I suspect it isn't such a big deal, really. "Fiscal cliff" has started to sound like fingernails on a blackboard to me.

What would probably happen can be found here (caution - graphs with data).

is that the popular press will overhype scientific results to the point of meaninglessness.

"Medical Daily" now counts as popular press in my book.

Uh, Osama, duh. Now compare to Bush and you've got an argument.

I misread the story headline as an interview with *IBM*s Watson.

that if you don't have a phone, no one can rob you for it.

That video from the 1st link is totally fucken hilarious!

What do you remember most from your days at the NYIT Computer Graphics Lab?

...by Lillian Lieber. T. C. Mits standing for The Celebrated Man in the Street.

It's a quaint read today, but when my junior high math teacher recommended it to me, I got a first look at the academic hierarchy of the day. I still find it relevant, but I'm probably an outlier.

The premise was that that mathematics rules over the other 'hard' sciences - physics and chemistry - and that pure versions of each, without apparent practical application, are more noble than the applied varieties. Lieber was pushing a pre- Rodney King flavor of "Can't we all just get along?", but what I internalized was the superiority of pursuits untainted by general utility.

Somehow, I still manage to make a living...

Hmmm... The dollar amounts mentioned in the article sounded ridiculously large to me. This goes a long way towards explaining them.

Reminds me of the Web future of Scott Westerfeld in "Extras".

Heartily agree.

This is an interesting approach, but I think it can only be a first cut and will likely die unless there's some mechanism for continuous revision based on in-class experience.

Do you use your left hand or right for those "useful ideas"?

I mostly like Jackson's Ring series & this looks to be 'bout as good, but I've never gotten a consistent feel for the "actual" size of a Hobbit from the films.

Anyone else?

"very clear withdrawal symptoms ... difficulty focusing, increased appetite, weight gain, sleep disturbances ..."

Gee, shouldn't symptoms of withdrawal be something other than symptoms of use?

Of what is this "Internet Explorer" that you speak? This is not known among my people.

But is None an option?