Years ago my wife bought a VHS tape that was intended to entertain cats. It was all videos of squirrels, birds, and other prey moving around and making sounds. One of our two cats ignored it, but the other was fascinated. He could watch the entire one-hour tape without getting bored. He would occasionally try to move around behind the TV to get a better vantage point. At first he would often swat at the images on the screen, but he learned fairly quickly that he couldn't catch them that way.
You can't call yourself educated unless you have at least some background in both science and the humanities. I would extend the author's argument to go both ways - science majors need humanities courses so they have some idea of the human environment in which science is conducted and which it influences, and humanities majors need science and math courses so they have some of the logical discipline that those courses provide.
I was a humanities major, but I had a strong interest in science. Until I was in college I didn't do much with this interest due to bad math anxiety, but as a soph I decided to extend myself and take some courses in the "science track". We were on the block system, in which we took one course per month. So I spent one intense month learning calculus, and then one very intense month learning classical physics. I was fortunate to have good teachers or this could have been a disaster, but I aced calc and got a B+ in physics. The experience showed me that I wasn't really cut out for the sciences (although I ended up as a software engineer). But it was a good experience that strengthened my ability to think logically, and that increased my appreciation for math and science. Seeing physics laws derived step-by-step on the blackboard (that dates me!) was an incredible thrill, and gave me insight into how the mathematician's and scientist's brains work, and what drives scientists in their work.
I also took, in both college and grad school, some logic, philosophy of science, and statistics courses. All of them led me to a greater understanding of how science works as opposed to how most people think it works.
Getting a mix of science and humanities made me a better person, a person more able to understand issues that affect my life and the life of the community. I encourage students to study both.
I beg to differ on I Am Legend. I read the book many years ago and found it suspenseful, engrossing, moving, and, to one willing to suspend disbelief, reasonably plausible.
None of the movies lived up to the original. They went more for thrills and chills at the expense of the humanity of the story.
I swore off Samsung a few years ago when the 2.5 year old HDTV I had paid $1400 for died, and they wanted as much to repair it as a new TV would cost. Their products are shoddily made, and they don't stand behind them. They could produce the snazziest Jesus phone on the market and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poleaxe.
Where did I say his numbers are right? I have no idea if they are right or not because I don't have time to go research it, and I didn't express an opinion either way (although given the source, I have my doubts). Even if his numbers in this narrow case are correct, I don't think they're relevant to the real intention behind Earth Hour.
And as to not doing anything more to raise public awareness, I think it's valuable to do so because people are subjected to a constant torrent of advertising telling them how wonderful it is to use all these gadgets and drive all these cars, plus propaganda from politicians and industry telling them that global warming is a hoax and pollution is good for you.
Disclaimer: I've never participated in Earth Hour and may never do so, but I encourage events that make people think about the costs of our energy-thirsty lifestyles.
First, I can't believe anyone takes Lomborg seriously anymore. His rantings are not based on science, and the only reason anyone noticed him in the first place was because he styled himself an "environmentalist", which he clearly isn't. Second, as other posters have pointed out, Earth Hour isn't meant to actually save any energy, it's to build public awareness. He's erected a strawman and is trying to knock it down without regard to what is real.
Biking to work is a great way to turn a soul-deadening commute into a real workout. And stay out of the elevators, take the stairs.
If you're in a low building with no stairs, follow the lead of your smoking co-workers. Take a "smoke break" every hour but walk around the building instead of smoking.
Make sure your skills are up-to-date, and structure your resume in such a way as to not reveal how old you really are. For example, no dates on your education and/or military service, leave off early jobs, etc. You might want to dye your hair if you're gray, although I wouldn't go that far.
It's illegal to not hire you due to your age, but of course it's hard to win an age discrimination suit. So don't let it go there.
Other people have mentioned govt. contracting. Some contracting firms like to hire older techies because they fit in well with the aging population of government workers.
Why is this currently ranked -1? The poster is absolutely right. It costs big bucks to develop and maintain your own OS, so of course Android-based tablets are cheaper (yes, I know Kindle is not pure Android, but it's built on top of it). And Amazon is selling these things as loss leaders.
Of course you can retrain. Buy some books and get to it. In the past few years I've learned several languages, tons of libraries, and many new concepts, all from reading and doing, no courses or formal training necessary. I can keep up with developers in their 20s and 30s. Frankly, I'm amazed that you're so negative about this at the still-wet-behind-the-ears age of 40.
"maybe it's time we start listening to experts who have a proven record of success, rather than ideology that has only been 'proven' in the mind of elected politicians."
And this is exactly why NASA and other scientific endeavors will never get the funding they need.
This is a tool for idiot managers who don't understand programming and who have no clue how to manage programmers, and who want to look like they're in the loop. There's no way I'd stick around in a job where I was judged based on this absurdity.
Slashdot Mirror
Years ago my wife bought a VHS tape that was intended to entertain cats. It was all videos of squirrels, birds, and other prey moving around and making sounds. One of our two cats ignored it, but the other was fascinated. He could watch the entire one-hour tape without getting bored. He would occasionally try to move around behind the TV to get a better vantage point. At first he would often swat at the images on the screen, but he learned fairly quickly that he couldn't catch them that way.
You can't call yourself educated unless you have at least some background in both science and the humanities. I would extend the author's argument to go both ways - science majors need humanities courses so they have some idea of the human environment in which science is conducted and which it influences, and humanities majors need science and math courses so they have some of the logical discipline that those courses provide.
