A Dozen Ways To Divide The United Kingdom pic.twitter.com/LuMZ8hC3tG
— Terrible Maps (@TerribleMaps) February 1, 2018
(Tip of the cap to Melina Freitag.)
Thursday, February 01, 2018
A Dozen Ways to Divide the United Kingdom
There is some great snark in here!
(Tip of the cap to Melina Freitag.)
(Tip of the cap to Melina Freitag.)
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
"Compass Grass" (aka "Clock Grass")
This is amazing.
Word(s) of the day: “compass grass”, “clock grass” - common names for kinds of beach grass (Ammophila), given for their habit of inscribing perfect circles in sand when their leaves are swung by the wind.
— Robert Macfarlane (@RobGMacfarlane) January 29, 2018
Photo by @JamesPMarsden (”8.30 on the sand-clock”) pic.twitter.com/NvBN2O4V9e
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame!
Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman have been elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame! This follows the pre-announcement polling, which I have been following carefully. They join Alan Trammell and Jack Morris, who were inducted last month by the Modern Era Committee.
Jones and Thome were in their first year of eligibility, Guerrero was in his second, and Hoffman was in his third. I thought Thome might squeak through this year, but I wasn't sure if he'd make it in his ballot debut, and he ended up sailing through with close to 90% of the vote. Jones was on 97.2% of the ballots; this is one of the highest totals in history and doesn't come as any surprise at all. Guerrero jumped to more than 90% of the vote (similar to Roberto Alomar's 2nd-year entry to the Hall years before), so it seems there were a bunch of writers who feel he's a Hall of Famer but not somebody who should enter on the first ballot. Trevor Hoffmann ended up with 79.9% of the vote.
Several people made great gains. Importantly, Edgar Martínez squeaked just past 70% of the vote, and it looks like he'll finally make it in 2019, his last year of eligibility through election by the writers. Mike Mussina jumped from the low 50s to 63.5%, and I think he has an outside shot to make it next year (and he'll certainly make it in 2020). Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds went up a bit, and the only reason they're not in already is because of their extracurricular activities. They will have to wait for some other mechanism, as they're only inching upward. Curt Schilling got back over 50% of the vote, and he'll eventually make it. Both he and Mussina should have been elected to the Hall of Fame years ago, but the writers seem not to be very good at recognizing the quality of many starting pitchers.
Omar Vizquel, who got about 37% of the vote, will get to become the new Jack Morris, so people will be arguing about him for many years. He'll eventually make the Hall, but I don't think he deserves it. Larry Walker got a nice jump to 34.1%, but he's in his 8th year of eligibility, so I think he'll have to wait for some sort of veterans committee. I think he'll make it eventually, and his path is resembling that of Alan Trammell, though it looks like Walker is on the way to doing slightly better than Trammell on his final vote totals.
Among the newcomers who are expected to be in the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot, Mariano Rivera will obviously make it on the first ballot. He's the only newcomer who clearly is going to get elected next year. Roy Halladay deserves to make it and will get a bunch of votes, but I think he'll have to wait a bit, especially with his relatively low win total and how tough it's usually been for starting pitchers to get elected during the past couple of decades. It will be interesting to see how many votes Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt get. I think Roy Oswalt, who doesn't deserve entry, will not even get the 5% to stay on the ballot. I suspect that Berkman will be underappreciated, but I think he had a Hall of Fame peak (though he falls short on peak length and counting numbers). Miguel Tejada is another interesting player to watch; I think he'll get enough votes to stay on the ballot, though I think he falls short of meriting a spot in the Hall. I think that Todd Helton belongs in the Hall of Fame, but I suspect it's going to take some time. (He may end up with a similar road as Larry Walker, and I think both will ultimately enter the Hall of Fame.) There's also Andy Pettitte, who will probably get a nontrivial (though not horribly high) number of votes, though I don't think he deserves to make it. Maybe he'll become the new Jack Morris?
Update: Here is David Schoenfield's list of winners and losers from today's Hall of Fame results.
Jones and Thome were in their first year of eligibility, Guerrero was in his second, and Hoffman was in his third. I thought Thome might squeak through this year, but I wasn't sure if he'd make it in his ballot debut, and he ended up sailing through with close to 90% of the vote. Jones was on 97.2% of the ballots; this is one of the highest totals in history and doesn't come as any surprise at all. Guerrero jumped to more than 90% of the vote (similar to Roberto Alomar's 2nd-year entry to the Hall years before), so it seems there were a bunch of writers who feel he's a Hall of Famer but not somebody who should enter on the first ballot. Trevor Hoffmann ended up with 79.9% of the vote.
Several people made great gains. Importantly, Edgar Martínez squeaked just past 70% of the vote, and it looks like he'll finally make it in 2019, his last year of eligibility through election by the writers. Mike Mussina jumped from the low 50s to 63.5%, and I think he has an outside shot to make it next year (and he'll certainly make it in 2020). Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds went up a bit, and the only reason they're not in already is because of their extracurricular activities. They will have to wait for some other mechanism, as they're only inching upward. Curt Schilling got back over 50% of the vote, and he'll eventually make it. Both he and Mussina should have been elected to the Hall of Fame years ago, but the writers seem not to be very good at recognizing the quality of many starting pitchers.
Omar Vizquel, who got about 37% of the vote, will get to become the new Jack Morris, so people will be arguing about him for many years. He'll eventually make the Hall, but I don't think he deserves it. Larry Walker got a nice jump to 34.1%, but he's in his 8th year of eligibility, so I think he'll have to wait for some sort of veterans committee. I think he'll make it eventually, and his path is resembling that of Alan Trammell, though it looks like Walker is on the way to doing slightly better than Trammell on his final vote totals.
Among the newcomers who are expected to be in the 2019 Hall of Fame ballot, Mariano Rivera will obviously make it on the first ballot. He's the only newcomer who clearly is going to get elected next year. Roy Halladay deserves to make it and will get a bunch of votes, but I think he'll have to wait a bit, especially with his relatively low win total and how tough it's usually been for starting pitchers to get elected during the past couple of decades. It will be interesting to see how many votes Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt get. I think Roy Oswalt, who doesn't deserve entry, will not even get the 5% to stay on the ballot. I suspect that Berkman will be underappreciated, but I think he had a Hall of Fame peak (though he falls short on peak length and counting numbers). Miguel Tejada is another interesting player to watch; I think he'll get enough votes to stay on the ballot, though I think he falls short of meriting a spot in the Hall. I think that Todd Helton belongs in the Hall of Fame, but I suspect it's going to take some time. (He may end up with a similar road as Larry Walker, and I think both will ultimately enter the Hall of Fame.) There's also Andy Pettitte, who will probably get a nontrivial (though not horribly high) number of votes, though I don't think he deserves to make it. Maybe he'll become the new Jack Morris?
Update: Here is David Schoenfield's list of winners and losers from today's Hall of Fame results.
Monday, January 22, 2018
How Not to Write a Mathematics Paper: Snarky Edition
Here are some brilliant tips for aspiring mathematics authors!
I don't think I've ever encountered this page before. It's hard to find a favorite. There's also lots of great snark in the explanatory notes.
Here is one bit of snark: "One practical criticism applies to this book as well as a large part of contemporary mathematical production: the various statements are called by different names, such as Lemma, Theorem, Proposition, Corollary; the first three are numbered independently of each other, while the numbers assigned to corollaries are functions of several variables; in addition, numbered formulae have their own separate numeration. The strain placed on the reader by this partial ordering is obvious, but apparently readers seek vengeance on other readers when they turn into authors."
(Tip of the cap to @mathematicsprof.)
I don't think I've ever encountered this page before. It's hard to find a favorite. There's also lots of great snark in the explanatory notes.
Here is one bit of snark: "One practical criticism applies to this book as well as a large part of contemporary mathematical production: the various statements are called by different names, such as Lemma, Theorem, Proposition, Corollary; the first three are numbered independently of each other, while the numbers assigned to corollaries are functions of several variables; in addition, numbered formulae have their own separate numeration. The strain placed on the reader by this partial ordering is obvious, but apparently readers seek vengeance on other readers when they turn into authors."
(Tip of the cap to @mathematicsprof.)
Saturday, January 20, 2018
It's Still Billy Joel to Me: H. P. Lovecraft Edition
I am highly amused by this connection between Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and H. P. Lovecraft's "Nemesis". Seriously, this is worth a listen. The top one is great!
Though it's still Billy Joel to me!
(Tip of the cap to Todd Wilkinson.)
Though it's still Billy Joel to me!
(Tip of the cap to Todd Wilkinson.)
