An Absurd “Plan”

Another of my letters-to-the-editor that will never be published, so you can read it here. This one was sent to Scientific American regarding their November 2009 issue. In September 2006, you published a special issue on "Energy's Future" with a well-reasoned mix of articles on energy conservation, renewable energy, and nuclear power. I've … [Read more...]

Stereotypes

I spent the ride into work pondering this Twitter exchange with Grayson Daughters. … [Read more...]

GCMI

Watching Governor Perdue kick off GCMI, the Global Center for Medical Innovation. … [Read more...]

NSF and UAW – Separated at Birth?

With the United Auto Workers in the news lately, I happened to have a National Science Foundation grant proposal on my desk, and was struck by the similarities in their logos! Coincidence? Deep dark conspiracy? Or a graphics artist reselling the same work to multiple clients? … [Read more...]

City of Atlanta Water Works

We complained that our tap water looked and tasted rusty. So, during a multi-year drought, here's what the City of Atlanta Water Works did about it... they sent out a guy in a truck to open up the fire hydrant on our street. Wasted untold hundreds (thousands?) of gallons of water. Now the water coming out of our sinks is dirtier than ever. … [Read more...]

Rules for Voting

"If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidates and no measures you want to vote for ... but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. By this rule you will rarely go wrong." —Robert A. Heinlein … [Read more...]

My letter to the editor of “New Scientist” magazine

They probably won't publish this, so I'll put it here: ----- To the Editors: The premise of your special on growth in the 15 October 2008 issue is just plain wrong, and the wrongness starts in your lead editorial. http://tinyurl.com/4evh5e You state that "we live on a planet with finite resources." But we also live in a solar system with … [Read more...]

Phi Beta Kappa

I got into a discussion about Georgia Tech academics the other day, when I mentioned how difficult the undergraduate curriculum was. The other person (who graduated from a state university that shall remain nameless) retorted with "Well, Tech doesn't even have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa!" That's true. We don't. And I started digging into why. … [Read more...]

Jim Wooten on Tech High

Just a quick link for those who may have missed it: http://www.ajc.com/print/content/printedition/2008/06/10/tuwooten.html. … [Read more...]

Tech High School Graduation on Sunday!

What are you doing Sunday night?If you're in Atlanta, and not spending the Memorial Day weekend on the beach, I'd like to invite you to the first-ever Tech High School graduation. … [Read more...]