Monthly Archives: October 2013

Another Victory For High-Stakes Testing: The Geometry Edition

Posted on October 25, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

New York City math teacher Gary Rubenstein writes (boldface mine): I got to witness an extreme example of this decision making when I graded the Geometry Regents at the centralized grading center this past June. A huge part of Geometry, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 3 Comments

Links 10/24/13

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: My sexual harassment story They Write the Right Stuff Absurd Creature of the Week: Elusive Goblin Shark Has World’s Most Terrifying Jaws Texas Textbook Publishers Say No To Creationism: Watchdog Report Ripples from 454’s Shutdown Announcement … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 10/24/13

Occupy the Candy Machine

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

At an undisclosed location in Cambridge, MA, someone is very pissed off at the candy machine:

Posted in Humor | 2 Comments

International Tests: Do We Want to Be a Nation of Concert Planners or Scientists?

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Many moons ago, I used to book and promote concerts, so I don’t pose that question with disdain towards people who put shows together. Scientists, on the other hand…. (heh) In large part due to the media blitz surrounding Amanda … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 8 Comments

Links 10/23/13

Posted on October 23, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Hominin skull discovery fuels debate about early human evolution Why Scientists Are Trying Viruses To Beat Back Bacteria Lionfish infestation in Atlantic Ocean a growing epidemic Bubble-icious Biotech NIH Scrambles to Catch Up After U.S. Shutdown … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | Comments Off on Links 10/23/13

Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean the TSA Isn’t After You

Posted on October 23, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

A while ago, after yet another outrage by the TSA, I wrote (boldface added): But the real question is why did no one else do anything to stop it. Why did no one say anything? I’m sure some people just … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Human Decency, Civil Liberties, Ethics | 1 Comment

If Scientists Don’t Value Our Labor, Who Will? The San Diego Postdoc Edition

Posted on October 23, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

I think there’s something in the water in the San Diego area because researchers there are offering volunteer post-docs: that’s right–you get to be a post-doc for free. Recently, an ad was posted for a volunteer post-doc “in the La … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, Career Stuff, Jobs, NIH | 9 Comments

Links 10/22/13

Posted on October 22, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Trouble at the lab: Scientists like to think of science as self-correcting. To an alarming degree, it is not (the article unfortunately downplays the role of inadequate funding) Top 12 reasons you know you are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

What Blogging Has Lost

Posted on October 22, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Last week, when I wrote a post about ScienceBlogs, how blogging has become professionalized was something I neglected to put in that post. Thankfully, Chad Orzel says it better anyway (boldface mine): It’s a sign that blogging is respectable, an … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloggity Blog | Comments Off on What Blogging Has Lost

Shifting the Overton Window Rightward

Posted on October 22, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

During the recent budget shenanigans, you might have come across Rep. Peter King, who was often described as a “moderate.” Joshua Holland puts the lie to that (boldface mine): Rep. Peter King (R-NY) once claimed that “80 to 85 percent … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Democrats | Comments Off on Shifting the Overton Window Rightward