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NeuroQuackology

Holy mother of quack science, Neuroquantology. But that withstanding, some of you real scientists should really satisfy their call for reviewers. I mean think how much fun you could have tearing holes in their papers :

We need additional reviewers:
Since in our interdisciplinary Journal we seek for holistic approach to science and particularly in neurobiology and consciousness studies, we strongly encourage authors that submit reviews that aim popularization of the recent advances of Quantum Field Theory (QFT), Relativity, String and Brane Theories, Evolution, Chaotic Dynamics, Nonlinear science, Mathematics, Neuroscience. The editorial board aims to increase the impact factor of the Journal in order NeuroQuantology to be synonym of scientific excellence.

They want scientific excellence? We could certainly give them some scientific, uh, guidance, no?

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Candidates' Views on Geometry

For a New York Times article What is it About Mormonism?, the following lines which made me guffaw:

The framers recognized, of course, that a candidate’s religion (or lack thereof) would enter political debate, and they were prohibiting only a formal test for taking office. But they were also giving their imprimatur to Jefferson’s appealing notion that a person’s beliefs about religion were no more relevant to his politics than his beliefs about geometry.

Leaving aside jokes about the candidates debating whether the universe is open, flat, or closed, I’m guessing that the Renaissance man Jefferson would actually have cared quite profoundly about a candidate’s mastery of geometry.
Update: See this is exactly a case of extralusionary intelligence: Wim points out in the comments that the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom included not just a reference not just to religion mattering no more than view on geometry, but also views on physics. Oh Thomas, why have you forsaken me?

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Does Anything Bacon Finds Interesting Include Pork?

Look, I’m on physicsworld.com! Sometimes I have a vision that references on the world wide web which form a cycle lead to a runaway internet. You know…looping self-referentially forever and ever and resulting, of course, in a break in the space time continuum. I’m guessing the above link won’t do that. But if it did, I guess this would be the last sentence I’ve ev

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More on the Science Funding Disaster

From a letter sent to APS members by Michael S. Lubell the Director of Public Affairs for the American Physical Society some due outrage:

The Omnibus Bill is a disaster for the very sciences that our political leaders have repeatedly proclaimed essential for our national security, economic vitality and environmental stewardship. Several reports have suggested a picture less bleak, but they do not take into account the effects of either earmarks or inflation. In fact, numerous programs will have to be trimmed or canceled.
Hundreds of layoffs, furloughs and project shutdowns at Fermilab, SLAC, LBNL and other national laboratories and research universities seem unavoidable. U.S. funding for the International Linear Collider project will be curtailed for the balance of the fiscal year, placing extraordinary stress on the high-energy physics program. FY08 funding for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will be zeroed out, abrogating our agreement with our European and Asian partners. User facilities will see reductions in operating time and staff, and university research will contract. The list is long and the damage significant.

Continue reading “More on the Science Funding Disaster”

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No Dice?

From a New York Times article describing the Nature Theater of Oklahoma’s production of “No Dice:”

“Poetics,” for example, was choreographed using dice. Each face on the die represented one of six possible gestures, and each appendage — two arms, two legs and the head — got its own roll of the dice. Dice determined where the actors stand and for how long. There are four actors in “Poetics,” but, alas, no such thing as a four-sided die. So, to determine who did what, the directors used a dreidel.

No such thing as a four sided dice? Obviously no one among the choreographers has played Dungeons & Dragons:

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Probability Intuition

Last quarter I taught discrete math. One component of the class was to cover some basic probability theory. On one of the homeworks we asked the following two questions about random five card poker hands:

  • Given that the hand contains an ace, what is the probability that the hand contains another ace?
  • Given that the hand contains the ace of diamonds, what is the probability that the hand contains another ace?

Without doing any explicit calculations, which of the above probabilities do you think will be larger?
Continue reading “Probability Intuition”

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Happy New Year! Welcome 2008!

Happy New Year! Seattle’s fireworks at the space needle had some technical difficulties (and the pyrotechnicians had to light them by hand…yeah I wrote that just to use the word “pyrotechnician”), but were still beautiful as ever:
Welcome 2008! 2008 is the international year of the potato, the international year of planet earth, and the international year of sanitation. Oh, and it is a leap year! And of further note, according to Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle in “The Mote in God’s Eye” 2008 is the year that faster than light travel was invented. Now that should be exciting.