I saw that, and was very interested in it, but was concerned about the many reviews questioning his accuracy. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
Bleh. Just as Feynman laughed off the social sciences as not really science, I do the same with computer science. So called "computer science" is why a forum titled "Science and Technology" has 978 threads about how to how to use you Wii for better orgasms and 1 thread about biology, which slowly falls into thread oblivion after 1 reply.
No, that's the 'technology' part of the forum description. Computer Science is rather more narrowly defined.
It will sound like an obvious suggestion, but I found good ol' wiki quite informative and usually accurate when I wanted to read something outside my fiend of expertise. I wouldn't use it in one of my papers, of course, but it's not bad as general knowledge goes. Also, it allows you more freedom to jump from link to link instead of taking you into a pre-set journey like a book.
Right, a couple of science threads that usually get 4 "that's cool" replies before they die. There are 17x as many tech threads. It will be what most people want it to be, that's fine, but it makes me think "awh shucks" because I love the science part and the tech part, PARTICULARLY comptuer tech, bores the everlivingshit out of me. I don't care about your iPatch, I really don't. Other pepople do, that's fine, and I'm not saying people can't talk about their iPatch all they want. Just sucks for me (and I imagine a couple others) about how little science is in "Science and Tech". I did a whole rant about it in TNZ last year.
I know, but really funny for a forum that starts with the word "Science". It's like we have a forum called "Beans and Weenies" and all people ever talk about is weenies.
One way to change that status quo is to start science topics yourself. Science that's new and interesting often gets posted in misc, which leaves us with: - old science, which we already know and have no reason to talk about. - uninteresting science, which nobody wants to talk about. - regular stuff, like news of the latest shuttle launch... which I happen to find uninteresting. - non-science, which we moderate out. - hypotheticals, which have a history of drawing a crowd of critics and/or flames.
Yeah, Wiki's good, and I can spend (and have spent) hours going from link to link, I'm just concerned with the free editing nature.
I know what you mean, that's one of my definitions of a perfect afternoon (some others involve vanilla-scented candles, massage oils, and chocolate cream... ). I understand, but I've found it's pretty solid when dealing with garden-variety science.
That's true. Although when it comes to wasting time and following up on links, that award has to go to Cracked.com. HUGE time waster.
Yep, TVTropes can keep me reading a while, too. Jesus, it's no wonder I can't get anything done! Damn you, internets!
I'm sure it has some sort of magic time-dilation effect going on. I can spend 30 minutes reading articles and then suddenly it's 4 hours later... WTF, internet?
This forum actually helps me, my education came from GA and I just graduated and I feel the same way as you do. This helps.
Oh, I think you're probably totally right (probably totally?). Don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining about it, I'm just getting in a quick whine. Don't know if you were part, but I made a big TNZ thread about this about a year ago, and after that I actually did try starting a thread or two a week in here, but only one or two ever caught on for more that 3-5 posts. So, I figured I'd attack it another way, and add my voice to just about every sciencie thread I saw, regardless of how much that particular subject actually interested me. That's how threads balloon, right? The replies can become exponential. But not much luck that way, either. I gave it a shot. But now I do just what you said, I'll start one I want in MISC. Can't do it too often though, people get pissy at you if you start too many grown up-themed threads in the middle of the "Talk about you winkie" and "Is bread pudding the seed of Satan?" threads. I should probably join different fora/boards to get what I really want, but I still have that thing in my head about joining too many interent things. I don't want to be the 21st century version of the old lady with 87 cats all named after Bible characters. And yes, bread pudding is the seed of Satan. Nasty, nasty stuff.
I call it Burking. As in "Connections". Everyone hates it, and there's no way in hell it will catch on, but dammit, I like it!