Friday, January 19, 2018
Headline of the Day: Well Played
Look closely at the various ways that one can parse this headline. ;)
(Tip of the cap to David Kung.)
This headline writer deserves a Pulitzer.#Trump #FakeNewsAwards @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/XYX2ayi4PO
— Danielle Muscato (@DanielleMuscato) January 18, 2018
(Tip of the cap to David Kung.)
Monday, January 15, 2018
Bookstore Snark: I Approve!
Here's some really nice snark from the people who run a Cleveland bookstore.
Right here in #Cleveland @MacsBacks #ShitHoleCountries (my personal fave Junot Diaz) pic.twitter.com/zZ6z07PFDa
— Alok Khorana (@aakonc) January 14, 2018
Friday, January 12, 2018
"Synergistic Effects in Threshold Models on Networks"
One of my papers just came out in final form today. Here are the details.
Title: Synergistic Effects in Threshold Models on Networks
Authors: Jonas S. Juul, and Mason A. Porter
Abstract: Network structure can have a significant impact on the propagation of diseases, memes, and information on social networks. Different types of spreading processes (and other dynamical processes) are affected by network architecture in different ways, and it is important to develop tractable models of spreading processes on networks to explore such issues. In this paper, we incorporate the idea of synergy into a two-state ("active" or "passive") threshold model of social influence on networks. Our model’s update rule is deterministic, and the influence of each meme-carrying (i.e., active) neighbor can—depending on a parameter—either be enhanced or inhibited by an amount that depends on the number of active neighbors of a node. Such a synergistic system models social behavior in which the willingness to adopt either accelerates or saturates in a way that depends on the number of neighbors who have adopted that behavior. We illustrate that our model’s synergy parameter has a crucial effect on system dynamics, as it determines whether degree-k nodes are possible or impossible to activate. We simulate synergistic meme spreading on both random-graph models and networks constructed from empirical data. Using a heterogeneous mean-field approximation, which we derive under the assumption that a network is locally treelike, we are able to determine which synergy-parameter values allow degree-k nodes to be activated for many networks and for a broad family of synergistic models.
Title: Synergistic Effects in Threshold Models on Networks
Authors: Jonas S. Juul, and Mason A. Porter
Abstract: Network structure can have a significant impact on the propagation of diseases, memes, and information on social networks. Different types of spreading processes (and other dynamical processes) are affected by network architecture in different ways, and it is important to develop tractable models of spreading processes on networks to explore such issues. In this paper, we incorporate the idea of synergy into a two-state ("active" or "passive") threshold model of social influence on networks. Our model’s update rule is deterministic, and the influence of each meme-carrying (i.e., active) neighbor can—depending on a parameter—either be enhanced or inhibited by an amount that depends on the number of active neighbors of a node. Such a synergistic system models social behavior in which the willingness to adopt either accelerates or saturates in a way that depends on the number of neighbors who have adopted that behavior. We illustrate that our model’s synergy parameter has a crucial effect on system dynamics, as it determines whether degree-k nodes are possible or impossible to activate. We simulate synergistic meme spreading on both random-graph models and networks constructed from empirical data. Using a heterogeneous mean-field approximation, which we derive under the assumption that a network is locally treelike, we are able to determine which synergy-parameter values allow degree-k nodes to be activated for many networks and for a broad family of synergistic models.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
What Happens at the Joint Mathematics Meetings Stays at the Joint Mathematics Meetings (2018 Edition)
I'm on the train to head to San Diego for the 2018 Joint Mathematics Meetings. I'm really excited about it! Among other things, there are more sessions related to things like networks and data than ever before at this conference. And I always like seeing my many peeps from the mathematics world, including friends who I don't get to see at conferences on more specific topics.
Update: Here is a short video of some nice scenery during my train ride from Los Angeles to San Diego. Below is a still shot that I took just before the video and also a picture of me and a statue of the late, great Tony Gwynn.
And, finally, here is my tweet after I arrived.
Update: Here is a short video of some nice scenery during my train ride from Los Angeles to San Diego. Below is a still shot that I took just before the video and also a picture of me and a statue of the late, great Tony Gwynn.
And, finally, here is my tweet after I arrived.
I made it to the 2018 Joint Math Meetings (@JointMath)! #JMM2018
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) January 10, 2018
I'll try not to get booed during my talk this year, like I was in 2005. (With people from an impending on-campus faculty interview in the audience.)
You know you've made it when you're booed at a math conference.
Saturday, January 06, 2018
Friday, January 05, 2018
For Good Weather, Call Jenny
Excellent!
(Tip of the cap to Bruno Gonçalves.)
It’s so cold!!! But at least the weather has Jenny’s number. pic.twitter.com/CRQlRytWWr
— John Haydon (@johnhaydon) January 4, 2018
(Tip of the cap to Bruno Gonçalves.)
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Also in Physics Today: Mary Somerville!
In my obsession yesterday with the article about the physics of croissants (which has a lovely picture of a croissant network) from the same issue, I failed to notice that the cover article in the January 2018 issue of Physics Today is about Mary Somerville. Here is the cover.
The Problem With Talking to People
There are two things that I really dislike about talking to people: (1) talking and (2) people.
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
The Physics of Croissants
The January 2018 issue of Physics Today has a short article about the physics of croissants. Yummy!
Also, check out the lovely contact network in the two-dimensional contact network that one can see in the picture.
Update: Great minds think alike!
Also, check out the lovely contact network in the two-dimensional contact network that one can see in the picture.
Update: Great minds think alike!
You know you've been thinking too much about 2D networks when your immediate thought, and also @masonporter 's, is to analyze the centrality of a croissant. https://t.co/uvVGfaD5Kk
— Karen Daniels (@karenedaniels) January 4, 2018
Monday, January 01, 2018
Calligraphy in an Old Edition of The Lady of Shalott
I recommend looking at this calligraphy while listening to Loreena McKennitt in the background. (And this is one of her very best songs, which is saying a lot.)
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Enjoy the outstanding calligraphy and illuminations by Alberto Sangorski in this 1908 edition of Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott https://t.co/SU4FTrYOkG pic.twitter.com/Aq8ZUlXd0N
— Journal of Art in Society (@artinsociety) January 2, 2018
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Sunday, December 31, 2017
"Party-Time Symmetry"
Note: "PT Symmetry" stands for "Parity–Time Symmetry", not "Party-Time Symmetry", unless you're tired, in which case the latter may be the way that you read the abstracts of certain papers.
I'm pretty sure that Big Audio Dynamite was referring to PT Symmetry in one of their songs. :)
I'm pretty sure that Big Audio Dynamite was referring to PT Symmetry in one of their songs. :)
Walk-Up Music for Keynote Talks by Scientists
I've expressed this sentiment before, but let me reiterate it before the year is over.
When scientists give keynote talks at conferences, we ought to play personal walk-up music (a la professional wrestling) to set the mood.
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) December 31, 2017
(On days that I particularly want to empathize with the audience, I might choose "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by the Pet Shop Boys.)
An Annual Hourglass
This is really cool!
(This is also probably the one that Squeeze was singing about. ;) )
(Tip of the cap to Karen Daniels.)
(This is also probably the one that Squeeze was singing about. ;) )
The Timewheel in Budapest is possibly the world's largest hourglass, and it needs to be reset every New Year's Eve. Each December 31, a team of four people uses steel cables to rotate it, preparing the monstrosity for another year pic.twitter.com/gpjg8pqK8g
— Atlas Obscura (@atlasobscura) December 31, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Karen Daniels.)
Saturday, December 30, 2017
A Knotty Bridge
This bridge is so awesome!
(Tip of the cap to Henry Segerman.)
The Lucky Knot bridge in Changsha, China is a topologically fascinating structure. It's effectively three bridges woven into one and it has no beginning and no end https://t.co/uywNdJgMoF pic.twitter.com/PbNsMdtINA
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) December 30, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Henry Segerman.)
Friday, December 29, 2017
United States Senators and Social Licking Among Cows
I am amused by this 2002 paper by Faust and Skvoretz, called Comparing Networks Across Space and Time, Size and Species.
Here is a choice quote: "The model of social licking among cows best predicts, as a target, cosponsorship among U.S. senators in the Ninety-Third Congress."
Note: The sentence is highly amusing, and I understand it in the context of the paper, but (1) the term "predicts" is misleading with respect to the analysis performed, and (2) one of course has to ask how the result changes if a different sample of networks is used. There has, of course, been a bunch of work (including by my collaborators and me) in the last decade and a half on examining similarities among networks.
(Tip of the cap to Brian Keegan.)
