12 Comments
Two Columbia-related articles of interest in the New York Times recently: First up, an op-ed from physics professor/Colbert Report interviewee Brian Greene sent to Bwog from tipster Lucy Tang. In a piece currently #1 on the Times‘ Most Emailed list, Greene recounts receiving from a letter from a soldier stationed overseas from whom Greene’s book (the immensely readable and enjoyable The Elegant Universe) was “something of a lifeline. […] It speaks to the powerful role science can play in giving life context and meaning. At the same time, the soldier’s letter emphasized something I’ve increasingly come to believe: our educational system fails to teach science in a way that allows students to integrate it into their lives.” Greene goes on to lucidly and convincingly argue for a “cultural shift” that would emphasize the philosophic importance of science.
Next up, via tipster Ian Corey-Boulet, a piece which focuses the on Sisters Colleges’ (your strong, beautiful Barnard College among them) initiative to recruit more students hailing from the Middle East. According to the article, admissions deans from the Sisters believe that their schools’ emphasis on encouraging women to engage in science and math-related fields, in addition to providing a less-jarring transition from single-sex high schools, would make them an especially appealing option for prospective students from places like Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.
Loading …
12 Comments
@Anonymous I am going to gut Rob Trump like Luke gutted that tauntaun for warmth.
@rmb Han gutted the tauntaun. Get it right.
@I am Stephen Hawking, destroying Brian Green with my black hole creating wheelchair. Fear me Humans, for I am your King!
@Hey you read that off my screen!
@who needs a-rabs in the barn when we’ve got sandy vaginas like Judd in the college?
@Anonymous Get Brian Greene to run Frontiers of Science.
@FoS Excellent idea. Then we’d have a star researcher, with a known penchant for publicity, teaching students with diverse backgrounds a smattering of watered down scientific concepts tangentially related to his research…
@second article is bullshit. everyone the author spoke to at barnard, at least, told her that her premise was untrue, that they aren’t recruiting from the mid east more heavily. the other schools seem to say the same thing. she just had a thought and wanted to push it, whether or not it was reality. and i think it’s true that the parents of students in the middle east are either going to let their daughters go abroad, or they aren’t. it doesn’t matter if it’s an all-female college. at least that’s true for my family in north africa. i’m so disheartened by that article.
@grammar po po “especially appealing option for prospective students like Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait.”
Who knew Kuwait was a student? Total legacy, the girl can hardly read.
@also david judd has a letter published in the ny times sunday book review over the weekend
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/books/review/Letters-t-4.html?_r=1&ref=review&oref=slogin
@EAL Where’s Jim Downey and his political report? This may very well be the last day of the Democratic nomination battle.
@Jim Don’t worry, EAL, I’ll be along for a recap when this whole thing wraps up.
Writing something now would be difficult, since it’s unknown whether Hillary will concede tonight, or even whether Obama will mathematically clinch the nomination. And I promise my column will be more amusing than my reason for postponing it.