WARNING! Will definitely contain spoilers!
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Patience, Please
This site is under reconstruction and will look strange for a while. We regret the inconvenience.
These threads never seem very active anymore, which is too bad because the editors appreciate our feedback.
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Kokopelli & Company: The comic itself was fine, but its position as the very first page was distracting. My eye automatically skipped to the Dear Muse Reader and then came back afterwards. Is there any reason why it was moved away from the mail page? It seemed more appropriate there.
Dear Muse Reader: Loved it. Very clever, and I didn’t get the X-with-a-line-through-it and # references until I read the later article, at which point the lightbulb went on and I GOT IT. Which is always a good feeling.
Bo’s Page: Good facts. The SAT one and especially the robotic hand were fascinating. I was wrong about which was fake.
Q&A: Good job, Q&A team. I feel like I’ve read something about the left-handed/right-handed thing in Muse before. Wasn’t there a cave painting or something that showed that the 90% ratio has stayed constant throughout human history? *may be misremembering* It was a neat question and answer, either way. I didn’t really understand the second question, though.
Easy as Yan, Tan, Tethera: A solid article, especially the first part with the shepherds and the Arara people. The rest was fairly interesting.
Nature’s Numbers: Knew this already. (Not that that’s a bad thing.) Are there going to be more “classic” Math Pages from now on? Those were always one of my favorite sections.
A Mathemetica Perspective: This article was good. There might have been a little too much time spent on introducing the professor rather than the art/math connections that she taught, though.
Hex: I want to play this. Sounds fun. The USA one seems more complicated, though, because the states aren’t evenly arranged and are far more concentrated on the east coast. I wonder how this makes a difference, strategy-wise.
Monopoly Cheat Sheet: Great Math Page! I started getting Muse three months after it was originally published. You can bet that I’ll use this knowledge the next time I play Monopoly.
Forty-Four Fish: It was okay. Didn’t really teach me anything new or tell of an especially unusual experience, which is what I’ve liked in past ones.
When Numbers L1e: Another good article. My AP Biology teacher (who is brilliant) perpetuated the “blondes are dying out” myth last year. I’ve never even thought about the “twelve times more impact!” mascara ads, though they’re obviously absurd in retrospect. My body temperature has never been 98.6 degrees.
Muse Mail: I completely agree with James S. – more older readers need to send in letters and contest entries. I know we’ve been concerned that Muse has been aiming a little young of late, and what better way to show that older readers are caring about and reading the magazine?
Muse Contest (Tanagrams): It’s okay. In the spirit of the above-mentioned letter, I might enter if I can find a tanagram set somewhere.
This Art is DEEP: Repeat topic, isn’t it? That’s okay, though, because I love this guy and his art. I want to see what the baby looks like from the appropriate perspective.
Overall: A solid issue. A few good articles that taught me stuff coupled with (apparently unavoidable) favorites from the past.
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I agree with you and with James S. Although, with the contest winners, it might be that youth science contests in general seem to skew younger because those in charge want to inspire the younger kids.
Cat’s Meow:
In the November 2000 Q&A column, I answered a question about whether cats are right- or left-pawed. I can’t recall any other articles on handedness, but there could have been some. Muse has published a lot of articles.
As for GAPAs, I’m right-handed, and Rebecca is left-handed. I don’t know about Rosanne or Paul.
Wait, I do know about Rosanne. Years ago on the blog she described herself as “severely righthanded.”
Thanks for the feedback! In response to your comment about Koko & Co., it hasn’t been near the mail page for quite some time–we started running both mail pages together, at the back of the magazine, in 2009.
But you’re right that the first few pages have been reorganized slightly. The reason is that we were able to eliminate an ad page from the inside front cover, which actually made Muse one page longer!
P.S. Sorry, the above comment was in response to Cat’s Meow. I didn’t realize it was going to appear all the way down here.
Nice avatar, Presto!
Thanks, I…picked it out myself…as I am, in fact, a disembodied square purple head.
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Dear Muse Reader: It was particularly excellent.
Q&A: Good, and out of curiosity, which Q&A columnist is left-handed (and what about the other GAPAS)?
