Since I can find no previous mention on Terry, I thought I’d share one of my favourite webcomics. Hark, A Vagrant!, by Canadian Kate Beaton is in many ways to the Humanities what XKCD is to science and engineering (with suitably better illustrations).
In fact, one improvement is that Beaton, a History and Anthropology graduate from Mount Allison University, often accompanies her comics with a blog post explaining the obscure historical references sent up, so while laughing at her witty and hilarious illustrations, you can often learn something, too. Also, in true Terry spirit, she often pens works which deal with the history of science:
So if you’ve got some time after (or while) studying for midterms, why not start from the beginning?
I have to write to register my displeasure at your coverage of the Ignatieff talk, namely how it focuses almost exclusively on the rather embarrassing display by Greenpeace, while ignoring the much more important and interesting discussions which occurred during the hour and a half. Amongst other things, an image captions reads “Jessie Schwarz leads the audience in a loud chant protesting the tar sands”. It should be obvious to anyone who was there, or even anyone who has simply seen a video of the event that “Jessie Schwarz” did not “lead the audience” in anything. Jessie Schwartz lead a small fringe group in a rather pathetic chant which was soon drowned out by the vast majority of attendees who were more interested in hearing Ignatieff’s response to the question asked than witnessing yet another juvenile stunt pulled by one of UBC’s many unrealistic fringe groups.
I attended Ignatieff’s talk with no prior opinions regarding the man, but I left rather impressed at how he responded to tough questions honestly, while making no apologies for the hard facts which must be acknowledged, and yet again disgusted at how a mature, respectful attempt at dialogue can be hijacked by a small group of juveniles with an axe to grind. When will UBC’s fringe groups cease pulling this kind of childish stunt? My guess is not before the Ubyssey ceases giving them legitimacy by providing them with more coverage than their impotent attempts at advocacy deserve.
As the latest in our Terry obsession with Science-Inspired Music, check out Jim Bumgardner’s “Wheel of Stars”
Image: European Space Agency/Hubble
To make this, I downloaded public data from Hipparcos, a satellite launched by the European Space Agency in 1989 that accurately measured over a hundred thousand stars. The data I downloaded contains position, parallax, magnitude, and color information, among other things.
…
As the stars cross zero and 180 degrees, indicated by the center line, the clock plays an individual note, or chime for each star. The pitch of the chime is based on the star’s BV measurement (which roughly corresponds to color or temperature). The volume is based on the star’s magnitude, or apparent brightness, and the stereo panning is based on the position on the screen (use headphones to hear it better).
Jim has a series of other fascinating projects blending mathematics and geometry with music, including the Whitney Music Box.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks (or buried in textbooks, as the case might more likely be), you’ve probably heard about a the case of a group of hackers stealing and releasing emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit. This has kicked off a ludicrous knee-jerk reaction from climate-change deniers who want so badly for there to be a conspiracy that, apparently, they neglected to actually read the emails. YouTuber potholer54 convincingly demolishes the only “examples of fraud” which have thus far emerged (linked here via Pharangula):
(incidentally, potholer54, who’s channels stated goal is to “explain in simple terms the conclusions of scientific research and correct some of the unsourced crap you get fed on the Internet” has a great series of videos on cosmology, biology, and climate change)
There is a larger question here, which is about the constant assertions of a “scientific conspiracy” which is so often levelled by anti-scientific types of many stripes: be it Climate Change deniers, Intelligent Design, or Anti-Vacciners. I’ve always wondered how these “conspiracies” are supposed to work. As the above video puts it, are we really supposed to believe that thousands of independent researchers are collaborating to fake results, hide counter-evidence, and tie all their “fake” data together in such a way as to tell a convincing story and beguile the unwitting populace? Add to this the fact that for a scientist, one of the best career moves you could make, to ensure your name would forever be entered in the annals of history, would be to convincingly overturn the dominant theory of your day. If there were really good scientific grounds by which to doubt these “conspiracies” we should expect researchers to be clambering over one-another to be the first to prove it, and the evidence to be pouring in. E pur si muove!
Also, I’ve always thought that if I were going to go to the trouble of orchestrating a giant conspiracy involving thousands of researchers and a monumental (impossible?) effort to suppress dissent and fake the evidence, I’d choose something a bit more… sexy than Climate Change, or Vaccines. Maybe I’d have my evil Ph.D-wielding minions brainwash the hoi polloi into believing that first-contact had been made with an extra-terrestrial civilization and we must begin colonizing our solar system – that would be a great way to kick-start the space program again. Or maybe I’d convince people that a new “super-caste” of humans had evolved, with superior capabilities in telepathy, empathy, and responsible fiscal policy, and that I was one. That would be a good way to ensure the continued dominance of my Evil, Science-Wielding Liberal Empire of Doom.
So I ask you, Terry readers, if you had control of a massive, complex conspirational network of thousands of researchers, what would YOU have them trick the unwitting populace into believing?
