If you are a denizen of the various social networking sites, I hope you are aware of the battles that are raging with respect to “privacy” settings. Some locations, such as Facebook, have as an overarching philosophy that all information you post should be available to everyone by default, and that it is your responsibility as a user of the …
Why the Other Line Is Likely to Move Faster (video)
This youtube-hosted video is a very engaging and entertaining quick view of queuing theory that provides an eminently practical everyday application. Questions: Are you aware of what criteria you use when making decisions? If so, what are those criteria? Are your criteria based on emotions or logic? Do you always use the same approach to making decisions? Is …
High Expectations, Disappointing Reality. Or is it?
Apple has successfully transformed itself from its origins as a computer manufacturer into a consumer electronics innovator, manufacturer, and marketing whiz-bang machine. Witness the often blocks-long lines that await receipt of newly announced products. It’s gotten to the point that just about anything Apple announces sets off a speculation and purchase frenzy unequaled with most other such products. And so …
Doing What’s Important
Today’s gleaning of the news brought with it an item in the Houston Chronicle that pointed up a terrific way of thinking about past glories, recognition, and future endeavors. Charles Bolden, the NASA Administrator, first chided the staff at Johnson Space Center and other citizens of Houston for their complaints about not having received one of the now-retired Space Shuttles, …
Testing Authority
A study by scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has concluded that supraluminal velocities are impossible for single photons. This apparent confirmation of Einstein’s dictum that the speed of light in a vacuum is an absolute limit puts the kibosh on the possibilities for time travel–or so the team’s lead researcher, Du Shengwang, would have us …
How Would You Bet?
Lots of news today about a finding that under some conditions neutrinos may (I emphasize may) travel faster than the speed of light, a clear contravention of a basic tenet of physics. In this light (yes, that’s a joke), I found this little item to be of interest: Source: https://xkcd.com/955/ Given all the pronouncements lately about changes to established paradigms—often …
Is Failure an Option?
Failure seems to be much in the news lately. Over the space of just a few days, I came across several interesting items in the New York Times (What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?), the Harvard Business Review (Three Ways to Turn Setbacks into Progress), and a blog post from The 99 Percent (Why Success Always Starts with …
Perceived Uselessness vs. Productivity
Over the years, I’ve noticed (or have had it pointed out to me) that, when faced with an impending deadline or having to deal with a major project that I’d really rather not address on a given day, I find it necessary to diddle with my computer systems. I’ll update drivers, install new software, or just rearrange things on the …
New Heavy-launch System: What Will We Use It For?
After too much time, effort, and political wrangling, Charles Bolden, the NASA administrator, has announced to the world the design for a new heavy-lift Space Launch System. Nominally designed to take over the Space Shuttle’s duties with respect to servicing the International Space Station, it is also being touted as our ride into the next chapters in the U.S.’s (and, …
Why Fix It…
An item in this morning’s online Wall Street Journal caught my eye. It deals with a redesign of a very common office and household item, the venerable paper clip. In summary, ACCO Brands Corp., one of two key manufacturers of this item, is introducing a new version of the paper clip, which they’ve been making since 1903. From a purely …