Archive | Portside

September 30, 2012

Chicago Teacher Strike Ends

Diane Ravitch Diane Ravitch's blog

Why did they strike? After 17 years of reform and disrespect, they were fed up with the bullying. They were tired of the non-educators and politicians telling them how to teach and imposing their remedies. Reform after reform, and children in Chicago still don't have the rich curriculum, the facilities, and the social services they need.

September 26, 2012

Poverty, Inequality, Violence, Race and Investment Matter

Jesse Jackson Chicago Sun-Times

Poverty, inequality, violence, race and investment matter. They must be a part of any long-term solution.

September 26, 2012

"Strike Transformed Teachers from Powerless to Powerful"

Three posts reflecting on victory of Chicago teachers & students after the strike - Diane Ravitch, Jesse Jackson and Juan Gonzalez

July 19, 2012

The Reckoning - Global Warming's Terrifying New Math (long) - Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben Rolling Stone

Three simple numbers that add up to global catastrophe - and that make clear who the real enemy is

Graven Image

Using over 100 years of archival footage, director Sierra Pettengill explores the history of the largest Confederate monument, Georgia’s Stone Mountain.

P vs. NP and the Computational Complexity Zoo

How hard is Sudoku? Searching for the answer leads us to questions about the nature of space and time.

How Quantum Mechanics Helps Birds Find Their Way

Some birds use Earth's magnetic field to navigate, but how they do this has been a mystery. Now, researchers have found a protein in bird eyes with a quantum mechanical sensitivity to magnetic fields.