tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39881100894488390292012-02-05T09:14:12.474-05:00An Education blog about science, and particularly physics, pedagogyBen Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.comBlogger1831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-48420117506984258782011-08-05T22:25:00.008-04:002011-08-05T22:46:01.462-04:00

While teaching a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to become a better writer. I started this blog so that I could practice writing on a regular basis. Looking back over these old posts, I think that my little project was fairly successful. Today I am a far more confident and fluent writer than I once was.When I entered law school, writing became part of my daily work. As such, I no longer

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-42982967953842446392010-10-03T13:37:00.003-04:002010-10-03T13:48:54.037-04:00

I'm in law school now, and have no intent to blog. However, I had to share this poem from my book because I couldn't find it anywhere else online. The Key to Proximate CauseBy Eleanor FoxLend me your ears. Hold the applause.Here is the secret to proximate cause. In Gorris v. Scott, where the sheep risked contagion,no proximate cause, though a pen would have saved them.The hazard that happened

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-32978726139135245592010-04-13T18:06:00.003-04:002010-04-13T18:14:27.300-04:00

At Mastery math is almost everyone's favorite subject. Yet, the inverse is true in for kids in higher socio-economic groups. My hypothesis: In higher socio-economic class students are prepared in reading at home, and receive math and English instruction at school. A lack of reinforcement makes math feel alien, and thus less enjoyable.For kids in Mastery and elsewhere, instruction at home is

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-34346230956782560452010-03-25T17:41:00.003-04:002010-03-25T17:45:46.982-04:00

Kottke recently posted a new iPhone app, called iPhone Football.In intro physics, are learning about sound, and I recently introduced the idea that sound is the transfer of energy through the air. I love it when lesson ideas just present themselves.Tomorrow we are going to view this video, and I will have the kids discuss: If this is a normal IPhone or IPod touch, how is it pushing the ball

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-62063940614016320702010-03-24T20:06:00.005-04:002010-03-24T21:33:53.040-04:00

Tonight was parent conferences, and for five hours I informed parents about their child's development in my class throughout the year. I excited some and disappointed others. Yet, even though I spent the whole night talking about other people, I probably learned more about myself than the parents learned about their children.One parent needed to know how their B child could become an A child.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-57976426305083006522010-02-13T12:33:00.003-05:002010-02-13T12:38:40.971-05:00

As I plan for classes, I keep one question in mind, “How do I make my kids love science?” All of my teaching pedagogy is wrapped up in this goal, and I strive to make my lessons live up to this standard. Most of the time I fail. But every once and a while I get lucky, and that is when magic happens. I want my kids to love science like I do, as something you do rather than something you

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-82212379825274432012010-02-11T17:42:00.000-05:002010-02-11T17:43:18.777-05:00

How do I teach my students so that they do well on standardized tests? How do I teach so that my students enjoy class? How do I leave my students feeling like science is approachable? How do I teach so that my students can think critically about the subject? And how do I do all of this when my students are years behind in their education? Usually, teachers feel like they can’t do all of

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-30264768611291539282010-02-11T15:22:00.001-05:002010-02-11T15:56:13.592-05:00

I want to teach students to become critical thinkers; I want to teach students the skills and abilities to be successful in college and in a global economy; I want to teach them how to perform real scientific analysis; I want to teach students to love learning. I teach students from West Philadelphia, the majority of which are from economically disadvantaged families. In acknowledging my

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-31724007164908838512010-01-29T19:14:00.001-05:002010-01-29T19:14:50.444-05:00

After a four month hiatus, the BSirolly blog is back, with a focus on education.  I am excited to start again, but I should begin with my reasons for restarting the blog.My first reason is that I miss writing.  For about a year, I truly enjoyed jotting down my thoughts about topics ranging from politics to technology to internet miscellany.  Also, I hope to continue to develop my writing style

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-75437190863750538092009-08-08T23:25:00.003-04:002009-08-08T23:50:23.014-04:00

This article sent shivers down my spine multiple times. Justin Webb from the BBC wrote a beautiful, inspiring, yet cutting portrayal of America.A short section, from the larger article:The immensity of America, the energy and the zest for life remind me sometimes of India. And as with India, where I spent some time for the BBC many moons ago, America shines a light on the entire human

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-63547759420930258852009-08-02T18:43:00.001-04:002009-08-05T19:44:28.387-04:00

Beijing is big, modern, and westernized. China is classified as a developing country, so I expected the same from Beijing. A few big, modern buildings in the center with chaotic seas of people, merchants, and horse carts was what I expected. The reality is that Beijing is essentially as nice, orderly, and modern as any western city that I have visited.I keep using the word modern, it's time I

