Debate / dialogue

23 03, 2016

In Canada, the liberal arts are still relevant (iPolitics)

By |2016-03-23T08:53:15-04:00March 23rd, 2016|2016, Debate / dialogue, Economics, Employment, Everything Else, History, March, News, STEM, U.S. / Canada|0 Comments

In Canada, the liberal arts are still relevant, for their relationship with STEM fields fosters innovation and enterprise. From the post: A March 2016 report from The Business Council of Canada surveyed 90 Canadian employers who said when hiring entry-level employees, skills in teamwork, communication, problem-solving and collaboration were more sought-after than technical expertise. (with thanks to [...]

22 03, 2016

Lao-Tzu advises Confucius on the art of life and ruling

By |2016-03-22T20:04:51-04:00March 22nd, 2016|2016, Debate / dialogue, Literature, March, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes|0 Comments

In a political season, Daoist thinking on keeping the measure of things. ------------------ Whoever thinks what matters is to get rich is incapable of renouncing salary. Whoever thinks what matters is to get famous is incapable of renouncing reputation. Whoever is too fond of sway over others is incapable of letting another man take the [...]

8 03, 2016

Obsessing about STEM (Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post)

By |2016-03-06T15:46:58-05:00March 8th, 2016|2016, Academia, Arts, Debate / dialogue, Employment, Europe, Everything Else, History, Language, Medicine, News, Philosophy, Politics, science, STEM, Technology, U.S. / Canada|0 Comments

Obsessing about STEM: America seems entranced by STEM education, at the expense of our future, which requires more agile ways of thinkings that the humanities and liberal arts provide. "The United States has led the world in economic dynamism, innovation and entrepreneurship thanks to exactly the kind of teaching we are now told to defenestrate. A [...]

6 03, 2016

The Clarion Call for STEM (New York Times)

By |2016-11-02T11:52:14-04:00March 6th, 2016|2016, Academia, Debate / dialogue, Economics, Employment, Everything Else, Language, March, News, Philosophy, Politics, STEM, Technology|0 Comments

The clarion call for STEM: state legislatures and politicians -- from both parties -- stress education in the sciences, rather than in the humanities and arts: taxpayers should subsidize, the argument goes, those courses of study most likely to produce better taxpayers. "When it comes to dividing the pot of money devoted to higher education, [...]

27 02, 2016

Math and science are liberal arts (Cecilia Gaposchkin, The Conversation)

By |2016-11-02T11:52:15-04:00February 27th, 2016|2016, Academia, Debate / dialogue, Employment, Everything Else, February, News, Philosophy, STEM, Technology, U.S. / Canada|0 Comments

The liberal arts include the sciences, and the sciences make use of the approaches the humanities bring to observation and inquiry.  The author writes: The idea that STEM is something separate and different than the liberal arts is damaging to both the sciences and their sister disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The value of a liberal [...]

19 02, 2016

History and nemesis, the natural and moral sciences

By |2016-11-02T11:52:15-04:00February 19th, 2016|2016, Debate / dialogue, Everything Else, February, History, Philosophy, Politics, Quotes, U.S. / Canada, Writing|0 Comments

Thoughts of Frederick Douglass on finding the trajectory of moral and social justice in the course of history. There is, in the world's government, a force which has in all ages been recognized, sometimes as Nemesis, sometimes as the judgment of God and sometimes as retributive justice; but under whatever name, all history attests the [...]

6 02, 2016

Mathematical and intuitive minds

By |2016-02-06T15:45:44-05:00February 6th, 2016|2016, Debate / dialogue, Europe, Everything Else, February, Philosophy, Quotes, STEM|0 Comments

Thus the reason why certain intuitive minds are not mathematical is that they are quite unable to apply themselves to the principles of mathematics, but the reason why mathematicians are not intuitive is that they cannot see what is in front of them: for, being accustomed to the clearcut, obvious principles of mathematics and to [...]

2 02, 2016

A Dream of Cicero

By |2016-02-03T13:14:43-05:00February 2nd, 2016|2016, Academia, Debate / dialogue, Europe, Everything Else, February, History, Language, Literature, Observations|0 Comments

A Dream of Cicero   Marbles: What’s wrong, Swan? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Swan: I have! I had a crazy dream last night I met Cicero. Marbles: You’re kidding. You’ve been reading your books too much. Swan: As little as I can, in fact, with all my teaching. I don’t have time [...]

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