Geb’s World

The U. of Iowa website now claims that my friend Cliff Missen is a remarkable person.  An I thought he was just special (ed).

Another potential robocamp project

also from Make.

I saw this on Make magazine’s website.  Just what we need!

Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie has published a list of 19 overused phrases.  Sweet.  Apparently the top 19 is the new top 10.  19 seems a little random, but perhaps there has been a surge of clichés in the post-9/11 world.  It’s a perfect storm of wordsmiths taking on the establishment.  It seems like the organic thing to do would be to host an emotional webinar on the subject, so more people can add a little pop to their language by decimating their poor language use.  It’s a nice way for academia to give back to the community.  Back in the day, people were better at avoiding clichés.  No so much anymore.  What are you going to do?  It is what it is.

Seriously, the problem with clichés is that they serve to terminate thought, providing a stopping point for a thread of thought that may venture too close to a cognitive dissonance.  Consider, for example, the phrase “post-9/11.”  Supposedly “everything” changed with 9/11.  Terminating thinking at this point avoids comparisons of various alternatives, because the listener implicitly accepts that because everything changed, his or her instincts and formerly held beliefs are no longer up to the task of assessing policy or responses to events. 

Another possible robo camp project.

This might be a good project for the robo camp.

- Geb

Donna Katen-Bahensky, the former CEO at the University Hospitals, did not resign, as the media had reported, but Jean Robillard, Vice President for Medical Affairs, had refused to sign the updated contract.  Katen-Bahensky’s base salary was $465,000.  The sudden end to the contract kicks in a severance package of $830,000.  She took another job as CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics where she will end $600,000. 

Talk about landing on your feet!

I think it is nice that we take such good care of people who aren’t doing what we need them to do.  This way, she will still be able to have a nice Christmas and buy a half dozen BMW’s or something to brighten up her spirits during what must be a very challenging time emotionally.

In unrelated news, Mayor Bloomberg in New York is trying to redefine the outdated poverty standards in New York City.  Approximately 600,000 people are in public housing.  The current poverty level for a family of four is a little under $21,000. 

Katen-Bahensky’s severance package of $830,000 is enough to keep 39 families (156 people, 78 children) above the poverty line for a year.  That’s the equivalent of the entire kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade at our nearby elementary school, plus their parents. 

A guy fixed up his Honda civic (the Aerocivic) and now gets 95 mpg.  The main thing is reducing the drag coefficient, but the other trick is better driving habits.  The vehicle may be competitive for the $10M prize for the first car that can reliably get 100 mpg.

I love seeing this kind of inventive approach.  Nice work basjoos!

The Institute for Creation Research is trying to get accreditation for “an online degree in science education to prepare teachers to ‘understand the universe within the integrating framework of Biblical creationism.‘”  Last week an Texas advisory council recommended the program for approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 

“The Institute for Creation Research, which recently moved to Dallas
from Santee, Calif., says it teaches its graduate students “more
typical secular perspectives” alongside creationism.

But students and faculty must profess faith in a literal translation
of Biblical creation — that God created the world in six days and made
humans and animals in their current life forms; that the Earth is only
thousands of years old; and the fossil record is the result of a global
flood described in the Bible, according to the Web site.”

That certainly represents a different type of science education to me, more reminiscent of the flat earth theory, the humor theory of medicine, and alchemy.  Perhaps the degree should be more properly designated as pre-renaissance philosophy, pseudo-education or political debate rather than science education.

To be fair, though, I think it will be important for Texas to also offer degrees in the scientific philosophy of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, including its insightful work on the correlation of global temperature with the number of pirates.  I believe that challenging students with a little ironic humor would be far better than purposefully and artificially muddying the waters between religion and science.