attn: overly educated nerds

Started by Joel, April 01, 2015, 12:45:54 PM

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The Dark Raven

Anatomic pathology

Medieval British history

Check my A/A | O/O | Patience is begged. Momma to Rainbow Babies and teetering toward the goal of published author. Tentatively taking new stories.

Oniya

I have to share this, and I think this thread would appreciate it.

The little Oni and I read almost every night.  It started with the typical children's books, and has moved up to Rick Riordan, Andre Norton, and Isaac Asimov.  The last was as the result of her asking me about black holes, and so I broke out my copy of 'The Collapsing Universe.'  She's shown a remarkable amount of retention on that one - a couple years back, she startled a presenter at an anime con by knowing the names of the four forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, and the strong and weak nuclear).  To be fair, the man was not a physicist, so I really gave him a pass.

This week, her gifted group took a trip to a local college to see lectures about science careers.  In one of them, the presenter got to the point of saying that 'Light travels in a straight line'.  Little Oni's hand went up.  'Actually, light is affected by gravity.'  (This should have been a cue to amend the claim, in my opinion, maybe mention space-time curvature and accept that the audience doesn't need as much 'help' as previously thought.)  Instead, the presenter plowed ahead with the 'straight line' insistence, saying that light was not affected by gravity. 

'But - that's how black holes work.  Light ends up going in circles around them because the gravity is so strong.'

Yeah... physics.  Always complicating things with the facts.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Inkidu

Of course, in a kind of recursive way it starts out straight and leaves a black hole straight. :)

Sure it bends around the gravity well, but it leaves in a galaxy-destroying display of deathray-dom. Did you get to quasars with her? :)

I think she'd get a kick out of quasars.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Oniya

I don't remember if that book covered quasars, although I think there may have been some information about them in Rudy Rucker's 'The Fourth Dimension'.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Wajin

No offence Oniya but for a second there, I was imagining your daughter as a little red ogre with wild black hair and horns :P

My daughter is currently working her way through Tolkien on her own, which I find admirable considering she's not even 6 yet <.<. It is in danish though, and she's been able to read danish a while now. Still, it's nice when she comes over and asks for the meaning of words, or the pronunciation of stuff. I've been reading her Harry Potter in japanese at night when she goes to bed so we can both get a little better at reading Kanji :P
I have taken the Oath of the Drake
"--But every sin...is punished, but punished by death, no matter the crime. No matter the scale of the sin. The people of the city live in silence, lest a single word earn them death for speaking out against you."

"Yes. Listen. Listen to the sound of raw silence. Is it not serene?"

Inkidu

This thread is too smart for me, this thread has children that are too smart for me...
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Wajin

Quote from: Inkidu on April 09, 2015, 08:09:05 AM
This thread is too smart for me, this thread has children that are too smart for me...

As comedian Jim Jeffries would say, my oldest is "Aspergers as fuck" as a result, she's not really doing so well with the other kids, she can't really relate to them
I have taken the Oath of the Drake
"--But every sin...is punished, but punished by death, no matter the crime. No matter the scale of the sin. The people of the city live in silence, lest a single word earn them death for speaking out against you."

"Yes. Listen. Listen to the sound of raw silence. Is it not serene?"

Inkidu

Quote from: A Japanese Dane on April 09, 2015, 08:14:20 AM
As comedian Jim Jeffries would say, my oldest is "Aspergers as fuck" as a result, she's not really doing so well with the other kids, she can't really relate to them
And now I feel bad. V__V
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Wajin

Quote from: Inkidu on April 09, 2015, 08:27:37 AM
And now I feel bad. V__V

Don't, I should have prefaced by saying that she's not quite normal :P Hell, I feel stupid next to her <.< but I am glad that she can shine. That we have given her the chance to show how fantastic she can be, how she can be as clever as she wants to be. I myself suffer from aspergers, or some autism spectrum disorder like she does, yet I was not encouraged to study and was challenged when I was young. Also, growing up in a multicultural home, with a lot of languages being thrown around all the time has naturally made her want to learn.
I have taken the Oath of the Drake
"--But every sin...is punished, but punished by death, no matter the crime. No matter the scale of the sin. The people of the city live in silence, lest a single word earn them death for speaking out against you."

