Looks like a butterfly

As pointed out at Slashdot a couple of days ago, there is a pretty interesting converstation going on over at Wikipedia about whether it is ethical for them to include images of Rorschach inkblots. The inkblots are now in the public domain, so the issue is not ownership. The issue is that the Rorschach inkblot test requires that the images be novel to the subject, so would Wikipedia be doing harm by potentially depriving those in need of psychological help a potential treatment tool. The conversation on the talk page has gotten quite long so I’ve only skimmed most of … Continue reading Looks like a butterfly

Roving Mars

I have been doing a lot of reading about robots this summer in preparation for a couple of classes I am teaching in the fall. The most recent selection I finished off, which I don’t intend to use in any course but thought might be good for background, was Roving Mars by Steve Squyers, the principle scientist for the current Mars rover missions with Spirit and Opportunity. I thought this might be a slightly dry but informative read. In fact, the book was quite engaging. While there is a ton of detail about the rovers and what they do, the … Continue reading Roving Mars

ISS Sightings

I somehow hadn’t realized that the International Space Station was visible from Earth, but it is, particularly if you are at an angle to catch the sun’s reflection of its solar panels. NASA has a tool to help you figure out when the ISS or the shuttle will be overhead wherever you are – use the “Sighting Opportunities” pull-down menu on the left-hand side to select exactly the town you are in for a list of times and how long it will be visible over the next couple of weeks.

Math as Art

A Mathematician’s Lament was Slashdotted weeks ago, but I finally sat down and read my way through the whole thing. Lockhart, a math professor who returned to elementary and high school math education, writes about the fundamental flaws he sees in how we approach teaching math, particularly at the youngest levels. He opens with two stories that describe in his view what music and art education would be like if they were taught in the same way math is taught: I was surprised to find myself in a regular school classroom— no easels, no tubes of paint. “Oh we don’t … Continue reading Math as Art