COVID-19 is stressing systems in interesting ways. One thing we are seeing with increasing frequency in the U.S. is schools switching to “online teaching” for the next several weeks (perhaps even for the rest of the terms this academic year). Below, I share some of my perspectives on strategies for […]
Yearly Archives: 2020
72 posts
Jodi got invited by the DFW Tap Talks organization to give a short talk for the public. I tagged along for the event. I have always wanted to check out one of these “science on tap” talks, and I was not disappointed! It was a great night of 20 minute […]
Jodi and I are off to Milwaukee, via Chicago, for the weekend. For two hours this week, I had some peace. Flights have some practical uses; one is to firewall you from the nonsense so rampant in this world.
As expected, and nicely summarized by the American Institute of Physics: President Trump’s latest budget request largely repeats past proposals to sharply reduce funding for non-defense R&D programs across the federal government. However, it includes a stronger emphasis on research tied to the administration’s “Industries of the Future” focus areas, […]
The Washington Post article below [1] is a nice summary of what is currently digested from the executive branch’s FY2021 federal budget proposal. That dropped yesterday. Specifically regarding agencies that fund basic, curiosity-driven science, these excerpts are indicative of the pattern of proposed effects: The Energy Department would get a […]
For almost four years, the executive branch of the United States government has been advocating steadily for a decline of science funding for the nation. In spite of this, the U.S. Congress has acted as a firewall against these requests, effectively making every budget request for cuts to scientific investment […]
I was honored to be asked to be one of the many speakers this year at the Highland Park High School Science and Technology Fest. HPHS is just about a mile from SMU. I had the pleasure of giving a peek at the life of a particle physicist on the […]
What if there were a place you could go and see bronze hands? Wait no longer. You should go and check out the Adrian E. Flatt, M.D., Hand Collection.
Thanks to a visit from an old friend (now Prof. Katherine Rawlins at the University of Alaska in Anchorage), we discovered the existence of and visited the National Video game Museum (NVM) last weekend. It was awesome. It was a tour of the computers and games of my youth; a […]
SMU students are invited to explore physics through the lens of creating games and gaming experiences using interactive technologies. Coding, math, visualization, and storytelling combine in a landscape of physical laws to allow us to interact in increasingly realistic ways through a virtual space. Games may break the laws of […]
Course evaluations are imperfect (in a different way, of course, grades are an imperfect measure of student potential). Students evaluating professors is fraught with peril in both directions. That said, there is immense social value in course evaluations, and a professor who doesn’t read their course evaluations or, even better, […]