Road trip!

July 4th, 2010

No posting for another week or so… then maybe I’ll give post-a-day another shot.

Human evolution can be fast!

July 1st, 2010

Geneticists say it may have only taken Tibetans 3,000 years to genetically adapt a tolerance for high altitudes.  But archeologists say it may be more like 20,000 years. Even the more conservative estimate seems pretty fast, though.

Some pictures

June 28th, 2010

So… five days into a new post-a-day spree, and I already forgot two in a row. Whoops.

These are from Oregon – one at breakfast and one on the coast.

What is a scientist?

June 25th, 2010

To me, a scientist is bald and has hair coming out of the sides of his head. . . . Scientists live in their own world and the rest of society puts them there.

unknown unknowns

June 24th, 2010

Ok, I’m pretty sure it’s been so long that no one, with the possible exception of my mother, still looks at this. So: Mom! Here’s an article I came across that is fantastic. It’s by Errol Morris, the documentarian. In it, he happens to interview a social psychologist, but that’s not why I love it. Simply, it’s about how the less competent we are at something, the less aware we are of our incompetence. Just one weirdness of not knowing what it is that we don’t know.

Also, it quotes Rumsfeld – “known unknowns” vs “unknown unknowns” – which reminds me that he was the unexpected source of a great explanation of why science can’t easily interpret null findings: “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

From the article (quoting David Dunning):
Unknown unknown solutions haunt the mediocre without their knowledge. The average detective does not realize the clues he or she neglects. The mediocre doctor is not aware of the diagnostic possibilities or treatments never considered. The run-of-the-mill lawyer fails to recognize the winning legal argument that is out there. People fail to reach their potential as professionals, lovers, parents and people simply because they are not aware of the possible.

Palo Brea update

January 13th, 2010

In August 2007, I took a picture of some newly-planted trees at ASU near the psychology building:

Baby Palo Brea

Then an update in December of 2008:

And now, another 11 months later:

Palo Brea update

Not too shabby!

Back in PHX

January 11th, 2010

The flight had the most amazing views of mountains, grand canyon, other pretty things:

grand canyon

Then the plane’s shadow as we landed:

shadow #1
(My apartment is near the top left)

shadow #3

shadow #5

shadow #6

Bubble stats

January 4th, 2010

Wish I could think of a way to use this in my own research

Back alley terrace in Phoenix

December 30th, 2009

back alley terrace

Unexpected snow yesterday

December 30th, 2009

Fat flakes in Portland!

Congratulations, Mike & Jess…

December 29th, 2009

… on your marriage in September, 2004! I finally finished knitting your wedding present.

Lets take a look at some stats:

Years taken to knit: around 6
Stitches: 157,500
Estimated hours taken: 170
Days it would take to knit over again, nonstop (no sleeping): 7

The colors here are a little too bright, but give you the idea:

Boston

December 29th, 2009

The Peabody Museum (more photos on Flickr):

Explanation

The Fieldsends:

Snow:

Other stuff:

Another photo of palm trees

December 17th, 2009

Storm damage, AZ

December 17th, 2009

Despite ferocious winds and yellow night skies (and power outage), the storm that came through Phoenix a couple weeks ago left surprisingly little damage, at least that I could see on my walk to the lightrail. One tree down, a ripped sign, and some shaken fruit:

Baby Oliver! (and family)

December 17th, 2009

Welcome to the world, little guy.

Ouch

December 3rd, 2009

ouch...

Not something to check out when you’re having a bad day

November 30th, 2009

An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country

Hello, old friend

November 29th, 2009

Yes, I’ve been neglectful. The ease of an occasional facebook post, plus direct uploading of photos to flickr, plus an academically packed semester equals bad blog posting. Let’s remedy that, starting now!

On the way back from Thanksgiving in Portland I had an urge to read some good fiction, but didn’t have anything with me. In moment of rare book-buying sanity I managed to resist spending another $10-20 for a book I won’t finish, and instead plunked down $5 for the Atlantic. So much for fiction – the articles that grabbed me were one on motherhood by Sandra Tsing Loh (though as I’m not a mom it’s still escapist), and another that argues so-called “bad” genes that increase the possibility of depression, ADHD, etc, may also increase the possibility of achievement in the right environment, and likewise support the adaptability of human groups to new environments. Not a perfect article but this argument pleases both the evolutionary psychologist and the humanist/optimist in me (selves that, often as not, have to ignore each other until more is known):

Most of us have genes that make us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care. So holds a provocative new theory of genetics, which asserts that the very genes that give us the most trouble as a species, causing behaviors that are self-destructive and antisocial, also underlie humankind’s phenomenal adaptability and evolutionary success. With a bad environment and poor parenting, orchid children can end up depressed, drug-addicted, or in jail—but with the right environment and good parenting, they can grow up to be society’s most creative, successful, and happy people.

Up to the UP

August 15th, 2009

Mackinac

spider

Pasty at the bridge

Storm coming in over Good Harbor Bay

August 15th, 2009