Here is a choice quote: "The model of social licking among cows best predicts, as a target, cosponsorship among U.S. senators in the Ninety-Third Congress."
Note: The sentence is highly amusing, and I understand it in the context of the paper, but (1) the term "predicts" is misleading with respect to the analysis performed, and (2) one of course has to ask how the result changes if a different sample of networks is used. There has, of course, been a bunch of work (including by my collaborators and me) in the last decade and a half on examining similarities among networks.
(Tip of the cap to Brian Keegan.)
Monday, December 25, 2017
Microbiology Chess Set
This microbiology chess set is really cool!
(Tip of the cap to Paul Macklin.)
ICYMI here are photos of my #microbiology #Chess set (composed with lots of help from the twitter community). The pic of 4 pawns shows samples of finishes I am considering. Would love to hear comments! https://t.co/LcU2TPeyER pic.twitter.com/kYXd266Ifr
— IAmSciArt: Chris Taylor (@IAmSciArt) December 25, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Paul Macklin.)
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Travel Time from London in 1881
This is really cool!
My favorite part of this visualization is for a trip to Africa, as the rapid change in colors once you arrive on the content very nicely and tersely tells you something about the change in transportation mode (and topography, etc.).
I'm sure there are plenty of other similarly interesting things if one looks closely.
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
My favorite part of this visualization is for a trip to Africa, as the rapid change in colors once you arrive on the content very nicely and tersely tells you something about the change in transportation mode (and topography, etc.).
I'm sure there are plenty of other similarly interesting things if one looks closely.
This map shows travel time from London in 1881 pic.twitter.com/CbMNxcDEpu
— Conrad Hackett (@conradhackett) December 23, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Academic X-Mas Bingo Board
I do very well on this Bingo board even without X-Mas!
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to play the academia bingo. Who's going to win first this year? pic.twitter.com/UMVLgYJNBT
— Sylvain ❄️👨🏻🎓 (@DevilleSy) December 20, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
An Oxford Comma's Twitter Account
I should have known that an 'Oxford Comma' Twitter account exists. It's pretty funny.
(Tip of the cap to Kerstin Nordstrom.)
(Tip of the cap to Kerstin Nordstrom.)
Jeremy, the Left-Coiled Snail
I'm not sure how I managed to miss this story before, but Jeremy the Left-Coiled Snail (who died in October, at the ripe old age of 2 or so), who was named after Jeremy Corbyn (on account of his being a 'lefty' snail), had a chance to shine in the spotlight earlier this year. And he even had scientists to help him with his sex life, though all of his 56 children ended up being righties.
In the Wikipedia entry, I am amused by the deadpan nature of the information box in the upper-right corner.
(And, in case you're wondering, there are really good reasons to study genetically unusual orientations like this.)
In the Wikipedia entry, I am amused by the deadpan nature of the information box in the upper-right corner.
(And, in case you're wondering, there are really good reasons to study genetically unusual orientations like this.)
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Practicing for Scholarly Censorship in Modern Dystopian America
I figure that I should get practice at censoring my scholarly research, which naturally is neither evidence-based nor science-based (even when I publish it in a journal called "Archrival-of-Nature Advances").
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) December 17, 2017
(Where is George Carlin when we need him?)#CDC7words pic.twitter.com/WvNuUSpKn5
Tales from the ArXiv: "Sheep Soliton"
You had me at "sheep soliton".
Yes, under a suitable approximation, it appears that you can gave a soliton description of certain types of collective behavior in sheep.
Below are the title and abstract. (I was hoping for an intriguing picture from the experimental data, but alas the visuals in this article are run-of-the-mill.) In other contexts, when sheep (a type of 'active matter') behave like a fluid, there are obvious jokes to tell about "shearing instabilities".
Title: Sheep Soliton
Abstract: Monitoring small groups of sheep in spontaneous evolution in the field, we decipher behavioral rules that sheep follow at the individual scale in order to sustain collective motion. Individuals alternate grazing mode at null speed and moving mode at walking speed, so cohesive motion stems from synchronizing when they decide to switch between the two modes. We propose a model for the individual decision making process and parametrize it from data. Next, we translate this individual-based model into its density-flow equations counterpart, considering 1D-motion along the group trajectory. Numerical solving these equations display a solitary wave propagating at constant speed. Coupling individual and collective levels, groups motion can then be seen as a wave propagating at some fraction of the individual walking speed even though each individual is at any moment either stopped or walking. Considering the minimal model embedded in these equations, we show analytically that it has the Korteweg-De Vries (KdV) Soliton as a steady regime solution. This soliton emerges from the non linear coupling of start/stop individual decisions which compensate exactly for diffusion and promotes a steady ratio of walking / stopped individuals, which in turn determines the wave speed. The convergence to only one solitary wave from any initial condition, and which can recover from perturbation, gives a high robustness to this biological system.
Yes, under a suitable approximation, it appears that you can gave a soliton description of certain types of collective behavior in sheep.
Below are the title and abstract. (I was hoping for an intriguing picture from the experimental data, but alas the visuals in this article are run-of-the-mill.) In other contexts, when sheep (a type of 'active matter') behave like a fluid, there are obvious jokes to tell about "shearing instabilities".
Title: Sheep Soliton
Abstract: Monitoring small groups of sheep in spontaneous evolution in the field, we decipher behavioral rules that sheep follow at the individual scale in order to sustain collective motion. Individuals alternate grazing mode at null speed and moving mode at walking speed, so cohesive motion stems from synchronizing when they decide to switch between the two modes. We propose a model for the individual decision making process and parametrize it from data. Next, we translate this individual-based model into its density-flow equations counterpart, considering 1D-motion along the group trajectory. Numerical solving these equations display a solitary wave propagating at constant speed. Coupling individual and collective levels, groups motion can then be seen as a wave propagating at some fraction of the individual walking speed even though each individual is at any moment either stopped or walking. Considering the minimal model embedded in these equations, we show analytically that it has the Korteweg-De Vries (KdV) Soliton as a steady regime solution. This soliton emerges from the non linear coupling of start/stop individual decisions which compensate exactly for diffusion and promotes a steady ratio of walking / stopped individuals, which in turn determines the wave speed. The convergence to only one solitary wave from any initial condition, and which can recover from perturbation, gives a high robustness to this biological system.
Update (12/18/17): I forgot to make a snarky remark along the following lines: One first needs to do a continuum approximation to get a relevant nonlinear wave equation.
For the actual sheep, one would think that there is some energy shedding as the wave propagates. :)
Saturday, December 16, 2017
A 1999 Death Knell for Examination "Blue Books"
This article from 1999 is "awesome" in historical context.
First, it's interesting to read about the origin of blue books. Here is part of it:
Michele V. Cloonan has a theory. As chairwoman of UCLA's Department of Library and Information Science, she believes they evolved from the cheaply produced, paper-covered school books, almanacs and novels known as the bibliotheque bleue, or blue library, in 18th century France.
Before the invention of chlorine bleach in 1774 revolutionized paper production, white books had to be made from white rags. Blue books came from blue rags, often from the old clothes of sailors. Blue paper was the cheap stuff, used for the covers of throwaway books.
And, earlier in the article, we have this excerpt: "Well, those exam booklets, after torturing college students with writer's cramp for almost 150 years, may finally be on the way out.
They're being replaced, of course, by the floppy disk." (LOL!)
And another beauty: "Equipped with the same level of encryption security used by the Federal Reserve Bank, the software makes cheating impossible." (LOL!)
And, of course, the blue book also ought to have a snake on it...
(Tip of the cap to @mathematicsprof.)
First, it's interesting to read about the origin of blue books. Here is part of it:
Michele V. Cloonan has a theory. As chairwoman of UCLA's Department of Library and Information Science, she believes they evolved from the cheaply produced, paper-covered school books, almanacs and novels known as the bibliotheque bleue, or blue library, in 18th century France.
Before the invention of chlorine bleach in 1774 revolutionized paper production, white books had to be made from white rags. Blue books came from blue rags, often from the old clothes of sailors. Blue paper was the cheap stuff, used for the covers of throwaway books.
And, earlier in the article, we have this excerpt: "Well, those exam booklets, after torturing college students with writer's cramp for almost 150 years, may finally be on the way out.
They're being replaced, of course, by the floppy disk." (LOL!)
And another beauty: "Equipped with the same level of encryption security used by the Federal Reserve Bank, the software makes cheating impossible." (LOL!)
And, of course, the blue book also ought to have a snake on it...
(Tip of the cap to @mathematicsprof.)
Friday, December 15, 2017
The Physics of a "Proclaimer" Walking 500 Miles, and then Attempting to Walk 500 More
I suppose this was inevitable, but there is now a paper on the physics of a "Proclaimer" walking 500 miles and then attempting to walk 500 more.