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-21776778459642228072009-07-30T21:57:00.011-04:002009-07-31T19:54:54.940-04:00

I went to China on a mission, a mission to understand China in my own way. Many of the Europeans I met were traveling solely for the experience, but not the Americans. Americans (the ones I met, anyway) travel in a distinct style: we travel as if on a mission. We want to understand and own knowledge about a country that those at home don't have. It's our own special, and often obnoxious, way

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-31013426124868851552009-07-30T20:10:00.004-04:002009-07-30T21:10:16.510-04:00

There has been a one month break now from the blog, not entirely by my design. As the last post gestures toward, I was in China for most of the last month. Unknown to me, China blocks everything related to blogspot.com sites. I couldn't get close to the site without the dreaded Great Firewall blocking my path.I was hoping to do a mini travelogue of my journey with my sister through China in

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-3986364038175564812009-06-25T13:53:00.002-04:002009-06-25T13:56:54.729-04:00

Thursday 6/25/2009Very hotHigh: 98 FLow: 72 F Friday 6/26/2009Very hotHigh: 101 FLow: 72 F Saturday 6/27/2009Very hotHigh: 101 FLow: 75 F Sunday 6/28/2009Sunshine & warmHigh: 98 FLow: 75 F Monday 6/29/2009Very hotHigh: 100 FLow: 73 FThat is a lot of fiery thermometers. Uh oh.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-88659173299609908562009-06-21T20:36:00.002-04:002009-06-21T20:38:28.914-04:00

View Larger Map

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-39283520453502393372009-06-16T14:53:00.001-04:002009-06-16T14:54:19.086-04:00

I'm back in Pennsylvania for 1 day and night. Then off to Austin TX. Then Beijing. I am psyched.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-85809613648766779112009-06-12T15:33:00.004-04:002009-06-12T15:52:56.731-04:00

My Assistant Principal at Northwest, who I respect deeply, just gave me perhaps one of the most meaningful compliments I have ever received.He said to me:"You know, we don't get a lot of people that come through here that would stay if they could. I know that you are one of those people."He knows that I, as a 24 year old single guy, can't stay in Halifax county. There just isn't a life for me

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-582688088788072482009-06-12T08:11:00.004-04:002009-06-12T10:14:07.268-04:00

So this morning I woke up thinking about everything I had to do at school today. At home, I gathered up a few (read 30) books that I had been using from school to make sure that I wasn't leaving anything that was the property of Halifax county at home. I also planed my day. Lots of work at school followed by coming home, a quick shower and change, and then off to graduation. The night will be

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-67626690911049779352009-06-11T15:27:00.003-04:002009-06-11T17:21:34.011-04:00

Reed College will be less diverse this year.In dire financial straights, Reed College decided that instead of scaling back programs and services, they would cut out the frivolity of giving financial aid to many students in need. 100 students were cut from the college's incoming class not because of the content of their character, but because of the cash in their bank accounts. This is

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-11064771740966631482009-06-09T23:10:00.003-04:002009-06-09T23:17:12.321-04:00

My roommate today told me that she was reading her journal from her first year. In an entry from the second week, she found this:"Apparently Ben got sick this morning before school because of stress."I had blocked this memory out, but it definitely happened. I still can't believe how intense those first few months were. I remember I couldn't sleep for the first four weeks. I would just toss

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-21780322963494020092009-06-08T22:34:00.003-04:002009-06-08T22:36:33.399-04:00

The US military is working on making matter that can shift into whatever form it is asked to take. In other words, the thing can be a hammer one minute, and a screw driver the next. At least in theory. It's not working yet, but it's only a matter of time. The incredible story is here.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-42582899087264422322009-06-08T21:37:00.006-04:002009-06-09T23:01:47.711-04:00

Traditional science is great at "zooming in" on problems. By studying localized, simplified systems, hard sciences reduce the complexity of problems to a point where causes and outcomes are clearly linked.Physics is somewhat notorious for this sort of problem solving. Intro physics courses are set in frictionless worlds with massless pulleys. These things don't really exist, but the

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-65647781154446429602009-06-05T09:55:00.001-04:002009-06-05T11:23:39.760-04:00

Twenty years ago, one man stood tall as tanks neared, bullets flew by, and others ran away. The world watched with baited breath.I can think of no better definition of courage than the famous man in this picture.No one knows his name, but a world celebrates his deed.Maybe one day, China will celebrate him as well.Edit: The story behind the picture is at the nytimes, here.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-59913123960861319142009-06-04T15:28:00.001-04:002009-06-04T15:29:09.985-04:00

Can the man get any cooler?

