Jimmy Carter's new solar panels

After a week in which we used the original Jimmy Carter solar panels to experiment with solar energy in my physics lab, news arrived that President Carter has gotten himself some new ones.

This made me very happy, and I'm very pleased for Mr. Carter.

Here's the news article to go along with the movie.

I don't have any pictures of us using the original panels for Wednesday's lab. Several students took pictures, though, so perhaps one of you could send some in. In the meantime, here's an older picture of the same experiment.



And here's a link to the one we sent to the Smithsonian.

Washington vs. Trump oral arguments (for ESS)

The Academy strikes back

This:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/opinion/american-universities-must-take-a-stand.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

And this, for debate this week in faculty meeting:

MOTION:  The faculty endorses the following resolution and requests that the administration make it known to the public.

A resolution from Unity College faculty reaffirming our shared values

Whereas the President of the United States has appointed individuals to positions of power who have denied the widespread scientific consensus on climate change, promoted untruthfulness in public discourse, and endorsed racism, misogyny and religious bigotry; and,

Whereas these appointments violate principles at the core of Unity College’s mission, regardless of our individual political values; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that the Unity College faculty

1. commit ourselves to the scientific method and the principles of objective inquiry based on fact and reason. Science is essential to the ways we analyze, understand, and solve the most difficult challenges that we all face. The denial of science and reason does harm to our society, our species, and the world we depend on;

2. reject every form of bigotry, discrimination, hateful rhetoric, and hateful action. For anyone in our region who may feel fear or oppression, our doors are open and we are ready to help. We pledge to work with everyone – students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community members – to defend these principles today and in the times ahead; and

3. commit ourselves to listen respectfully, empathize with others, and take actions to promote this value in our community and the wider world. As an academic institution, we have a responsibility to provide a safe and welcoming space for expressions of intellectual, political, identity, and philosophical difference. We consider our differences to be our strength. As public citizens, we believe this nation has the same responsibility.

Who doesn't love Hans Rosling?

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ESS assignment on authoritative news sources

The purpose of this assignment is to give you practice in evaluating and choosing authoritative and factual sources of news. This assignment is a make up for a class meeting I must miss (on February 7th) and worth five points extra credit for the class as a whole.

1. Pick a recent national news story.
2. Identify three comparable sources that cover the story around the same time period (within a day or two, more if it's a slow-moving story). 
3. One should be from a news outlet generally considered "serious," "mainstream," and independent, the other two should be from outlets that have a partisan slant. One of the two should have a right-wing slant, the other a left-wing slant.
4. Compare the three articles in a short essay of between two hundred and three hundred words. Explain how the different sources slant the news. What techniques do they use to spin their story to their biased audience?
5. Talk to me if you do not know how to choose the sources. (But part of the assignment is to research whether or not the sources are indeed generally considered biased.)
6. Submit the essay and the three sources. Submissions should be via email. Microsoft Word is probably the easiest software to write the essay in. You don't have to paste in your sources. You can use Word to "hot-link" sources and any other bibliography at the end of your essay (to hot-link, highlight, then use control-K or command-K in MS Word).

Due Friday 10th February via email

Ancient windmills built of mud and straw and wood, still operational