You have, at some point, probably heard an academic wistfully daydream about what it would be like to have tenure, or (alternately) moan about the process that it takes to achieve that dream. Tenure is a promotion, but it's more than just a promotion. For instance, it's a lot harder to fire a tenured professor — something that is meant to make it easier for them to research and speak out on what they want without fear of administrative crackdowns. As a result, getting tenure can be a process that is nothing short of labyrinthian. This piece in the Harvard Crimson by Nicholas Fandos and Noah Pisner describes the phone-book-sized dossiers, decade-long preparations, and secret tribunals that are all a part of the standard Harvard tenure process.
How to: Become a tenured professor at Harvard
Watch these metronomes spontaneously synchronize
Five metronomes started at different times eventually synchronize in this nifty video from UCLA. It's been a known phenomenon since the 17th century: In 1665, Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens, inventor of the pendulum clock, was lying in bed with a minor illness and watching two of his clocks hanging on a wall, said Henrique Oliveira, a… READ THE REST
FedEx and UPS trucks carry first U.S. coronavirus vaccine shipment from Pfizer facility in Michigan [VIDEO]
Never have I cheered more cheerfully for trucks. CNN aviation and transportation correspondent Pete Muntean tweeted this video of UPS and FedEx trucks carrying the first U.S. shipment of coronavirus vaccine, hauling out in their COVID convoy from Pfizer's facility near Kalamazoo, Michigan. What a sight, and what a time to be alive. READ THE REST
Flight Watch: FedEx Flight FDX884 carries first COVID-19 vaccines for distribution
This is so cool. Track the flight of FedEx Flight FDX884, which is carrying the first COVID-19 vaccines for distribution. Via @ShadyPlanes. READ THE REST
These 30 winter survival items will help you handle the cold all winter long
It happens every year – and it still feels like a chilly slap across the face each time. Winter rolls in…and you're uncomfortably reminded that the next few months will feel like something you just have to survive. However, there are ways to battle the elements. Assembled below are 30 surefire methods for assuring the… READ THE REST
This training bundle might be your ticket to a new career as a freelance writer
Lots of people think they can write. But a quick check of social media posts, blogs, and even some astonishingly mainstream media outlets prove that isn't always the case. Writing isn't easy. Writing well is even harder. And, writing well on a tight timeline is tougher still. But, if you've got the talent and ability… READ THE REST
With CuriosityStream, you get educated and entertained – right now, it's 40% off
Why is the sky blue? How do birds fly? How were swear words invented if we're not allowed to say them? If you've ever been a parent to or anywhere within a 100 foot radius of an inquisitive kid, then that's only the slimmest sample of the questions that might get posed to you on… READ THE REST