Wrong Answer by Rachel Aviv(Annals of Education)
Hal Harris | Mon, 07/28/2014 - 15:35
In an era of high-stakes testing, a struggling school made a shocking choice.
Content
(New Math) - (New Teaching) =Failure by Elizabeth Green
Hal Harris | Tue, 07/29/2014 - 11:36
Parents are rebelling against the Common Core, even though its approach - fostering intuition through real-world examples - is the best way to teach math to kids. The real problem: No one has shown the teachers how to teach it.
Seeds of Doubt (Annals of Science) by MIchael Specter
Hal Harris | Fri, 09/19/2014 - 15:14
An activist's controversial crusade against genetically modified crops neglects the truth
"What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions" by Randall Munroe
Hal Harris | Wed, 11/05/2014 - 15:52
xkcd is a nerdy Internet daily cartoon that is written and drawn by a former NASA "roboticist". The subject matter is all over the map [yesterday's (11/4/14) is about TypographicChemistry], but tends to favor physics and computing. He encourages readers of the cartoon strip to send him outrageous questions, and he supplies outrageous but scientifically accurate responses. Some of the best of these have be come a surprising NYT Best Seller.
The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children, by Katherine Stewart
Hal Harris | Wed, 01/21/2015 - 15:40
Christian conservatives are capitalizing on a Supreme Court decision that allows them to use public schools to evangelize children and even to establish churches in school buildings.
Material Question (Annals of Innovation) by John Colapinto
Hal Harris | Fri, 01/23/2015 - 15:15
Graphene may be the most remarkable substance ever discovered. But what's it for?
"Moving To Mars: Preparing for the Longest, Loneliest Voyage Ever" by Paul Kizzia
Hal Harris | Thu, 04/23/2015 - 11:54
Even if they can overcome the physical and medical challenges of a year-long (one-way) space trip to Mars, will humans be able to bear the psychological stress?
Project Exodus
Hal Harris | Mon, 06/01/2015 - 16:34
Critical reviews of "Beyond" by Chris Impey, "How We'll Live on Mars" by Stephen L. Petranek, "Exploration and Engineering: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Quest for Mars" by Erik M. Conway, by Elizabeth Kolbert.
"All The Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Hal Harris | Tue, 07/28/2015 - 15:32
This book is not about chemistry, and it probably is the most "literary" book that I have written about in these pages. It is a beautiful story about the lives of a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, who escapes during the Nazi occupation of France with her father, the master locksmith of the Paris Museum of Natural History, to St.
"Sad Pink Monkey Blues" by Hamilton Morris
Hal Harris | Wed, 09/30/2015 - 14:15
Amfolenic acid is a dangerous, addictive stimulant, with a fascinating, colorful chemical history.