Tired brain can’t quite process this Wired summary of a scholarly paper, but I enjoyed how the good writing helped me peek into a field I know so little about. Time moves as it does because humans are biologically, neurologically, philosophically hardwired to experience it that way. It’s like a macro-scale version of Schrödinger’s cat.…
The unavoidable truth is that first draft of history is no longer written in tomorrow’s newspaper. Instead, it’s tapped out on new and social media, which is thick with rumor and conspiracy. There’s little journalists can do about crap on the internet; taking aim at disinformation is like firing a machine-gun at an unruly flock…
Another of the many, many reflections on the big story of the weekend. In 1984, George Orwell famously described a totalitarian political order in which people were kept as docile subjects in part by a daily ritual called “Two Minutes Hate” in which the population directs all of its pent up fury at “Goldstein,” a possibly…
My social media network includes people who fully supported the narrative voiced by Phillips and magnified by social media outrage, who now feel the shifting narrative proves how hard “the media” work to excuse the misbehavior of smirking, entitled, racist bullies. (But they might agree the Hebrew Israelites went too far.) My social feed also…
With the Enterprise in drydock for a computer refit, Riker ends up in the holodeck, fascinated by the sultry hologram he asks the computer to create so someone will admire his trombone talents.
Similar:Schisms (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 6, Episode 5)Rewatching ST:TNG Riker is having troub…DesignYouTube Now: Why We Focus on Watch TimeYouTube has adjusted its search algorith…CybercultureManhunt (ST:TNG Rewatch, Season Two, episode 19) — Silly Lwaxana Troi comedy of manners(Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break…PopCultHow Americans DieFantastic data visualization. How Ameri…CultureBREAKING: British Burn Washington … 2 Centuries…
I was in college and grad school during the original run of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), and followed the series very closely. During the last couple of seasons of Deep Space Nine (1998–99), my wife and I had our first child, I started a tenure-track job, and I fell out of the TV-watching…
I gather the purpose of these consoles — maybe a dozen, scattered on pillars throughout the school’s Lowe Dining Hall — was to call for service? I seem to remember seeing some text on at least some of the consoles. I’m curious! Similar:STEM Education Is Vital–But Not at the Expense of the HumanitiesPromoting science and…
Similar:Daughter doing a thing. Interviewing the Pittsburgh Dance Council’s Randall Miller for Bur… AcademiaAnnoyed and Bored by Lazy Anachronisms in The Great Gatsby MovieI just watched the recent Great Gatsby m…AestheticsWho Watches the Watchers (ST:TNG Season Three Episode 4) Rationalist, talky mythbustingRewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break….EthicsArsenal of Freedom (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode…
Once upon a time, local newspapers could depend upon a steady stream of local classified ads — people advertising looking to hire a handyman, or to sell their old sofa or used car. The income from local ads in locally-owned newspapers would go back to the communities, in the form of the paychecks for the…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. The Enterprise visits a sexist planet run by women, where… well, that’s about it. There’s nothing particularly science-fictional about the plot, except that the Enterprise is tracking a space-freighter and looking for space-survivors who disappeared years ago near this space-planet. There’s nothing strategic about the…
From Buzzfeed: Sitting before the Stars and Stripes, another flag pinned to his lapel, former president Barack Obama appears to be delivering an important message about fake news — but something seems slightly…off. Similar:5 Ways to Avoid Being Rude (According to 100-Year-Old Etiquette Rules)If you are a gentleman, never lower the …CultureKarate, Wonton, Chow…
The girl tried to weird me out with a video of the Latvian “blblblblbl ah ah” guy. I retaliated with Devo’s “Whip It” and Max Headroom, then finished her off with “Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance.” Similar:Socrates envisaged a time when we would forget how to remember.From Daisy Dunn’s review of…
In “Datalore,” an encounter with Data’s more human-like “brother” showcases Brent Spiner’s acting talents and the optical FX crew’s mad split-screen skillz. While I enjoyed the plot twists and character bits as they happened, as a work of science fiction this episode offers little beyond popcorn “evil twin” fare.
The opening captain’s log lampshades an unprompted, random visit to Data’s home planet. The “Data practice sneezing” scene is silly, but the character development subtly allies Data’s desire to be human with Wesley’s desire to be respected by adults. The scene also accustoms us to the idea that Picard uses Wesley to deliver in-person messages, which kinda sorta helps explain why in this episode Wesley ends up where he needs to be to witness just enough to suspect Lore, but not enough to prove anything to the dumb-as-a-fencepost adults.
Similar:Christmas 1970. I was feverish and it was unseasonably warm outside. One of my favorite pi…PersonalIt's such a privilege to introduce these young people to Shakespeare's body of work.After starting my 200-level “Shakespeare…AcademiaCelebration of Writing Fall 2018PersonalTARDIS from today's 3D printing class.AestheticsMostly German, sometimes refreshing my high school Latin.PersonalI had a grand time recording this…
My 20yo son, who plays a lot of Star Wars battle simulations, was very taken with the music and story. I had read about this game when it came out, so some plot points were spoiled for me, but I still teared up at the end. You can find it for a very reasonable price…
Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation after a 20-year break. The first of (far too) many “trapped on the holodeck” episodes. Exhausted while preparing for a high-stakes diplomatic ritual, Picard takes a break in a virtual-reality simulation of a 1940s detective novel. I remembered enjoying Brent Spiner’s portrayal of Data adapting to the noir setting,…
Sometimes people get the name of my school wrong. On a whim, I searched Google for “dennis jerz seton hall” and found a recent letter to the editor that referenced one of my handouts: Verify or Duck: Good Journalists Confirm Details They Didn’t Witness Dennis Jerz of Seton Hall University writes “Good journalists confirm details they…
Similar:The Other 21st Century Skills User Generated Education.AcademiaAnother student matinee. So many excited kids for Frankenstein. @prime_stage BooksMore #blender3d #steampunk control panel details. #blender3dartAestheticsSledding in Spring Break SnowMy wife suddenly decided I should be a G…Current_EventsCelebration of Writing — a big presentation day for freshman writing classes.PersonalMy contribution to WAOB Audio Theatre’s plan to record…
Similar:More world-building props for a fantasy #steampunk #Blender3D project.DesignBiggest accomplishment of the dayThe real problem is timing — they had c…GovernmentMidterm Grades Submitted.AcademiaI just bought Diamond City.GamesWhy I Rarely Blog about My Home Building ProjectsWe’re kind of in the eye of the storm, b…Modding"Only You" — 11yo Carolyn Sings a Power Ballad from "Starlight Express"The…