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-59307436945030055892009-06-03T14:41:00.000-04:002009-06-05T08:27:34.497-04:00

This semester, I had an amazing class of physical science students. I am really going to miss teaching them. In fact, the most depressing thing about leaving next year is that I will not be able to teach them in Chemistry and Physics.This class of students, mostly freshmen, is amazing and today they proved it. Students who have been the recipients of "Academic Genocide" (as described by a

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-49535908447564840272009-06-03T13:12:00.000-04:002009-06-03T13:22:35.505-04:00

We know that the American public becoming more polarized politically. This very cool data visualization makes it look like the Supreme Court is becoming increasingly partisan as well (perhaps only slightly). I love how the views of each justice seem to gradually shift over time. It's interesting to me that there are no justices that flip ideologically in a sudden way. They only gradually move.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-34200430548050954092009-06-02T20:51:00.001-04:002009-06-02T22:03:56.595-04:00

Because everybody knows that the only thing that could make battling pirates more awesome would be lasers.Pic from wonkette.com

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-85183785431168831642009-06-01T22:24:00.001-04:002009-06-01T22:29:31.532-04:00

I love research blogs. My personal favorite is Cognitive Daily. Every few days, Cognitive Daily posts an interesting piece of cognitive psychology research. From what I can tell, the reported research is chosen because it is interesting, rather than new. The author takes the time to bring the research to life using charts and succinct summaries. All of this effort put in by the author leaves

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-8664271665540631462009-05-31T20:18:00.000-04:002009-05-31T22:49:05.149-04:00

Without it, you can't prove evolution! Therefore, it must be false!...What did you say? You found the missing what? ... the missing link? Oh. Well then.An important step in our evolutionary history from primates to humans can be found here.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-19059677577853443972009-05-29T11:22:00.000-04:002009-05-29T11:25:23.169-04:00

I told my students today that I would be going to Philadelphia next year. It was the hardest thing I have done all year. Then, one of my best students asked me, "who is going to teach me in physics?" I almost cried. I have no idea who it will be. I really have no idea.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-42425723539724167682009-05-28T21:48:00.001-04:002009-05-28T21:49:03.306-04:00

Woah. It is the end of the school year. When did that happen? This year has gone by way too fast.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-26947258328688566572009-05-27T16:55:00.000-04:002009-05-27T17:00:05.153-04:00

Actually, going back and re-reading it recently, the writing is pretty awful. But the ideas are fresh and interesting? Maybe.Nevertheless... my thesis has 960 reads, and 94 downloads on Scribd! Wow. 94 people have that thing somewhere on their computer, eating up a little bit of hard drive. I wonder if anyone actually read it?

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-30703434564016282722009-05-27T13:04:00.000-04:002009-05-27T15:31:56.378-04:00

I was sitting outside a few minutes ago in the sun. Students were strolling past me on their way to and from lunch. Once the crowd passed, I was left alone to think. As I used to do while on the lawn at Bucknell, my mind wandered to justice and morality. Unlike Bucknell, I could hardly think of them. My mind was almost blank. I could muster a simple definition, but not much more. I had no

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-29240235929238174122009-05-20T15:04:00.000-04:002009-05-20T15:26:46.829-04:00

New Scientist recently reviewed a book about animal morality. What I (and Overcoming Bias) found interesting:...a "moral" decision can seem remarkably similar across many species. Bekoff and Pierce make their case by calling on a wide range of animal studies, from field biology to the laboratory and from the anecdotal to the statistical. In one lab study of Diana monkeys, for instance, the

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-22128326175520897702009-05-19T17:13:00.001-04:002009-05-19T17:23:42.158-04:00

Today my body was hit with a cold like a freight train hits an unsuspecting cow. It wasn't pretty. Anyway, the cold came on full force during first period. Luckily, my second period is my planning period, so I went around to a few other teachers to ask them to cover the rest of my classes. Thankfully they said yes.One of the teachers I asked is a gym teacher. As I was walking through the gym,

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-16322193875884665862009-05-18T18:20:00.000-04:002009-05-18T18:34:54.813-04:00

So I was looking over my thesis to shorten it for a writing sample and now the following phrase echoing in my brain:democracy without deliberation is meaningless. The whole paragraph is as follows (I edited it slightly, so any grammar mistakes are new (hopefully)): When voting aggregates a number of individual tastes, each on the whole uncorrelated with the next, the outcome can be illogical.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-75940608469537567222009-05-13T19:59:00.000-04:002009-05-13T20:18:25.632-04:00

KIPP: Pride High is the most inspiring force in my life today. Here is a video of their signing day ceremony:http://flash.unctv.org/ncnow/ncn_gaston_college_051209.htmlKIPP students are the neighbors, siblings and peers of the students at Northwest. Watch for the girl who is going to UNC Chapel Hill on the prestigious Robertson Scholarship who says: "If I was at another school I don't think I