"Yes. Listen. Listen to the sound of raw silence. Is it not serene?"

Oniya

Quote from: A Japanese Dane on April 09, 2015, 07:58:13 AM
No offence Oniya but for a second there, I was imagining your daughter as a little red ogre with wild black hair and horns :P

None taken :-)  I'm well aware of the implications of my nickname for her.  (The hair is actually brown, not sure if there are horns under there, and in her words, she 'is the purple Link.')

And Inki - we're all smart in different ways.  That bit you posted in the 'What are you reading' thread has really had me thinking this morning.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Inkidu

Quote from: Oniya on April 09, 2015, 09:12:52 AM
And Inki - we're all smart in different ways.  That bit you posted in the 'What are you reading' thread has really had me thinking this morning.
Thanks, but I'm not sure I said anything thought-worthy.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Oniya

My brain has been nibbling at the intersection of Orwell and Lovecraft.  It's kind of like salted caramel - you don't initially think the two things go together, until you actually put them together.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Inkidu

Quote from: Oniya on April 09, 2015, 09:36:43 AM
My brain has been nibbling at the intersection of Orwell and Lovecraft.  It's kind of like salted caramel - you don't initially think the two things go together, until you actually put them together.
Lovecraft might be the optimist by comparison. At least the Elder Gods will leave you alone unless you catch their interest.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Pumpkin Seeds

Doubt I qualify for the academia circuit but wanted to say I'm impressed with the two little ones mentioned.  Nice knowledge base being fostered there.

Kuroneko

*raises hand* I'm Kuroneko and I'm an academic. I'm an associate professor of costume design and makeup and just published my first textbook (I'm currently serving as the technical editor for another). I've spoken at conferences around the world on my personal research interest, which is traditional Japanese tattooing and other theatre related topics. I speak enough Japanese to get by. Though I still freelance professionally as a designer and makeup artist, before I was in academia my high paying day job was as a licensed massage therapist. I'm also a medical herbalist and have certification in Traditional Chinese Medicine. What can I say, I get bored easily.

I can easily geek out on fabric on all kinds, especially ancient Japanese textiles, weaving and dyeing methods, among other things, like literature, history, fashion and home and car repair >.> ...
Ons & Offs//Requests//Where is the Black Cat?
Current Posting Time - Once a Week or More

"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art" ~ Oscar Wilde
"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream" ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Cassandra LeMay

I am not really an academic, even in a broad sense of the word, as I only have a BA in Business Administration and studied Social Work for a few semester without ever finishing that. Aside from that I do read a good bit, but usually only introductory-level books without delving very deep into any single topic. Where I'd say I have a pretty good amateur knowledge are contract law and international commercial arbitration.

Oh, and since hardly anyone plays such an old game anymore it's not exactly useful knowledge, but when it comes to modding Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, I'm your man.  ;D
ONs, OFFs, and writing samples | Oath of the Drake

You can not value dreams according to the odds of their becoming true.
(Sonia Sotomayor)

Wajin

Quote from: Kuroneko on April 10, 2015, 10:15:08 PM
*raises hand* I'm Kuroneko and I'm an academic. I'm an associate professor of costume design and makeup and just published my first textbook (I'm currently serving as the technical editor for another). I've spoken at conferences around the world on my personal research interest, which is traditional Japanese tattooing and other theatre related topics. I speak enough Japanese to get by. Though I still freelance professionally as a designer and makeup artist, before I was in academia my high paying day job was as a licensed massage therapist. I'm also a medical herbalist and have certification in Traditional Chinese Medicine. What can I say, I get bored easily.

I can easily geek out on fabric on all kinds, especially ancient Japanese textiles, weaving and dyeing methods, among other things, like literature, history, fashion and home and car repair >.> ...

You should meet my grandma :P
I have taken the Oath of the Drake
"--But every sin...is punished, but punished by death, no matter the crime. No matter the scale of the sin. The people of the city live in silence, lest a single word earn them death for speaking out against you."

"Yes. Listen. Listen to the sound of raw silence. Is it not serene?"

