Random Thoughts

Scum Causes Outrage In U.K. A recent case in a British Magistrates Court has caused outrage in more ways than one. Two 16-year-old boys from Darwen had performed an act of wanton vandalism and…

Equations of Basic Seldon or Prime Radiant Equations of Section 42R254 Equations of Section 33A2D17 or Terminus Equation Psychohistory Psychohistory, a science in Isaac Asimov's Foundation…

Lance Armstrong will be in my neighborhood tomorrow but he won't be coming by for coffee.  It's the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California, starting in Nevada City and ending in Sacramento…

A new study has found that cities with the largest increases in immigration between 1990 and 2000 experienced the largest decreases in rates of homicide and robbery. The findings suggest that…

I had a sore throat this afternoon so I came home early to rest (translation: be babied by the wife; she gave birth and it's dismissed as part of a natural cycle but if I get a cold I expect to be…

So I'm a couple of weeks late, but it's worth noting that NY Times science blogger John Tierney is quitting his blog: After three years of experiments, TierneyLab is shutting down. I’ll still be…

A Simple Quiz This diagram illustrates a general principle applicable to processing systems having multiple inputs. The principle is a broader application of a scientific law. The question is - which…

A recent survey of high school students shows that most have cheated on tests and homework and, as long the cheating requires effort, don't feel they're doing anything wrong. The study by the…

Musical ClownsWhy is it that so often a genius of comedy has brilliant musical talent?Or is it the other way round? I've also noticed that geniuses of comedy tend to be geniuses of language. …

"What is autism" is a medical science question.  "How can people with autism adapt to society" is a social science question.  "Why would someone pay to see a movie in a theater with the…