Mr. Gruff
I’m definitely getting this T-shirt.
From Objective Ministries, via Cynical-C. (Be sure not to miss Project Pterosaur.)
I’m definitely getting this T-shirt.
From Objective Ministries, via Cynical-C. (Be sure not to miss Project Pterosaur.)
I referred to this scene from Annie Hall in my talk yesterday. A classic.
“Something he read.” That’s always the problem, isn’t it?
(Note that everyone seems to be buying into some sort of Big Rip cosmology. It makes for a more vivid eschatology.)
Brooklyn Is Not Expanding Read More »
T-Rex of Dinosaur Comics realizes that his personal kink involves reversing the arrow of time. And further contemplation just makes things worse.
The construction of jokes involving Boltzmann’s Brains and onanism is a temptation better left resisted.
Below the fold: hott entropy action! Not safe for work, perverts!
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Exponentially Unlikely Fetishes Read More »
Finally a “God Hypothesis” that fits all the data! Mr. Deity is a completely consistent conception of the divine, free of the usual theological paradoxes.
Also, the consensus of YouTube commenters seems to be that Jesus is pretty hot.
Mr. Deity and the Messages Read More »
I agree with Cynical-C, this has to be one of the best creationist quotes ever. (From Fundies say the darndest things.)
One of the most basic laws in the universe is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This states that as time goes by, entropy in an environment will increase. Evolution argues differently against a law that is accepted EVERYWHERE BY EVERYONE. Evolution says that we started out simple, and over time became more complex. That just isn’t possible: UNLESS there is a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy. If there were such a source, scientists would certainly know about it.
I guess they haven’t heard that scientists recently detected just such a source of energy, using our sophisticated neutrino telescopes.
Now if only we could figure out how to use this mysterious cosmic fusion reactor to generate a flow of entropy here on Earth. Someday, I’m sure, we’ll get there.
From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
We go to war with the laws of physics we have, not the ones we wish we had.
Anthropic Selection Illustrated Read More »
Man, people have even started marching against Cosmic Variance! See if you can identify the individual kvetchmeisters from the comment threads. (Via Crooked Timber.)
Complain, complain, complain Read More »
Apparently wine vs. beer is the story of the upcoming Democratic primary. Obama is wine, Clinton is beer. (Via MR.) And beer always wins! Glad that’s been settled.
I have nothing to say about this, I’m only posting to mock my lazy cobloggers. Do they have jobs or something? Feel free to join the mocking in the comments! And as a bonus, a cute kitten. (Via Chrononautic Log.)
It’s that time of year when eager young students are deciding where to embark on, or to continue, their higher educations. You can see our advice-giving posts on choosing an undergraduate school and choosing a graduate school.
But there are a lot of options out there, and it would be a shame to overlook any of them. So we’d be remiss not to mention the unique opportunities offered by the Maharishi University of Management. Founded by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, spiritual advisor to the Beatles, and led by John Hagelin, highly-cited theoretical physicist and occasional Presidential candidate, the MUM offers a — did I already mention “unique”? — set of experiences to the enthusiastic student. And that’s not even counting the Yogic Flying!
Here, for example, are some of the course descriptions for the undergraduate major in mathematics.
Infinity: From the Empty Set to the Boundless Universe of All Sets — Exploring the Full Range of Mathematics and Seeing its Source in Your Self (MATH 148)
Functions and Graphs 1: Name and Form — Locating the Patterns of Orderliness that Connect a Function with its Graph and Describe Numerical Relationships (MATH 161)
Maharishi Vedic Mathematics: Mathematical Structure and the Transcendental Source of Natural Law (MATH 205)
Geometry: From Point to Infinity — Using Properties of Shape and Form to Handle Visual and Spatial Data (MATH 267)
Calculus 1: Derivatives as the Mathematics of Transcending, Used to Handle Changing Quantities (MATH 281)
Calculus 2: Integrals as the Mathematics of Unification, Used to Handle Wholeness (MATH 282)
Calculus 3: Unified Management of Change in All Possible Directions (MATH 283)
Linear Algebra 1: Linearity as the Simplest Form of a Quantitative Relationship (MATH 286)
Calculus 4: Locating Silence within Dynamism (MATH 304)
Complex Analysis: Transcending the Real Numbers to a Simpler and More Unified Numbering System (MATH 318)
Probability: Locating Orderly Patterns in Random Events to Predict Future Outcomes (MATH 351)
Real Analysis 1: Locating the Finest Impulses of Dynamism within the Continuum of Real Numbers (MATH 423)
Set Theory: Mathematics Unfolding the Path to the Unified Field — the Most Fundamental Field of Natural Law (MATH 434)
Foundations of Mathematics: The Unified Field as the Basis of All of Mathematics and All Laws of Nature (MATH 436)
Now, sure, any old university will be offering courses in real analysis and set theory. But will they learn about the unified field, and locate the finest impulses of dynamism? “Vector calculus” sounds kind if dry, but “Unified Management of Change in All Possible Directions”? Sign me up!
Nobody ever said the Maharishi wasn’t a good salesman.
Maharishi Mathematics Read More »
Our current task, as Serious Bloggers, is to pass judgment upon whether the Muffin Joke is funny. Here is the joke itself:
So there are these two muffins baking in an oven. One of them yells, “Wow, it’s hot in here!”
And the other muffin replies: “Holy cow! A talking muffin!”
John Tierney (New York Times) thinks the Muffin Joke is not funny. Brad DeLong (Berkeley) disagrees, claiming that the Muffin Joke is, in fact, funny, although he offers no argument to support his conclusion. Jack Balkin (Yale) also finds the Muffin Joke funny, and does offer a rationale:
The muffin joke is funny because it is self-undermining. The punch line undermines the suspension of disbelief that the joke’s narrative presumes. It is kind of like breaching the fourth wall in drama. It’s like the line in Dr.Strangelove “You can’t fight in here. This is the War Room!” or the Atheist Hymn we came up with in high school: “There is no God, there is no God, He told me so himself.”
He admits, however, that by offering this explanation, he has thereby wrung all of the funniness out of the Muffin Joke. That’s as may be.
I come down on the pro-Muffin-Joke side of the debate. To me, it’s quite funny. Is this some sort of Ivory-Tower Academics vs. Hard-Nosed Journalists thing?
The Great Muffin Joke Debate Read More »