Category Archives: … the Hell?

John Wyndham’s Stowaway to Mars

Posted on April 26, 2016 by

Even if you don’t know John Wyndham‘s name, you are familiar with his writing.  Wyndham (1903-1969) wrote a number of incredibly famous and influential science fiction novels, including two that have been adapted for screen several times: The Day of … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Science fiction | 1 Comment

Ted Cruz attempts to be human

Posted on April 8, 2016 by

A quiet week on the blog, as I’m traveling.  In the meantime, I’ve been thinking again how Ted Cruz has such an unnatural demeanor that he is either the Zodiac Killer or an alien infiltrator, seeking to destroy our planet … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Silliness | Leave a comment

1801: Fraunhofer gets research funding in the worst possible way

Posted on January 13, 2016 by

It is rather unsettling to think that scientific careers are often made by simple luck.  For example, eventual Nobel Prize winner Albert Michelson (1852-1931) only got an education thanks to the literal last-minute intervention of none other than the President … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science, Physics | Leave a comment

The Gun-Fight Before Christmas

Posted on December 15, 2015 by

Been busy at work and struggling to finish new science posts for the blog.  In the meantime, here’s some silliness that I did on twitter. So what does Christmas mean to you? Birth of the savior?  A day to strive for … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Politics, Silliness | 2 Comments

The Muslimoclockobomb conspiracy: connecting the dots

Posted on September 20, 2015 by

By now, you have all no doubt heard about 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, who brought a home-made “clock” to his Texas school to show to his engineering teacher and was arrested when he was unable to explain why it was not a bomb … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Silliness | 4 Comments

The GOP war on higher education: a running tally (updated)

Posted on April 22, 2015 by

My apologies that I continue to go on about Republican attacks on higher education, but it really has become clear now that this is a major goal of 2015 for the GOP: weaken and/or destroy public universities as much as possible. … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Politics | 2 Comments

An open letter to NC State Senator Tom McInnis

Posted on April 19, 2015 by

Dear Senator McInnis, I recently read with some concern, first in The Daily Tarheel and then on Slate, about your proposed Senate bill 593, ironically titled “An act to improve the quality of instruction at the constituent 3 institutions of the University of North Carolina.”  This … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Politics | 2 Comments