Geek Vs. Nerd: What Do You Self-Identify As?

With all the talk of Geek vs. Nerd, what side do you fall on? Personally, I find some of the terminology used in the below infographic a bit insulting but it’s still a fun look. Except a few things, it seems I firmly straddle geek and nerd with a slight nerd-ward lean. This is the first time I’ve seen a case being made for geeks and hipsters being the same thing. In fact, at points it has descriptions that are not either geeky or nerdy and it seems to be more a comparison between Hipster and Geek (mislabeled as Nerds).

That’s too much analysis of something meant to be fun. Check out the infographic after the jump. Continue reading “Geek Vs. Nerd: What Do You Self-Identify As?”

The New Lingo

Being loyal readers, I’m sure you read our recent write-up about Codecademy. Well, those wonderful folks are throwing their weight behind http://codeyear.com/. The idea? Let’s make learning how to code (in this case in javascript) a New Year resolution for thousands. You sign up and you will get emails with lessons periodically – specifically made to be as simple as possible, and in a year … Continue reading The New Lingo

Talking To Intelligent Life Out There

I’ve been thinking about the nature of intelligence lately. Every severe bout with a migraine leaves me squarely focused on my brain, my stupid, dumb brain. It always starts the same way. The throbbing subsides, my muscles ache from being stiff, I slowly rise from my catatonic stupor, and I think to myself, “Seriously, brain. Why are you such a dick?” I then make up … Continue reading Talking To Intelligent Life Out There

Selfish Mathematics

One of the oldest surviving fragments of Euclid's Elements, found at Oxyrhynchus and dated to circa AD 100. The diagram accompanies Book II, Proposition 5.

It’s a brand new year. Congratulations, you’ve made it this far. Good for you. I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and I wish you an extraordinary new year. I can’t… well… think if any other way to spark this, so let’s just get on with it.

God is a mathematician. Ignore for one moment the theosophical implications of a statement like that. I am personally not a believer, but that’s not the point. My point is that Mathematics is the language of the universe. When all physical knowledge is whittled down to its simplest form, it is understood mathematically. Maths allows us to expand beyond our senses and perceive the universe in ways that may be considered non-intuitive.

Mathematics, while considered a science, predates science and is the basic language that all the physical sciences either speak, or can learn from. There are those, me included, who think mathematics should be taught as a liberal art. Math is more than a science, more than a process; it’s a way of thinking. Whether she knows it or not, the mathematician is a philosopher. The Pythagoreans from whom we get the Pythagorean Theorem were more a philosophical cult than a technical movement. Continue reading “Selfish Mathematics”

Do You Actually Have What It Takes?

When I was a wee lad I had a music teacher whose name slips my mind. He was your typical unfulfilled prodigy. You know the one, he thinks his brilliance is in any way unique and that genius is always an adequate substitute for personality. He hated that he was stuck teaching kids to play instruments that most of them cared nothing for, instead of … Continue reading Do You Actually Have What It Takes?

Noisecast Roundup 10.24.2011

*knock knock* Is anyone there? Hey guys, what’s good? It’s time for another roundup because, well, I don’t know why. I guess I do this for your approval, your love. I’m an attention whore and I demand to be adored. Do you want to know how I got these emotional scars? My father was a drinker… and a fiend. One night, he comes home crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn’t like that. Not… one… bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me, and he says, “Why so serious? He comes at me with the knife – “why so serious?” sticks the blade in my mouth – “let’s put a smile on that face! And… my mom jumps up and they both yell “SIKE!” I haven’t been the same since. Also, I don’t have a father.  Continue reading “Noisecast Roundup 10.24.2011”

True Confessions of a Geek

As you know, the core founders of the Noisecast (maybe you know this) came together after an exodus from the seedy internet empire known as Gawker media. Far from the place crumbling, it seems to be more powerful than ever. I guess old saint Nick was right, we were holding the place back ;).

