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Episode Twelve - What to read
In the final episode of this series, we talk about what to read to keep informed as a practicing academic. One nice tool is an aggregator. (I use NetNewsWire).
MindFeed: Fundmentalism in astronomy: article.
Music: “Pop Science” by Devin Anderson and “I could have loved you” by Robin Stine. All music fomr PodSafeAudio.com.
Epsiode Eleven - Multitasking and Time Scavenging
This week, we talk about multitasking and time scavenging. Multitasking is trying to do two things at one time and we talking a little about how the brain works, what works, and what doesn’t. We also discuss using those odd minutes by time scavenging.
MindFeed: Type 1a supernovea in Science, the dangers of fundamentalism in astronomy.
Music: “Pop Science” by Devin Anderson and “I could have loved you” by Robin Stine. All music fomr PodSafeAudio.com.
Episode Ten - Gadgets
There are lots of things around to help us get organized and stay on top of things: Palm Pilots, cell phones with infinite features, a huge number of programs for our computers. In this episode, we talk a little bit about taming all these helpers and making them actually work for us.
MindFeed: Norilsk, MiniBooNe, press release and paper and Gravity Probe B.
Music: “Again. Remember” by the Chris Mosely Trio, “Wired for Loud” by Dave Henderson and “Sweet Blossom” by Robin Stine. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Nine - Feeding the bad wolf
How much time do you spend feeding the bad wolf? The bad wolf is that thing inside us that feeds on ill feelings. Feeding the bad wolf leads to distraction, brooding and neglect of those things that are good for us. It leads to disconnection with those large things we want to achieve. In this episode, we talk a little about how to how avoid feeding the bad wolf and how to stop if you have started.
MindFeed: Relative scales, Renaissance painting analysis (who’s who) and thresholds in epidemics.
Music: “Butt Quake” by Commander Yo and “Day Dream” by Stine. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Eight - Stuff
Our lives can explode with all the things we try to stuff into them. Just in your office: books, papers, manuals, discs, computer things… That’s not including the virutal world inside your computer. The key is to deal with all of it as it comes in and make a place for it all to go.
MindFeed: LHC magnet problem, LHC Physics Survey, CERN Public Website, Katrina and Rita and Hyperlenses.
Music: ” Pequeña Serenata Noct.” by Rebaza, “Chicago Hope (theme)” by Deyo and “Baby Boomer Blues” by horseski. All music from Pod Safe Audio.
Episode Seven - Email
Email is probably the most important tool computers and networks have brought it. The protocols for using are still evolving, so it is worth a little thought. Does email replace the post or the phone? What are the right things to send by email? Where should you store your email? This week we take up these things, as well as expanding on the email tool as a notebook or to do list.
Mindfeed: Modified Newtonian Dynamics, modeling the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field, commercially availible quantum computer, quantum optics, NASA lack of science.
Episode Six - Putting things together
A little review of Episodes 1-5 five and how things should fit together at this point.
MindFeed: Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboraotry (DUSEL).
Music: “Wind Chimes” and “Cool Blast” by Kevin McLeod (incompetech.com)”
Episode Five - Calendars and Meetings
Calendars are pretty obvious, so I just talk about a few other things. But meetings, ugh! I talk about some simple rules to keep them from taking all your time.
Mindfeed: thermodynamics and life on Mars, studying the paranormal in the lab and graphene.
Music: “Gypsie Blues (the jig is up)” by midliFeCrisis, “Social Formation” by The Bob Dolomites and “Another Day, Another Dollar” by Bob Maus.
Episode Four - To Do
Your two hundred daily tasks are guided by your list of things To Do. You may actually have a physical list, use a computer utility or just remember. We talk about how to make the To Do more flexible and relevant by actually making several lists for different contexts and people, keeping in mind the To Do list connects your projects to your daily tasks.
The Mind Feed: multitasking, value of standardized testing, rings around SN1987A, atmospheres of extrasolar planets and DOE office of Science Memo and response.
Music: “Dilbert’s Blues” by Daveski, “A Lonely Dance” by DASJAMBO and “A Girl Named October” by one blue nine”. All music from PodSafe Audio
Episode Three - Projects
The big picture connects with your daily tasks through projects. I think of a project as a series of tasks with a clear, attainable goal; you should know when a project is done. Typically, I think of a project as spanning some amount of time between a few days and a few months. Last week, we talked about buckets, which empty into projects and the weekly review, during which time you take a look at all your projects and see how they are doing. Your projects feed your to do list, next week’s topic.
This week’s MindFeed: the humming of the Earth, dissing the Linear Collider, fusing bubbles and crop strain storage.
Music: “We gotta go” by David Henderson, “Zombie” by Devin Anderson, “I ain’t sorry” by Circle in a Square. All music may be downloaded free from PodSafe Audio.
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