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-89160336515882565232009-05-10T12:38:00.001-04:002009-05-10T12:38:57.462-04:00

From: metatalk.metafilter.com/17671/Bueller#641748My favorite thought-piece about Ferris Bueller is the "Fight Club" theory, in which Ferris Bueller, the person, is just a figment of Cameron's imagination, like Tyler Durden, and Sloane is the girl Cameron secretly loves.One day while he's lying sick in bed, Cameron lets "Ferris" steal his father's car and take the day off, and as Cameron wanders

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-70252460977269669572009-05-09T16:25:00.000-04:002009-05-09T16:50:42.295-04:00

One of my housemates, also a teacher, brought home a book that a student was reading in class. The book is called "Around The Way Girls," by authors Dwayne S. Joeseph, Angel Hunger, and La Jill Hunt. The book is clearly meant for black, female teenagers, as the cover design suggests.The Acknowledgments begin as follows (though each continues more than I quote here):Angel Hunter: "My first

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-21329558895780900282009-05-06T20:05:00.000-04:002009-05-06T20:36:42.675-04:00

Is the American voting public ready for a third party? At the very least, they are close to being done with the Republicans. Unfortunately, the Democrats are not doing much better.A post the other day from FiveThirtyEight.com highlights the decline of Republican Party identification. Today, only 22% of Americans call themselves a Republican. Ouch.As you can see, Democratic ID is also on the

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-82537742033409377762009-05-04T21:43:00.000-04:002009-05-04T22:58:20.624-04:00

Everybody is freaking out about swine flu, so here is a short list of ways that you can die, swine flu included!Heart Disease: 652,091 die every year.Normal Flu: 63,730 per year.Salmonella poisoning: 1000 per year.Airline Crashes: about 120 per year.Lightning Strike: 62 people per year.Swine Flu: 22 dead.Crushed by a vending machine: 2 per year. Shark attack: None since 1987.So, swine flu ranks

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-79250230647175704562009-05-04T19:55:00.000-04:002009-05-04T20:05:15.167-04:00

Nyle "Let The Beat Build" from Nyle on Vimeo.This video has great cinematography and I love the creativity of the lyrics. It definitely ranks one of my favorite music videos/rap songs. Plus, the violin girls are really cute. Favorite line: "Dudes actin' like they street when they barely sidewalk."Tip of the beaker to: dy/dan

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-10535805615969320052009-05-03T12:36:00.000-04:002009-05-03T12:59:33.456-04:00

I just finished up the book "The Metaphysical Club." It is an interesting walk through the philosophical history of America that picks up with pre-civil war era debates over evolution and ends with the question of pluralism and freedom as examined by Dewey, Pierce, and Holmes among others. I would recommend the book to those who have a dual interest in philosophy and American History. The book

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-6091659510978339162009-04-28T15:09:00.000-04:002009-04-28T15:40:41.138-04:00

...there was no significant difference between [liberals and conservatives] in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-91929069086863722552009-04-28T10:45:00.000-04:002009-04-28T10:56:09.755-04:00

Brought to you by Twitter.CNN is sensationalizing swine flu. They are always likening it to a pandemic. It isn't one, and as long as we are careful it won't become one. Yet I know, Wolf Blitzer will continue screams into the camera as he warns you of pandemics that are evolving and spreading. It's sensational, it gets ratings. I get it. I still don't like it.But Twitter is even worse. Even

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-14498666282419626832009-04-27T11:17:00.001-04:002009-04-27T11:40:19.289-04:00

IBM has a computer that can play Jeopardy. You might ask, why is this exciting? Computers can hold enormous amounts of information, of course they can best a human in a game of trivia, right? Well, no, not exactly. The problem for a computer is not recalling facts, but recognizing what the question is asking. This is called the Natural Language Problem in Computer Science. Basically,

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-90789677084019127022009-04-24T15:07:00.000-04:002009-04-24T15:52:27.467-04:00

From The Monkey Cage: In a study reported in the current issue of Public Opinion Quarterly, Markus Prior says the damage isn’t minimal at all: Self-reports of exposure to the evening news shows are grossly off. That conclusion is based on Prior’s comparison between self-report data from the 2000 National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES), on the one hand, and ratings of news audiences based on

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-71550878233410820122009-04-23T15:22:00.000-04:002009-04-23T15:29:53.392-04:00

Are we completely incapable of forming our own opinions?The above graph is from a political science blog I follow: http://www.themonkeycage.org

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-91165747003934780652009-04-22T16:15:00.000-04:002009-04-22T17:04:32.229-04:00

