Doctorow’s take on HarperCollins self-destruct ebooks

What if each ebook came with a black box with wires and a red LED.. Or maybe a computer voice intoning a countdown… HarperCollins has informed libraries that henceforth, ebooks will be sold on the condition that they can only be circulated 26 times before they self-destruct. HarperCollins argues that this reflects the usage characteristics…

Why Twitter’s Quick Bar on iPhone Doesn’t Work

Twitter started out, years ago, as a social service for a common techno-clique who all attended the South by Southwest music conference, so trending topics made sense. But since then, it’s expanded and fragmented into a mass medium made up of non-overlapping micro-communities. Everybody uses Twitter differently, but almost everybody consciously or unconsciously cultivates their…

Sledding in Spring Break Snow

My wife suddenly decided I should be a Good Dad (TM) and take the kids sledding. (I said okay, as long as she was coming along, too. There she is at the bottom of the hill, way in the background.) Our hilly campus was almost deserted, since we’re starting our three-day spring break. Similar:I just…

Did scientists discover bacteria in meteorites? : Pharyngula

I’m looking forward to the publication next year of the discovery of an extraterrestrial rabbit in a meteor. While they’re at it, they might as well throw in a bigfoot print on the surface and chupacabra coprolite from space. All will be about as convincing as this story. Did scientists discover bacteria in meteorites? :…

Feeding a Neighbor’s Lambs

A neighbor invited us over to help feed the lambs they are raising in their garage. (The mother sheep died, and her lambs needed more care than the owners could manage.) The lambs are Piccolo and Brown Sugar. Similar:UPDATE: BREAKING: 'Star Wars' Returns — 'Episode 7' Slated For 2015 And More Movies Plann…The moment in…

Students Looking for Course Pages

I’ve redesigned my site a little. If you are looking for a course website, please click the “Teaching” menu item. Similar:Scientists should be goggled and in the lab, where they belong. Shut up and make me a vacc…Am I doing the tribal rage thing right? …CultureUnmarked assignments in my queue: 0This app, which sports a…

Best Film on Newton’s Third Law. Ever.

I just subscribed to this guy’s YouTube channel. Similar:Journalists prefer plain language.AestheticsLet's face it, it's time to give up on those Portal and Half-Life sequelsReserving judgments is a matter of infin…BusinessOne of the benefits of teaching at a small college, with small classes…In a final reflection video for a freshm…AcademiaWhat Khan Academy's Fun, Free Learning…