I kill people for fun. In books.
777 Mathematical Conversation Starters by Mathematical Association of America
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is exactly what is says it is, a book of mathematical conversation starters. Wide-ranging and eclectic, it’s a book that you can open to any page and find something interesting to discuss.
1) In a randomized double-blind study (n = 127), science faculty from research-intensive universities rated the application materials of a student—who was randomly assigned either a male or female name—for a laboratory manager position. Faculty participants rated the male applicant as significantly more competent and hireable than the (identical) female applicant. These participants also selected a higher starting salary and offered more career mentoring to the male applicant.
2) Using a sample of MBA students, the authors construct a simulated IPO, manipulating the gender demographics of the top management team. Their results suggest that female CEOs may be disproportionately disadvantaged in their ability to attract growth capital, when all other factors are controlled. Despite identical personal qualifications and firm financials, female founders/CEOs were perceived as less capable than their male counterparts, and IPOs led by female founders/CEOs were considered less attractive investments.
John Warner’s new column in Inside Higher Ed got me wondering about the enduring appeal of certain high-profile columnists. And then I remembered The Screwtape Letters.
In C.S. Lewis’s classic Christian satire, senior demon Screwtape advises his nephew Wormwood, a newbie tempter, on how to get his “patient” to look away from the truth:
Don’t waste time trying to make him think that materialism* is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous – that it is the philosophy of the future. That’s the sort of thing he cares about.
And that’s how you do it.
*Substitute: wisdom of invading Iraq; effectiveness of massive online classes; etc.
VIRTUAL EDUCATION?
Students can save time by paying to have someone write their papers (or even take entire classes for them). Meanwhile, there are services that, for a modest fee, will grade student papers. This allows universities to put 1,000 students in a class with one professor and 4 TAs. Win-win!
It always smells better than it tastes.* And now, Science tells us why!
“The act of swallowing the drink sends a burst of aroma up the back of the nose from inside the mouth, activating a “second sense of smell” in the brain that is less receptive to the flavour, causing a completely different and less satisfying sensation…the taste is also hampered by the fact that 300 of the 631 chemicals that combine to form its complex aroma are wiped out by saliva, causing the flavour to change before we swallow it.”
It still tastes pretty good though. Coffee, I mean.
*Also, the second cup isn’t quite as good as the first, but that’s another post.
Here’s a great post on college rankings. The thing is, we already know that universities can’t magically bring back the mid-tier jobs that have been lost to productivity increases and outsourcing. But we keep blaming the universities (and in the case of state run institutions, legislatively micromanaging them) because it’s something we can do.
The Perfect Paragon by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a little darker than the previous Agatha Raisin books, especially the inciting crime, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’m happily reading through the whole series.
Shadow Campus by Kathleen Kelley Reardon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this, and am hoping for a sequel. The descriptions of the university, and some of the characters in it, were perfectly done. I liked the brother-and-sister protagonists, and can see some interesting conflict between the two in future installments.
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