Humor

If you've ever been a grad student, post-doc, or a research assistant, surely there have been days when you thought, "This is the worst research project on the planet. Is this really science? Does anyone else see how crazy this is? Am I the only ...

Blog Post - Andrea Kuszewski - Jan 23 2011 - 6:57pm

Spartans At Agincourt: Writing Proposals

I've been busy with proposal work instead of Calliope. I have to fund this satellite somehow, and earning money writing corporate proposals is enjoyable work. Proposal writing is also a strange world. Whether for business, for government, or for gra ...

Article - Project Calliope - Feb 2 2011 - 9:56am

The Ultimate Valentine's Day Toolkit

Believe it or not, I’m rarely accused of being a romantic. I know, I know — baffling! And this even after I brought home Thai food for our anniversary. Okay, I forgot the anniversary. But a couple days later when I brought home Thai food, boy was my wife ...

Article - Garth Sundem - Feb 5 2011 - 12:57pm

Speak, Speak, Speak with Conviction

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo. Must say, now that's effective communication! ...

Blog Post - Payal Joshi - Feb 14 2011 - 1:33am

Melville on Science vs. Creation Myth

From Melville's under-appreciated Mardi: On a quest for his missing love Yillah, an AWOL sailor pretending to be a demi-god travels the (imaginary) Mardi chain of Polynesian islands via canoe fleet, in the company of fellow demi-god King Media and his ...

Blog Post - Michael White - Feb 14 2011 - 12:47pm

Do You Give Serious Science Talks?

I am back from attending the February-scheduled ongoings of the International Year of Chemistry, IYC 2011, as all the chemists and chemical educators are preparing the usual science stuff-------- presentations, seminars, workshops, industrial visits and ev ...

Article - Payal Joshi - May 15 2011 - 12:47am

Why Have All The Ghosts Invaded Britain?

One time on a dreary (particularly dreary- 300 of them a year are rather so) Seattle afternoon I was approached by a hobo (1) so I gave him some money and asked him, since he clearly had no place better to be, "Just curious, but if you are going to be ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Mar 6 2011 - 2:09pm

You're In A Maze Of Twisty Little Passages, All Alike

There’s a phrase given to us by the venerable computer game called Adventure, which fits many situations. The game, in which one explores caverns, searches for treasures, and solves puzzles to obtain the treasures and bring them back to the surface, conta ...

Article - Barry Leiba - Mar 9 2011 - 11:52am

How many Bloggers to Change a Light Bulb?

Yesterday I had to explain what a light bulb joke is- to somebody from Mongolia – they seem to not have discovered that joke yet or don’t find it funny. The joke in question was already highly on the meta level, that is, the answer was not involving a num ...

Blog Post - Sascha Vongehr - Mar 21 2011 - 3:57am

How many beans make five?

How many beans make five? 6.25 Caveat: the above answer is only a ballpark statistical assumption. In many jurisdictions there are statutory requirements relating to the sale of goods. Of relevance to this discussion are the laws regarding 'fitness ...

Blog Post - Patrick Lockerby - Mar 23 2011 - 12:08pm