Wet Book Rescue

Wish I’d known this technique when I spilled tea all over my JC Superstar script. (I did the paper towel and fan thing, but didn’t try leaving the book under weights overnight — probably because I needed to use the script at rehearsal.) Similar:'Island of the Blue Dolphins' woman's cave believed foundFor more than 20…

Edgar Allan Poe Was a Broke-Ass Freelancer – The Millions

His despair is only part of his artistic journey. When researching Poe last year, I was surprised to come across an anecdote about him playing leap-frog with his wife and splitting his pants, causing both of them to collapse in fits of laughter. I’m sure it was the memory of joyful moments like this that haunted him as she lay dying and long after she was dead.

The boy wins once again. #chess

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Liberal Arts Classes Could Teach Neil deGrasse Tyson a Thing or Two about the Path from Data to Wisdom

Your mileage may vary, but I immediately thought of Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, who states this problem in negative terms. Yes, she’s a made-up character delivering a line in a movie about an imaginary ring from a fantasy book, but anyone who really understands Tolkien’s story will have reflected on the…

‘These are all fake news,’ said the honor student. He was wrong.

Kim Ash teaches the Newseum’s “Fighting Fake News” class. Whereas teachers once feared that teenagers would fall for everything they read online, now they’re concerned young people won’t believe anything they read. —Washington Post Similar:Why Shouting Down Speakers Is Absolutely WrongWilson offers a good explanation of the …AcademiaMultitasking while studying: Divided attention and technological gadgets…

Paper too short? Here are actual tips for serious students, not dumb tricks your prof will notice.

Is your academic essay a bit short? First, make sure that you have formatted your draft as required (usually professors ask you to double-space). Faking a longer paper won’t make your writing any more persuasive or intelligent or analytical or factual. It won’t help you to learn what your instructor wants you to learn. My…

You cannot serve both…

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The girl continues her exploration of Scottish history.

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The elements, in haiku

Each element of the periodic table gets its own haiku. What a clever project — traditional haiku frequently celebrate nature. An interactive review of the periodic table — composed of 119 haiku The elements, in haiku Similar:NASA Just Found a Lost SpacecraftIf movies about space have taught us any…Current_EventsHarvard Science Historian Publishes Results of Unprecedented…

The Girl’s Obsession with Scottish History Continues

Wife: “What did you do with your bedsheet?” Me: “Is that my missing belt?” Girl: “Kilt-y as charged.” Similar:Checking sources back in 2006 involved using this *steampunk* contraption.Research Before Google Books AcademiaThe amazing daughter is featured in the ads for this commercial dance event. The amazing daughter is featured in th…PersonalMore #blender3d #steampunk #design. #blender3dart…

Teaching Snapshot: First Amendment Freedoms

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Anti-globalism Is Common Factor in Social Media Conspiracy Theories, says UW Prof

Fascinating academic effort to find a pattern in apparently random conspiracy theories that regularly pop up in our infostreams during social crises. Experts usually dismiss them because they are so wild and unlikely, and have thus failed to notice their impact. Starbird’s insight was to map the digital connections between all this buzzing on Twitter…

Apparently, I needed to watch a supercut of doors and corridors from Star Trek.

I did in fact search YouTube for videos featuring corridors on the starship Enterprise. And I found this bizarrely satisfying video, featuring not just corridors, but also doors. (Whoosh! Whoosh!) I remember this — our first look at Captain Kirk in the 1979 “Star Trek the Motion Picture.” Similar:Amusing Reference to ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ Imagine…

The girl around the house casually dressed “as a Jacobite.”

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Classroom Vignette: MLA Style

Student (shouldering backpack and heading for door): Why does MLA Style have to keep changing? Me (checks clock): Well… Similar:North Sea cod: Is it true there are only 100 left?A spokesperson for the Sunday Times told…BusinessOpening night of Sive.PersonalI regularly teach A Raisin in the Sun but haven't seen a live production in decades. Looki……