Quoting from the abstract: In this paper we examine the feasibility for a Proclaimer, modelled on the average Scottish male human, to walk such distances without food. It was found that a Proclaimer, would lose 1.3% of its body mass after 500 miles and 2.8% after 500 more.
That seems like a rather significant underestimate of how much body mass the Proclaimer would lose.
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
The physics of a standard "Proclaimer" walking 500 miles, and then attempting to walk 500 more.https://t.co/9HVckICEKi pic.twitter.com/9AzNP0T9EY
— Robert McNees (@mcnees) December 15, 2017
Quoting from the abstract: In this paper we examine the feasibility for a Proclaimer, modelled on the average Scottish male human, to walk such distances without food. It was found that a Proclaimer, would lose 1.3% of its body mass after 500 miles and 2.8% after 500 more.
That seems like a rather significant underestimate of how much body mass the Proclaimer would lose.
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
In Phase Space, No One Can Hear You Scream.
My students have their ODE (ordinary differential equation) final tomorrow morning, and I’ve got the perfect shirt to wear for the occasion: "In phase space, no one can hear you scream." pic.twitter.com/79hoysL80A
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) December 14, 2017
2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
The 2018 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are Bon Jovi, The Cars (yay!), Dire Straits (yay!), The Moody Blues, and Nina Simone. Additionally, Sister Rosetta Tharpe received an award for early influence.
For the second year in a row, Depeche Mode was nominated but didn't get in. Maybe they'll make it next year?
For the second year in a row, Depeche Mode was nominated but didn't get in. Maybe they'll make it next year?
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Roxanne, Accelerated
This appeals to me for various reasons. :)
I am amused.
(Tip of the cap to Card Colm Mulcahy.)
I am amused.
Sort of a fun lesson in compound interest, I guess. Roxanne by the Police, but every time they say "Roxanne" the song gets 5% faster :) https://t.co/oAUlEt2HDv
— Mike Lawler (@mikeandallie) December 12, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Card Colm Mulcahy.)
Upside-Down Dreidel Spinning
I prefer upside-down dreidel spinning. (It's in the wrist.)
As a kid, I didn't think spinning dreidels the normal way was sufficiently interesting, so I cultivated spinning them upside-down.
As a kid, I didn't think spinning dreidels the normal way was sufficiently interesting, so I cultivated spinning them upside-down.
New Book: "Women in Mathematics"
The book Women in Mathematics (subtitled "Celebrating the Centennial of the Mathematical Association of America") is now available.
I was able to download it for free at UCLA, so this should also be the case at other universities with similar deals with the publisher (Springer).
I was able to download it for free at UCLA, so this should also be the case at other universities with similar deals with the publisher (Springer).
Monday, December 11, 2017
Natural Space Invaders
Check our this natural game of Space Invaders!
(Tip of the cap to Matthew Holden.)
Who made this?!! 😂 #EntoGIF 🐞🐛🐞🐛💥 pic.twitter.com/UYpLReeW8I
— Ashleigh Whiffin (@AshWhiffin) December 10, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Matthew Holden.)
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Alan Trammell and Jack Morris Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame by the Modern Era Committee!
Alan Trammell and Jack Morris were elected to Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame by the Modern Era Committee (one of the modern incarnations of the Veterans Committee).
Alan Trammell is richly deserving of this honor and should have made it a long time ago, but I'm annoyed (though not surprised) that Jack Morris made it. Jack Morris doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. Once again, Marvin Miller was not elected to the Hall of Fame, and he too should have been elected a long time ago.
The committee had 16 members, and people needed to be named on at least 12 ballots to make the Hall of Fame. Morris was named on 14 ballots, and Trammell was named on 13 of them. Miller has missed by 1 vote before, so I wonder how many ballots he was on this time. (Members of the committee could vote for a maximum of 4 players.)
The choice of players to be considered by the Modern Era Committee was a bit strange, and there were various people who were not considered this year who I hope will get consideration by this committee in the future.
Update: Some of the vote totals are listed in this article. Ted Simmons missed by just 1 vote, and Marvin Miller missed election by 5 votes. As it turns out, Trammell and Morris are the first living former players elected by one of baseball's Veterans Committees (under various names and guises) in 16 years. It is true that the 1980s are woefully underrepresented in Cooperstown, though Morris remains a weak selection.
Alan Trammell is richly deserving of this honor and should have made it a long time ago, but I'm annoyed (though not surprised) that Jack Morris made it. Jack Morris doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. Once again, Marvin Miller was not elected to the Hall of Fame, and he too should have been elected a long time ago.
The committee had 16 members, and people needed to be named on at least 12 ballots to make the Hall of Fame. Morris was named on 14 ballots, and Trammell was named on 13 of them. Miller has missed by 1 vote before, so I wonder how many ballots he was on this time. (Members of the committee could vote for a maximum of 4 players.)
The choice of players to be considered by the Modern Era Committee was a bit strange, and there were various people who were not considered this year who I hope will get consideration by this committee in the future.
Update: Some of the vote totals are listed in this article. Ted Simmons missed by just 1 vote, and Marvin Miller missed election by 5 votes. As it turns out, Trammell and Morris are the first living former players elected by one of baseball's Veterans Committees (under various names and guises) in 16 years. It is true that the 1980s are woefully underrepresented in Cooperstown, though Morris remains a weak selection.
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Ordering Dice by Stirring Them (Not Shaking Them)
As stated in the Physics Focus blurb about this article, "A jumble of thousands of cubic dice, agitated by an oscillating rotation, can rapidly become completely ordered, a result that is hard to produce with more conventional shaking."
Also, take a look at the very short video.
Very cool!
(Tip of the cap to Andrea Welsh.)
Also, take a look at the very short video.
Very cool!
(Tip of the cap to Andrea Welsh.)
'Proof by Borges'
Pro Tip: 'Proof by Borges' also works for reviewing papers and grant proposals.
(These reviews are basically book reports anyway.)
(These reviews are basically book reports anyway.)
Friday, December 08, 2017
Almost 11 Years in Review
11 years passed between this paper's initial submission and its final acceptance.
For the story, see this Quora answer
(Tip of the cap to Joel Miller.)
no word needed... @YourPaperSucks pic.twitter.com/WW3zue9kmO
— Sarah Lambart (@Sarah_Lambart) December 8, 2017
For the story, see this Quora answer
(Tip of the cap to Joel Miller.)
A Very Long Login ID
For reasons that I can't fathom, the staff member for the journal decided to give us a login ID with 71 characters.
Apparently, one can never have too many characters in a login ID, especially a prime one.
Apparently, one can never have too many characters in a login ID, especially a prime one.
Be Careful with the 'Track Changes' Option
D'oh!
(Tip of the cap to Francis Su.)
Here is a screen capture so that you can see this in full glory.Protip: When doing a big treason, don't track changes in Microsoft Word. https://t.co/DMgE6cdAWM
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) December 8, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Francis Su.)
Curvature Blindness Illusion
This is amazing!
The Remarkable 'Curvature Blindness' Illusion - Neuroskeptic https://t.co/KDPouUSuOW pic.twitter.com/AEHIdW9j3P
— Sabine Hossenfelder (@skdh) December 8, 2017
Thursday, December 07, 2017
An Imposter Physics Professor with a "Compulsion to Teach"
The case of former physics professor Marvin Hewitt is a weird one.
Quoting the Wikipedia entry: Marvin Hewitt (born 1922) was an American impostor who became, among other things, a university physics professor.
Hewitt was a high school drop-out with no qualifications who wanted to become an academic.[1] He always used names and identities of real-life people in his impostures. He later claimed that he had a "compulsion to teach".
This reminds me of the fictitious movie critic David Manning. (And, of course, there is the story of Sidd Finch.)
(Tips of the cap to MathFeed and Boing Boing.)
Quoting the Wikipedia entry: Marvin Hewitt (born 1922) was an American impostor who became, among other things, a university physics professor.
Hewitt was a high school drop-out with no qualifications who wanted to become an academic.[1] He always used names and identities of real-life people in his impostures. He later claimed that he had a "compulsion to teach".
This reminds me of the fictitious movie critic David Manning. (And, of course, there is the story of Sidd Finch.)
(Tips of the cap to MathFeed and Boing Boing.)
'Thoughts and Prayers' and the Los Angeles Fires
Can 'thoughts and prayers' be exchanged for bitcoins? Asking for a friend.
For those of you wondering, I am safe. I have a utilitarian suitcase packed in case I need to leave home in a hurry, but things look clear for my place right now and UCLA is somewhat more normal today (though classes are cancelled again today).
