The Chronicle of Higher Education “You Want to Write for a Popular Audience? Really?” Sometimes I feel bummed out that I do not occupy a seat in a ‘normal’ academic department. But when I read about or encounter the attitudes that pervade these ‘normal’ places, I am really happy to have the freedom associated with Read More
A Minor Post, Articles, Breeders, Propagators, & Creators, Higher Education, The WmD ProjectASEBL Journal “Morality and Selection – How?” This is an interesting article that tries to frame the debate over multilevel selection. Lots of other people have tried to similarly frame this debate, and I am pretty sure that no single prescription is going to resolve the debate. There is a debate about whether we need Read More
A Minor Post, Cooperation, Cultural Evolution, Ethics, Group Selection, Methods, Multilevel Selection, Social Norms, WebA colleague of mine, Jeremy Tausch, just pointed me towards the NYC Solar Map, an amazing tool for promoting the increased use of solar electricity and solar water heating in New York City. The interactive online map allows users to find out information about existing solar installation in the five boroughs, providing both a ‘reputational Read More
A Minor Post, Information Design, Sustainability, Sustainable Energy, Web DesignThe Chronicle of Higher Education “Time for a Teaching-Intensive Tenure Track” I remember that when I was nearing the completion of my dissertation and considering how to deal with the impossible job market, I looked up the C.V.’s of some of my favorite undergraduate professors back at Pomona College. I had no delusions of being able Read More
A Minor Post, Higher EducationThe Chronicle of Higher Education “Facing the Dreaded End-of-Term Question” I do give Final Exams, but they are relatively low stakes (~30% of students’ grades). Still, I can relate to this piece (a lot!). Increasingly students seem to think that the only thing that matters is the test. In my classes, I actually get a lot Read More
A Minor Post, Higher Education, TeachingOn Sunday, June 7th, I was able to drag the family out to the Figment Art Festival on Governor’s Island, where we got a chance to check out the Guerrilla Science space. Mark Rosin, my newest full-time colleague in the Department of Mathematics and Science, is one of Guerrilla Science‘s directors and organized this event. Read More
A Minor Post, Art & Design, Department of Mathematics & ScienceNational Public Radio All Things Considered “It’s Raining Nitrogen In A Colorado Park. Farmers Can Help Make It Stop” What I find interesting about this example is how the local nature of this problem creates greater incentives for “voluntary” measures taken by polluters to reduce the impacts of their polluting activities. Because the effects of Read More
A Minor Post, Cooperation, Environmental Justice, Eutrophication, Political Science, Pollution, Public Policy, Punishment, Reputation, Social NormsNational Public Radio Morning Edition “Editing The Climate Talkers: Punctuation’s Effect On Earth’s Fate” I would suggest that the future of human civilization depends on reaching an international agreement to put a halt to — and partially reverse — anthropogenic climate change. Although the history of climate change agreements is pretty fraught, it does appear Read More
A Minor Post, Climate Change, Cooperation, Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Radio & Podcasts, Social Norms, Survival, Sustainability, Sustainable EnergyAround this time of year at Pratt a great variety of student sculpture work sprouts up on the grounds. I thought that this one was particularly interesting. I could not find out what its title was or who made it, but I thought that it nicely captured our relationship to grass, especially on the Pratt Read More
A Minor Post, Anthropogenic Change, Art & Design, Eutrophication, Pollution, Science in Art & DesignIt is once again that time of year, the time when trees that rely on wind pollination dump a really absurd amount of pollen into the air. The surfaces of outdoor objects become covered in a layer of yellow dust that is shockingly visible to the naked eye. When it rains, run-off nearly glows yellow Read More
A Minor Post, Adaptation, Behavior, Divergence, Pollination