Random Thoughts
Parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study conducted by sociologists from the University of Nevada, Reno and UCLA.
For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, strikingly, this massive study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as having parents who are…
Hank |
The Nation magazine is in a pickle. It spends $1 million more than it makes and Chris Hayes, The Nation's Washington editor, was asked to send out an email to readers to bridge the gap. So he did. And the folks at Politico.com were kind enough to post it for the world, with a link to the fundraising site.
What do you think about that? I like that there are diverse political magazines but is capitalism just culling the herd? I am not inclinced to subscribe now (though I already did not) and I don't know if National Review has ever made money but I have never…
Yago |
It's been several months since Michael White invited me to blog here at Scientific Blogging. I think the immediate occasion for his invitation was a conversation we had about Douglas Hofstadter's 2007 book I Am a Strange Loop. I don't remember the details of what I said in that conversation, but I guess something in it made Mike think that I had something to offer here. That conversation was one of many we've enjoyed over the past year on topics at least potentially relevant to the bloggers and readers on this site: science fiction, science books written for a general…
Scum Causes Outrage In U.K.
A recent case in a British Magistrates Court has caused outrage in more ways than one.
Two 16-year-old boys from Darwen had performed an act of wanton vandalism and desecration in a church. They had written racist and sexually abusive words in prayer books and damaged a priceless John the Baptist cross.
In court, the magistrate - Austin Molloy - was outraged by what these lads had done. During sentencing Mr Molloy told the boys: “Normal people would consider you absolute scum."
The Clerk of the Court - Christine Dean - was so outraged at this remark…
hatashe |
Equations of Basic Seldon or Prime Radiant
Equations of Section 42R254
Equations of Section 33A2D17 or Terminus Equation
Psychohistory
Psychohistory, a science in Isaac Asimov's Foundation universe, combines history, sociology, and mathematical statistics to make (nearly) exact predictions of the collective actions of very large groups of people, such as the Galactic Empire. Include the controversial study of the psychological motivations of historical events. It combines the insights of psychotherapy with the research methodology of the social sciences to understand the emotional…
Hank |
Lance Armstrong will be in my neighborhood tomorrow but he won't be coming by for coffee. It's the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California, starting in Nevada City and ending in Sacramento 104 miles later.
Team RadioShack, which includes seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, is the favorite but the race this is year is in May rather than February so the competition will be in a lot better shape. Teammate Levi Leipheimer has won this Tour three consecutive times so he is basically the Lance Armstrong of the Tour of California but the event is now 6 weeks before…
A new study has found that cities with the largest increases in immigration between 1990 and 2000 experienced the largest decreases in rates of homicide and robbery. The findings suggest that immigration may be partially responsible for the drop in crime during the decade, the author says. The study appears in Social Science Quarterly.
Drawing from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports and U.S. Census data, University of Colorado sociologist Tim Wadsworth analyzed 459 cities with populations of at least 50,000. Wadsworth measured immigrant populations in two ways: those who are foreign-born and…
Hank |
I had a sore throat this afternoon so I came home early to rest (translation: be babied by the wife; she gave birth and it's dismissed as part of a natural cycle but if I get a cold I expect to be doted on) and remembered the Penguins versus Canadiens game was on television so I flipped it on.
After the first period (Pens down 2 to 0, because they are goofing off and trying to pass, basically to me, since they sure were not passing to each other) a broadcaster did a quick interview with Brian Gionta, who was kind enough to score after about 30 seconds, and what I saw startled me.
Take a look…
So I'm a couple of weeks late, but it's worth noting that NY Times science blogger John Tierney is quitting his blog:
After three years of experiments, TierneyLab is shutting down. I’ll still be testing ideas in my Findings columns and in other articles for The Times, and you can keep up with them by following me on Twitter. You can also keep trying the weekly math puzzle at its new home starting next Monday at The Times Wordplay blog.
I’ll miss our debates here — well, most of them, anyway — but I like to think we can have even better ones now that I’ll be concentrating on my columns and on…
A Simple Quiz
This diagram illustrates a general principle applicable to processing systems having multiple inputs.
The principle is a broader application of a scientific law.
The question is - which law?
Points will be awarded, but if you expect prizes from a guy whose budget doesn't extend to a new pencil sharpener ...