In cultures around the world, myths about “seven sisters” describe a cluster of stars, but today the naked eye can only discern six stars. What’s up with that? Cultures around the world call the Pleiades constellation ‘seven sisters’, even though we can only see six stars today. But things looked quite different 100,000 years ago.…
Rewatching ST:TNG An archaeologist who’s not very good at prioritizing natters on to Picard about finding some old glasses, a revolver, and a pocket watch in an old mine. When Picard asks why the Enterprise-D was recalled to Earth to investigate, only then does the archeologist say oh yeah, here in this old mine that’s…
Rewatching ST:TNG Some time has passed since Part 1, as Picard and the away team members, presenting themselves as a theatre troupe, are behind in their rent at a boarding house in 19thC San Francisco. (We already know [s5e16 “Ethics“] that LaForge’s visor lets him see through at least some playing cards, and Troi’s access…
Similar:Parent: "Why don't you use one of your stress balls?" The girl: "They don't like me."PersonalWhen Asking the Question is Part of the News Story (New Example: Clinton Supporters)I ask my journalism students to avoid us…Current_EventsFacebook's Mike Hudack rants about the media: Why won't anybody do something about these s…When a Facebook executive whines about…
Similar:Enjoying an ice cream cake, apple pie, and the classic Star Trek episode “The Doomsday Mac…PersonalSix rainbow-colored objects, arranged like THIS?These are shoe-holding racks at a local …AestheticsFreshman writing students present their research projects in a suitably decorous setting. … PersonalRIP Metaverse, we hardly knew yeI am curious enough about cockatoos that…AcademiaLast weekend I roughed…
Globally, Covid cases exceeded 250 million this month. The virus is still infecting 50 million people worldwide every 90 days due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, with thousands dying each day. Now a systematic review and meta analysis of non-pharmaceutical interventions has found for the first time that mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing…
Similar:Nipper Hears "His Master's Voice"As a kid growing up in Fairfax County, j…BusinessUnfinished pine and not so ornamented, for the workshops and service areas of my fantasy #…PersonalSpring 2023 Grades: Submitted! (I only had 3 last-minute submissions to mark today.)AcademiaI'm having scads of fun designing #steampunk control panels. #blender3d #blender3dart…AestheticsMore #steampunk control panel goodness. #blender3d…
Similar:Those emails can wait.PersonalOne of the benefits of teaching at a small college, with small classes…In a final reflection video for a freshm…AcademiaIf I don’t stock the officers’ pub on my #steampunk #fantasy #CGI flagship, who will? (All…Personal“Waiting for Life” (Once on This Island)https://youtu.be/NeoVD3prQWYPersonal"She even disgraces the name of Linton." –Heathcliff, on his simpering wife…
There has been a paradigm shift in the thinking behind mask use, to the current emphasis on protecting oneself as opposed to the initial consideration of keeping others safe from what we might be exhaling, said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist at the University of Toronto. “The game has changed,” he said. “We’re not…
Similar:I have more to do than mark 99 assignments, but this is a nice stopping point.PersonalComing up for the girl is another classic show: The Fantasticks.So looking forward to seeing her in this…CultureDrawing of Once on This Island by the amazing Rebecca Scassellati.PersonalWhat My Classroom Looks Like During Today's Video Journalism Workshop Within one minute…
The final episode of the fantasy/comedy audio miniseries “MisSpelled” drops today. A full voice cast, sound effects, original music, and a great story. I only wish I had met more of the cast in person! We were churning out these recordings in groups right before the pandemic. As the lockdown eased up, I returned to…
In addition to the fact that it’s good news that a federal judge is responding rationally to science, logic, and our basic human obligation to care for the most vulnerable members of our society, I’m also interested in the way Axios labels each paragraph of this news story and supplies details with bullet points. It’s…
Rewatching ST:TNG When a space probe zaps Picard unconscious, he wakes up in a civilian house, where a woman calls him “Kamin,” and says he has been feverish for days. Out exploring, Picard happens upon a tree planting ceremony. The leader is Kamin’s friend Batai, who answers Picard’s questions with concern. When Picard returns to…
Simulations are powerful tools for understanding our world. Murder Is Her Hobby: Frances Glessner Lee and The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death explores the surprising intersection between craft and forensic science. It also tells the story of how a woman co-opted traditionally feminine crafts to advance the male-dominated field of police investigation and to establish…
Similar:After purchase of latest accessory, I can no longer close my camera bag. #ConspicuousConsu… With the money I saved by working on…PersonalStarting my “Writing about Literature” class by having students react to a John Donne sonn…PersonalIt’s so heartbreaking seeing the amount of disinformation being spread by elected official…It’s so heartbreaking seeing the amount …Current_EventsLovely #greebles…
One of the heirs to the Disney fortune explains (and critiques) the mindset of the super-rich. If your comfort requires that society be structured so that a decent percentage of your fellow citizens live in a constant state of terror about whether they’ll get health care in an emergency, or whether they can keep a…
Great concept for a virtual escape room devoted to debunking fake information online. For years a supplement called “Euphorigen” has been used by the very wealthy to boost brain activity and productivity. Now the Government wants to make the benefits of Euphorigen available to everyone by introducing it into the public water supply. The company…
Rewatching ST:TNG A transporter accident causes LaForge and Ro to wander the Enterprise-D like ghosts. The teaser begins in medias res, with the Enterprise responding to a Romulan distress call. While prepping to beam over, Ro snarks at Riker under her breath, but backs down when challenged. The Romulans, who seem almost overwhelmed by the…
Yet many Texans feel they need the Alamo story. As one of the authors of Forget the Alamo stated, the myth speaks to what many Texans desperately want to believe about their state: that it arose from heroic circumstances, and that there’s a reason Texas is special. This includes the current crop of Republican Texas legislators. Instead of allowing critical…
Similar:Giving Obsolete Books an Afterlife as Theatre PropsOnce, someone really cared about these o…AestheticsIs Babylon 5 secretly the most influential TV show of the past 25 years?When my wife and I were grad students in…CultureDeath Comes for the Microbot — Flash Fiction by Aimee PicchiBee walked on six spindly legs to the sp…CultureThe daughter sings…