Sir Percival the Gallant

#42
I have an MA in mediaeval studies, and wrote my thesis on chivalric culture and male identity in late mediaeval Europe as transmitted through romance (i.e. the literary genre). I’d like to return for a PhD in it someday, although whilst completing my degree, I became somewhat disillusioned with academia, specifically the use of critical theory in the liberal arts (I’m an old-school historicist). I’m thinking of becoming a librarian at this point, as I don’t think I could stomach being a professor.

Although I love mediaeval history above all, I enjoy a lot of topics across the liberal arts and social sciences. I have a pretty decent knowledge of the classics and a strong background in historical linguistics. I’m not especially good at philosophy, political science and economics, but interested in them (in moderation). I speak English and French fluently, and am in the process of learning German, and I have a reading knowledge of Latin, Old English, Old French and some Classical Greek, though I'd love to learn other languages modern (Welsh, Icelandic) and ancient (Old Norse, Sanskrit) and many more.

I also enjoy many topics in science. I originally wanted to be an astronomer as a kid, although that dream came to an end towards the end of my teenage years when I couldn’t handle the maths (calculus). However, I always enjoy looking at things in sky with a telescope and reading about new developments. Naturally, I’m looking forwards to New Horizons finally reaching Pluto this July. Planetary (and exoplanetary) geography is probably the topic that fascinates me most. Other science topics that interest me are metallurgy, and some topics in evolutionary biology.


Quote from: RubySlippers on April 01, 2015, 05:39:11 PM
Right now am bedridden so had to use my own modest library so am reading The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle, I own all his works got in fact an entire working library of the Western canon the library here sold them out for a dime each so said I would take ALL the books. All the great well ,male, minds of the West. I added other writers of course my collection is eclectic.

Okay, now I really envy you. At one point I wanted to compile a commonplace book of sorts of ideas and quotes from the classics and turn it into an app. I’d just love the ability to refer to great works and ideas in a moment like the way men of centuries past could.

WildCat

...because Plato frequently utilized his iPhone apps.
ONS and OFFS: Make Wildcat purr
Absence: Where's the cheshire Cat?

Don't want to lose track of crossrealms and my room

Caehlim

Quote from: WildCat on April 11, 2015, 01:39:42 PM
...because Plato frequently utilized his iPhone apps.

Plato had to leave the cave to get better reception, he didn't have enough bars in there to download apps off of the apple store.
My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.

WildCat

And if that man returned to the world of the iPhones, would not the iPeople think him insane?
ONS and OFFS: Make Wildcat purr
Absence: Where's the cheshire Cat?

Don't want to lose track of crossrealms and my room

VioletPanda

    Not sure if I count as a nerd, but let's see... Semi-fluent in French, 2 years of Japanese, working towards a BA history major with a concentration in Eastern Civ, which I will probably go back and do a Masters if time allows. I love fantasy stories and have tried teaching myself Elven/Elvish but then got distracted by Dwarven runes and LARPING (HECK YEAH) where I play an elven barbarian at a petite 4' 9-10. I go charging in with a foam sword that goes up to my armpit including the hilt.

  I'm trying to teach myself Italian and German, but I'm a bit distracted with work and going to school full time. :/
Current Muse: Meh, not super driven right now

My A/A PageMy O/Os

Oniya

Making a trip to DC this weekend to check out MathFest 2015
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Mikem

Well,

I'm a Highschool graduate with a 1.7 Grade Point Average. (That's a D- average)
I have no College Education.
I only have a total of eleven and a half months of being in the workforce.

However my passions during school was History and English. I loved learning the History of Humanity and the world, and I loved to read and write. I was even in an Honors World History class once.
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. So why not take the scenic route?"

My Ons & Offs

Chaosfox

I can Nerd.Geek out over certain things. I don't have a  Bachelors (ye) I made the mistake of getting sucked into ITT tech and finished an associates there would have done a bachelors program but the  campus I was  at  Had there heads up there ass. I tend to remember useless trivia though and other bits and pieces   of things...... I have way to many things I am interested in which is why I have tried to finish a full on bachelors since I left ITT.
There is no Order only Chaos and all the joys that it brings. 
This way too On's and Off's