Study: Singing together synchronizes your heartbeat

The researchers found that each singer’s heartbeat was linked to the song’s melody – i.e. the speed and structure of the music. They also found that when the choir sang together, their heart rates tended to increase and decrease at similar times. “As soon as the singing begins, (the hearts) start following each other,” Vickhoff…

In Defense Of Metaphors In Science Writing

We live in an elegant universe. The cosmos is like a string symphony. Genes are selfish. There is an endless battle between thermodynamics and gravity. Do you love these statements, or hate them? The reading world gets pretty divided over whether or not it’s okay to apply metaphors and similes to descriptive science writing. It…

The Reading Project

Literature majors and students otherwise drawn to literature courses can be an introverted bunch. Students overall can at times resist course projects that fall outside the expected parameters of a given discipline. Yet my class proved my assumptions wrong. Many of the students were nervous, to be sure, but overall they seemed to enjoy the…

Tweet: Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts fo…

Feeling productive. Hammered out eight scripts for training vids (3-5min each). It helps that I had an outline & know the content well. Similar:In Defense Of Metaphors In Science WritingWe live in an elegant universe. The c…CultureProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureHabits for happiness: tips for looking…

Tweet: So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No…

So, the correct quote from “Miri” is actually “No ‘blah blah blah’” not “No more ‘blah blah blah.’” Classic Trek trivia I did not know. Similar:Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…For an anatomy project, my #geekling mad…TweetsRT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think controls the news…RT @DDeClaudio: Who do you think control…TweetsI'm…

The Library Adjacent to My Ethership Control Room Needed Books

For me, summer vacation means spending hours modeling shelves full of antique books in Blender-3D, so that the library adjacent to the bridge in my steampunk ship-of-the-line looks more lived-in. Similar:Okay, please stop droolingIt perfectly pulls together four importa…CybercultureIn July, 2002, I was blogging about military close reading, weblogs in journalism, UX evan…In July, 2002,…

Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…

Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on the couch, reading an Iron Man comic. http://t.co/S3xPQoZh1o Similar:Former student: "I remember sometimes being annoyed with all of our blogging assignments, …A third alum in the last few weeks has c…AcademiaProto iPads and Paper Coexist in Classic Star TrekRewatching the classic Trek episode “The…CybercultureI asked my geekling…

The Humanities: What Went Right?

The search for what went right might take a hard look at the job market for our graduates. One recent survey, by the Web site payscale.com, paints a somewhat depressing picture of salaries, with humanities majors typically earning from $5,000 to $15,000 less than those with undergraduate professional degrees. Fifteen years after graduation, however, the…

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars

Because apparently I am not already nerdy enough, the universe presented me with this version of Star Wars, written in the style of a Shakespeare play. William Shakespeare’s Star Wars® | Quirk Books : Publishers & Seekers of All Things Awesome. Similar:700-year-old picture of 'Mickey Mouse' found in Austrian church”Walt Disney first sketched his characte…ArtAugust…

Handshakes Really Do Matter

Monday night handshake/eye contact practice. [W]hen was the last time you analyzed your handshake? Consider these questions: If you are a male and you meet a female, who should extend their hand first? If you are a male and you are meeting another male, who should extend his hand first? If you are a female…

My daughter found where all the missing pens and pencils end up

Similar:Basic details for #medievalyork city walls for a forthcoming scholarly theatrical project….Basic details for #medievalyork city wal…PersonalLonely Among Us (TNG Rewatch, Season 1, Episode 6) Crew-posessing spark roams and a droid …Conflict between two species who petitio…AestheticsGen Z Never Learned to Read CursiveWhen I used to teach a “Media and Cultur…AcademiaFoggy April morning on the…

‘LOL, JK’: Texas teen faces 8 years in prison for making ‘terroristic threat’ online

An Austin, Texas, teenager faces eight years in prison for making a “terroristic threat” after he made a sarcastic comment online about shooting up a school. —Washington Times. Similar:How cult leaders brainwash followers for total controlWith each other as validation, we began …CultureOn the Importance of Nonverbal Feedback in the Classroom [an Anecdote]I don’t generally…

Tweet: RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time…

RT @EKSwitaj: Higher Ed drinking game: every time someone says MOOC, buy 1000 bottles of liquor, drink three shots, and say you drank all 1… Similar:It's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsJudge: Apple conspired to fix eBook prices.Judge: Apple conspired to fix eBook pric…BooksHabits for happiness: tips for looking…

Shy Preschooler Won’t Say Her Lines in “Peter Pan” Rehearsal (Stage Right! Greensburg)

Little Maggie isn’t so sure she wants to say her line, but during a rehearsal, director/choreographer Renata Marino and the cast of home-schooled children do their best to encourage her. On the night of the show, Maggie steps forward for her big moment. What will happen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNFw1gslwU Similar:New York fails Common Core testsJust 23 percent…

Tweet: For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan…

For an anatomy project, my #geekling made a Vulcan instead of a human. (Note heart where liver should be.) #startrek http://t.co/9ct0O20gRA Similar:Parallel structure in writing: Use it!These comic panels cover the issue well….HumanitiesYes, I do feel rather awesome right now.Lost brand-new earbuds. Reached in pocke…PersonalDesert Bus: The Worst Video Game Ever CreatedPenn and Teller are…

Tweet: Grammar test for 11-year-olds. http://t.co/tVph471…

Grammar test for 11-year-olds. telegraph.co.uk/education/educ… Similar:Tweet: Came around the corner and saw my kids huddled on…Came around the corner and saw my kids h…TweetsMaybe I'll just delete these QUARTER OF A MILLION spam comments.Not kidding — 254,460 spam comments in …CybercultureIt's been nice knowing you, iPad3 It’s been nice knowing you, iPad3, but…TweetsParallel Structure vs.…

Tweet: So proud…my eagle-eyed tween noticed the “James…

So proud…my eagle-eyed tween noticed the “James R. Kirk” tombstone in “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” #startrek #tos #geeklings Similar:Parallel Structure vs. Faulty ParallelismI just touched up a handout on Parallel …HumanitiesWhat kids do when Dad won't hand over the iPod So I’m not being selfish… this is …EducationShe doesn't have keys or a…

Tweet: RT @PhilKomarny: Architectural plans for Seton Hil…

RT @PhilKomarny: Architectural plans for Seton Hill University arts center revealed @TribLIVE #CIO #edTech triblive.com/news/westmorel… Similar:Loved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhillLoved seeing A Comedy of Errors @setonhi…TweetsCarolyn Gombell Is Not a Real Person: #JusticeforCarolyn Is a Campaign Against Twitter Ref…Fascinating use of social media. To be c…Current_EventsRT @JordanFor: One of the counters from the…