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April 28, 2009
learning
I learn as much from Wikipedia as from my professors. In case you haven't heard about the swine flu. A Google map of the situation.
A company to watch, Roche Holdings, Ltd..
How many ways can you say 1500 loss in jobs?
A little humor, are you looking for the perfect woman? Well, look no further.
Posted by azileretsis at 05:32 PM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2009
tech
I had the opportunity to hear Dean Kamen speak this weekend. I will always know him for the guy that invented the AutoSyringe which allows sick kids I saw on a weekly basis to play. However, he is probably most well-known for Segways.
I had never heard a tech evangelist before but Dean Kamen is definitely one. His philosophy is that technology can solve all the world's problems, particularly, that US should emphasize technology research above the fight against terrorism. His speech was interesting in that he is actively spreading his beliefs and convincing the next generation that technology is the community provider, hope and fulfillment they all need. It reminded us of a cult.
Posted by azileretsis at 07:44 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2009
newsworthy
Susan Boyle fame is way out of proportion. In the same line, so is the Antarctic microbes.
While dwelling on irony of what is newsworthy and not newsworthy, I came across an article about achievement gaps among minority students.
One good thing that has come out from the government spending, more science funding.
Posted by azileretsis at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2009
back
I joined my workplace March Madness tournament this year. I ended up just below the 85% this time however, I ended up in second place. It's mostly about context and I didn't think my pool was competitive as in the past. Consultants are always more competitive. One of my peers did get first place. He had never played before and he made alot of strange guesses. Michigan State! Come on!
Posted by azileretsis at 06:55 PM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2009
thinking
I hear it all the time. Memorization doesn't teach critical thinking skills. How does one teach critical thinking skills? Well, it's not allowing your student to memorize everything and recite it on an exam. Exam format doesn't matter. It's not even allowing for data analysis though it is a step in the right direction. In our present times, learning is all about what others have done, not about how they got there.
I propose that critical thinking skills are only learned when people are able to share their ideas and propose solutions that are not necessarily right but can add to the final solution. It can even be to a problem that has already been solved. Our determination to get to a "right" answer sometimes deters us from thinking outside the box and creating new neuronal pathways to better ideas. However, not all ideas have the same merit. I've learned over time though not all bad ideas should be quickly discounted.
I have the insatiable need to think about teaching ideas without the desire to teach.
Posted by azileretsis at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)
April 06, 2009
italy
Press release from the US embassy in Rome. Prayer for Abruzzo.
Posted by azileretsis at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2009
timing
My professor mentioned this article in class the other day about computerized scientific deductive reasoning. I'm also reading a biography on Johannes Kepler called The Watershed. The author, Arthur Koestler, does a very good job writing about Kepler's processive thinking. Kepler himself did not try to hide his meanderings to his great discoveries.
Though a computer is very good at deductive reasoning and trial and error (two essential traits in science), it cannot produce original thought. A computer is still a machine that computes inputs and produces outputs. It has no mind-blowing ideas but reiterates through data. It is limited by its programming and the imagination of its programmer. A computer has yet to pass the Turing test. A tangent, Numb3rs recently did an episode on a supercomputer and the Turing test.
The book made me think how scientific discoveries are made. In particular, how astronomers rely only on observational data and how this limitation might make discoveries difficult. Yet, many of our firsts in the modern science era was in astronomy.
This leads me to wonder what will science hold for the future. Looking for efficiencies is good but it might obfuscate true discoveries. Will scientists continue to reach for the stars?
Posted by azileretsis at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2009
cadie
I love it! Where do I sign up? CADIE does your emails. Note the Wiki entry and it is truth for today (nobody is changing it).
My ESL class may understand my wicked sense of humor. It may not.
Posted by azileretsis at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)