Monthly Archives: March 2013

I’m Not a Monkey

There’s a delicate balance between teaching and learning; between giving instruction and taking over the task. And it takes a nimble soul to figure out when to let someone falter or fail. A student sent an email recently to make … Continue reading

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Revenge of the Machine

When I read about machines that can learn, my mind flew from science to science fiction. Can machines really learn? I always thought that’s what they meant by intelligent design–that machines were programmed to respond intelligently to new stimuli.

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Defining Race

The conversation turned to race. My talk Wednesday at the Newberry focussed on Native and scientific perspectives, particularly over Kennewick Man–the 9300-year-old skeleton discovered in the Columbia River. During the question and answer session one guest asked if Kennewick Man … Continue reading

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Fire in the Brain

One life-changing moment arrived when my poor grades in science resulted in a letter home to my parents. As I confessed in a post penned weeks ago, my parents waved away my argument that girls don’t need science or math. … Continue reading

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Science of Thought

My days are full of epiphanies and ah-hah moments, often because I learn something new and I’m piqued. Sometimes the epiphany arrives like the UPS delivery chap who knocks on the wrong door. Like the package I can’t keep, the … Continue reading

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