A day to honor those who work for a living and to mark the end of meterological summer.
Even though our semester begins in late August, for me, this day marks the symbolic start of the academic year, with all its potential and promise. This term, my undergraduate class surveys Vannevar Bush’s vision in Science: The Endless Frontier — how federal investment in basic research could jump-start both the US economy and public health. My graduate class, as always, focuses on managing significant US government crises. Both classes are at their respective enrollment targets, so I’m really pleased.
The research agenda continues with NSF’s Sage Grande AI Testbed and the just-blogged new book project on commercial aviation, where I’m currently revising a book proposal and completing a sample chapter on flight envelope protection philosophies.
And I’m rereading Moby Dick! It’s been many decades since I first dashed my way through the pages under the deadline of my English professor at Amherst College. This time, I’m hoping that going slowly will give me a better appreciation for Melville.
Discoverers and Discoveries 