a-cubed.info

Of course my background as a science fiction fan had an influence on my decision to move from my original research field of computer mathematics into information ethics. This new professional interest has been reflected back in my personal social life, in particular in appearances on panels at conventions discussing surveillance in fiction and reality and other information ethics topics. I’ve wanted to bring the SF into the professional side for a while but saw few opportunities, other than the GikII conference. Last year I put a lecture on Surveillance in Science Fiction into my Information Ethics module, including setting one student an essay on this topic. This year I’m doing the same with the Information Society module – though only because the one student taking that module this term is studying American Literature as their main course and as they’re the only student I can adjust the content somewhat to suit the student’s background. I’ve managed to stick another little bit of SF into another of my modules as well. In the session on digital entertainment in the Social, Legal and Ethical Aspects of Computing module, which includes video/computer games as well as TV and other digitised entertainment, I’ve set the discussion topic (which leads to a student presentation and essay) on Alternate Reality Gaming and hence set Halting State by Charles Stross and This Is Not A Game by Walter Jon Williams as follow-up reading.

Another example of the contempt with which people in business hold educators, at all levesl, came up in this Diverse Issues in Higher Education article. The most telling phrase was Change the Equation Board Chairman Craig Barrett’s statement that “suggested making sure that math and science teachers have mastery of their subjects, and that more is done to relax teacher licensing requirements so that accomplished individuals from STEM fields can teach math and science.” SO, the way to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education is by removing licensing requirements which ensure that teachers know how to teach. Yes, that’s the way to get people who are good at these subjects to go into teaching and do it well. Of course the problems with teaching are all down to bad teachers who’re lazy layabout who don’t deserve the massive salaries they siphon from the public purse. Nothing about the problems particularly in STEM subjects is to do with the disparity between starting salaries and conditions for teachers (never mind what you earn after 20 years experience as a teacher, what does it cost to take the teaching qualification and what is your starting salary compared to what else you’re being offered if you’re good at STEM subjects). These CEOs, most of who undoubtedly claim to be proponents of  “free markets” refuse to see the free market conditions that constant pressure on teacher’s salaries compared to the private sector have been one of the significant problems in recruiting teachers to STEM subjects. Some teachers in those subjects are good, those who have a very strong vocation for teaching and are willing to put up with a lifetime earning capacity and in particular starting salaries much below what the private sector offers. Of course there are some problems here, in that teaching unions are generally unwilling to see a market price set for different subjects. But the claim that the bar to getting people who are good at STEM into teaching is the requirement to have a clue what teaching is (here’s a clue – it really does require more than just knowing the subject) is by removing the licensing requirements is just bizarre. Start paying teachers competitive salaries and make teacher training free for those who then go on to teach for five years (and provide teacher trainees with a decent income in their training years) and perhaps we’ll see an improvement in STEM teaching. Parachuting in subject experts who don’t know how to teach will do nothing to improve the situation on those who know how to teach but aren’t good at their subjects in the first place.

Of course this would all require those CEOs to be willing to pay higher taxes so they’re never going to support that obvious route.

While revising my lectures for the coming academic year I had some thoughts about the shape of economics in the Knowledge Economy that I thought I’d put down. These are just some initial ideas, not fully worked out. (more…)

My local swimming pool re-opened again today. It had been closed for the last ten days to help save power. Even now it’s only open until 18:30 each day. The Sumida City Gymnasium in nearby Kinshichou, which I go to on Tuesday when my local pool has its weekly closure day, has now re-opened its pool as well (repairs were needed to the adjustable pool floor which was damaged int he earthquake). It closes at 18:00 each day. I’ve been ill with a really bad cough for the last ten days anyway so probably would not have been able to swim during most of this period. I did my usual 50 lengths in just over 30 minutes – a little slower than standard but only just, so not bad after ten days off and while still a little under the weather. So, back to the exercise and diet regime now that I’m mostly well and that the pool is available again.

(more…)

So much for lemons. I think there are very limited supplies getting through and we’re not finding them, mostly. Part of the problem is that whole milk just doesn’t work (it sends my skin nuts and Tomoko is very wary of high-fat things as she doesn’t want to gain too much weight just now – an easy thing to do at present and as I know from bitter experience, it’s much easier to put it on than take it off). Our local supermarket hasn’t had any at all available since we bought 1L a few days ago and the other store we went to today in Asakusa had a modest supply, but only of full fat. (more…)

Well, milk actually (bonus point if you know where the title of this post comes from). My local supermarket had a limited supply of milk today – rationed to one 1L carton per customer. The combini where I usually get my 2% semi-skimmed milk still has no supplies (the supermarket has 3.6% and 1.5% – I bought a 1.5%). However, it does look like the supply chains are getting back in order.

Tokyo Power (Tepco/Touden) have made their rolling blackout plans more fine-grained and split the five areas up into 25. Still no reports of these blackouts happening over the full area and time predicted, but as offices get back to closer to normal operation, and people drop out of compliant disaster mode and start using power more normally (it’s bound to happen, though we’re trying to keep our usage low as I’Um sure are quite  few others) they may become more apparent. Perhaps once they happen a few times people will return to being more rigorous, though perhaps also only if they’ve personally been affected, or maybe their close relatives. Human nature.

There were three large aftershocks today plus a number of minor ones, after relative quiet yesterday. RIC (Random is Clustered – Ah, I See) as Jack Cohen once repeated to me. (more…)

The supply shortages seem to be easing, with some things becoming available again. Bread is now generally available in bakeries, though in quite limited supply at supermarkets. Meat is more available again at supermarkets and fish never really went away. Fresh tofu is limited. Milk is non-existent. Yoghurt almost so. Even soy-milk is almost unavailable, though we did find some of that today. Fresh fruit and vegetables are almost at normal availablility. Most pre-packaged drinks are limited or no supply. (more…)

So, people have been asking how things are on a regular basis, so I thought I’d give an update on the situtation here. (more…)

This morning we suddenly heard a voice speaking Japanese in the hallway of our apartment. Thinking we’d left the door unlocked (advice after a large quake is to leave an exit propped open and though we closed it when we went to bed I worried we’d not locked it. But it turned out to be coming from a speaker grill in the ceiling of the hallway, that I’d never noticed before. Who looks up when you live in an apartment so there’s a floor above, not a roof space? It was the apartment resident’s association chief requesting one rep from each floor (apartment number 1 – we’re 2) to go to a meeting in the basement meeting room.

There was a Richter 7.9 earthquake 250 miles from the Eastern coast of Japan at 14:46 Japan time today. Tomoko and I are fine. Nothing significant wrong with the apartment.