After last night’s message from UBC V-Day, I returned home today to find an altogether more happy surprise:
Dear UBC V-Day Mailing List,
We apologize for flooding your inbox. We would like to address an email that was sent out last night concerning a letter sent to us by the AMS President. As an AMS club the controversial issues involving the council of the AMS effect us, too. We feel that it is important for students to be involved in expressing their opinions and views. We apologize for initially presenting only one side of the debate. This was the first email we’d received on the issue, and now that we’ve received alternate viewpoints we wish for you to have those as well. We continue to maintain a non-partisan stance on this issue as a club. We simply wish for students to take a stand and get involved.
However, we understand that this issue is not directly link to V-Day or any issues of violence against women. For this reason we also apologize. If you would no longer like to receive emails about other issues on campus or abroad that are not directly linked to our mandate, let us know and we will refrain from sending those types of emails in the future.
We sincerely hope that we did not cause anyone distress and we would love to hear your feedback so that we can continue to learn and develop our communication.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ahna, Chrissy, and Lau
UBC V-DAY Coordinators 2010
This was accompanied by this email:
As per our non-partisan stance in regards to UBC politics, here is another view on this controversial issue. We stress that UBC V-Day remains neutral on this issue, but does encourage you to get involved!
The following is a letter from Councilors of the AMS:
Fellow students;
As you heard yesterday, your AMS has initiated proceedings to remove President and the VP External Affairs. We would like to say, first and foremost, that this debate has neverbeen about tuition. This is about democracy and representation. When the executives filed a Human Rights Complaint to the United Nations alleging that Canada and BC are violating human rights by allowing a 2% increase in tuition, they did this without consulting either the Student Council, or students at large.
Your Student Society is governed by a student council made up of representatives from each Faculty. It is their job to make sure that what the AMS does is representative of your student voice. The UN Human Rights Complaint from Council should have been brought through AMS committees. We feel council cannot tolerate rogue actions by executives when they are purported to be on behalf of the student body.
The executives never initiated a debate in Council about tuition policy, and instead spoke without the approval of your representatives. We feel this is an affront to your right to democratic representation. We could have had this debate months ago, but Blake and Tim never brought it forward. We feel we can’t continue trust them to respect your representation on Council.
If you believe that we should stand up to executives overstepping their bounds and misrepresenting the students of UBC,
2. Come to the meeting tomorrow (6:00 PM in Council Chambers, SUB 206) and demand accountability from your student executive.
3. Email your representatives.Sincerely Yours; Concerned Councilors of the AMS
I am very happy that my concerns have been addressed and that the system works. I was never angry at UBC V-Day as an organization, just at Blake for going through such a channel to communicate his lies. Here is my response to UBC V-Day:
Ahna, Chrissy and Lau,
Thank you very much for this response. I realize that you did not intend to cause any damage with this action and I respect your honesty and forthrightness in responding to my concerns. I wish you the best of luck with your organization’s efforts this year, and I look forward to attending this year’s Vagina Monologues.
Another shocking development in the sad affair which is the Frederick/Chu AMS Scandal. This evening I received this email from UBC V-Day, the group behind The Vagina Monologues on campus, and an advocacy group against gender-based violence:
AMS Student Union to Decide Tuition Policy
Fellow students,
If you are not already aware, your AMS Student Council is seeking to impeach your elected AMS President, Blake Frederick and Vice-President of External Affairs, Tim Chu who are taking action against the high cost of education. The current AMS Student Council policy is that it is acceptable for tuition to increase by up to two percent each year. Your President and Vice-President of External Affairs were elected on a mandate and made a commitment to lobby for lower tuition and are now seeking to change the official tuition policy of the AMS, but we need your feedback.
If you want to make your voice heard on the cost of education, you should take three actions:
1) Email your Council representatives and let them know what you think about tuition fees (see email list below).
2) Write an email under 300 words for the Ubyssey student newspaper and send it to feedback@ubyssey.ca before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2009.
3) Attend the AMS Council meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in SUB room 206 and make your voice heard.
The AMS needs your input so that we can decide together on how to move our student union forward.
Sincerely,
Blake Frederick
President
AMS Student Union
* We have been asked to pass on this message. UBC VDay does not take a particular side on this issue, however, we do encourage students to be involved in their community and ensure that their voices are heard on matters of importance
I cannot believe that Blake Frederick could find another way to sink even further. I am so angry that a club like UBC V-Day would allow itself to be abused as a vector for such a partisan political statement, which has nothing to do with their purpose.
The following is an open letter I sent as a response:
To UBC VDAY,
I fully support the UBC V-Day organization, and think what you do is an amazing and important part of UBC. I have attended the Vagina Monologues many times, and am friends with several current and former members of the club. However, I must express my utter shock and disappointment that you would allow your club email to be used as a vector to spread partisan messages about a sensitive political issue on campus which has NOTHING TO DO with the purpose of your club. You claim that “UBC VDay does not take a particular stance on this issue”, but by allowing Mr. Frederick to use your club as a vector, you have allowed him to once again cast this as an issue of tuition, again attempting to deflect attention to the real reason for his being asked to resign, which is his consistant and repeated abuses of power and the democratic process (of which this email is yet another example). By allowing him to send email through you, you are implicitly endorsing his position.
