Thursday, February 23, 2006

New Scientist Quantum computer works best switched off - News

Quote of the day:

"A non-running computer produces fewer errors."

-Onur Hosten, member of team that produced a non-working computer that works.

New Scientist Quantum computer works best switched off -
News

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Various and Sundry Dartmouth Studies.

"When do we reach adulthood? It might be much later than we traditionally think."

--Graduate student, Craig Bennett, at Dartmouth Medical School

Science Daily: Brain Changes Significantly After Age 18

And...

"Even parents who give their child a clear message that smoking is not acceptable run the risk of having that message undermined if they allow their child to see R-rated movies with a lot of smoking."

--
Mike Beach, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.

Restricting R-Movies Linked To Decreased Teen Smoking, Drinking

Friday, February 03, 2006

gazelem: Thomas Jefferson Education

My wife and I have discussed sending our kids to private school since we are not enthused about the job that public school is doing today. Although, we are both products of 'Public Education', we don't necessarily want to subject our children to it.

There is one problem. Money. So, I've come across a post by Gazelem who is a self described as "obsessive", and he's talking about reading the same books as his children and then talking about them, or writing, or both. Now, I know that sounds like this would require an "obsessive" person to pull off, but methinks a dabbler like myself just might be able to do it--and still send the kids to Public School.

Now, what this accomplishes in my mind is places the primary responsibility of educating the children squarely on the parents. The kids can also be a part of a much larger culture that can be had at a public school. I want kids who are independent thinkers, but can play well with others. The balance I'm trying to strike is between raising elitist snobs, and, alternatively, common (and sometimes ignorant) folk.

On a side note, Gazelem credited me, in an earlier post, for getting him hooked on Geocaching. I'm afraid I may have dangled the carrot, but he turned his own nose. I just can't be blamed for his Geocaching at 4 AM on a whim! That's just crazy and it's time to have an intervention.

gazelem: Thomas Jefferson Education