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Choose Bins Wisely

Choose Bins Wisely

May 16 2011 | comment(s)

The presentation of data is a very rich subject, on which there is a whole lot to discuss, even by restricting to the issues relevant to our dear field of experimental high-energy physics. Usually too little thought is given to it, even by expert researchers, so I thought that maybe today I would offer here some ideas on one very basic issue, the one of how to choose the width of the bins of a histogram.
Practice Or Genetics? Peter Vint On Youth Sports Development

Practice Or Genetics? Peter Vint On Youth Sports Development

May 16 2011 | comment(s)

Recently, while I was taking up my normal Saturday position on a youth soccer game sideline, I overheard a conversation between two parents as they watched the players warm-up. “I just love watching Billy play soccer.  He’s just one of those natural talents.” “I agree. Even though his parents never played growing up, he just seems to have inherited all the right genes to be a top player.” 
Quantum Teleportation Of Cats

Quantum Teleportation Of Cats

May 15 2011 | comment(s)

Time to reveal the solution to the cat killing mystery introduced in “If Schrödinger's Cats All Die, Do the Alive ones go to Hell?” and further explained in “Rotating Schrödinger's Cat to Death”. The solution is a huge letdown for all cat haters. Instead of being send to hell or at least into a parallel universe where they won’t bother no more, the cats stay right here in our lab! (See Nina – I am not as bad as you think.)

Cup Or Cuppa: You Decide If It's Half-Full Or Learning To Have A Positive Attribution Style

Cup Or Cuppa: You Decide If It's Half-Full Or Learning To Have A Positive Attribution Style

May 14 2011 | comment(s)

The opposing concepts of optimism and pessimism have a long history. Domino and Conway (2002) note that philosophers who viewed the cosmos as generally hospitable to life were optimistic, while those who viewed the cosmos as indifferent or hostile were pessimistic. Descartes was essentially an optimist who viewed human beings as creative participants in the improving of conditions of human life (Domino&Conway). Other philosophers, though, like Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, contributed to pessimistic explanations of the world and human beings‘ place in it, although occasionally offering glimpses of optimism. According to Peterson (2000), Nietzsche believed optimism only served to extend human suffering.
When Smart Kids Fail

When Smart Kids Fail

May 14 2011 | comment(s)

Bright people run into two curses in life that others mistake as blessings.  The first is that many tasks come easy to them.  The second is that they can do okay for a long time without experiencing failure or set-backs.  Both of these lead to a life of underachievement.

In "Patterns of Underachievement in Gifted Students", Carolyn Coil ( notes 3 patterns where smart kids dive into underachieving:

  1) Does well in early grades, then underachieves more as they get older
  2) Sporadic up-and-down pattern
  3) No effort to go beyond the minimum
Saving Energy? Colder Homes Hurt The Environment In The Long Run

Saving Energy? Colder Homes Hurt The Environment In The Long Run

May 14 2011 | comment(s)

Beginning in the 1970s, we were taught to keep homes cooler if we want to save energy and therefore both money and the planet.   But systems don't really work that way, as most knew, and a report commissioned by Friends of the Earth and written by Professor Sir Michael Marmot points out that cold homes cost lives and harm the environment in the long run. 
Noam Chomsky Was Right? We Have Inborn Language Sense, Says Study

Noam Chomsky Was Right? We Have Inborn Language Sense, Says Study

May 13 2011 | comment(s)

Fifty years ago, the philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky speculated that humans are able to learn language easily as children because knowledge of grammar is 'hardwired' into human brains. In other words, we know some of the fundamental things about human language at birth, without ever being taught.

Controversial?  Yes, but a group of cognitive scientists now say he may have been onto something.   They contend we are born with knowledge of certain syntactical rules that make learning human languages easier.
Stretchable Sensors!

Stretchable Sensors!

May 13 2011 | comment(s)

Is someone sitting in the passenger seat of the car?   If so, are they leaning forward and can be damage by the airbag?    Did a person enter the danger zone in front of an industrial machine?

Debuting at the Sensor+Test trade fair in Nuremberg from June 7-9, 2011, researchers have now developed sensors capable of expanding, in extreme cases, to twice their original length - and they are so supple they are virtually unnoticed when sewn into clothing. 
A Top Cross Section Measurement I Like

A Top Cross Section Measurement I Like

May 13 2011 | comment(s)

The measurement of the production rate of top quark pairs at the Tevatron is by now a very well developed technology, where it is hard to invent anything new. Eight years ago, however, there was still the chance to develop new techniques and explore new land.
The Words Of NFL Draft Picks Provide Clues To Their Personality

The Words Of NFL Draft Picks Provide Clues To Their Personality

May 13 2011 | comment(s)

Thankfully,the NFL Draft and all its hype is behind us.  The matchmaking is complete but the guessing game begins as to which team picked the right combination of athletic skill, mental toughness and leadership potential in their player selections.  Hundreds of hours of game film can be broken down to grade performance with X’s and O’s.  Objective athletic tests at the NFL combine rank the NCAA football draftees by speed and strengths, just as the infamous Wonderlic intelligence test tries to rank their brain power.