Public security cameras were instrumental in the quick identification and apprehension of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers. Because the city of Boston had an extensive network of cameras monitoring public areas, police had hundreds of hours of footage to review to locate the person or people who deployed the two bombs. It was an absolute
Distinctions between Texting and Email
For a variety of reasons, I’ve become a frequent text-messager over the past few months. With my main mobile number finally on an iPhone, I am free to text with little difficulty. In general, this has been great, as most of the messages are short and fit perfectly with the ways I want to use
An Example Distractor Item Issue
Here is a question that appeared on a recent test I administered. In Cohen et al.’s (2000) study about self-affirmation, supporters and opponents of the death penalty were given evidence that undermined their support or opposition. What was one key finding from this study? A) Individuals who were self-affirmed before receiving the information became more
Another Cheesy Poem for Final Exam
In 2008 and 2009, I wrote cheesy poems to inspire my students for their final exams. You can read those here (The Cheesiest Poem Ever) and here (Another Cheesy Poem). For the final I will administer tomorrow, I wanted to write another poem, also cheesy, rather than recycle an old one. Here’s what I came
Unwarranted Faith in the IQ Test
In this well-constructed review of those who have tried to link IQ to racial or ethnic differences, David Weigel, writing on Slate, details the downfall of Heritage Foundation statistician and scholar Jason Richwine. Dr. Richwine had written an analysis of the predicted outcomes of immigration reform, suggesting that the reform would be a drag on
Consumerism Makes Minimalism More Possible
For anyone planning a move from one place to another – whether across town or across the world – it’s common to take stock of all the things we own and question what should be moved and what should be ditched. The more we have to move ourselves, the more items fall into the latter
Where Will You Wear Google Glass?
NOWHERE, according to the New York Times and reporter David Streitfeld. And that’s because “the resistance is already under way.” Resistance. For a product that is not on sale to the public. And that, in its current form, costs over $1000. And that is hopelessly nerdy and has not yet demonstrated any real value other
Which Teachers Are Top Performers?
In my middle school, social studies was taught by a notoriously difficult teacher. He was aloof and unfriendly, stern and strict, and inspired fear in most students, especially in 6th graders. He manner was not that of a model teacher and he was widely disliked, but his methods were effective. (At least, they seem effective
If Facebook Can’t Profit from Big Data, Then Who Can?
There was a lot of good news in Facebook’s earnings yesterday. Specifically, the company has been more sucessful in creating revenue from mobile advertising, something analysts said the company had to do but investors seemed skeptical that it could. The company doesn’t seem to be growing (yet) but there are signs that it is in
Time for Chris Broussard to Go
Congratulations to Jason Collins for revealing his sexuality to the public, the first (active) (male) athlete of a major (team) sport to do so. Plaudits from around the world poured in for Mr. Collins yesterday and the tone of major news covered was nearly universally positive, including from the two major sports shows I pay
The Young Conservative Grows Up
In 2009, I wrote about attitude formation for 14 year-old for Jonathan Krohn, who at the time was getting a lot of attention for being precocious, outspoken, and deeply conservative in his political and social views; my post was based on a New York Times‘ article about Mr. Krohn. Now, the Times has an updated
Presumptions Unwise for Google Glass
Google Glass is Google’s attempt at a wearable computer. Fitted to glasses frames (sans lenses), the device accepts spoken commands and can connect to the internet, display information for the wearer, take pictures, and record video. Despite the severe limitations of the first version (include a very high price and not being for sale to
Instructors Should Not Accept Late Work
What is a reasonable deterrent to undesired behavior? Pair that behavior with a punishment. For speeding drivers, police officers issue speeding tickets. For late tax filers, the IRS charges financial penalties and threatens legal action. For children throwing tantrums, parents give timeouts. For basketball teams failing to shoot in the allotted time, referees give the
This American Life’s Mental Illness Problem
What do these stories have in common? A woman watches hours of online videos every day trying to achieve a blissful state called “autonomous sensory meridian response“. A man spends hours each day looking through books of Chinese women who have made themselves open to marriage proposals from men overseas. A man starts each day
Thank Goodness Many Terrorists are Stupid
The Boston Marathon bombing on Monday was a shocking act of senseless violence. There was no symbolism behind the attack, unlike the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that occurred on September 11, 2001. Other than the name of the day (“Patriots’ Day”), bombing an athletic event with participants from around the world