Monthly Archives: April 2014

Yes, There Is Something That Could Be Done About the Minimum Wage

Posted on April 7, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

A while ago, I noted that Obama, through an executive order, could have made the minimum wage for all federal contractors much higher than the $10.10 he has instituted. There is nothing Congress could have done to stop him (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Democrats, Jobs | 1 Comment

The Cost of Security Theater: When You Look At Everything…

Posted on April 7, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

…you see nothing (boldface mine): The next day, Tsarnaev was entered a second time into the TECS system, with some dire warnings. But this time, the name was misspelled, with an extra y: “Tsarnayev,” a detail that was made public … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Links 4/6/14

Posted on April 6, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: What Really Killed William Henry Harrison? The end of night: An eternal electric day is creeping across the globe, but our brains and bodies cannot cope in a world without darkness Don’t Kiss the Cadaver: Since … Continue reading →

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Early Spring on Commonwealth

Posted on April 6, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Early morning on Commonwealth Mall, between Gloucester and Hereford:

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No, the U.S. Can’t Run Out of Money (And What This Means for Scientists)

Posted on April 6, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Dylan Matthews, now of Vox, tweeted the obvious: We have taxes to encourage public use of fiat money, control inflation, and discourage harmful behaviors. Not bc we "need" the money. — Dylan Matthews (@dylanmatt) March 27, 2014 To his credit, … Continue reading →

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Links 4/5/14

Posted on April 5, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: Archaeageddon: how gas-belching microbes could have caused mass extinction Two Republican creationists block South Carolina’s adoption of the Wooly Mammoth as the state fossil Biologists: this is why bioinformaticians hate you… Subnivean Tadpole Migration After more … Continue reading →

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Lego Library

Posted on April 5, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

In the atrium of the Boylston Street entrance to the Boston Public Library is this neat Lego display of the Boston Library:

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The Math Behind Why Harvard and Other Universities Don’t Take Rape Seriously

Posted on April 5, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

A recent anonymous letter by a rape survivor at Harvard has been making the rounds. Jill Filipovich asks: Why aren’t schools like Harvard, with their vast financial and intellectual resources, with their leadership position at the very top of higher … Continue reading →

Posted in Rape | 3 Comments

Links 4/4/14

Posted on April 4, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Links for you. Science: End the Hype over Epigenetics & Lamarckian Evolution 8 Realities of the Sequencing GWAS Dear parents, you are being lied to. Statistical Flaw Punctuates Brain Research in Elite Journals p-value weirdness in a world of big … Continue reading →

Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

The Incompetency of Education Reformers: The Texas Testing Edition

Posted on April 4, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

One of the biggest cons going is the belief that education reformers are get-it-done pragmatists. As I noted, regarding Florida’s ridiculous use of test scores, that’s not true: What boggles the mind is that people at the Florida Department of … Continue reading →

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