catdynamics | November 20, 2008some links to ponder
Japanese economists think maybe US Treasury should issue some bonds in yen - takes out some of the uncertainty, just in case the dollar were to slip a bit...
Fed capitulates - the new buzzword is "quantitative easing" - or "going fiscal" as they say.
Systemic Risk - trade and contagion - it is not just Iceland who can't get their dry goods shipped - letters of credit are not being accepted and trade is halting. Back to barter for everyone.
Liquidity Lift for Student Loans - DoE to purchase student loans back to 2003 to try to keep market liquid.
Maybe a miracle will…
catdynamics | November 20, 2008AAAoAAAoA
Harvard's many diverse mattresses (h/t IP
Unintended Consequences I: NSF - 2 and out
Unintended Consequences II: Italy - shortening the holding pattern for scientists
In some other universe I am writing an erudite blog response on multiple universes and the paradox of quantum mechanics; but in this universe I have paperwork to catch up on so I leave it to Chad'n'Dave...
catdynamics | November 18, 2008Students become like their advisors.
In academic style, in mannerism, or maybe just their irrational passion for raquetball.
Why is this?
Sincere form of flattery?
Memetic transmission?
Or, something more insidious...
I have before noted that the descendancy of graduate students from their advisors, and lo their advisors before them, is one of the few good examples of Lamarckian evolution
It is an amusing conceit.
The students, maybe subconsciously, adapting their advisors mannerisms, style, approach to science etc.
But, as this came up over coffee in snowy Ohio, a very clever friend of mine…
catdynamics | November 18, 2008XKCD 505
This is both frighteningly funny, and shockingly profound.
The really worrying thing is how few people in the world will ever get it.
h/t Chad
ok, I will show mercy:
34:
internet rule 34
wolfram's rule 34
Wolfram classified cellular automata rules - some of which are interesting and support universality.
catdynamics | November 17, 2008NASA and The Space Telescope Science Institute
announce a Supplemental Call for Observing Proposals for the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Told you so.
"A serious electronic malfunction on HST in late September led to
the postponement of Servicing Mission 4 (SM4). HST has been
restored to operations, and we anticipate exhausting the pool of
both existing Cycle 16 programs and Cycle 17 observations that
can be brought forward before SM4 occurs. We are therefore issuing
this call for supplementary programs using Wide-Field Planetary
Camera 2 (WFPC2), the Advanced Camera for Surveys Solar Blind…
catdynamics | November 17, 2008Carnival of Space #79 at One Astronomer's Noise
Praxis #4 at The Lay Scientist
go browse.
catdynamics | November 14, 2008Wintry friday, and far too much excitement on all fronts.
So, we ask the Mighty iPod: about those new exoplanets - Fomalhaut b, really there or unlucky background? And, HR8799 - is it really a BSS?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Greetings to the New Brunette - Billy Bragg
The Crossing: Carry That Weight - Beatles
The Crown: Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
The Root: I Want To Tell You - Beatles
The Past: One Better Day - Madness
The Future: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear - Blondie
The Questioner: Jail Guitar Doors - Clash
The House: Taktu Til við að Tvista - Stuðmenn…
catdynamics | November 13, 2008Coronographic imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys, on the Hubble Space Telescope, has revealed a jupiter mass planetary companion, with confirmed common proper motion with its parent star, Fomalhaut.
This would be the first robust bona fide direct imaging detection of an extrasolar planet.
Good catch from the mouth of the fish of the south.
From Kalas et al (Science, Nov 14th 2008).
Hubble press release now up
Perspective article in Science (pdf)
click for large image
In a paper to appear on friday Nov 14th in Science, Kalas et al (pdf) show data from the Advanced Camera for…
catdynamics | November 13, 2008All Public Universities will be free, says Congress.
Canadian Scientists find Shorter Work Week as Effective as Viagra
A special edition of the New York Times just appeared, with some good news, finally.