So I was ruminating writing a post on how much I hate Twitter, but then I realized that Moureen Dowd had done it already. She, "sat down with Biz Stone, 35, and Evan Williams, 37, and asked them to justify themselves."Highlights: ME: You say the brevity of Twitter enhances creativity. So I wonder if you can keep your answers to 140 characters, like Twitter users must. Twitter seems like telegrams

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-56291360565460335922009-04-22T15:11:00.000-04:002009-04-22T15:13:29.337-04:00

The Big Picture has awe inspiring pictures of Saturn from the Cassini mission. Click through. You know you want to.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-60673337542996207032009-04-21T18:55:00.000-04:002009-04-21T19:24:51.947-04:00

First we enhanced our bodies. Now many people are cosmetically enhancing our brains. They are taking different drugs to enhance, or tweak, the performance of their brain. Drugs meant to help with ADHD or Narcolepsy are now being taken by students, academics, and upward looking employees to give them an edge over the competition.The New Yorker's article Brain Gain documents this trend with

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-11434642583548050372009-04-21T11:26:00.001-04:002009-04-21T11:28:44.529-04:00

I know I'm not supposed to like this song, but Matt Nathanson's "Come on Get Higher" is outstanding.Also, Newton Faulcon's "People should smile more" is just great too.Both can be found on my favorite Pandora station, seeded with Guster.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-59914205204986912972009-04-19T22:01:00.001-04:002009-04-19T22:04:05.347-04:00

I am back in NC. It was great seeing my parents, my Grandmother, and Adam and Kearah. Now I am back in the land of the lost, or something like that, preparing for what is coming tomorrow. Here comes the push to the end.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-82974678589573850522009-04-17T14:08:00.000-04:002009-04-17T22:14:07.052-04:00

I love Boston. Walking through the streets, I was surrounded by the entirety of American history. On one corner is a church, built while America was still a colony, on the next is a skyscraper built in the twenty first century. Hidden in the cracks are the stories of the millions of Americans that helped deliver this country from the former to the latter. I love it.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-29185524246522620282009-04-16T14:49:00.001-04:002009-04-16T14:55:33.810-04:00

I have posted about Malleable Intelligence several times, and I imagine I will continue to post on this subject as new research is released. Malleable intelligence is the idea that our mental abilities can be grown and trained, just like our muscles. The point/hope is that intelligence is not born in through genetics, but rather a function of our life experience and training. Malleable

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-90059258546260418882009-04-15T21:41:00.000-04:002009-04-15T21:51:55.968-04:00

Conservatives are holding Tea bagging parties around the nation today.Urbandictionary 1, Conservatives -1But wait, there's more! The National Organization for Marriage, a group devoted to stopping gay marriage, has started a new campaign, Two Million For Marriage.Urbandictionary 2, Conservatives -2

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-90835711225317671752009-04-14T20:08:00.000-04:002009-04-14T20:10:33.730-04:00

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-36357235327644623342009-04-14T10:38:00.000-04:002009-04-14T11:27:16.291-04:00

Awe inspiring technological news has become almost commonplace. From controlling memories to a '6th sense' straight from minority report, technology and its interface with humans is entering the realm of science fiction. The problem is, as I have written a little about here, we have no idea what this means for us as people. Already, we have begun outsourcing our thinking to computers. We no

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-32697249464199527682009-04-13T18:40:00.000-04:002009-04-13T18:45:40.402-04:00

Straight from Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com:Gallup has an interesting finding on confidence in Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. It seems that perceptions of this ostensibly nonpartisan official depend heavily on which President he happens to be working for.Percent Expressing Great Deal/Fair Amount of Confidence in Ben Bernanke: Democrats Independents Republicans2008 40

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-48085985794997117082009-04-13T14:52:00.000-04:002009-04-13T15:14:10.946-04:00

I follow dy/dan, a blog on teaching, on Google Reader (which is awesome).Dan Myer, the author of dy/dan, is really into giving kids real world problems that inspire them to problem solve. I really love this approach. I try my best to set up these sorts of experiences with well designed labs. Most of the time, labs hit the nail on the head, and the students learn. Unfortunately, some topics

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-50959896867383594552009-04-08T12:49:00.000-04:002009-04-08T12:58:54.787-04:00

Here is one of mine (of several). My uncle Jim Schartner is still wrestling competitively at age 59. I hope I stay that healthy. The article fails to mention how hilarious he is. Good luck Jim!http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/sports/display.htm?StoryID=88706I personally love the crazy eyes. :)

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-38463848189014325532009-04-07T16:03:00.001-04:002009-04-07T16:03:30.266-04:00

