Sun - August 3, 2003

Why can’t education be more abstract and impersonal?


Too many teachers assume that their students will benifit from assignments that are more personal and feeling oriented. But young scientific types deserve consideration too.

Posted at 10:26 PM     Read More  


Sat - August 2, 2003

What would gay marriage look like? Science fiction provides some answers


Many people seem unable to imagine a world in which gays can routinely marry, but children are protected in stable married homes. The science fiction novels of Lois McMaster Bujold illustrate such a society.

Posted at 03:30 PM     Read More  


Sun - July 27, 2003

Gay Marriage: Quit whining about "protecting the children"


The battle against gay marriage is assuming greater prominence on the conservative agenda. But why is gay marriage anathema to conservatives? Appeals to "protect the children" won't cut it -- all married couples don't have children; some gay couples do; and marriage is about more than procreation anyway.

Posted at 08:55 PM     Read More  


Mon - July 14, 2003

The Old Girl Network


The New York Times thinks diversity is very, very important. But when women selectively hire their sorority sisters because they want employees who are just like them, it's not bad -- it's cute and trendy.

Posted at 09:15 PM     Read More  


Tue - July 8, 2003

A "do not call" list for politicians


The new “do not call” list for telemarketers is immensely popular. But why are politicians exempt?

Posted at 07:41 PM     Read More  


Sat - July 5, 2003

Why I'm not giving any money to Harvard


Fellow Harvard alums, feel free to borrow from this open letter to explain why you feel fair Harvard can continue to stagger along without your contribution to its 17 billion dollar endowment.

Posted at 04:05 PM     Read More  


Mon - June 23, 2003

Oh Roe is Me


Norma McCorvey, the original "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade fame, has filed a motion to have the case overturned. No doubt the Justice Foundation, the conservative legal group that wrote the motion, think this is a brilliant move, having the original pro-life poster girl seek to reverse the landmark case. I think it’s a astoundingly stupid stunt, that neatly surrenders the pro-life movement's moral high ground.

Posted at 10:10 PM     Read More  


Tue - June 17, 2003

All Opinions Don’t Deserve Respect


No one’s opinions have any entitlement to respect. Respect is what you may earn after surviving challenge in the marketplace of ideas. While everyone from flat-earthers to white supremacists is entitled to speak their opinions, they have no entitlement whatsoever to have their opinions taken seriously.

Posted at 08:19 PM     Read More  


Sat - June 14, 2003

Confessions Of A Former Campus Conservative


Let me make clear at the outset that the “former” in this title refers to my campus location, not my conservative beliefs. I was a student reactionary, and proud of it. Accordingly, after reading the recent New York Times Magazine article, The Young Hipublicans, I indulged in intense bouts of indignant irritation . . .

Posted at 02:31 PM     Read More  


Sun - April 20, 2003

So Maybe It Can Mean "Peace"


Certain people did go out of their way to protect and shelter Tutsis fleeing from genocidal attacks. In disgraceful contrast, human rights groups have documented several instances of Christian clerics allowing Tutsis sanctuary in churches, only to surrender them to Hutu death squads.

Posted at 01:29 PM     Read More  

On the Proper Use of Terms


If the Israelis really were "Nazis" (or Rwandan Hutus, for that matter), they would have no Palestinian problem because there would be no more Palestinians. Palestinian leaders and supporters know perfectly well that this is the case, but lack the decency or honesty to admit it.

Posted at 01:26 PM     Read More  

The Feminine Mystique


There's a certain strain of feminism distinguished by its rejection of the notion that women are merely equals of men. I've always considered this to be utter nonsense.

Posted at 01:16 PM     Read More  

The Trial & Tribulations of Being a Minority: Part II


There are aspects of minority status that affect women in ways that don't generally apply to men regardless of race, because people tend to segregate socially according to sex far more than according to race.

Posted at 01:14 PM     Read More  


Wed - April 16, 2003

The Trials & Tribulations of Being a Minority: Part I


This little tune, which I think comes from some long-forgotten educational program, used to run through my head frequently in lab and review sections for my physics classes. Was it that I was the only one of twenty students wearing pink, or was it something else that made me stand out?

Posted at 06:30 PM     Read More  

The Confidence Gap: Part III


I have never understood why professors deliberately design their tests to have such low means. While some professors are simply clueless as to the actual difficulty of their tests, many intentionally write exams that most students can't complete. The only explanation I can think of it that an excessively low mean spreads the distribution of students at the top of the class, and allows professors to pick out the most brilliant of the students, the true "physics gods," as we called them.

Posted at 06:25 PM     Read More  
The Confidence Gap: Part II
The Confidence Gap: Part I
Ride, Sally Ride!
Perils and Pitfalls for Female Physics Majors

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