That is not my back. But I totally get why someone would tattoo that on their back. Sexy nerdery? Hells to the yes.

I’m not the only one who finds equations beautiful and hot and right on the line between ethereal and solid; Wired Science waxes poetic about nine equations we all should keep close to our hearts.

Previous Posts:

American Math
Math Is Hard!
Nature By Numbers
The Hotness of Geek Barbie
You Can Kiss My Math Because Smart Girls Are Hot
Smart Girls Are Hot

Posted by Alexa Harrington

The unfortunate phenomenon of elementary-aged girls becoming interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) subjects, going off to college intending to major in and then pursue a career in one of those fields, and ultimately veering off somewhat sharply into less science-and-math rich majors and careers is common.

Fortunately, it has not gone unnoticed by the chicks who have gone on to work in their dream STEM fields, and several entities have started working to foster girls’ education and career paths in STEM subjects.

Michelle Obama, not a STEM girl herself (what with being a lawyer and all), is all for supporting girls in math and science and gave a little talk about it recently. My favorite bits from the transcript:

And if we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, then we have to open doors to everyone. We can’t afford to leave anyone out. We need all hands on deck. And that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

And it starts with lighting the spark for science and math in elementary school and grade school. We talk about this all the time. I know for me, I’m a lawyer because I was bad at these subjects. (Laughter.) All lawyers in the room, you know it’s true. We can’t add and subtract, so we argue. (Laughter.)

And so encouraging girls early not to lose heart in those fields, and encouraging them through high school is important. But it also means making sure that these young women can keep pursuing their dreams in college and beyond.

Further Reading:

Why So Few Women In Science, Technology, Engineering and Math?
Dual Academic Careers
First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to the Dept. of Education

Posted by Alexa Harrington

Along the lines of my previous post regarding the much abhorred Epic Fail, Emily Chapman at Hack College wrote a piece advising one to Refuse to Dwell, Move On, Kick Ass. Well put.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(photo: kick-ass)

UC Berkeley has a cool page on their site that allows you to click on any of their given majors and get a write-up of what you can do with said major (i.e., grad school, job). It’s fun to check out everything from underwater basket weaving (poli sci, psych, philosophy, etc.) to bioengineering and see the possible trajectories, especially if your parents are demanding proof that a degree in philosophy will lead to a prosperous future. Good luck with that.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(photo: bioengineering)

According to the Associated Press, American public colleges and universities have managed to spend their way through the $10 billion-pile of government stimulus money. Insanely large tuition fees and class sizes along with decreased course offerings are still front and center on American campuses, but at least the stimulus money helped to prevent (or maybe only slow) the shutting down of degree programs and entire schools. Now that the money’s gone, I predict more and deeper tribulation.

Is it too obvious to suggest that keeping higher education a viable option for Americans should be among the highest priorities? An ever-expanding cohort of young, energetic, jobless and uneducated Americans sounds like the crappiest American Dream ever.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(photo: ed andrieski)

When you’re a fresh-faced newbie trying to make your way through this harsh and unkind world, it helps to have an older, wiser, more experienced hand to hold onto. Standing on the shoulders of giants makes the machete-hacking stumble through the jungle go a lot more smoothly.

Those giants are called mentors, and every chucklehead youngin’ like yourself wants one. The more awesome a mentor, the more sought out they are. This has the unfortunate effect of making them ignore most of the tweedle-dums who come begging for their priceless advice and knowledge. If you want to be mentored by the best, you’re going to have to be better than all the other chuckleheads at asking. Ramit Sethi has some advice for you.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(standing on the shoulders of giants)

Ever wonder what those professors with their cush teaching posts do with their well-paid time? Educate young minds or lie about, smoking pipes and wearing tweed and discussing any topic in the most pedantic way possible? Perhaps. Or maybe they’re working their asses off trying to keep the jobs they nearly killed themselves to get.

An article about faculty productivity in The Chronicle of Higher Education made Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab want to list her schedule so we could all decide for ourselves whether or not she earns her keep. I read it, and since I can’t see how she has time to wipe her nose let alone have a proper life, I say she’s well worth her paycheck and clearly contributes to her students’ education.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(professor)

Not really. I adore math and all its perfect logic. I’ve ranted before about math and smart girls and the general idea that being capable of doing something well has nothing to do with gender, race, sex, or your ass’ ability to sprout wings.

Tara C. Smith at Aetiology has some words about this subject as it relates to her career. She’s a scientist and an assistant prof and she can manage to research epidemiology without her hotness getting in the way.

Previous Posts:

Smart Girls Are Hot
Why So Few Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math?
You Can Kiss my Math Because Smart Girls Are Hot
Dual Academic Careers
Left-Leaning Professor Types
The Hotness of Geek Barbie

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(geek barbie)

It’s been centuries, and still those pedantic professors lecture their students for hours on end. And then they have the cojones to question their audience, checking to see (a) if anyone was listening and (b) whether anyone grasped the concepts well enough to form an intelligent answer. When will the ages-old practice of lecturing and questioning ever end?

It probably won’t . Why? Because it works. I mean, usually. Even for students like me, who learn best by reading the material and not by having someone verbally beat me over the head with it. Unless a professor is still in love with his/her subject and can manage to infuse the lectures with that raw enthusiasm, I am not moved by a many-degreed someone standing behind a podium, explaining why molecules or cells or the laws of physics or ancient peoples do what they do or did whatever it is they did. But a prof who gets all worked up teaching me, in excruciating detail, how it is that paint dries will have my rapt attention and devotion.

Further Reading:

The Durability of Teacher Lecturing and Questioning: Historical Inertia or Creative Adaptation?

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(lecture hall)

The NY Times has the newest studies and infographics on how new college graduates are faring in this wicked-fun economy. Basically, the higher-educated are working for pennies in jobs totally unrelated to their fields of study.

Debt resulting from all that higher-ed tuition and all those textbooks is insane ($20,000 is standard), and must sting quite a bit for the delivery-truck-driving bio-chem majors who can barely afford rent, let alone visibly diminish their debt pile.

It’s no wonder some of the extra-pissed grads have headed back for PhDs—this tactic puts off the wretchedness of having to accept a job one is totally overqualified for and keeps the student loan debt collectors at bay. In a few years these super grads will be overqualified beyond all reason and will have enough debt to last them a lifetime. It’s a way to survive, yes. But the wrongness of that particular higher education life cycle hurts to witness. Whose brilliant idea was it to start charging for education? Stupid humans.

Posted by Alexa Harrington