Still More Noted Things

By a vote of 6 to 3, the University of Colorado's Standing Committee on Research Misconducthas recommended that Ward Churchill be fired. This comes after a five person committee of review looked closely at the charges against him and found him guilty. Two members of the Standing Committee favored a five-year suspension without pay; and one member favored a two-year suspension without pay. The Standing Committee's 22 page report now goes to the University's interim Provost and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, who will make separate recommendations to the University's interim Chancellor. Thanks to Sherman Dorn for the tip.

"From Behind the Red Curtain," our former colleague, Derek Catsam, sends greetings from Beijing. Apparently, he had to be very firm about wanting to get access to the internet, but Derek is capable of being firm. He could access to post at, but not to view, his own blog.

Books and Culture, 12 June, includes two things of interest: editor John Wilson's"The Not-So-Evil Empire," his report on the recent conference of The Historical Society at UNC, Chapel Hill; and Alan Jacobs'"Goodbye, Blog," an essay from his rss-driven life, arguing that this odd means of communication is"the friend of information, but the enemy of thought."

John Cornwell,"The Dean of Debunking," Times OnLine, 11 June, reviews Peter Woit's Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Continuing Challenge to Unify the Laws of Physics. If Woit is on target, science research is in very deep trouble. Thanks to Tom at Big Tent and Dale Light at Light Seeking Light for the tip.