The Hellscape video is really impressive!
For those of you wondering, I am safe. I have a utilitarian suitcase packed in case I need to leave home in a hurry, but things look clear for my place right now and UCLA is somewhat more normal today (though classes are cancelled again today).
The Hellscape video is really impressive!
Not the typical morning commute... pic.twitter.com/kJIOQeqsIK
— A. Mutzabaugh CMT (@WLV_investor) December 6, 2017
Wednesday, December 06, 2017
Knight Rider and the Non-Existence of Functions
I think that some mathematics presentations would benefit from an obvious allusion to Night Rider (where you need to imagine the proper word emphasis from the TV series).
"In this paper, I will present a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a function that does not exist."
Coming in 2018 to a university near you.
Here is the original quote (which you can find on this page): Narrator: Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.
"In this paper, I will present a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a function that does not exist."
Coming in 2018 to a university near you.
Here is the original quote (which you can find on this page): Narrator: Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.
Tuesday, December 05, 2017
"Make Your Own G.O.P. Tax Bill"
In case you ever want to make your own G.O.P. tax bill, here is how.
"Random Walks and Diffusion on Networks"
Our review article on random walks on networks has its final coordinates. Here are the details.
Title: Random Walks and Diffusion on Networks
Authors: Naoki Masuda, Mason A. Porter, and Renaud Lambiotte
Abstract: Random walks are ubiquitous in the sciences, and they are interesting from both theoretical and practical perspectives. They are one of the most fundamental types of stochastic processes; can be used to model numerous phenomena, including diffusion, interactions, and opinions among humans and animals; and can be used to extract information about important entities or dense groups of entities in a network. Random walks have been studied for many decades on both regular lattices and (especially in the last couple of decades) on networks with a variety of structures. In the present article, we survey the theory and applications of random walks on networks, restricting ourselves to simple cases of single and non-adaptive random walkers. We distinguish three main types of random walks: discrete-time random walks, node-centric continuous-time random walks, and edge-centric continuous-time random walks. We first briefly survey random walks on a line, and then we consider random walks on various types of networks. We extensively discuss applications of random walks, including ranking of nodes (e.g., PageRank), community detection, respondent-driven sampling, and opinion models such as voter models.
Special Guest Star: A very weary random walker
Title: Random Walks and Diffusion on Networks
Authors: Naoki Masuda, Mason A. Porter, and Renaud Lambiotte
Abstract: Random walks are ubiquitous in the sciences, and they are interesting from both theoretical and practical perspectives. They are one of the most fundamental types of stochastic processes; can be used to model numerous phenomena, including diffusion, interactions, and opinions among humans and animals; and can be used to extract information about important entities or dense groups of entities in a network. Random walks have been studied for many decades on both regular lattices and (especially in the last couple of decades) on networks with a variety of structures. In the present article, we survey the theory and applications of random walks on networks, restricting ourselves to simple cases of single and non-adaptive random walkers. We distinguish three main types of random walks: discrete-time random walks, node-centric continuous-time random walks, and edge-centric continuous-time random walks. We first briefly survey random walks on a line, and then we consider random walks on various types of networks. We extensively discuss applications of random walks, including ranking of nodes (e.g., PageRank), community detection, respondent-driven sampling, and opinion models such as voter models.
Special Guest Star: A very weary random walker
Sunday, December 03, 2017
The Museum of Failure
There is a temporary exhibit in Los Angeles called The Museum of Failure.
Notice the Nintendo Power Glove in the picture...
(I never bought the Power Glove, but I did buy a U-Force. I liked the idea, but the technology wasn't yet ready for practical use. Just image me playing Galaga by waving my hands back and forth. That was just about the only game with simple enough controls that the controller was even usable, and even then it was much harder than using something conventional.)
Is anybody able to tell what the portable game system under the yellow cans is?
The first thing that came to mind when I saw the post was New Coke, of course.
I should go to this exhibit!
Notice the Nintendo Power Glove in the picture...
(I never bought the Power Glove, but I did buy a U-Force. I liked the idea, but the technology wasn't yet ready for practical use. Just image me playing Galaga by waving my hands back and forth. That was just about the only game with simple enough controls that the controller was even usable, and even then it was much harder than using something conventional.)
Is anybody able to tell what the portable game system under the yellow cans is?
The first thing that came to mind when I saw the post was New Coke, of course.
I should go to this exhibit!
Saturday, December 02, 2017
Claim: The Mathematics Subject Classification (MSC) Scheme Needs a Revamping
It's getting to be that time of year: it's the season to look at the dossiers of job applicants.
Every year, when I go through these dossiers, I am reminded at how poorly I fit into the two-digit MSC (Mathematics Subject Classification) scheme, as I my work is split across many of them without any obvious single home. Nonlinear and complex systems (and networks) shows up in the depths of many of the two-digit numbers, without a single obvious parental home. It is very easy for people who work on these (and other) kinds of interdisciplinary topics to fall into the cracks, and the extant MSC scheme and the extreme reliance upon it exacerbates this problem. It needs a revamping.
Simply put, the MSC is very poorly suited for classifying applied mathematicians. And because people have to use an American Mathematical Society (AMS) cover sheet when applying to US math departments and they also have to list MSC numbers on that cover sheet, people who work in such areas are hurt very severely on the academic job market for postdocs and junior faculty positions.
In my early applications, I put the two-digit number 37 ("Dynamical systems and ergodic theory") as my main subject area, but my application then often ended up in the hands of people proving theorems in those areas, and as a dirty applied mathematician I was often sunk at that point. I think that listing 37 in this way was a very serious mistake on my part. Things of course have worked out well in the end — yay, survivorship bias! — and working in between fields is far more fun and rewarding than not doing it, but it can also create an extra hurdle when on the job market, especially because of the major role that the MSC ontology plays in how applicant dossiers are doled out to different people to evaluate (and thus in who is reading the dossier). Thankfully, if it does work out, there is also the potential of benefits from the proverbial first-mover scientific advantage (or, to generalize, an early-mover scientific advantage), but first one has to get to that point and there are extra hurdles in the way.
While now it's more of a cosmetic thing for my personal situation (though other interdisciplinary people have to deal with this serious issue when on the market), this was very frustrating when I was applying for postdocs and my initial faculty jobs, as my application could so easily get siphoned off into the wrong spots and not find the right ones, purely as a result of the MSC ontology, which I was required to use in applications to US math departments as part of the AMS cover sheet.
Update: To illustrate my subject areas, take a look at my MathSciNet listing, although it only indexes a small subset of my papers and it captures a vanishingly small (well, not literally, but take a look on Google Scholar, and you will see that it is a factor of more than 50) fraction of my citations. I don't have a home within the MSC ontology, and most of the two-digit identifiers in which my work is best represented are still in 2017 often not construed to be areas of applied mathematics. Many people are open-minded, but many others are not, and the issues with the current MSC contribute seriously to this problem.
Update: By the way, as of right now, Google Scholar registers 10146 citations to my work. Meanwhile, MathSciNet registers 184 citations. These numbers differ by a factor of approximately 55.14.
Every year, when I go through these dossiers, I am reminded at how poorly I fit into the two-digit MSC (Mathematics Subject Classification) scheme, as I my work is split across many of them without any obvious single home. Nonlinear and complex systems (and networks) shows up in the depths of many of the two-digit numbers, without a single obvious parental home. It is very easy for people who work on these (and other) kinds of interdisciplinary topics to fall into the cracks, and the extant MSC scheme and the extreme reliance upon it exacerbates this problem. It needs a revamping.
Simply put, the MSC is very poorly suited for classifying applied mathematicians. And because people have to use an American Mathematical Society (AMS) cover sheet when applying to US math departments and they also have to list MSC numbers on that cover sheet, people who work in such areas are hurt very severely on the academic job market for postdocs and junior faculty positions.
In my early applications, I put the two-digit number 37 ("Dynamical systems and ergodic theory") as my main subject area, but my application then often ended up in the hands of people proving theorems in those areas, and as a dirty applied mathematician I was often sunk at that point. I think that listing 37 in this way was a very serious mistake on my part. Things of course have worked out well in the end — yay, survivorship bias! — and working in between fields is far more fun and rewarding than not doing it, but it can also create an extra hurdle when on the job market, especially because of the major role that the MSC ontology plays in how applicant dossiers are doled out to different people to evaluate (and thus in who is reading the dossier). Thankfully, if it does work out, there is also the potential of benefits from the proverbial first-mover scientific advantage (or, to generalize, an early-mover scientific advantage), but first one has to get to that point and there are extra hurdles in the way.
