Enter at Your Own Risk
My ISP has been pestering me lately, claiming that my equipment is outdated, and I am not taking full advantage of the higher data rates available on my current Internet plan. I was skeptical, as always, that this was another ploy to sell me less for more – just how bad could my 14-year-old modem/router […]
Artificial Dementia
While it is widely known that Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, only serious historians will recall that this catastrophic event took place on August 24, 79 AD. If you are curious what typical Pompeiians ate for breakfast that morning nearly 2000 years ago, there are a few conserved bits of papyrus that […]
The Yuck Factor
The Yuck Factor is best explained with an example. Suppose you pull off a panel to begin working on some network equipment, and you find a dead rodent. That would be a YF = 7. Other discoveries like multiple rodents – or their time of death – might raise the number. If on the other […]
What is the Chance?
We are gamblers, you and me. With our very first breath, we begin assessing our surroundings and playing the odds for survival and pleasure. We strive to amass data on what works to our benefit, and what doesn’t. Unexpected outcomes (aka “outliers”) might be pleasant surprises or not-so-pleasant disappointments – either way, most of us […]
A Do-It-Yourself BS Detector
Both of my parents were educators, and reading was a common pastime in my family. Dad subscribed to U.S. News and World Report, the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star News. When we got a TV, his favorite news provider was Walter Cronkite. For those too young to remember, Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening […]
Remember When….
A good memory serves us well. Our recall of directions, people’s names, answers for exam questions – all these and many more useful morsels – helps to position us for success in life. Most of our present choices and future plans are served in one way or another by our recollections of the past. Researchers […]
You Need This
I was doing some last-minute online research for an overseas flight when it hit me – I’d forgotten to pack my neck pillow. It’s hard enough to get a little rest on a plane, and small things like this make a difference. Shortly after my packing epiphany, an ad for my exact same pillow showed […]
Read This If You Can
Mention meteorology and many of us think of “TV Weather Barbie” pointing to an animated map showing numbers, arrows, and colorful shapes while speed-talking about why it might rain. In spite of this unfortunate cliché, women (and men) who are true meteorologists are highly trained scientists with sophisticated tools. You and I might plan our […]
Use Your Words
For parents of preschoolers, there comes a time – often in the evening – known as “the storm before the calm.” It can also come about during the day if expectations of some kind are not met, or perhaps if a child is just “hangry.” Our preferred solution was to remain calm and tell them […]
A Few Words About Nothing
If I told you that only 26% of the population can demonstrate a basic understanding of calculus, and 63% of those are women, you might be surprised. It would appear that calculus must be a niche specialty where women are well ahead of men. You could not help but wonder how men have dominated the […]
