Comments for (Slightly) Filtered Noise http://gordienoye.ca Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:23:51 -0300 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 Comment on For the Love of Ginger by Gordie http://gordienoye.ca/2012/03/16/for-the-love-of-ginger/#comment-20 Gordie Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:23:51 +0000 http://gordienoye.ca/?p=221#comment-20 I know where you can get a few bits of root to start with ... I know where you can get a few bits of root to start with …

]]> Comment on For the Love of Ginger by Cheryl http://gordienoye.ca/2012/03/16/for-the-love-of-ginger/#comment-19 Cheryl Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:09:52 +0000 http://gordienoye.ca/?p=221#comment-19 Wow... I love ginger too. Will have to try and grow my own. Wow… I love ginger too. Will have to try and grow my own.

]]> Comment on Waiting for Science to be Cool by Peter Rukavina http://gordienoye.ca/2012/03/09/waitingfor-science-to-be-cool/#comment-17 Peter Rukavina Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:02:55 +0000 http://gordienoye.ca/?p=211#comment-17 I believe I said something very similar to your last paragraph to Janet at the selfsame science fair yesterday: I love watching Big Bang Theory because it celebrates a kind of weirdness, focus and passion that I love, have, and admire in others. But I also realize that same celebration also amps up the opportunity for ridicule by emphasizing difference (making the show a sort of smorgasbord for those who want to taunt). I don't know much about the history of the science (or, more recently, heritage fairs), but I suspect that they arose, in part, out of a desire by like-thinking people seeking to make science cool by layering over a similar competitive aspect as would be found in sports. Once you have winners, you can have awards, and celebrations, and thus award-winning, confidence-boosted, celebrated kids. I think maybe it didn't work out that way, as I think, especially as you get into later grades, being a science fair award-winner isn't exactly a ticket to ride. The fact that the participation in science fair falls off so dramatically as you get into later grades (and it becomes voluntary) is the proof of everything you suggest: there's 100% participation at Prince St. School in science fair for grades 4, 5 and 6 (because it's mandatory); at yesterday's Eastern School District fair there was one (1!) participant from high school. Sigh. I believe I said something very similar to your last paragraph to Janet at the selfsame science fair yesterday: I love watching Big Bang Theory because it celebrates a kind of weirdness, focus and passion that I love, have, and admire in others. But I also realize that same celebration also amps up the opportunity for ridicule by emphasizing difference (making the show a sort of smorgasbord for those who want to taunt).

I don’t know much about the history of the science (or, more recently, heritage fairs), but I suspect that they arose, in part, out of a desire by like-thinking people seeking to make science cool by layering over a similar competitive aspect as would be found in sports. Once you have winners, you can have awards, and celebrations, and thus award-winning, confidence-boosted, celebrated kids.

I think maybe it didn’t work out that way, as I think, especially as you get into later grades, being a science fair award-winner isn’t exactly a ticket to ride.

The fact that the participation in science fair falls off so dramatically as you get into later grades (and it becomes voluntary) is the proof of everything you suggest: there’s 100% participation at Prince St. School in science fair for grades 4, 5 and 6 (because it’s mandatory); at yesterday’s Eastern School District fair there was one (1!) participant from high school.

Sigh.

]]> Comment on When Yoda Writes “if” Statements by Zach Stephens http://gordienoye.ca/2012/02/07/when-yoda-writes-if-statements/#comment-8 Zach Stephens Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:58:45 +0000 http://gordienoye.ca/?p=105#comment-8 Google does not appear to embrace the yoda syntax. https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+answer+to+life+the+universe+and+everything Google does not appear to embrace the yoda syntax.

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+answer+to+life+the+universe+and+everything

]]> Comment on When Yoda Writes “if” Statements by Chris Reed http://gordienoye.ca/2012/02/07/when-yoda-writes-if-statements/#comment-7 Chris Reed Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:33:35 +0000 http://gordienoye.ca/?p=105#comment-7 An intresting way to make sure sneaky bugs dont' get into the system, if a bit backwards for us anglos. An intresting way to make sure sneaky bugs dont’ get into the system, if a bit backwards for us anglos.

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