On January 21, Timothy Gowers of Cambridge announced he would no longer publish papers in Elsevier’s journals or serve as a referee or editor for them. This boycott has now been joined by thousands of other researchers. (I don’t referee any more for Elsevier, though I have in the past, and I certainly won’t be sending any papersContinue reading “The Scandal of Closed Access to Taxpayer Funded Research”
Category Archives: Politics
Against Commencement Cermonies
I have never sat through a commencement address; I have never managed to finish watching a recommended one on YouTube; and I certainly have not ever read one to the end. (The other day, in a bookstore, I noticed a little book containing an apparently famous one delivered by David Foster Wallace; I couldn’t finishContinue reading “Against Commencement Cermonies”
Crossfit and Strong Women
A singularly positive aspect about being in a Crossfit space–like the one at Crossfit South Brooklyn, which, in point of fact, is the only one I’ve ever spent any time in–is the many opportunities that arise to see strong women in action. Women can deadlift, squat, clean and jerk, run fast, do muscle-ups, pull-ups–you nameContinue reading “Crossfit and Strong Women”
A Bad Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage
I would have scarcely believed it possible, but a few short hours after teaching the naturalistic fallacy in my Philosophy of Biology class, I was exposed to an argument–from a professional philosopher–that, roughly, same-sex marriage is problematic because a) marriage is all about procreation and the raising of children and because b) evolution tell usContinue reading “A Bad Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage”
Letter to Brooklyn College President Karen Gould: Get Security off Students’ Backs!
The Executive Committee of the Brooklyn College Chapter of the Professional Staff Congress – CUNY (PSC-CUNY) has written to the President of Brooklyn College, Karen Gould, regarding the assaults on, and arrests of, CUNY students by CUNY Security at Brooklyn College on May 2nd. Please take the time to read the letter–reproduced below–in its entirety andContinue reading “Letter to Brooklyn College President Karen Gould: Get Security off Students’ Backs!”
Must One Vote for President to Be Political?
I concluded yesterday’s post by saying: There is a far more fundamental problem…it centers on my disillusionment with elections–especially in modern politics in this nation–and with my evolving understanding of my political responsibilities. I should have been more specific above. I have acquired a profound dislike of presidential elections: the campaigning by candidates, the so-calledContinue reading “Must One Vote for President to Be Political?”
Not Nearly Enough Change I Can Believe In
Yesterday’s post and Dan Kaufman’s comment on it, have prompted me to pen some thoughts on Barack Obama (and elections). In 2008, I made two separate donations of $50 to Barack Obama’s campaign. I also drove down with some friends to Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania and spent the day walking around several neighborhoods, knocking on doors,Continue reading “Not Nearly Enough Change I Can Believe In”
About Time, Mr. President
The following was intended as today’s post. It has been pre-empted by Obama’s endorsement, today, of same-sex marriage. Barack Obama will soon sit down for an interview in which he will, in all probability, attempt to explain his ‘evolving’ views on gay marriage. Perhaps he will come out strongly in favor of gay marriage. OrContinue reading “About Time, Mr. President”
Earnin’ a Livin’ With Humiliation as a Perk
A New Yorker cartoon from last year shows a woman walking out from her boss’ office and saying to a co-worker, “That’s the worst humiliation I’ve been subjected to this week.” Or something like that. We laugh, a little nervously, or perhaps wince just a little, because the punchline hits home. Or we breathe aContinue reading “Earnin’ a Livin’ With Humiliation as a Perk”
The Chronicle of Higher Education is Trolling For Hits
Over at The Chronicle of Higher Education Naomi Schaefer Riley launches a rather bizarre attack on black studies by way of ‘evaluating’ a handful of dissertations. This evaluation consists, not of reading the dissertations, as one might expect, but rather, by way of merely reading summaries/extracts/abstracts and then dismissing them out of hand. (‘Higher Education,’Continue reading “The Chronicle of Higher Education is Trolling For Hits”
Samir Chopra 