As I drove to school the other day, I saw a revealing bumper sticker. No, not "revealing" as in displaying naked people. Revealing because it gave me a snapshot into a major problem in our society: the phenomenon of simplistic rhetoric and confused thinking. Put another way, the problem of addressing adult issues with children's logic.

The bumper sticker read, "Annoy a Liberal: Work, Succeed, Be Happy." My first instinct was to think of a counter-slogan, which might read, "Annoy a Conservative: Think, Share, Avoid Complacency." But then I realized that displaying that sticker would be hypocritical and would only compound the problem. After all, exchanging demeaning labels and categorizing people and issues don't accomplish anything meaningful. [Read article]

ASUA keys on drawing power of premier entertainers

Last week ASUA announced efforts to lure big-time comedic and musical acts to campus. Names mentioned include such famous acts as U2, Dave Chapelle, Dave Matthews Band and Robin Williams. One comedian will be extended a bid up to $150,000 and one band will receive a bid up to $250,000.

While for now these are merely discussions, we should applaud their efforts not only for their ambitious intentions, but also for their feasibility. [Read article]

Letter demonstrates need for basic physics

I would like to respond to Brian Danker's idea about global warming. While I applaud his scientific approach, I believe his logic is wrong. The surface level in a glass of ice water does not go down when the ice melts - it stays the same. That's a moot point, though, because the vast majority of the planet's ice is on land anyway

Archimedes had the following useful realization: The weight of the water that a floating object displaces equals the weight of the object. Simple: Weight of displaced water equals weight of floating object. The amount of displaced water does not depend on the shape or density of the floating object - only on its weight. A melted iceberg displaces just as much water as a frozen iceberg. [Read article]