Back in June, Paul pointed out that Dark Horse had started issuing a serialized web comic of War of the Worlds, a new installment every Friday. Well, 6 months later it’s concluded, so you can read the whole thing in one go. And yes, I’ve been tuning in every Friday or Saturday to read the new installment. Yes, I’m that big a geek.
Now this is a great idea for an AskA service… What is AskPhilosophers? This site puts the talents and knowledge of philosophers at the service of the general public. That’s not something that you get to say every day, that you’re putting philosophy to the service of the general public. Too bad, though. We could probably all use a bit more public philosophy. Of course, it used to be that.. Read More
Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica, from CNN Internet encyclopaedias go head to head, from Nature The exercise revealed numerous errors in both encyclopaedias, but among 42 entries tested, the difference in accuracy was not particularly great: the average science entry in Wikipedia contained around four inaccuracies; Britannica, about three. Only eight serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, were detected in the pairs of articles reviewed, four from each.. Read More
A new exhibit both online and in realspace at the Library of Congress: Bound for Glory: America in Color Bound for Glory: America in Color is the first major exhibition of the little known color images taken by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. These vivid scenes and portraits capture the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations, the nation’s subsequent economic recovery.. Read More
This has been a damn good week for me: first the Junior Faculty Development Award, and now this afternoon I received an email that I’ve received the OCLC/ALISE Library and Information Science Research Grant. So the Junior Faculty Award is for $7500. The LISRGP is for $15K. Maybe next week I’ll get something for 30K. At this rate, by the end of the Spring semester I’ll be receiving grants in.. Read More
iPods making inroads at Duke, from The Herald-Sun By Yvonne’s own admission, the reporter selected the blandest quote possible: “Now we know more about what kinds of uses work well”… I should hope so!
This just in from John MacMullen, Reporter-At-Large for PomeRantz: Smoot, Namesake of a Unit of Length, Retires, from NPR For those of you unfortunate enough not to be familiar with Boston, the Mass Ave bridge, which crosses the Charles River to MIT, is measured in smoots, which get repainted every year — as I just learned, by the new pledges in Smoot’s fraternity. It’s called the Smoot bridge probably as.. Read More
Happy news: yesterday I got a letter from the Provost’s office that I’ve received the Junior Faculty Development Award! So now I’ve got $7500 coming to me, which must be spent in the 2006 calendar year. I’m a’gonna buy me a GA, thank you very much. Actually I already have one; now I can even pay her. Not that you asked, but the title of the project is: Multi-state Evaluation.. Read More
I learned about this new board game yesterday. Daryl Hannah, of all people, has invented a board game called Liebrary. I haven’t played it (yet) but from what I’ve read, it sounds similar to Balderdash. From this article about the game: Players listen to the title and a synopsis of a real book, then write down what could be the first line to that book. You earn points for each.. Read More
NIH Program Seeks to Speed Grant Process for New Applicants, from the Chronicle The National Institutes of Health has announced a pilot program designed to expedite the grant process for young scientists who have never won an award from the agency. If successful, the NIH might extend the revised procedure to all investigators, who often complain about delays. Well that certainly would be a good thing. Maybe if this program.. Read More