Example of the conventionality of scientific classifications: We can’t even agree on what counts as a planet.

According to an editorial in today’s NY Times, Michael Brown, a Caltech astronomer, declined to call the object he found last year a planet and suggested that neither is Pluto. Now he’s found something bigger than Pluto and suggests that we call it and Pluto planets. According to The Times: “There was still no good scientific rationale for the judgment, he admitted, but this was a case where habit — 75 years of calling Pluto a planet—should trump any scientific definition.”

I don’t care except that I like that something we take as so iconic, so definitional as the solar system itself should turn out to be as much a matter of convention as whether we count pool as a game or as a sport. [Thanks to our daughter Leah for the link.] [Technorati tags: taxonomy astronomy]

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The NY Times today runs this photo of Mitt Romney, our GQ-perfect governor, in his office. Can you spot what’s wrong with it:

As I believe a letter in the Boston Globe pointed out, the framed photos of his lovely family are all facing out from the desk, perfect for photos opps but leaving Mitt staring lovingly at the backs of the frames.

A fitting picture of Mitt as just yet another political phony… [Technorati tags: MittRomney]

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My friend Paul English, has a proposal for reducing spam that he summarizes thusly:

Summary: The major email service providers have been working on “sender identification” systems to stop spammers from hiding behind other email addresses. This document attempts to outline how these sender identification systems should be rolled out so they can be effectively used by non-technical consumers and small email service providers.

This is one of the many sorts of things of which I don’t trust my understanding, but I do know that Paul is exceedingly smart and good-hearted. Also, he says his proposal would still enable anonymity, an issue that matters to him and me. You can read the whole thing here. [Technorati tags: spam email PaulEnglish]

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The city of Denver plans on building a 52-square-mile wifi network even though the state of Colorado has passed a law ( SB 152) making it illegal for municipalities to offer telecommunications services. (Pennsylvania passed a similar law after Philadelphia announced its plans to provide muni-wifi, but the bill exempts cities that began within a particular, short deadline.) It seems that Denver will use the network for its own city services, at least initially cutting off public access to it because the Denver legislature is owned by Qwest.

During the Howard Dean campaign, some on the informal board of advisors on tech policy argued fiercely that, on free market principles, the government shouldn’t even give incentives to provide broadband to underserved parts of the nation. I disagreed then and I disagree now. (By the way, this shows you just how much Howard Dean supporters were all a bunch of socialist, anti-capitalist, commie bastards.)

I accept that any networking service that a municipality provides is likely to be less than optimal. The government will make the wrong choices about the technology, how to deploy it, how to charge for it, and how to maintain/upgrade/retire it. Governments just aren’t as smart as markets are about these things. But I still like muni-wifi for three reasons:

First, having ubiquitous, always-on connections available throughout a city adds a layer of infrastructure — information and connectedness — that may have transformative social effects.

Second, having that infrastructure available regardless of the area’s economic status may have transformative economic effects.

Third, it is not incompatible with offerings from the free market.* If Qwest, say, has a better product — more bandwidth, better service, better security, etc. — then the market will be willing to pay for it. If the municipality can’t keep its network up to date, then let Qwest make money charging for the latest and the greatest.

Bring on the muni-wifi! [Technorati tags: wifi denver]

*For the moment we’re pretending that telecommunication services are offered in a free market. Haha.

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I’m on family vacation or I’d be there instead of occasionally swimming alongside via the blogher tag. Sounds great. [Technorati tag: blogher]

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From “Teens and Technology” by The Pew Internet & American Life Project, as summarized by the Center for Media (taken verbatim):

About 21 million teens use the Internet and half of them say they go online every day

51% of online teens live in homes with broadband connections

81% of wired teens play games online, which is 52% higher than four years ago

76% of online teens get news online, 38% higher than four years ago

43% have made purchases online, 71% higher than four years ago

31% use the Internet to get health information, 47% higher than four years ago.

Girls are the power users:

97% of girls 15-17 have used instant messaging, compared to 89% of younger boys and girls and 87% of older boys

57% of older girls have ever sent a text message compared 40% of older boys 51% of older girls have bought something online

79% of girls 15-17 have gone online to search for information about a school they might attend, vs. 70% of older boys.

Older girls are more likely to search for information on health topics both mundane and sensitive, for spirituality or religious information, and for entertainment topics like favorite sports or movie stars or TV programs

The only problem with these numbers: Marketers are going to see that only 43% of teens have made online purchases and will therefore put them in the crosshairs.

[Note: I can’t find a working link to the Center’s report.] [Technorati tags: pew teenagers]

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Following on the heels of its successful one-month extension of Daylight Savings Time, the US Congress today lowered the national bedtime by one hour on weekdays and one and a half hours on weekends. U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who co-sponsored the bill, said that this would save 100,000 barrels of oil a day as people snapped off the lights sooner. And, he noted, “Everyone knows that most alcohol-related accidents occur after 11pm. We expect to save 12,000 lives a year from that alone.”

A rider to the bill added at the last moment changes the extra day of Leap Year from February 29 to a second July 4th. “Now we’ll have two days of national celebration every four years,” said a possibly drunk Fred Upton (R-Mich.). “I think the greatest nation in history deserves it. Don’t you?”

The bill apparently was the subject of scathing late-night humor, according to reports coming in from Canada. [Technorati tags: politics]

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