Comments on: Help Public Schools, Protect the Honor of Physics

By: DonorsChoose Challenge | Cosmic Variance

DonorsChoose Challenge | Cosmic Variance — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:55:07 +0000

[...] the power of the internet to bring money to deserving classrooms in public schools across the U.S. In the past we have wimped out and supported other bloggers, but this year we’re stepping up to the [...]

By: Paul Rubenstein

Paul Rubenstein — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:36:12 +0000

Hi, I’m new to this blog… I followed a link from Daily Kos. I run an afterschool program in NYC teaching high school kids how to make electric guitars and amplifiers (www.ubertar.com/kids3). Next school year we’ll be adding an in-school component that will be tied to the science curriculum, particularly physics classes. The focus will be on electronics (analog audio circuits) and acoustics. We’re talking guitar strings, not string theory here– but you’ve got to start somewhere, right? The non-profit group I work for is called Working Playground (www.workingplayground.org) and if you’re aware of any grants that might be applicable, please let us know. We’re working on expanding the program to bring it to more schools. Thank you.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:22:57 +0000

It’s called humor.

By: Say Lee

Say Lee — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:14:26 +0000

Maybe this display of oneupmanship and self-professed primacy over the other disciplines, science or otherwise, while evincing the competitive spirit, is one reason why interest in physcis among the undecided college students is on the wane.

It seems to me folks over at biocurious.com are doing a better job in drawing the undecided to the fold.

By: PK

PK — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:05:13 +0000

Not true, PZ Myers: Squishies are bosons and crunchies are fermions. Together they rule the universe.

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:02:36 +0000

You’re right, I should have said “squishy and crunchy sciences.” I’ll be more careful next time.

By: PZ Myers

PZ Myers — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 22:55:24 +0000

When demarcating disciplines, “squishy” refers specifically to the soft-bodied phyla. The distinction is between the squishies and the crunchies, the arthropods.

Physics isn’t even on the scale. It’s a bunch of mathematical abstractions that we find useful in the analysis of squishies and crunchies. In other words, BIOLOGY RULES. Eat our slimy detritus, physics nerds!

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 20:41:06 +0000

Sean,

I know, I meant the idea of the science pyramid.

By: Supernova

Supernova — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 20:39:29 +0000

I love this use of blogs for good. Phil over at BadAstronomy recently ran a very successful fundraiser to fly two fifth-graders from Indiana to Florida to watch the launch of the rocket that was carrying their science experiments. It seems natural, when you have an audience of like-minded (at least on some matters!) people, to mobilize them occasionally in support of a common goal. The CV folks may want to try something like this themselves! Asking people to support one or a few well-chosen causes might prove even more effective than letting them choose among many possibilities, as with DonorsChoose. But in any case, I applaud the effort and thank Sean for posting the link. I matched him with $20. Who else is in?

By: Sean

Sean — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 20:32:05 +0000

Not to be a killjoy, but the idea is that it was a joke. Smile, people!