Easy as Yan, Tan, Tethera: You know what? I’m going to make myself 3 calendars and put them on my walls: one with the dates in Lincolnshire shepherding numbers, one in binary, and one in dozenal. I’m definitely going to go to the dozel society’s website, too. I loved all this about the alternate possible number systems.
Nature’s Numbers: That’s amazing!
A Mathemetica Perspective: I already learned some of this in my 6th grade art class, but it was still really interesting; I wish I could have taken that class instead.
Hex: I’m going to play this as soon as possible. I can’t wait.
Monopoly Cheat Sheet: I want to play Monopoly as soon as I get done playing both versions of Hex; this time, I might actually win! That’s never happened before.
Muserology: I agree with Cat’s Meow, though it was well-written.
When Numbers L1e: I’ll keep this information in mind from now on when reading advertisements and things; it sounds useful, as well as extremely fascinating.
Tangrams: I’m confused. It said to think of something creative, but then it gave a suggestion (Mimi’s face). Isn’t that contradictory, as there will now be so many entries of Mimi that it won’t be creative anymore? Or is Mimi particularly hard to create? I haven’t tried.
Overall: Flamablamablous, as usual.
KaiYves: Well, I certainly hope Muse isn’t doing that; it’s unfair! Most of Muse’s contests aren’t even science-related.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. *screams some more*
Sorry, clicked comment before I was ready. What I meant to say was (SPOILER MUSE SPOILER MUSE SPOILER MUSE SPOILER MUSE SPOILER MUSE SPOILER MUSE) Intelligent Air works really, really well.
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When I saw “Yan, Tan, Tethera” I actually went “eeeeeee!” because that’s how Granny Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle count. Then I read the number system aloud about three times over because there’s nothing quite like feeling your mouth go “yan, tan, tethera, pethera” all in a row.
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21.1(.1): I’m not sure exactly what you mean. What does Intelligent Air have to do with anything in the article/my post/this thread?
I should probably say something else about the Muse issue now.
Mimi’s face is actually much harder than it looks. Also, as for the calendars I mentioned in my other post, I think I’ll make one for Robert’s and Piggy’s calendars as well, though they’re not related to the Muse articles. I’m going to start collecting unconventional calendars; it’ll be interesting… It’s a good thing it’s so conveniently early in the year!
I just went to the DSA’s website, and it’s really interesting!
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Gah!!! How on earth did I not…well, cake. Sorry, Bibliophile. I was going to write something else in response to your post but then I wasn’t, and I have no idea how I completely missed the fact that I was still commenting on your post. I have no idea how I missed it the second time I tried to actually finish my comment, either. *scratches head in puzzlement*
I was commenting on the magazine, although it looks strange like that. I didn’t have enough time to type out a full thingy about it, so…anyway. Huh. I feel…not smart.
Dear Muse Reader: Very very funny! This was my favorite out of 2010/11so far, I think.
Q&A: Hmm. I think the handedness was an interesting topic.
Easy as Yan, Tan, Tethera:
I am reading this book.
Actually, I just finished it.
Which is why I screamed. I’m in love with dozenal, and I’m doing a project on it. Muse, you are amazing.
Nature’s Numbers: Oo, fibs. I love fibs. I’m going to draw some fibs. Soon, yes. Soon is good.
A Mathemetica Perspective: Interesting article, although it wasn’t my favorite.
Hex: SQUEE. It sounds fun! I’m going to have to copy the board onto some matboard and make pieces and PLAYPLAYPLAY.
Monopoly Cheat Sheet: Haha! So that’s why I win a lot! (Actually, I only win when we DON’T play by the house rules, but that just proves that I don’t need to resort to cheating, right?
Or that I’m a really bad thief.)
Muserology: Hmm, it was interesting, but like Cat’s Meow said, nothing really new.
When Numbers L1e: This article really grabbed my attention! I’m going to use this information very, very often.
Tangrams: Ehh.
Math pages: Is there going to be more of these? I have a few older Muses from when a library my mom’s friend works at was renovating and (!!!) was going to throw away their Muses. So, she gave them to me. I really liked the math pages in those.