The Yes Men
Every headline is a joy, and pay special attention to the advertisements.
Though even they show no signs of an end to the housing and financial crisis...
catdynamics | November 12, 2008Can I just ask for one thing, of those seeking recommendation letters for postdoctoral fellowships... ?
...please, please, please - agree on some consistent phrase to be part of the "Subject:" line.
Preferably something involving the words "Letter" and "Application" or "Recommendation" or "Reference" - anything, as long as you stick with it.
Being able to do electronic submission is good; and I know it is too much to ask for a consistent web format for upload, but, the automagically generated "reminder" that everyone sends k days before the due date, and/or when the application is activated…
catdynamics | November 12, 2008Wow.
I just realised that the Molinari, h(m), impact index is really measured in magnitudes...
No, really!
h(m) = h/N0.4
is clearly a magnitude system - with a sign ambiguity of course, but that is just to confuse the physicists.
So we should work in log[ h(m) ] and set a "ranking modulus" as a natural metric for departmental distances in rank space.
We are of course free to choose our normalisation - I think h(m) = 5 looks about right, put OSU at 10 pc
So: Hm = log(h) - 0.4*log(N) - log(5)
so for tenure faculty only PSU has a
Hm = 1.892 - 1.124 - 0.699 = 0.07
and Caltech is at 0.11…
catdynamics | November 12, 2008there are many ways to rank a program: including its reputation, its performance, and more subtle quantitative indicators, some of which are contradictory and mutually inconsistent. Rankings are also generally lagging indicators and imperfect indicators of future performance, they are vulnerable to demographics and individual star performers which may not be there in the future, or may fail to live up to their reputation.
Yet, considering the stakes, rankings are endlessly mulled, weighed, hashed, disputed as storied programs slip in the rankings, and celebrated as outsiders surge up the…
catdynamics | November 11, 2008There is much angst now about finanical crises and bank collapses, and whether and which emergency bailouts are appropriate and who gets them.
Yet at the root of the whole process are petty little people with fragile egos and incomplete understanding of the basics of their profession, despite having been in power for many years.
I am, of course, talking about Iceland.
The country is bankrupt, the whole banking system has failed, the currency is untradable and the economy is in free-fall.
The only hope of sustaining something of a working economy in the short run is to get a large loan, on…
catdynamics | November 10, 2008Phoenix Lander on Mars has ceased operation as winter moves in, power ran out and batteries died.
Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months. As anticipated, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to collect the power necessary to charge batteries that operate the lander's instruments.
Mission engineers last received a signal from the lander on Nov. 2. Phoenix, in addition to shorter daylight, has encountered a dustier sky, more clouds and colder temperatures as the…
catdynamics | November 10, 2008there will be a major press release on thursday, for a paper appearing in Science this week.
It is a potentially major planet discovery, I will not break embargo to leak the news, but the hint of the upcoming discovery was public exactly two months ago, and there will be some nice ancillary information provided online when the news comes out.
catdynamics | November 10, 2008O'Leary, O'Reilly
O'Hare and O'Hara
There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama
Studio version:
Live version:
"Now lets see Barack to Riverdance"
catdynamics | November 7, 2008Interesting presentation by Brad deLong to the googleplex
'cause linking is an intrinsic good.
catdynamics | November 7, 2008Indian summer and a friday. May snow this weekend...
So, that was exciting. Oh, Mighty iPod - what now?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Light My Fire - Doors
The Crossing: Money - Pink Floyd
The Crown: Good Vibrations - Beach Boys
The Root: Dream River - Mavericks
The Past: Pump It Up - Elvis Costello
The Future: Maria - Green Day
The Questioner: T.V. Party - Black Flag
The House: End of the World - Cure
The Inside: Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest
The Outcome: Lilli Hittir Mikka Ref - Thorbjorn Egner
Hm.
The Outcome is the Little Mouse meets the Tricky Fox.
Much shenanigans…