I was a humanities major, but I had a strong interest in science. Until I was in college I didn't do much with this interest due to bad math anxiety, but as a soph I decided to extend myself and take some courses in the "science track". We were on the block system, in which we took one course per month. So I spent one intense month learning calculus, and then one very intense month learning classical physics. I was fortunate to have good teachers or this could have been a disaster, but I aced calc and got a B+ in physics. The experience showed me that I wasn't really cut out for the sciences (although I ended up as a software engineer). But it was a good experience that strengthened my ability to think logically, and that increased my appreciation for math and science. Seeing physics laws derived step-by-step on the blackboard (that dates me!) was an incredible thrill, and gave me insight into how the mathematician's and scientist's brains work, and what drives scientists in their work.
I also took, in both college and grad school, some logic, philosophy of science, and statistics courses. All of them led me to a greater understanding of how science works as opposed to how most people think it works.
Getting a mix of science and humanities made me a better person, a person more able to understand issues that affect my life and the life of the community. I encourage students to study both.
Yes, exactly. The moral ambiguity at the end was an eyeopener for my inexperienced teenage mind.
I beg to differ on I Am Legend. I read the book many years ago and found it suspenseful, engrossing, moving, and, to one willing to suspend disbelief, reasonably plausible.
None of the movies lived up to the original. They went more for thrills and chills at the expense of the humanity of the story.
I swore off Samsung a few years ago when the 2.5 year old HDTV I had paid $1400 for died, and they wanted as much to repair it as a new TV would cost. Their products are shoddily made, and they don't stand behind them. They could produce the snazziest Jesus phone on the market and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot poleaxe.
Where did I say his numbers are right? I have no idea if they are right or not because I don't have time to go research it, and I didn't express an opinion either way (although given the source, I have my doubts). Even if his numbers in this narrow case are correct, I don't think they're relevant to the real intention behind Earth Hour.
And as to not doing anything more to raise public awareness, I think it's valuable to do so because people are subjected to a constant torrent of advertising telling them how wonderful it is to use all these gadgets and drive all these cars, plus propaganda from politicians and industry telling them that global warming is a hoax and pollution is good for you.
Disclaimer: I've never participated in Earth Hour and may never do so, but I encourage events that make people think about the costs of our energy-thirsty lifestyles.
First, I can't believe anyone takes Lomborg seriously anymore. His rantings are not based on science, and the only reason anyone noticed him in the first place was because he styled himself an "environmentalist", which he clearly isn't. Second, as other posters have pointed out, Earth Hour isn't meant to actually save any energy, it's to build public awareness. He's erected a strawman and is trying to knock it down without regard to what is real.
Well, then we're doing these people a public service, by helping the hoarders build their hoards (what good is a hoardless hoarder?).
Biking to work is a great way to turn a soul-deadening commute into a real workout. And stay out of the elevators, take the stairs.
If you're in a low building with no stairs, follow the lead of your smoking co-workers. Take a "smoke break" every hour but walk around the building instead of smoking.
Join a local Freecycle group (www.freecycle.org) and post an offer. Someone in your community might have a use for them.
Make sure your skills are up-to-date, and structure your resume in such a way as to not reveal how old you really are. For example, no dates on your education and/or military service, leave off early jobs, etc. You might want to dye your hair if you're gray, although I wouldn't go that far.
It's illegal to not hire you due to your age, but of course it's hard to win an age discrimination suit. So don't let it go there.
Other people have mentioned govt. contracting. Some contracting firms like to hire older techies because they fit in well with the aging population of government workers.
Why is this currently ranked -1? The poster is absolutely right. It costs big bucks to develop and maintain your own OS, so of course Android-based tablets are cheaper (yes, I know Kindle is not pure Android, but it's built on top of it). And Amazon is selling these things as loss leaders.
Of course you can retrain. Buy some books and get to it. In the past few years I've learned several languages, tons of libraries, and many new concepts, all from reading and doing, no courses or formal training necessary. I can keep up with developers in their 20s and 30s. Frankly, I'm amazed that you're so negative about this at the still-wet-behind-the-ears age of 40.
I suspect it was well below minimum wage (although he did get free room and board and a top-notch physical fitness program).
You've been eaten by a gru
Where I live, jurors get $15 a day for expenses, which barely covers bus fare and lunch in the courthouse cafeteria. Minimum wage? In your dreams.
...it's in better shape than mine.
"maybe it's time we start listening to experts who have a proven record of success, rather than ideology that has only been 'proven' in the mind of elected politicians."
And this is exactly why NASA and other scientific endeavors will never get the funding they need.
Damn, I have mod points and I couldn't decide whether to mod this Funny or Flamebait. Guess I'll sit it out.
OK, I'm 62 and still going strong. I'm up to date on my skills and respected by my (much younger) colleagues.
But I have known people in their 40's with good backgrounds who couldn't find work in the field.
So you would like to utter utter tosh?
Yeah, in the ensuing economic collapse we'll have to revert to barter and that's harder to tax.
Ni!
This is a tool for idiot managers who don't understand programming and who have no clue how to manage programmers, and who want to look like they're in the loop. There's no way I'd stick around in a job where I was judged based on this absurdity.
Well, get your news where ever you like, but I can assure you that Verizon NOT WIRELESS charges for credit card use and has as long as I've had FIOS.