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“In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms."
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Jun 26, 20224 min read
Move the Earth!
“Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth” “δῶς μοι πᾶ στῶ καὶ τὰν γᾶν κινάσω” Archimedes is described as a mathematician,...
May 15, 20223 min read
An Honest Man!
The Greek philosopher Diogenes is famous for carrying a lantern during the day, claiming he was “searching for an honest man”. Yet...
May 1, 20223 min read
Silos!
“Why can’t we all just get along?” This was the question asked by the incomparable Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks! Nicholson’s...
Apr 17, 20224 min read
Relativity!
M. C. Escher has always been one of my favourite artists. From the moment I first saw his work (I think it might have been Waterfall), I...
Feb 13, 20225 min read
Moo!
A farmer asked a physicist to help him figure out how to increase milk production. After gathering data and studying the problem, the...
Feb 6, 20226 min read
Lingua Franca!
Recently, I was listening to an old episode of The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, (actually, episode 803, dated 28-Nov-2020), in which...
Dec 12, 20214 min read
The Haywain!
In the late 1980’s I liked to collect “taglines” to include in my interactions with people. While these included many “pithy” statements...
Dec 5, 20214 min read
When it hits the fan!
I’ve heard a number of people say that they “don’t like X”, only to discover that their only exposure has been some “pop culture” version...
Nov 21, 20214 min read
You need to start somewhere!
You need to come up with something, so keep it simple. Even if it starts out with only six words, you can always add more later....
Sep 19, 20216 min read
Risk!
Risk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_%28game%29) is one of those games that seems to endure. It’s a simple game, which is probably...
Aug 29, 20214 min read
Pay attention!
This might look like a standard cup game, but it’s actually a very interesting test. I won’t spoil it for you – give it a try. Attention...
Aug 8, 20214 min read
Juggling all sorts of things!
We have endless opportunities to learn, if only we take them. I recently commented on the survival of the learner...
Jun 6, 20215 min read
PM Basics - Kanban
I finally have a semi-usable version of a Kanban tool running. I built it on the so-called “LAMP” (https://www.til-technology.com/post/f...
Feb 14, 20214 min read
It was twenty years ago today!
More, actually, but not with Sgt. Pepper... When I got my first coding job, in the 1990’s, I was working through a certificate in...
Jan 17, 20215 min read
You have eyes but you cannot CSS!
I find it interesting that, even (especially?) when our work focuses on careful planning or a disciplined approach to problem-solving,...
Nov 15, 20204 min read
Know the rules before you break them
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Often attributed to Mark...
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