NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen has leaped into the headlines after he made allegations that he was subjected to political pressure to keep him from expressing his findings on global climate change. Dr. Hansen, director of the agency’s Goddard Institute … Continue reading
Every independent learner, hobbyist scholar, or amateur scientist eventually has to come to grips with something that our friends in the art community have known for a long time: by and large, nobody gives a damn about what you are … Continue reading
Over the course of the last year or two I’ve become a fervent believer in the power of “projects” as an avenue to learning. Theory can take you quite a ways, but there is nothing quite like actually diggin into … Continue reading
For anyone with an interest in learning, there is always the lurking question in the back of their mind: “Can I do this? Am I smart enough?†The traditional classroom, has a whole support structure to reinforce the idea that … Continue reading
You hear a lot in journalism about “balance†in the news, where reporters present each side of an issue. But in recent years more and more journalists are reluctant to actually render a judgment on what gets said. The art … Continue reading
If civilizations have a soul, in my opinion it is to be found in their libraries. Among those who study ancient history directly, i.e., archaeologists, few finds are more prized than something with writing on it. And if you are … Continue reading
Throughout my college career and ever since then I’ve been fascinated by the way professors and other men and women of learning organize their studies. Some would say that makes me a connoisseur of office chaos, and I’ve seen enough … Continue reading
One of my all-time favorite American writers and thinkers is Henry David Thoreau. I first encountered him in small doses during High School back in the years when “anti-establishment” thinking was the mental subliminal hum of an entire generation. Throughout … Continue reading
One of the biggest problems with learning in the classroom is that the classroom exists as a place unto itself. Most of them are very generic. The best ones are furnished with audio and video gear, have comfortable desks and … Continue reading
“Distance learning” is going from a buzzword to a household name, which is amusing to anyone who is at all familiar with the history of “correspondence schools”. The Internet has simply added a lot of electronic muscle to an idea … Continue reading