Dancing with the Profs. I bet on the CS prof for the “Quickstep.”
Measuring Reviewers
I enjoy reviewing papers even knowing it sucks up too much of my time. I mean what better way is there to get out any inner angst than to take it out on the writers of a sub par paper? (That’s a joke people.) Reading Michael Nielsen’s post taking on the h-index (Michael’s posting more these days!), reminded me of a problem I’ve always wondered about for reviewing.
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Searching For Feynman
Blue Monday, which was January 21, of this year, is supposedly (and I say supposedly when I might have better said, erroneously) the most depressing day of the year. Now there are plenty of reasons given for this: you finally realized your New Year’s resolutions aren’t going to happen, you’ve just gotten your credit card bill for all that rampant consumerism you participated in over the holidays, etc. But, if you’re in academia, you know the real reason to be depressed during this time of the year. That’s right: it faculty search season. Since everyone else is talking about it and bringing me down, I thought I’d do my duty and continue the painful depressing discussion.
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8.7 Percent Less Likely
The CRA Policy Blog has the latest info on the impact of the underfunding of science in the budget. In particular
NSF will likely fund 1,000 fewer research grants in FY 08 than planned and the average award size will be smaller.
Sweet! Data to update my probability of employment. Oh wait. (Note for those playing along at home, I think the relevant total number of NSF grants is on the order of 11500.)
Beginnings…
What will it become?
Quantum Physicists as Cool as James Bond
Michael sends me a link to an article with the name of the new James Bond movie: Quantum of Solace. If compassion is quantized (down that path leads madness), I really hope I’m in a region where the correspondence principle applies.
A Many Worlds Puzzle of a Different Kind
Fortune has put out its list of the top 100 companies to work for. The Google Monster is number one. Washington state does pretty good, as it is in a tie for fourth in the total number of companies on the list with headquarters in the state. (Per capita it comes in third, losing to Delaware and D.C.)
Looking through their article on “10 fascinating Googlers” I found Wei-Hwa Huang. Hey, he was in my class at Caltech! Indeed Wei-Hwa was responsible for one of my favorite stories about the many-worlds interpretation of quantum theory. Huh?
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Pseudonyms in Science?
A while ago a message from Kris Krogh appeared on Scirate.com about ariXiv:0712.3934 stating Kris’ belief that the paper appeared under a pseudonym (the comment contains the contents of the link which was sent to the arxiv’s administrator.) Today I checked with the arxiv and found that the paper had been removed:
This submission has been removed because ‘G.Forst’ is a pseudonym of a physicist based in Italy who is unwilling to submit articles under his own name. This is in explicit violation of arXiv policies.
Roughly similar content, contrasting the relative merits of the LAGEOS and GP-B measurements of the frame-dragging effect, can be found in pp. 43–45 of: this http URL
Humorously (I guess) while the statement goes to pains to not name the Italian physicist, the link is to a Nature article…by an Italian physicist.
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Craig Barrett: You're Subsidizing the Wrong Seed Corn
Craig Barrett, the chairman of Intel has a scathing op-ed in the San Fransisco Chronicle on the recent spending omnibus and its effect on science funding (via Computing Research Policy Blog):
What are they thinking? When will they wake up? It may already be too late; but I genuinely think the citizenry of this country wants the United States to compete. If only our elected leaders weren’t holding us back.
Of course, I can hear the cries already: typical liberal west coaster spouting more government spending. But, oh. Doh. Okay, well what can basic science research possibly lead to anyway.
Villa Sophia 2007 "Gruccia"
This weekend was “bottling weekend.” Here is one of the final products:
That’s right, the Villa Sophia, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Gruccia” has found its way, with a little labor on my part, out of the carboys and into the bottle. This year’s wine is called “gruccia.” You see at one point during the winemaking a bung made its way into the carboy, and well, you can guess how I got it out, can’t you?