Daily Thoughts 01/31/2013
I checked the Facebook and Twitter for the library this morning. I had some errands to run in the morning. On the way to work, I finished reading Race Against the Machine. There were a number of solutions to the problem of technological unemployment being suggested. One was to make it easier to hire people and give incentives to hire people before buying new machinery. Another one was to encourage entrepreneurship, especially technology entrepreneurship, and lessen the barriers to creating new companies.
There was also a bit about improving education. The authors describe how there is not enough science, technology, engineering, and medicine education. They would amend this to science, technology, engineering, arts, and medicine education (STEAM). Writing and design are critical to technology education. I liked the idea that they were saying too many people are being trained for finance and not enough for science. I also liked the idea of redoing the patent system so it is easier to file patents and shortening the copyright length.
I also read some more of The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge. I am enjoying reading the novel. There is another set of aliens in it, talking cuttlefish which are interesting.
I have a copy of the latest New York Review of Books and Publishers Weekly to read. A book which looks very interesting is Ben S. Bernanke, The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis coming out on Febraury 24, 2013 published by Princeton University Press. Another two books that look interesting are The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in June of 2013 and The Cushion In the Road Meditation and Wanderings as the Whole World Awakens to Being in Harms Way by Alice Walker in April of 2013.
The computer lab was open from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. today.
This is a link to a free open course, Introduction to Data Science which teaches the programming language R at Syracuse University. http://ischool.syr.edu/future/cas/introtodatascience.aspx
The Power Searching With Google online class.
http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/
I finished reading Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge. I like that there are both villainous aliens and humans. Also there are good humans and aliens as well. It makes the story more believable. The alien pack called Tycoon was my favorite character in the science fiction novel.
Web Bits
Timeless Book May Require Some Timely Fact Checking
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/books/releasing-old-nonfiction-books-when-facts-have-changed.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0
Bring Back Shushing Librarians
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/31/bring_back_shushing_librarians/
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