Chess has 10^120 potential moves, far more than the number of atoms in the universe. Suck on that universe.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-70161738093127425532009-04-07T15:17:00.000-04:002009-04-07T15:58:38.243-04:00

David Brooks's dramatically titled Op-Ed today envisions the end days of philosophy. Though I usually like Brooks, I think he missed the mark today. I completely agree with him that there has been outstanding progress in scientific fields investigating human action and morality. He is right in saying that we are finding that morals are more reflexive than reflective. Experiment has discovered

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-12950206673598914402009-04-06T15:04:00.000-04:002009-04-06T15:16:04.135-04:00

Unsolved Problems in PhysicsI tried to figure out which problems I should copy- but there were just too many that were too cool. Math is pretty cool too. Chemistry, once again, sucks (from the page: Unsolved problems in chemistry tend to be questions of the kind "Can we make X chemical compound?", "Can we analyse it ?", "Can we purify it ?" and are commonly solved rather quickly, but may just

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-8437125239313950312009-04-06T10:54:00.000-04:002009-04-06T11:03:32.501-04:00

Sometimes I am struck at how close we are to the worlds that were only only once imagined. The quote below comes from a NY Times article on creating and blocking memories. "Yet as scientists begin to climb out of the dark foothills and into the dim light, they are now poised to alter the understanding of human nature in ways artists and writers have not."My first intuition is to ask whether we

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-89252782744716972342009-04-02T22:27:00.000-04:002009-04-02T22:31:34.854-04:00

A really fun article by New Scientist: 1 The placebo effect2 The horizon problem3 Ultra-energetic cosmic rays4 Belfast homeopathy results5 Dark matter6 Viking's methane7 Tetraneutrons8 The Pioneer anomaly9 Dark energy10 The Kuiper cliff11 The Wow signal12 Not-so-constant constants13 Cold fusion

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-78751124068749854712009-03-31T15:42:00.000-04:002009-03-31T15:47:08.879-04:00

Otherwise, it might be too late. Poverty, claims a new study, goes straight to the brain. The study found a strong correlation between childhood stress levels and the ability to remember things later in life. Worse still, the effects of poverty might pass on to children:McEwen also noted that, at least in animals, the effects of stress produce changes in genes that are then passed from parent

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-40558467122312034512009-03-31T15:13:00.001-04:002009-03-31T15:33:18.793-04:00

It is just too cool that we actually have a space station. What's next, flying cars?Anyway, I have been searching around for a beautiful picture of the space station for 6-7 months now, and finally, here it is:

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-82416679587751813532009-03-29T17:19:00.000-04:002009-03-29T17:25:02.276-04:00

I am sitting in a rocking chair, in a room with a soaring ceiling, feet away from a moving walkway that is patiently shuttling every possible slice of humanity in front of me as if to place them on display. I could not think of a more interesting place to be.A man in a cowboy hat just passed a very sad woman. Walk left, stand right. A flower in her hair, 'OK I love you, bye.'A man back from a

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-7253567804695672292009-03-28T23:19:00.000-04:002009-03-28T23:27:32.170-04:00

Why are there no American philosophers in the "greats" category? There is no one entirely American that I would put on the reading list of a philosophy 101 class. Dewey, Chomsky, and Santayana (among some others) come closest in my book, but they are far too narrow in their impact and scope to warrant such a place. I know, I know, Phil. 101 is picking from thousands of years of thinkers, and

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-7527929695139131842009-03-27T17:10:00.000-04:002009-03-27T17:35:44.495-04:00

Week 8-11:8- Reefer Madness (Eric Schlosser) - GREAT BOOK9- Young, Gifted, and Black: Promoting Achievement Among African American Students (Perry, Hillard, Steele) - Interesting, but left much to be desired.10- Jesus / A story of Enlightenment (Deepak Chopra) - See week 9.11- On Liberty (John Stuart Mill) - Great book - but only for a few. I loved the way he defines liberty and the bounds of

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-36936370759720475532009-03-27T11:04:00.000-04:002009-03-27T11:20:16.852-04:00

I love politics. Ever since my first semester at Bucknell, I have read the NY Times almost every day. I also follow many other online newspapers, normal newspapers, political blogs, and politicians to satisfy my hunger for political knowledge. For the first time that I can remember, I have become so frustrated with the news that I am having trouble reading it.In the words of Wonkette, "did the

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-55122083154844623852009-03-27T10:36:00.000-04:002009-03-27T10:37:27.352-04:00

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs. hat tip: Uncertain Principles

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-4105513773195268622009-03-25T11:03:00.000-04:002009-03-25T11:06:19.573-04:00

