http://jamesmcinerney.ie A blog about, well, science, society and stuff... Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:39:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have written before about the parlous state of mathematics achievements amoung our students in Ireland.  There is a pressing need to improve maths standards and there seems to be very little consensus on how to achieve improvements.  We have had suggestions of increasing the reward for studying maths at ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/02/10/maths-anxiety-among-young-girls/ Yesterday I was at a meeting where some of the results of an independent study of our research outcomes was presented. I was told I couldn't see all the results, but nobody told me I couldn't talk about the results that I did see. The study was carried out by a Dutch ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/02/03/more-on-academic-life/ Ferdinand von Prondzynski has been writing about Bat O'Keefe's allegation that some university academics only work 4 hours per week, or at least teach only four hours per week. It is not clear why this figure came out from Bat O'Keeffe's mouth, but it smacks of a 'softening up' of the third level ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/02/02/teaching-4-hours-a-week/ You might want to read this today about Dr. Andrew Wakefield, a scientist who caused much of the controversy about the MMR vaccine and his claim of a link with Autism. The problem with this is that it comes 12 years after his initial publication (13 authors on the publication, the ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/01/29/autism-scaremonger-described-as-dishonest-irresponsible-and-callous/ So Apple are going to release a new computer today.  It will be called the iSlate or the iTablet or something like that apparently (just google some techie blog to get some more information on that. The Apple share price has doubled this year, which is amazing given the economy and ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/01/27/apples-new-machine/ So, today there is a work to rule on with the public service unions.  This is indeed a controversial issue and one where there is no right side and no wrong side. Naturally, as a public service worker, I have a particular interest in this dispute, though I am not on ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/01/25/work-to-rule/ Well, so much has happened since I last blogged. Where to start?The public service have taken a pay cut and there is an embargo on hiring and promotions for the past while.  I do understand how this has come about - we spend something North of 50,000,000,000 Euro per year ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2010/01/08/im-back/ Tá áthas orainn in iúl duit go bhfuil tú bhuaigh an tsuim de 485,000.00 GBP ó Yahoo! MSN (Windows Live) Gradaim chlár. ÍOC duais AGUS ÉILEAMH Beidh Buaiteoirí a íoc i gcomhréir le aige / aici Lonnaíochta Ionad. Ní mór Yahoo Gradam Duais ní a éileamh déanaí ná 15 lá ó dháta an fógra a Dear. ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2009/10/12/is-this-the-best-spam-ever/ That table in the TV3 filming room is getting a looooooad of business.  It is the same table in all TV programmes, just that they project a different front on it for the different programmes. http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2009/10/06/has-anybody-noticed/ The Fas board is being replaced. The Ceann Comhairle is being replaced. The Anglo Irish Bank crowd has been replaced. blah blah blah. The Fas board replacement is entirely dependent on the composition of the new board.  will it be the union chiefs once again? Will it be political appointments? Will the ... http://jamesmcinerney.ie/2009/10/06/boards/