While now it's more of a cosmetic thing for my personal situation (though other interdisciplinary people have to deal with this serious issue when on the market), this was very frustrating when I was applying for postdocs and my initial faculty jobs, as my application could so easily get siphoned off into the wrong spots and not find the right ones, purely as a result of the MSC ontology, which I was required to use in applications to US math departments as part of the AMS cover sheet.
Update: To illustrate my subject areas, take a look at my MathSciNet listing, although it only indexes a small subset of my papers and it captures a vanishingly small (well, not literally, but take a look on Google Scholar, and you will see that it is a factor of more than 50) fraction of my citations. I don't have a home within the MSC ontology, and most of the two-digit identifiers in which my work is best represented are still in 2017 often not construed to be areas of applied mathematics. Many people are open-minded, but many others are not, and the issues with the current MSC contribute seriously to this problem.
Update: By the way, as of right now, Google Scholar registers 10146 citations to my work. Meanwhile, MathSciNet registers 184 citations. These numbers differ by a factor of approximately 55.14.
Friday, December 01, 2017
Baseball's 2017 Comeback Players of the Year
Major League Baseball's Comeback Players of the Year were announced today. Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals is the American League winner, and Greg Holland of the Colorado Rockies is the National League winner.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Largest Prime Number in a Song
The largest prime number in a popular song is 8675309.https://t.co/A4aXni8NZU
— Algebra Fact (@AlgebraFact) November 29, 2017
(Tip of the cap to MathFeed.)
Tales from the ArXiv: Visibility of Women in Academic Seminars
This paper presents the results of research on visibility of women in academic seminar question and answer period. Some takeaways include the length of the Q & A period and who asks the first post-seminar question.
Take a look at the data and suggestions, and see what you think.
Take a look at the data and suggestions, and see what you think.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
RIP Joel Franklin (1930–2017)
Joel Franklin, one of my favorite Caltech professors, died 11 days ago. Caltech posted an obituary yesterday.
During Junior year, a bunch of us took Joel Franklin's AMa 153 course on stochastic processes (especially during the first term, which could be used to satisfy Caltech's probability and statistics requirement). I also took Joel Franklin's linear programming course during my senior year.
Let's start with a story from Steve Van Hooser: "We'll start with the best story. Steven Michael, going through his material at the end of the term, found a homework set for Stochastic Processes that he forgot to turn in. He went to Franklin's office, and described his mistake. Franklin merely said: "Well..did you do it?" And Steven said yes. "Well...is it right?" And Steven said he thought so. So Franklin wrote a handwritten message to the registrar saying something to the effect of "Dear Judith [Goodstein], please change Steven's grade in AMa153 to an A. -J.N. Franklin". And that was that."
We invited Joel Franklin as a dinner guest in Lloyd House a couple of times, and Steve recounted a couple of those in his Facebook post.
Additionally, in Legends of Caltech III, we included a story filled with quotes from Joel Franklin. They give a good idea of the Joel Franklin experience, and this compilation from Jason Kastner (which I remember finding on his website at some point) inspired me to compile quotations from other professors who uttered many witticisms. Here is a version of the story from a .pdf of a pageproof version of the book. (I am pretty sure the typo in "the Navy way" definition was corrected before the final version.)
When I was in graduate school, I suggested Joel Franklin's book Methods of Mathematical Economics for the SIAM "Classics in Applied Mathematics" series, and thankfully that worked out. (Franklin originally published it with Springer, but there was some sort of falling out, and for a while the only way to get a "new" copy was as printed notes.)
In his honor, today we should all do something in "the Navy way".
(Tip of the cap to Steve Van Hooser, who was part of our AMa 153 contingent.)
During Junior year, a bunch of us took Joel Franklin's AMa 153 course on stochastic processes (especially during the first term, which could be used to satisfy Caltech's probability and statistics requirement). I also took Joel Franklin's linear programming course during my senior year.
Let's start with a story from Steve Van Hooser: "We'll start with the best story. Steven Michael, going through his material at the end of the term, found a homework set for Stochastic Processes that he forgot to turn in. He went to Franklin's office, and described his mistake. Franklin merely said: "Well..did you do it?" And Steven said yes. "Well...is it right?" And Steven said he thought so. So Franklin wrote a handwritten message to the registrar saying something to the effect of "Dear Judith [Goodstein], please change Steven's grade in AMa153 to an A. -J.N. Franklin". And that was that."
We invited Joel Franklin as a dinner guest in Lloyd House a couple of times, and Steve recounted a couple of those in his Facebook post.
Additionally, in Legends of Caltech III, we included a story filled with quotes from Joel Franklin. They give a good idea of the Joel Franklin experience, and this compilation from Jason Kastner (which I remember finding on his website at some point) inspired me to compile quotations from other professors who uttered many witticisms. Here is a version of the story from a .pdf of a pageproof version of the book. (I am pretty sure the typo in "the Navy way" definition was corrected before the final version.)
When I was in graduate school, I suggested Joel Franklin's book Methods of Mathematical Economics for the SIAM "Classics in Applied Mathematics" series, and thankfully that worked out. (Franklin originally published it with Springer, but there was some sort of falling out, and for a while the only way to get a "new" copy was as printed notes.)
In his honor, today we should all do something in "the Navy way".
(Tip of the cap to Steve Van Hooser, who was part of our AMa 153 contingent.)
The Mathematics of Marbling
Aubrey Jaffer has done some really cool mathematical art in the mathematics of marbling. Also see the art in other parts of the website. Very cool!
(Tip of the cap to Alex Bateman.)
(Tip of the cap to Alex Bateman.)
Tritares: Generalizing Guitars to Star-Graph Topologies
In case you want to generalize guitars using ideas from star graphs, you can consider tritares (and generalizations from its Y-shape to star graphs of Stieltjes strings).
I saw a picture of a tritare from the following talk: Star graphs of Stieltjes strings, by Christiane Tretter (Bern, SUI)
You can read about the tritare at this article as well as this one.
They tried playing the sound (from an online video) before the first talk this morning, and it hurt.
I saw a picture of a tritare from the following talk: Star graphs of Stieltjes strings, by Christiane Tretter (Bern, SUI)
You can read about the tritare at this article as well as this one.
They tried playing the sound (from an online video) before the first talk this morning, and it hurt.
Monday, November 27, 2017
The Hungry Hungry Hippos Theory of Science Funding
The analogy definitely works...
This game looks like the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos but with different "graphics". (The version I had as a kid was not long after it first came out. I am pretty sure that I know where it is in my parents' house — which is a bit rare for my childhood stuff.)
(Tip of the cap to Kevin O'Keeffe.)
This game looks like the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos but with different "graphics". (The version I had as a kid was not long after it first came out. I am pretty sure that I know where it is in my parents' house — which is a bit rare for my childhood stuff.)
Teaching the kids about science funding pic.twitter.com/rdwylryNly
— Christophe🔬Leterrier (@christlet) November 25, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Kevin O'Keeffe.)
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Romans and the d12 Gaming System
It was clearly for the d12 system of role-playing games. :)
(Tip of the cap to GrrlScientist.)
(Tip of the cap to GrrlScientist.)
The Romans left over one hundred of these dodecahedrons across Europe, but we can only speculate their purpose pic.twitter.com/YvlWgbS4AB
— History Lovers Club (@historylvrsclub) November 26, 2017
Saturday, November 25, 2017
What Happens in Bielefeld Stays in Bielefeld
I am off to a conference in Bielefeld, in search of an existence proof!
Grammatical Paraphernalia and the Original Guardian
This — the debut of The Guardian — is interesting for many reasons, including its comma density and other grammatical paraphernalia.
(Tip of the cap to Sam Howison.)
(Tip of the cap to Sam Howison.)
Monday, November 20, 2017
Congratulations to Dr. Paul Brodersen
My D.Phil. student Dr. Paul Brodersen has officially finished his corrections for his thesis and has now officially graduated. His thesis, which was supervised jointly by Colin Akerman of Pharmacology and me, is called Relating Neuronal Coding to Network Architecture.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Friday, November 17, 2017
"Is it Possible to Take All Words Out of Mathematical Expressions?"
I just read a really cool new article in American Scientist about terminology, symbolic, and pictorial developments in mathematics.
Matrices, chaos, and birdtracks all make an appearance. The article also includes appearances by Gibbs, Silvester, Yorke, Cvitanović, and others.