This first hundred days has seen many incredible departures from tradition. Some are positive. Obama is the the first Black president, and he is running things his own way (though his management style is by no means due to his race). On the other hand, some departures from tradition are very negative. The NY times has a well written piece on Dick Cheney and his continuing evil.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-54190848390065933382009-03-24T18:58:00.000-04:002009-03-24T19:07:46.101-04:00

Political theory continues to struggle with the distinction (if there is a possible distinction) between public and private lives. Where does the public sphere end? Is there an end to the public sphere? Usually, this debate is couched in terms of culture or individual rights. This weekend I realized there is a realm if this debate that, in my knowledge, is woefully under-investigated. That

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-49787631409984125722009-03-18T20:56:00.000-04:002009-03-18T21:07:16.129-04:00

Americans can't answer rudimentary science questions The results of a survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences reveals that Americans don't know a whole lot about science. - Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.- Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.- Only 47% of adults can

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-4651996632089847382009-03-18T15:20:00.000-04:002009-03-18T15:25:55.421-04:00

Where are the radicals?What have we done to them? Are we lost without them, or just more boring?From On Campus, Vampires Are Besting the Beats“The only title that stakes a claim as a real novel for adults was Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, the choice of a million splendid book clubs. Here we have a generation of young adults away from home for the first time, free to enjoy the most

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-43047011323132498982009-03-17T23:11:00.000-04:002009-03-17T23:13:52.301-04:00

You Tube Views:MLK - I have a Dream Speech: 6,612,879 viewsStar Wars Kid: 12,088,003 views

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-684364084143563032009-03-15T17:08:00.000-04:002009-03-15T21:41:13.955-04:00

Skimming through the history of government, there is definitely a trend. Governmental structures tend to evolve to meet the challenges that they find most pressing and assuage the fears that are most on the minds of the populace. Early tribes faced a constant threat of total, or partial, annihilation. The state of nature was a reality for these people. Large, carnivorous mammals and other

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-83217319520896805682009-03-14T14:06:00.000-04:002009-03-14T14:12:02.713-04:00

I didn't realize that physics was so deeply ingrained into my vocabulary. I guess I just thought everybody used the "How to talk like a physicist" words in daily conversation. From http://talklikeaphysicist.com/2009/how-to-talk-like-a-physicist-talk-like-a-physicist-day-march-14-2009/:How do I talk like a Physicist, a primerHere are some terms that Physicists use:Order of Magnitude: Use terms

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-39702676360063785092009-03-12T13:06:00.000-04:002009-03-12T13:10:21.656-04:00

A program that will forever change voice communication. (You can listen in to people leaving voice mails! And so much more...)http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/technology/personaltech/12pogue.html

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-63303059921382172582009-03-11T06:35:00.000-04:002009-03-11T06:36:34.503-04:00

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-71844583233105074702009-03-08T21:02:00.000-04:002009-03-08T21:10:14.036-04:00

Mail goggles is a simple math quiz that you have to answer before your email can be sent. The idea is to prevent people from emailing while inebriated. If you can't solve the math problems, you probably shouldn't be emailing. I have the program set to run in my gmail all the time. Instead of using the program to protect me from unfortunate mistakes, I am using it to keep my mental math skills

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-18371368102671321502009-03-06T15:20:00.000-05:002009-03-06T15:22:46.094-05:00

Another in the long line of publicly humiliating politicians by throwing stuff on them. This time it was custard.http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/03/06/black.uk.custard.protest.cnn

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-15059200248264643212009-03-06T12:18:00.000-05:002009-03-06T12:40:54.775-05:00

The NY Times has an interactive chart of the male female wage gap. I knew there was a gap, but the depth of data in this chart adds new dimensions to my understanding of the problem. When you hover over the dots, a box explaining the occupation and %gap pops up. Moving along the 0% difference, or equality, line I found that most of the jobs were those that traditionally have been more female

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-71950991606852005812009-03-06T09:06:00.001-05:002009-03-06T09:07:24.740-05:00

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.A strange man builds a world using holographic tools for the woman he loves.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-42896391413214850492009-03-03T08:44:00.001-05:002009-03-03T08:50:16.575-05:00

The end of Calvin.In a version more reminiscent of my students:Both taken from 'the adult Calvin and Hobbes.'

