Grad School Advice, Anyone?
I didn't think I'd be soliciting advice with this blog, but I've been thinking about applying to PhD programs and I know some of my readers are PhDs or doctoral students. So here's the question--if you're looking for the kind of intellectual stimulation in your primary career that academia affords, is academia the only place to go? Or are there intellectual careers outside academia?

Bad News, Good News

In bad news, the world's best blogger, Eric Alterman, was fired by MSNBC. Fortunately his blog has been reborn so you can find Altercation at Media Matters starting today. It's sad yet funny that this would happen to the author of a book titled What Liberal Media?.

In good news, the Royal Society's archives--all 350 years--are now open online. To quote--all 350 years--The Register, you can find:

Robert Boyle's "Observables upon a monstrous head" (1666) - a deformed horse cut up by one of the Royal Society's founders

Benjamin Franklin’s legendary kite experiment (1752) - don't try this one at home kids

Edmund Stone's work on willow bark; the discovery of aspirin (1763) - a nation should thank him every saturday morning

Account of a very remarkable young musician (Mozart) by Daines Barrington (1770) - an account of how the 8-year-old genius stunned the society with his performance

William Henry Fox Talbot’s first accounts of photography (1839) (a) and (b) - a long way from your cameraphone

Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA (1954) - requires no introduction really.

Thanks to The Register for the news. (found via Great News Network).