Matrices, chaos, and birdtracks all make an appearance. The article also includes appearances by Gibbs, Silvester, Yorke, Cvitanović, and others.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Giancarlo Stanton and José Altuve Win Most Valuable Player Awards
Major League Baseball has announced the winners of the 2017 Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards: José Altuve of the Houston Astros won handily in the American League over Aaron Judge of the Yankees, and Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins edges out Joey Votto of the Reds by 2 points (in the 4th-closest MVP voting in Baseball history). Take a look at the vote totals for the American League and National League.
I am pleasantly surprised that Votto finished so close to Stanton. The consensus would be that it would not be this close (and Votto already was guaranteed to finish higher in the ranking than expected even when the top three were announced), though in my opinion Votto should have won.
The National League MVP was the one where it was hardest to predict who would win, and the close vote total at the top reflects that.
I am pleasantly surprised that Votto finished so close to Stanton. The consensus would be that it would not be this close (and Votto already was guaranteed to finish higher in the ranking than expected even when the top three were announced), though in my opinion Votto should have won.
The National League MVP was the one where it was hardest to predict who would win, and the close vote total at the top reflects that.
What Happens in Ithaca Stays in Ithaca (2017 Edition)
I am off to Cornell to give this year's Notable Alum lecture in the Center for Applied Mathematics (the program from which I got my PhD)!
It's my first visit to Cornell in more than 4.5 years and only my second visit since I graduated!
I am at the airport way too bloody early. All of the men's bathrooms in this terminal are locked.
It's my first visit to Cornell in more than 4.5 years and only my second visit since I graduated!
I am at the airport way too bloody early. All of the men's bathrooms in this terminal are locked.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Corey Kluber and Max Scherzer Win Cy Young Awards
As expected, Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians won the American League Cy Young Award. Also as expected, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals won the National League Cy Young Award.
In the National League, the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw finished 2nd. Kershaw has ranked as follows in the last 7 National League Cy Young Award ballots: 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5, 2. Wow! That gives Kershaw 4.56 Cy Young shares, which is 4th all time. (You can see the Cy Young share rankings on this page, though at the time of this writing, the page does not yet incorporate today's results.) Kershaw is going to sail into the Hall of Fame, and Max Scherzer is making quite a case for himself as well.
The two main articles to which I linked include the entire rankings and vote totals for this year's Cy Young Awards.
In the National League, the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw finished 2nd. Kershaw has ranked as follows in the last 7 National League Cy Young Award ballots: 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5, 2. Wow! That gives Kershaw 4.56 Cy Young shares, which is 4th all time. (You can see the Cy Young share rankings on this page, though at the time of this writing, the page does not yet incorporate today's results.) Kershaw is going to sail into the Hall of Fame, and Max Scherzer is making quite a case for himself as well.
The two main articles to which I linked include the entire rankings and vote totals for this year's Cy Young Awards.
Things for Mathematicians to be Grateful For
Today's entry in the blog Math with Bad Drawings has some brilliant pictures!
It's really hard to pick a favorite. Maybe the one with the analyst or the one with the belated referee report?
It's really hard to pick a favorite. Maybe the one with the analyst or the one with the belated referee report?
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Torey Lovullo and Paul Molitor Win Manager of the Year Awards
Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Paul Molitor of the Minnesota Twins have been named the 2017 Managers of the Year in the National League and American League, respectively. The Diamondbacks and Twins saw the two largest win increases from 2016; this is often a good recipe for who will be named Manager of the Year. In the National League, Dave Roberts of the Dodgers finished second.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Congratulations to Dr. Birgit Brüggemeier!
Congratulations to my D.Phil. student, Dr. Birgit Brüggemeier (who I cosupervised with Stephen Goodwin of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics) for officially completing her D.Phil at University of Oxford. Her thesis, in corrected form, has officially been approved.
The title of Birgit's thesis is "Is Drosophila song amplitude structure a communication signal?".
The title of Birgit's thesis is "Is Drosophila song amplitude structure a communication signal?".
Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are the Rookies of the Year!
Unsurprisingly, Aaron Judge of the Yankees has been named (unanimously) as this year's Rookie of the Year (ROY) in the American League. Also unsurprisingly, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers has been named (also unanimously) as the National League ROY. The selections were not surprising, and the fact that they were unanimous is also not surprising. Judge and Bellinger were the clearly dominant rookies in their respective leagues.
Update: The links above show the rankings and vote totals for both awards.
Update: The links above show the rankings and vote totals for both awards.
Awesome Trippy Architecture
Wow! These are really cool!
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Happy Rizzi Haus, Braunschweig, Germany pic.twitter.com/bGRcfqHuPa
— Architecture (@archpics) November 12, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Sunday, November 12, 2017
German Caricature Map from 1914
This German caricature map from the onset of World War I is fancy.
(Tip of the cap to I Fucking Love Maps.)
(Tip of the cap to I Fucking Love Maps.)
2017 Silver Slugger Awards
The 2017 Silver Slugger Awards, which purport to indicate the best hitter at each position in each league, have been announced.
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Wednesday, November 08, 2017
Tales from the ArXiv: How to Make Any Shape "Zippable"
Awesome pillows await!
(Tip of the cap to Henry Segerman.)
One of the cutest papers I've seen on the arXiv: how to make any shape "zippable" https://t.co/KwwpcUE3w0 pic.twitter.com/q9PbbE8xKL
— Elissa (@wheelissa) November 8, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Henry Segerman.)
Headline of the Day: "Sheep Learn to Recognise Celebrity Faces from Different Angles"
This applies to all kinds of sheep. :P
(This is one of the most brilliant headlines I have ever seen, especially with the accompanying picture.)
(This is one of the most brilliant headlines I have ever seen, especially with the accompanying picture.)
Sheep learn to recognise celebrity faces from different angles https://t.co/qtoDBOvIIX pic.twitter.com/C50KwsYijA
— New Scientist (@newscientist) November 8, 2017
Tuesday, November 07, 2017
RIP Roy Halladay (1977–2017)
Ugh. Former Major League ace pitcher Roy Halladay has died in a plane crash.
Halladay will make the Hall of Fame — though it may take a bit of time because of his relatively low win total, as many voters seem to have trouble adjusting win totals for era — though sadly he won't be around to enjoy it.
Halladay will make the Hall of Fame — though it may take a bit of time because of his relatively low win total, as many voters seem to have trouble adjusting win totals for era — though sadly he won't be around to enjoy it.
Sunday, November 05, 2017
A Phase Transitions in the New York Times Front-Page Picture Density?
Visually, it seems like it resembles a phase transition (watch how suddenly the density changes), so I expect that one could see that arise in a simple model.
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
Every single New York Times front page since 1852. Look at the growth of pictures in news.
— Carl Miller (@carljackmiller) November 3, 2017
(h/t Josh Begley). pic.twitter.com/zLxe01U2QX
(Tip of the cap to Sabine Hossenfelder.)
Saturday, November 04, 2017
What Happens in Barcelona Stays in Barcelona
I am off to Barcelona for the Macfang workshop.
"Macfang" stands for "Mapping Complexity Foundations and Applications of Network Geometry". It is a conference on network geometry, spatial networks (both explicit and latent), and related topics.
At some point, I'll even prepare the slides for my talk.
"Macfang" stands for "Mapping Complexity Foundations and Applications of Network Geometry". It is a conference on network geometry, spatial networks (both explicit and latent), and related topics.
At some point, I'll even prepare the slides for my talk.
Friday, November 03, 2017
Quote of the Day: Conservation of Pain
Me, to my (graduate-level) ODE students in office hours this afternoon:
"The amount of pain is conserved.
[nontrivial pause, while I think about the accuracy of my statement]
(Well, technically, the amount of pain is non-decreasing.)"
Update: This quote was quite a doozy. It's the type of quote that, when my professors accidentally backed into them, I liked to write them down for posterity.
"The amount of pain is conserved.
[nontrivial pause, while I think about the accuracy of my statement]
(Well, technically, the amount of pain is non-decreasing.)"
Update: This quote was quite a doozy. It's the type of quote that, when my professors accidentally backed into them, I liked to write them down for posterity.
Wednesday, November 01, 2017
Houston Astros Win 2017 World Series
Congratulations to the Houston Astros, an excellent team, a worthy opponent, and World Series champions for the first time in their 56-year franchise history.
As for us, this was our first World Series in 29 years. It was fun to get back (and get all the way to Game 7) after so many years. Hopefully we'll be back next year and try again.
This World Series had a lot of record-breaking. (Cody Bellinger's strike-out record was a particularly annoying one.)
This year was one of those rare years in which the two teams that I believe to be the two best faced off against each other in the World Series.