I must say I am extremely disappointed that a club such as yours, which is a valuable and extremely important part of UBC, would allow itself to be abused in this way.
Sincerely,
Nicholas FitzGerald
To UBC VDAY,
I fully support the UBC V-Day organization, and think what you do is an amazing and important part of UBC. I have attended the Vagina Monologues many times, and am friends with several current and former members of the club. However, I must express my utter shock and disappointment that you would allow your club email to be used as a vector to spread partisan messages about a sensitive political issue on campus which has NOTHING TO DO with the purpose of your club. You claim that “UBC VDay does not take a particular stance on this issue”, but by allowing Mr. Frederick to use your club as a vector, you have allowed him to once again cast this as an issue of tuition, again attempting to deflect attention to the real reason for his being asked to resign, which is his consistant and repeated abuses of power and the democratic process (of which this email is yet another example). By allowing him to send email through you, you are implicitly endorsing his position.
I must say I am extremely disappointed that a club such as yours, which is a valuable and extremely important part of UBC, would allow itself to be abused in this way.
Sincerely,
Nicholas FitzGerald
This is not, and never has been, an issue about tuition. It is an issue about two executive who have continuously abused their power, and the democratic process. I said as much as last Saturday’s council meeting:
It seems like science-inspired music is a common theme around here. Discover Magazine recently announced the winners of their “Evolution in Two Minutes” video contest. Top-pick went to this rock-anthem by Fresno, California high-school teacher Scott Hatfield.
The rest of the top-5 are here, along with a message from the contest’s judge, internet science-blog polemic PZ Myers.
The other day I opened my pride-and-joy to discover, horror of horrors, a Matrix-like green splotch of dead pixels, precipitated by a large crack in the LCD. Apparently my almost total disregard for the well-being of my electronic devices is not without its consequences.
Although the patches of dead pixels are relatively small, when the screen itself is only 8.9″, that’s a significant chunk of screen real-estate! Now, the good thing about netbooks is that they are relatively cheap, but not quite cheap enough to treat like disposable appliances! So I began to search for a replacement screen, and to my great pleasure found a company selling super-cheap authentic replacement screens based in Vancouver: ScreenCountry.com, where I was able to buy a screen, complete with shipping, for about $90. And it arrived within 36 hours of me ordering!
Now everywhere I read said that replacing LCD screens is a simple process, but for the life of me I couldn’t find any guides for the Acer Aspire One. But being an enterprising sort of chap I thought I’d dive in anyways, and hopefully pass on my wisdom to others who might find themselves in a similar predicament. The process is really simple and doesn’t require any technical skill beyond a steady hand. Here, then, without further ado are the steps needed to replace the LCD on you Acer Aspire One:
Disclaimer: This is an easy process, but by providing these instructions I accept no liability for damage to your netbook which might result from your attempts to follow these instructions.
Before you do any of this, make sure to turn off the computer and remove the battery!
The screen is flanked by 6 rubber tabs which mask the screws which hold the LCD in place, illustrated below. These need to be removed – scraping them off with a flat-head screwdriver or something similar (even your fingernail) will do the trick. Keep these somewhere safe to be reapplied later if you wish.
Now that the screws are exposed they should be removed. Make sure to user a properly sized screwdriver and to apply enough force to ensure you don’t strip the screws. Make sure to keep the screws in a safe place for later use.
The next thing to do is remove the black plastic sheath surrounding the screen (the part with Acer written on it). Pry it from the backing section by inserting a flat-head screwdriver or something similar. It need to be popped out near the bottom (where the screen attaches to the body of the netbook), but should pop right out. Just be careful not to crack the plastic. Once this is removed the LCD screen and its attachments will be exposed.
The LCD is attached by four screw brackets, circled above. Each of these brackets have two screws, and for a bent L-shape. Remove ONLY the screw attached to the actual LCD, leaving the bracket attached to the netbook. Do this for all four brackets. Make sure to keep these screws seperate to those which were around the edge of the plastic as they are a different size.
Now that the screws have been removed the LCD can be lifted off the back plate. This will make it apparent that the LCD is attached by three sets of wires to three plastic clips. These clips, which are shown below, need to be removed. The replacement LCD will have it’s own set of clips which will be attached in the same manner to the wires from the computer.
Now out with the old (LCD) and in with the new! Attach the wires of the new LCD in the same manner that the old was attached, slide it into place, and replace the screws through the side brackets. You can then reattach the plastic edge around the LCD, using a screwdriver to pop the plastic tabs at the bottom into place (see picture below), and replace the six screws around the side. If you have the right sort of glue (Im not sure what this is…) you can reattach the rubber tabs too, but I didn’t bother – I kinda like the look of the visible screws!
Now the new LCD should work! wOOt!
All done! Now all I need to do is think of something cool to do with the old, slightly damaged LCD. Any ideas?
This blog is an aggregation of my writing on other sites, as well as a few extra personal entries. Clicking on a post will take you to the original location of the article (complete with comments).
