Our future robot overlords never looked so squishy. A team of Harvard University scientists has built an entirely soft robot — one that’s inspired by an octopus. The octobot, described this week in the journal Nature, could pave the way toward more effective soft robots that could be used in search and rescue, exploration and…
Similar:Facebook Fallen Angel « AwkwardFamilyPhotos.c…AmusingStudent journalist experiences the 'trickle down' of hostility toward the pressMy own students haven’t described encoun…AcademiaMizzou professor who pushed reporter away from protesters is fired“The board believes that Dr. Click’s con…AcademiaCreate Engaging Infographics for your ClassroomSeveral of my journalism students have g…AestheticsIt's Not Cool to Overreact: How Normalcy Bias Will Define…
This short film documents an early attempt to use hypertext to help students study poetry. A fascinating early collaboration between computer science and the humanities. Similar:The Blood and the BlameMoments after Donald Trump was…CultureStage Right's "The Secret Garden": Performing with My Talented Daughter This weekend has been magical. Frida…CultureKairos: Open Since 1996As a plucky new faculty member…
Similar:Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data SayAmericans with four-year college degrees…AcademiaHello, I’m Dr. Jerz, I’ll be your server tonight for Christmas on the Hill. Hello, I’m Dr. Jerz, I’ll be your serv…PersonalDon’t patronize older adults by calling them ‘the elderly’In English grammar, we use the definite …CultureI am at that stage of life where…
If movies about space have taught us anything, it’s that no one can hear you scream. If you get lost in space, nobody’s going to find you. Unless you’re a spacecraft with a direct link to NASA. Then, there is hope for you yet. STEREO-B, from the Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory mission, went missing on…
Today my son asked me to take him shopping for his favorite foods. He’s tired of fast-food take-out. I told him I was busy today running the spotlight for and videotaping yet another one of Carolyn’s performances (this time her voice teacher’s summer revue).
The poor boy has been left at home a lot while the rest of us did so much theater over the summer. He competed in a chess tournament last week. I fell asleep in the next room. He came in second place. (I have no pictures. I’m a bad father.)
While secondary schools pour their resources into helping students get into a good university, and adults rush to teach teens how to behave well socially, no one’s covering what kids need to know for, you know, the actual classes. I have a clear picture of what’s missing from their preparation. Here’s what to tell your…
AFTER A 14-YEAR run, Gawker.com is shutting down next week. Gawker Media’s new owner, US Spanish-language TV network Univision, made the decision to shut down the site after bidding $135 million for the web publisher’s seven-site portfolio in a bankruptcy auction earlier this week. (A bankruptcy judge is set to approve the final sale later…
Helen Keller, rendered blind and deaf after an infection as a toddler, learned the gift of language from her patient and determined teacher, Annie Sullivan. Their story is told in the play The Miracle Worker (and my daughter plays Helen in three more shows this weekend at Latrobe’s Cabaret Theatre). As a young woman Helen Keller…
Similar:What a great time everyone had at the "Cabbies."CultureSome problems bringing #Blender3D models into the #Unity3D game engine. The pink represent…AestheticsFinished Reading The Chronicles of PrydainWe could hardly stop reading just before…BooksSaints and Poets, Maybe They Do SomeI wrote the following in 2004, when my s…DramaDear students, no need to apologize for anything unless…AwesomeA full…
Business Insider calls this article an “anecdote… provided by linguist and cross-culture studies expert Richard Lewis.” The article provides several direct links to other works by Lewis, including an Amazon link for his book and an advertisement for the services he offers to businesses. The article makes many unsourced claims, and assumes that all Americans…
Similar:The Physics Behind Traffic JamsIn between today’s various events, I das…CultureTook the whole day off and spent part of it making #greebles with #Blender3D because reaso…AestheticsAnother 10 sq cm of #steampunk #neovictorian control panel. Not the end product. Just prac…AestheticsIs this why oldsters love nostalgia? I’m 50. I’m in my office casually sharp…CultureStage Right's production…
Similar:Oedipus Tyrannos (Oedipus Rex) — Brief IntroductionMy first lecture screencasts for my newl…AcademiaPICT Classic Theatre presents a gritty version of Charles Dickens’ classicPost-Gazette.com – Homer, Shakespeare, C…BooksLook what mysteriously appeared outside my office door!PersonalThe dress we ordered for the “girl next door” role in The Fantasticks… vs the dress that…AestheticsKeeping it classy. My 20yo son…
Similar:I am not in the splash zone but still definitely out of my comfort zone. Support the arts …I am not in the splash zone but still de…AmusingLatest #blender3d progress on a villain's lair. Added more carpets and cabinetry, and sta… AestheticsHad a blast watching all the amazing entries in Pittsburgh's 48 Hour Film Festival,…
Similar:Parent: "Why don't you use one of your stress balls?" The girl: "They don't like me."PersonalI really enjoyed powering through Wilson’s Century Cycle during winter term.AwesomeYeet with Emily Dickinson (according to my auto-correct}PersonalParty Like a Jerz My dad just made us root beer floats.PersonalJust submitted final grades for the compressed course that began the day after…
Trump offers plenty of opportunities for his detractors to criticize him. In the case of BabyGate, it does appear that the media were quick to spread an unflattering story without confirming some key facts. From a reporter seated one row behind the crying baby: “Mom and baby, very much not kicked out, came back to their seat a bit later. The baby was sucking a pacifier, silent.” There’s a little more to the story than the transcript and video suggest.
Kinetic Theatre‘s production was full of great twists that honor the source material while also smashing the fourth wall. (Carolyn has worked with all three cast members in PICT’s Great Expectations and/or Oliver Twist.) Similar:Through the Looking Glass #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 3, Episode 19) Sisko Must Rescue … Rewatching ST:DS9 The teaser give…DramaMy big brother and…
I’d rather blog about prepping my fall classes than actually start prepping my classes, so here you go. I don’t spend much time on the syllabus on the first day, though I do show students where key topics are, and I do assign a take-home syllabus quiz. (“If Gus Griffin tells you he’s worried about…
We spent Sunday afternoon at the Sadecky’s Puppets studio/workshop in Tarentum, Pa. Carolyn recorded an audio track for a musical adaptation of “Heidi,” to be synced with performances of live puppeteers touring across 9 states during the coming school year. Mr. Sadecky, who has been performing with his puppets since the early 80s, was charming…
Americans are more worried than enthusiastic about using gene editing, brain chip implants and synthetic blood to change human capabilities. Majorities of U.S. adults say they would be “very” or “somewhat” worried about gene editing (68%), brain chips (69%) and synthetic blood (63%), while no more than half say they would be enthusiastic about each…