Fractals Describe the Distribution of Matter in the Universe

Dr. Mary Crone Odekon In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Mary Crone Odekon of Skidmore College’s physics department discusses how studying fractals can help our understanding of structures in space. WAMC Similar:The Post-Coding Generation?I knew the command line well, and very o…CybercultureTraces of ScribesBook historian Irene O’Daly notes that t…AcademiaOpinion | Fake News Comes to AcademiaThe…

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly

I have seen a lot of very talented people fail because they couldn’t, or didn’t, write. And some much less talented people (I see one in the mirror every morning) have done OK because they learned how to write. —Michael C. Munger, Chronicle Here’s a tip that does a good job explaining a concept I’m…

Banner Fail — Failblog.org

see more Epic Fails Similar:Some fairy tales may be 6000 years oldFairy tales are transmitted through lang…CultureIn January 2001, I was blogging about Bill Clinton's #WhiteHouse security deposit, anachro…In January 2001, I was blogging about …AcademiaWhat would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood? @shu_hog… AmusingThe Lost Art…

Turnitin.com technical support email?

A great usability strategy, keeping their website so free of clutter like the email address for technical support. Gotta save that valuable screen real estate for the links to the big PDF manuals that haven’t been updated since the upgrade. tiisupport@turnitin.com Once again, that email is technical support for turnitin.com. Just in case you want…

iTunes Sending Receipts to Wrong Email

My university set me up with a trial Mobile Me account, and on the set-up day when I created my iTunes account, I was told to type in the Mobile Me address, so I did.  I never used the service, though my receipts for iTunes purchases showed up there.  A year later when the service…

The Chariot

Similar:That time three-year-old me spotted a Mary Cassatt painting at the Art Institute of Chicag…My mother had a framed print of Mary Cas…AestheticsMy Student Calls Out a Mental Health Stigma in a Biased Headline — But Here's Why We Shou…This morning a journalism student told m…CultureStudents are trusting software like this to do their work. …

What is it like to learn programming with Scratch?

Let my students tell you. Similar:On Instructional Technology and Face-to-Face Interaction CybercultureMe (glares in iambic pentameter)Me: I need to post the opening lecture f…AcademiaExploring Myst's Brave New World”We wanted a true persistent world. If y…CybercultureHenry Bemis waited his whole life to finally read a book. Listen to Lynn Venable’s story,…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc3DHCiz…BooksOne Man's Mission To Keep AOL's…

Are standardized tests biased against students who don't give a sh*t?

Beware… Salty language. In The Know: Are Tests Biased Against Students Who Don’t Give A Shit? Similar:20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don't GetI expect my English majors not to balk w…AcademiaSesame Street Is Moving to HBO, and the Symbolism Is CrushingI’ve been fascinated by the rhetoric of …BusinessIn-person classes heighten age-related hearing problems (opinion)My family tells me I’m…

10 Vintage Apple Ads That Time Forgot [VIDEOS]

Awful, awful Apple TV ads. Similar:Storage Wars Sued By Its Star; Show Is Faked And Execs Were Confronted By Cast, Court Pape…”Reality TV” star is shocked — shocked …AmusingMe loving my birthday truck, c. 1971.  I adored this truck, and spellin…DesignWhat Causes the Smell of New & Old Books?Generally, it is the chemical breakdown …AestheticsJournalism…

Scratch Stats

Scratch is a kid-friendly programming sandbox, designed by MIT in order to introduce kids to computer science concepts. I’ve been using it with my own children for a couple years, and am currently using it as a gentle introduction to development, for an upper-level class designed for the “New Media Journalism” program. Similar:Today's Computer Displays…