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This year's "Mindset" list

Ron — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:55:09 +0000

As you may know, Beloit College makes up a “Mindset List” each year to reflect the world of the new incoming college students (born in about 1991) — what their life has included, and what it hasn’t. Understandably, reading it makes those of us over, um, thirty feel old and alienated. And who doesn’t like that? So check it out; here’s a few of my favorites from this year:

5. Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
6. Earvin “Magic” Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
9. Rap music has always been mainstream.
15. Babies have always had a Social Security Number.
22. The European Union has always existed.
30. There has always been a Cartoon Network.
32. Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft.
34. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
38. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
68. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.

Not me, but I've heard this

Ron — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:32:30 +0000

“What Your Prof. Read” (in your email), from Ph.D. Comics:

Funny philosophy videos?

Ron — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:10:50 +0000

There’s the beginning of a collection of funny philosophy videos on YouTube. I’ve pointed to a couple before (like the excellent Kant Attack Ad and the Noam Chomsky Show), but hopefully it will grow into a nice collection.

The Noam Chomsky Show

Ron — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:03:34 +0000

Like the Jerry Springer Show, but as hosted by Noam Chomsky (via Leiter).

Quasi-solipsism in real life

Ron — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:32:08 +0000

Genetic algorithms, Skynet, and Pascal's wager

Ron — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:36:36 +0000

Sure, it’s geeky. But being a fan genetic algorithms, Terminator world, and the failure of Pascal’s wager, I can’t resist:

From the excellent xkcd – A Webcomic, “Genetic Algorithms”.

No exit

Ron — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:06:56 +0000

Here’s a little real world local neighborhood visual paradox that’s half Magritte’s “This is not a pipe/The Treachery Of Images” and half the Liar Paradox.

I went with my wife and son to the Albany “Winter Festival” yesterday, and we saw a collection of kid-friendly acts and some fireworks. Some of those acts were in the Crown Plaza Hotel downtown; and as we walked through the building, we came across the following glass door leading from an indoor stairway to an outside brick “courtyard” sort of area:

So, to us on the inside, the door says “This is not an exit”. The those on the outside, it says “Exit only”. So is it an exit, or not? If not, what is it?

When you'll finish

Ron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:10:52 +0000

PHD Comics is painfully on the mark again, with I should be done in…

Resolve the Grandfather Paradox with your vote!

Ron — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:22:07 +0000

The folks at the Sci-Fi news site io9 have a cute poll about Poll: What Happens When You Kill Your Own Grandfather As A Baby?

Going Green

Ron — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:41:19 +0000

Again, PHD Comics captures the essence of grad school in Going Green: