In a typical strategy video game, you'll spend some time exploring, building up resources, and researching. If not for the attacks of your enemy, then the best strategy would be to pump all of your resources into collecting more resources or technological advances, because they build on one-another exponentially; having more resources means that ( Read more... )

With the end of the series nearing --- and my growing interest thanks not just to the excellent recent episodes but also the surprisingly good board game --- it's time to post my theory about "what the frak" is going on. Pardon to those who want to avoid geekiness. :)

Warning: oh, the spoilers.

( MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! )

As some of you have no doubt heard, I have moved to Boston to start a new education nonprofit. This post is long overdue --- I moved almost three weeks ago --- but I've been keeping busy, and so telling everyone about what's going on has fallen by the wayside ( Read more... )

Suppose that you're in a scenario in the airport when your current flight is overbooked and they're looking for volunteers. Should you take it?

Naturally it depends on a number of factors. You should be sure that your compensation is in a dollar-value certificate, not in a free flight --- because free flight certificates are often limited in use ( Read more... )

A quartet that includes Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma will play a piece composed for the inauguration by John Williams, whose “Patriot” resounded during Mr. Obama’s election night celebration in Grant Park in Chicago.

Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma.

*swoon*

In some circles, discussing the effects of how kids are raised is taboo because (among other reasons) there's a concern that it will emphasize differences that reinforce stereotypes. These fears are not unjustified, but sometimes you read studies like this, and you really start to think that we need to understand these issues ( Read more... )

A teacher who's in a class with me has requested suggestions on reading for a few 6th graders in his classroom (or maybe 7th, but I believe 6th) who are apparently doing quite well and could use some extra challenge. I don't know what their level genuinely is, but I'd like to give them something challenging and which could lead to more good stuff ( Read more... )

Advertising on Exams.

I have no expressible opinion at this time. Comments?

When checking in online for Northwest Airlines, I discovered that when a flight is oversold they now allow you to bid on the value of a voucher in exchange for taking an alternate flight. It's very clever, and while it certainly does result in a lower value for the consumer, it's a good move on their part. Also quite cute. The problem is that ( Read more... )

Every year when I start my statistics unit, I give my students a survey for purposes of collecting real-life data about them that we can analyze in the course of the class. However, I also secretly make multiple versions of the surveys, some of which have questions designed to bias responses in different ways. For example, this year half of my ( Read more... )