Teachers can know too much
High School chemistry rests on a base of sophisticated quantum mechanics. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to master the advanced subject in order to use its results.
It’s simpler than that
Ways of learning and of avoiding it
Life is not a word problem
Our tutoring consultant continues to gain insights from his students.
The seasons are complicated
Interpreting French Oast
The complicated business of reading signs
Even simple daily tasks can involve very sophisticated thinking.
When predictions are wrong
The role of science fiction
Today’s world doesn’t look like most science fiction stories pictured it. But accurate prediction isn’t the main point of the genre.
It’s alarming
Many things want our attention. They can’t all have it
Life always seems to get louder and more insistent. There are reasons for this, though it’s not a good trend.
Plato’s fallacy
Education is good, but it has its limits
A scientist cautions against the idea behind the philosopher-king.
Normal science
Progress that doesn’t go viral
Some recent posts have addressed events in astronomy that have attracted attention from the general public. Our astronomer would like to explain something that you’ll probably never hear about.
Extremes
They need not actually be spectacular
Our astronomer, somewhat reluctantly, talks about the Supermoon
On textbooks
Learning and re-learning
Textbooks are to learn from, of course. But who is doing the learning, and when?