During a visit to Skydive, PA yesterday, I noticed jumpmaster Jim tightening a corset-like weight belt onto his abs. “Jim, your figure looks so refined,” I commented. Jim sneered. “I’ve…
Galileo and the Physics of Skydiving
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Galileo’s Manuscripts: Still Learning the Lesson
When I studied history of science, my teachers — especially Ken Manders and Paolo Palmieri — hammered two principles like drill sergeants: Always read the original manuscripts; Always pay attention…
Hyper-intelligent fish and black hole thermodynamics
Bill Unruh’s recent collection on black hole analogues begins, Deep beneath the great encircling seas of the Discworld lived a species of hyper-intelligent fish. (Unruh 2007, p.1) Unusual, but inspiring:…
Springer Publishes Crank ‘Proofs’
crank, n. A pejorative term for a person who holds a belief that a vast majority of their contemporaries consider false. A “cranky” belief is so wildly at variance with…
Get Started Teaching Philosophy
Ok, you’re teaching philosophy. You know what you want to teach. But how do you achieve your goals? The simple answer, I think, is through strategy. Practically, teaching philosophy is…