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-23188371939463845282009-03-02T12:25:00.000-05:002009-03-02T12:29:07.525-05:00

For once, North Carolina looks beautiful again. The broken down houses, abandoned barns, and recently logged fields are covered by a compassionate blanket of white. I hope my students have heat today.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-27037745920683620232009-02-28T14:40:00.000-05:002009-02-28T15:15:54.297-05:00

In anticipation of the new movie, I read the Graphic Novel "The Watchmen" as this week's book of the week. I am excited about the movie, particularly because the trailer looks awesome.Before reading, I had thought that the book was about an alternative universe, where people had decided to become superheros; regular Joes with really intense work ethics donning costumes and fighting as vigilantes

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-44522542095956765312009-02-26T21:31:00.001-05:002009-02-26T21:33:01.753-05:00

Every time I read that phrase I get excited. That's a little sad. But hey... I love new free and interesting innovations.

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-12117592523330988052009-02-20T10:37:00.000-05:002009-02-20T11:01:36.576-05:00

I find the creativity involved with home remedies and tricks fascinating. Simple ideas or scientific principles can transform common objects into complex and sophisticated tools. For example, most of us have our wireless transmitters near a wall. Take an aluminum cookie sheet and use it as a deflector for the signal. The yard really does not need a wireless signal, and a cookie sheet is a

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-42459653956236125262009-02-19T15:47:00.000-05:002009-02-19T15:52:57.286-05:00

So, apparently somewhere in the MEGAHUGESUPERMONGOUSLYLARGE stimulus bill, 8 billion dollars worth of high speed rail construction was thrown in. This, frankly, is awesome. I love rail transport, and this may lead to the centralization of our society into cities, with a greater dependence upon public transport. More on why this is awesome at some other point. For now, marvel in the map of

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-49307656849684991692009-02-19T15:36:00.001-05:002009-02-19T15:38:32.981-05:00

To the Editor:The larger the number of loving and intelligent adults who are put in a child’s path, the better that child’s chances. But loving and intelligent adults, particularly ones who both care passionately about a subject and have a gift for discussing it with novices, do not grow on trees. That is why the pay scale for teaching is such a problem. This country is full of people — I went to

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-80350446550485909752009-02-17T17:47:00.001-05:002009-02-17T18:10:01.722-05:00

I am going to start a series of posts on this blog concerning my thoughts on politics and more generally theories to explain and understand politics. I hope to cover a vast range of topics from political philosophy to psychology, from statistical findings to metaphysical claims.I want to start this project for several reasons. The first is entirely self serving. I hope to improve my nonfiction

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-37301495486420095712009-02-15T21:28:00.000-05:002009-02-15T21:36:36.331-05:00

I never used to know what was the greatest injustice facing America. Now I have narrowed it down to two, education and institutionalized poverty.Kristof thinks it might just be education. What excites me is that he sites the growing body of evidence that says we can do it better, and that there are people out there currently doing it better. He mentions KIPP schools in particular, which I am a

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-70525610832716752792009-02-14T19:07:00.000-05:002009-02-17T18:13:25.893-05:00

I have been way behind on a bunch of my things to do, and so the blog has been pushed off in recent weeks.However - as a quick update on books, I have kept up with my new year's resolution so far.Week 3 - The Evolvling Self, a psychology book looking through an evolutionary lense for its psychological explanations.Week 4- American Lion - Very good biography of Jackson. I loved the political

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-34925059449558428622009-02-02T11:18:00.000-05:002009-02-02T11:26:58.647-05:00

First they made a $2000 car, now they are prototyping a $20 dollar laptop! If it can be done, it will be done. This is shocking. But what is MORE shocking is actually a sentence quietly slipped into the text of the article:"During the next six years, by some estimates, India will need to create another 1,500 universities."Whoa.p.s. I show this video every year in class, right after they talk

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-43575081414566987032009-01-27T16:16:00.000-05:002009-01-27T16:19:36.125-05:00

The only thing scrawled hurriedly on the torn slip of paper was "I am illiterate." 100th post. Sweet.Thoughts on a new book to come soon (if I wait long enough it will have to be a 2fer.)

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-4965633094467680602009-01-23T16:43:00.003-05:002009-01-23T16:45:18.823-05:00

British humor is something that I cannot help but love. From a NY times article:"In the scale of embarrassing place names, Crapstone ranks pretty high. But Britain is full of them. Some are mostly amusing, like Ugley, Essex; East Breast, in western Scotland; North Piddle, in Worcestershire; and Spanker Lane, in Derbyshire. Others evoke images that may conflict with residents’ efforts to appear

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3988110089448839029.post-77877222388779085882009-01-19T19:59:00.000-05:002009-01-19T20:08:04.962-05:00

Pre-note: this book has rocketed to one of my favorite books of all time. If you haven't read it - pick it up. You will love it. Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. With these words, Kurt Vonegut opens up the story of the bombing of Dresden in world war two, told through the experience of Billy Pilgrim, an accidental soldier and prisoner of war. The book jacket argues that

Ben Sirollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00123993873541296464noreply@blogger.com0