That’s neither here nor there. We Noisecasters went into exile from Gizmodo, but what many don’t realize is that a similar exodus happened empire-wide (yes, even Fleshbot. It’s users finally discovered pornhub). The sister site, io9 also had its own pioneers. Continue reading “True Confessions of a Geek”

Episode 49 – D-ckbutts

Welcome to another exciting episode of THE… Oh never mind. You know the deal. You know what’s up. It’s another exciting episode and such and such. Look, Vitto’s back from NYCC, we have a lot of laughs, and we finally push Steven off the edge. Finally! Now… if we can just get the cast to behave now. Okay guys, mission accomplished, Steven wants to kill himself. Let’s get back to it. (I’m kidding. Don’t change. I just have to look mature for the public). As usual, blah blah after the jump, but let’s get to the episode here! Continue reading “Episode 49 – D-ckbutts”

Noisecast Roundup 10-17-2011: Cancer Is A Tricky Jerk Edition

Dafuq you talking about, Kirk? Anyway, it’s Monday and we’re back to the damn roundup. As you’ve see, we’ve been busy posting like crazy today. Will this pace continue? Who knows? What I know is, you have a lot of reading to do so I’ll make this short. This is the round up. Holler. Oh Google. Your Shenanigans Are As Disappointing As They Are Expected. … Continue reading Noisecast Roundup 10-17-2011: Cancer Is A Tricky Jerk Edition

Twitter may influence the spread of disease… or usher a new age of social science.

It’s flu season again, at least for the Northern hemisphere (where everything’s right side up). Over on New Scientist a question was posed: If you’re getting vaccinated and tweet it, will your followers follow you to the doctor, or are they the sort of people who have an appointment booked already?

A few US researchers mined Twitter to map out who tweets for and against flu vaccination, and noticed a correlation with actual vaccination. Nothing mind blowing here. What they want to find out now is if Twitter reflects attitudes or helps spread them. Researchers collected 478,000 tweets referring to flu in late 2009, when vaccination for the swine flu epidemic became available in the US.

A team of students categorized the tweets as for, against, or neutral about vaccination. When the tweets were mapped and used to create a computerized screening test that classified the rest. The team found that vaccination rates were lower in areas where tweets tended to be more negative about vaccination. Continue reading “Twitter may influence the spread of disease… or usher a new age of social science.”

Noisecast Roundup 10-14-2011: RIP Edition

Hey, it’s Friday so here’s the last roundup of the week. Hope you’ve had a bang up week. I’m ready to pack it up for the weekend and just crash. Tonight we have stuff and things. RIP Buzz and film cameras. A dear Apple TWIFY rant from an Apple fan, and more. We’re at New York Comic Con, so if you come across one of the homies, say hi and take a pic. Stay tuned for updates from it from Vitto and Alberto. Don’t forget to talk to us or at us or send us tips on Twitter @noisecast, and on Facebook. Holler. Continue reading “Noisecast Roundup 10-14-2011: RIP Edition”

Noisecast Roundup 10-13-2011: Everyone Love Ice Cream Edition

Except Agrippa. My favorite part is how ice cream sandwich isn’t even part of the news. I totally blanked on it. i could add it now, but, meh. I’m both gluten and lactose intolerant, so I’m bitter. We’ve got a full bag today so peep it and creep it.

Zynga is going public on NASDAQ instead of NYSE.

This is not important at all. At this point, why would anyone want to go public on that dinosaur. NASDAQ is where it’s at (whatever it is). NYSE is just like those idiots who shell out mad money for a Manhattan area code (212) it’s dumb. I’m totally making this all up. I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m only the most magniferous human being ever.[divider] Continue reading “Noisecast Roundup 10-13-2011: Everyone Love Ice Cream Edition”

Episode 48 – Back On Schedule… Sort Of

Welcome to another excitingly late episode of the Noisecast podcast. This time we’re not a week but a day late. You still love us. I know you do. Look, we have a solid cast today and we jibba-jab about the usual assortment of doo-hickies and whatsa-jiggers. The big news was of course the passing of Steve Jobs, but we also talk the iPhone 4S and the decriminalization of domestic violence in Kansas. Yep, the usual. Anyway, as always, the notes are after the jump but you can listen to the darn thing right here:   Continue reading “Episode 48 – Back On Schedule… Sort Of”

Noisecast Roundup 10-11-2011: D.R.E.A.M. (dubstep rules everything around me) Edition

Welcome to another roundup. A magical place where children don’t get touched in their naughty places like certain other magical places that shall remain nameless. It’s been a pretty chill Tuesday. I know you’re getting home from work (unless you’re in Europe) and you just want to unwind and do your thing. So chill the way you do, grab that wine, roll that bud, pop … Continue reading Noisecast Roundup 10-11-2011: D.R.E.A.M. (dubstep rules everything around me) Edition

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. ...
  10. 15