As a factoid, Brandon Morrow pitched in all 7 games in this World Series, the first pitcher to do that since Darold Knowles in 1973 and the second ever pitcher to do that. Today's Game 7 was the first World Series game 7 that was ever played in Dodger Stadium.
I assume that George Springer will be named the Most Valuable Player of the series.
Update: Yup, George Springer is the series MVP.
Update: And to top it off, Carlos Correa just did a live marriage proposal (it was accepted) while he was being interviewed.
As for us, this was our first World Series in 29 years. It was fun to get back (and get all the way to Game 7) after so many years. Hopefully we'll be back next year and try again.
This World Series had a lot of record-breaking. (Cody Bellinger's strike-out record was a particularly annoying one.)
This year was one of those rare years in which the two teams that I believe to be the two best faced off against each other in the World Series.
As a factoid, Brandon Morrow pitched in all 7 games in this World Series, the first pitcher to do that since Darold Knowles in 1973 and the second ever pitcher to do that. Today's Game 7 was the first World Series game 7 that was ever played in Dodger Stadium.
I assume that George Springer will be named the Most Valuable Player of the series.
Update: Yup, George Springer is the series MVP.
Update: And to top it off, Carlos Correa just did a live marriage proposal (it was accepted) while he was being interviewed.
Mathematician Wins 2017 Dance Your Ph.D. Contest!
That's right: The top overall video in the 2017 Dance Your Ph.D. contest was for an explanation of braid groups! Awesome!
Friday, October 27, 2017
Early Warning Signs for this Year's Epidemic
And so it begins... pic.twitter.com/9nwjb2mSes
— I❤80s (@IL0VEthe80s) October 26, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
A Non-Maleficence Aphorism for Mentorship: "First, Don't be an Asshole"
A Non-Maleficence Aphorism for Mentorship: "First, don't be an asshole." pic.twitter.com/4ne87JmG4K
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) October 22, 2017
Thursday, October 19, 2017
We're Going to the World Series!!!!
The Dodgers are going to the World Series for the first time since 1988!!!!!!!!
Update: The co-most valuable players (co-MVPs) of the National League Championship Series, in which we just beat the Chicago Cubs, are Chris Taylor and Justin Turner. (I thought that Justin Turner would be the lone MVP, but this choice also seems sensible.)
Update: The co-most valuable players (co-MVPs) of the National League Championship Series, in which we just beat the Chicago Cubs, are Chris Taylor and Justin Turner. (I thought that Justin Turner would be the lone MVP, but this choice also seems sensible.)
My Own. Personal. Polynomial.
My own. Personal. Polynomial.
Something to interpolate.
Before it’s too late.
Anyway, here is my personal polynomial.
(Tip of the cap to Dave Richeson.)
Something to interpolate.
Before it’s too late.
Anyway, here is my personal polynomial.
(Tip of the cap to Dave Richeson.)
Monday, October 16, 2017
Quote of the Day: Differential Equations and Star Wars Robots
"You know you're in trouble if the different cases for your differential-equation solutions start sounding like the names of Star Wars robots."
(That is my spontaneous gem from today's lecture. We're doing Frobenius series.)
(That is my spontaneous gem from today's lecture. We're doing Frobenius series.)
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Alternative Cuss Words
I am highly amused by this pamphlet of alternative cuss words.
Well kiss my grits!
Some of the alternatives (e.g., "cotton pickin" and some others) that are considered ok in this crib sheet are actually really bad if one thinks about them. And some of the ones to "handle with care" seem just fine to me. Also, I'm not sure what game-show hosts like Alex Trebek, Pat Sajak, and Bob Saget have to do with any of this.
(Tip of the cap to Ajay Johnson.)
Update: Steve Van Hooser pointed out "son of a motherless goat" as a particularly good one. Indeed it is, and I fondly remember its use in the show Perfect Strangers.
Well kiss my grits!
Some of the alternatives (e.g., "cotton pickin" and some others) that are considered ok in this crib sheet are actually really bad if one thinks about them. And some of the ones to "handle with care" seem just fine to me. Also, I'm not sure what game-show hosts like Alex Trebek, Pat Sajak, and Bob Saget have to do with any of this.
(Tip of the cap to Ajay Johnson.)
Update: Steve Van Hooser pointed out "son of a motherless goat" as a particularly good one. Indeed it is, and I fondly remember its use in the show Perfect Strangers.
"The Interested Reader"
I love how many mathematics papers refer "the interested reader" to various sources for more information.
It is a little-known—but not terribly surprising—fact that most mathematics papers have only a single reader, who may or may not actually be interested in further discussion.
It is a little-known—but not terribly surprising—fact that most mathematics papers have only a single reader, who may or may not actually be interested in further discussion.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
An Ancient Roman Dice Tower
It would be awesome to whip out one of these — ideally, along with an ancient d20 — during a Dungeons & Dragons game.
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Ancient roman dice tower used in the playing of dice games from IV AD pic.twitter.com/5TckuhqKqf
— Museum Archive (@MuseumArchive) October 13, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Sydney Padua.)
Friday, October 13, 2017
An MRI Scan of Broccoli Looks Like Fireworks
Seriously.
(You're welcome. Tip of the cap to Ciro Cattuto.)
Turns out, scanning a Broccoli looks a lot like fireworks... https://t.co/0GcoI3qQrV pic.twitter.com/m56WQrM2KA
— Tim Kietzmann (@TimKietzmann) October 12, 2017
(You're welcome. Tip of the cap to Ciro Cattuto.)
Sunday, October 08, 2017
Visualizations of Music
These visualizations are really cool!
(Tip of the cap to Lucas Lacasa.
Data Visualisation of Music https://t.co/45mrRmaTW1 & https://t.co/xFiy9Gs5ay #music #dataviz pic.twitter.com/fLc071JyOG
— Benjamin Hennig (@geoviews) October 7, 2017
(Tip of the cap to Lucas Lacasa.
Friday, October 06, 2017
Dame Frances Kirwan Named "Savilian Professor" at University of Oxford!
Here is some really big news: "Dame Frances Kirwan has been elected to the Savilian Professorship at the University of Oxford. Frances will be the 20th holder of the Savilian Chair (founded in 1619), and is the first woman to be elected to any of the historic chairs in mathematics."
This is a very big deal. (See the Wikipedia entry for a discussion of this professorship.)
I know Frances. (We were colleagues in the Mathematical Institute at University of Oxford, of course) She is awesome (both as a mathematician and as a person).
Frances is somebody who is well-known within mathematics but pretty much unheard of outside mathematics.
This is a very big deal. (See the Wikipedia entry for a discussion of this professorship.)
I know Frances. (We were colleagues in the Mathematical Institute at University of Oxford, of course) She is awesome (both as a mathematician and as a person).
Frances is somebody who is well-known within mathematics but pretty much unheard of outside mathematics.
Wednesday, October 04, 2017
Tuesday, October 03, 2017
Infinite-Series Techniques: "A Good Psychological Restorative"
Yes, really—at least as prescribed by Drs. Bender and Orszag. Take two of these and call me in the morning.
Update (10/04/17): PBS is now involved (as you can see below).
Infinite-series techniques: "a good psychological restorative"
— Mason Porter (@masonporter) October 4, 2017
Prescribed by Drs Bender & Orszag. Take 2 of these & call me in the morning. pic.twitter.com/RH6gk9jh5k
Update (10/04/17): PBS is now involved (as you can see below).
We agree... 🙃 https://t.co/3wUoBjaUHU
— PBS Infinite Series (@PBSInfinite) October 4, 2017
Monday, October 02, 2017
RIP Tom Petty (1950–2017)
After experiencing cardiac arrest earlier this morning, and amidst conflicting reports earlier in the day, it's now been confirmed—unfortunately but unsurprisingly—that Tom Petty has died at the age of 66. (This is consistent with the recent shelf life of rockers. :( )
I got the chance to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert for the first time just 11 days ago, and they were awesome!
You can read more about Petty from Wikipedia page. He has a lot of awesome songs, and here's a link to Learning to Fly as just one of them. Because of the music video for Don't Come Around Here No More, Petty will also always be my vision of The (Mad) Hatter. There are many other awesome songs to which I could also link.
Here is the CNN.com obituary, which includes some interesting tidbits that are not in the Billboard.com article above.
I got the chance to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert for the first time just 11 days ago, and they were awesome!
You can read more about Petty from Wikipedia page. He has a lot of awesome songs, and here's a link to Learning to Fly as just one of them. Because of the music video for Don't Come Around Here No More, Petty will also always be my vision of The (Mad) Hatter. There are many other awesome songs to which I could also link.
Here is the CNN.com obituary, which includes some interesting tidbits that are not in the Billboard.com article above.
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