discussing philosophy per se. Just being with them puts you in the zone.
Yeah, I really like my department.
jstemwedel | May 9, 2009The most troublesome invasive species in my backyard garden is the snail.
Yesterday morning, when I took out the buckets of shower-warning-up and vegetable-rinsing water to feed to my plants, I was horrified to find snails on my carrots, snails on my chard, snails on my potatoes, snails on my garlic, and especially snails on my tender pea plants.
The strawberries that were starting to get nice and red? Shot through with slugs (which are basically snails without the convenient handles).
On top of our wee little lime tree? Snails copulating.
This is not a situation conducive to effective…
jstemwedel | May 8, 2009We have just stopped for lunch.
Out of ten agenda items, we have covered three.
I blame this, in part, on the fact that our faculty gets along so well and cares a lot about our shared work. Everyone has a great deal to say, and adds footnotes and friendly amendments to everyone else's points.
But, we need to get through the agenda.
Thus, as the person nominally running this meeting, I have told my colleagues that our post-lunch focus will be laser sharp, and that the talky folks should eat enough during the luncheon that they'll be sleepy (rather than talky) when we reconvene.
3:40 PM:…
jstemwedel | May 7, 2009It is not easy to be a tremendous Luddite parenting 21st century kids.
Currently, the Free-Ride offspring are learning the intricacies of Photoshop.
The elder offspring so far has focused on creating new Pokemon using parts from existing ones, while the younger offspring has taken to adorning bulldogs with handlebar mustaches, bowlers, spats, and tutus. I'm sure Dr. Isis will be ready when Little Isis is old enough to Photoshop. Me, not so much.
However, I do feel an inexplicable urge to make a diorama. Maybe I can make one that represents what we hope to accomplish at our department…
jstemwedel | May 6, 2009I've been poky about getting my eyes checked regularly.
I got my first pair of reading glasses in the last year or so of my time as a chemistry graduate student. About nine years later, shortly before the eldest Free-Ride offspring was born and in the midst of an intensive stretch of writing, I managed to go in for another exam and got my prescription updated. Last month, after a stretch of about ten years, I got my eyes checked again and got another pair of reading glasses.
It's not like I can't function at all without the glasses. My main issue is astigmatism, and the glasses make it…
jstemwedel | May 1, 2009In a chat with a colleague today, I learned the following:
1. My colleague thinks the media coverage of swine flu is very overblown.
2. My colleague has already stocked up on face-masks.
Hmmmmm.
jstemwedel | April 26, 2009Ah, Spring! The time of year when children wear sandals and then admonish their siblings not to pick their toes on the way to pot-luck dinners.
Yesterday's toe picking prompted me to tweet a question that was mostly facetious:
If a child sequentially picks toes and nose, is there a risk of getting athlete's nostril?
But on Twitter, no silly question goes unanswered. So Bora replied:
I think so. The fungus just needs a decent amount transferred and sufficient time to set up shop elsewhere in the body.
Interesting. Also, potentially painful!
And of course, one of my Facebook friends took…
jstemwedel | April 17, 2009I've been noticing a little spike in traffic from search engine searches on "Luk Van Parijs" (about whom I have blogged here and here and here and here).
So of course, I wonder: why the sudden spike in interest? Has there been a new development since the Office of Research Integrity "final action" on Van Parijs's research misconduct? Is he applying for jobs and getting Googled? What's the story?
jstemwedel | April 9, 2009Frequent commenter, sibling, and bon vivant Uncle Fishy recently set up a backyard beehive, but lately he's been worried about the bees. This came up in a recent online chat:
Dr. Free-Ride: So, what's worrisome about your bees?
Uncle Fishy: i dont know if they'll make it
Dr. Free-Ride: :-(
Uncle Fishy: there were fewer coming out to sting me last night
Uncle Fishy: maybe it was just past their bedtime
Dr. Free-Ride: Maybe they had better things to do than sting you again
Uncle Fishy: well, I may be attriting more of them that I need
Uncle Fishy: I may not yet have a queen
Dr. Free-Ride: Uh…
jstemwedel | April 1, 2009I've gotten word that another blogger who has been tracking IP addresses associated with comments (on his own blog and on the blogs of others) is preparing to blow the whistle on what he is inclined to view as sock-puppetry. I'm not sure how complete this blogger's information is, nor whether it is consistent with other conclusions besides the ones he is drawing.
But at this point, it might not matter that much. So I'm just going to go ahead and tell you what I know.
I am PhysioProf. The PhysioProf persona has its genesis in my mother's pained request that I drop perfectly good words…
jstemwedel | March 30, 2009As promised, a picture from the elder Free-Ride offspring:
There's a sale on Chinese dragons and hypogryffs! I don't know if it's related to the economic downturn, though.
jstemwedel | March 29, 2009And sometimes it happens right across the street from my favorite aquarium. With a smack that's slightly squishy.
Sea Notes provides the details:
Suddenly, out of the blue, you're whacked on the head -- hard. You reach up to touch the tender spot and your hair is wet, but not with blood.
You look around. There's no one nearby. What gives?
Turns out that Nanci Hubby, whose company CAD Carmel assists us with exhibit design projects, was starstruck. Literally.
In her case, the star was an ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) that fell from the sky, dropped by a passing seagull that bit off more…
jstemwedel | March 21, 2009When scientists make claims with numbers they have clearly pulled out of thin air. For example:
Ultimately, success is only about 0.01% based on 'strategies' like those espoused on this blog, and 99.99% on simply doing good science and explaining a good plan well.
Is commenter Dave making a subtle joke here? Or what?
Because the way science is supposed to be played, making up frequencies (or probabilities, for that matter) is Just Not Done.