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And Since You Mention SNAP,

Among others oozing angst about “democratic socialist” Zohran Mamdani’s election were two...

PAST AS PROLOGUE: An Engineering Legacy

1980s photo of the author, right; his father, center; and his sister, left....

Drugs, Crime, And… Homelessness?

A commenter contested my statement that gang murders are a much greater menace to public safety...

How Will Humans And Machines Live Together?

Everybody wonders what will happen with artificial intelligence (AI). Truly, it could go in any...

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Fred PhillipsRSS Feed of this column.

After a dozen years as a market research executive, Fred Phillips was professor, dean, and vice provost at a variety of universities in the US, Europe, and South America. He is now Visiting Professor... Read More »

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Just-in-Time And Its Hazards (Including “Illicit Wealth Transfers”)

Just-in-Time And Its Hazards (Including “Illicit Wealth Transfers”)

Aug 04 2009 | comment(s)

Last month New York’s Attorney-General Andrew Cuomo criticized banks – including Citi, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase – for paying large (okay, huge) executive bonuses when the companies were losing money.

He called this an illicit transfer of shareholder wealth to the pockets of individual managers. 

Cuomo’s report spurs me to tell you about a certain illicit transfer of taxpayer money to private pockets, one that’s been bothering me a lot... 

Apollo 11: What a difference an A makes

Apollo 11: What a difference an A makes

Jul 30 2009 | comment(s)

It’s 40 years this week since the Apollo astronauts landed on the moon. Analysis of the tapes shows that Neil Armstrong did say “small step for a man” – and not “small step for man” – though he said the “a” quickly and radio static obscured it.

As my small contribution to the space program, I’ll confirm that this can happen.
On The Fringe: An Editor’s Dilemma Raises Questions About The Future Of Science

On The Fringe: An Editor’s Dilemma Raises Questions About The Future Of Science

Jul 28 2009 | comment(s)

The tough editorial decision was behind us; the die had been cast.  Pre-prints of the controversial article and its invited rejoinder appeared on the publisher’s web site.  The same day, the Nicolas Cage movie Next opened in theaters. Those who believe in eerie coincidences will see one here.  Let me explain.