French higher education is good, especially the Grandes Ecoles. That is normal since they get 30 percent of the budget for 5 percent of the students. The elite that makes it into the Grandes Ecoles, after passing entrance exams, is very well trained.
There are various problems with the present system. Since the entrance exams are very competitive and extremely important for the future careers and lives of the students, children need to be prepared to have very high problem solving capabilities at eighteen. That requires that children enter very good schools at an early age. That jeopardizes the otherwise democratic nature of the entrance exams. The influence of the direct environment on the children's far future is big.
The Grandes Ecoles are separated. They are not universal (as universities are) in that they usually have a single department with a single vocation (e.g. electrical engineering). That compartmentalizes the elite and makes for little cross-discipline and cross-professional fertilization. That takes its toll on the flexibility and creativity of French administration, technology, research and industry, etcetera.
The university students (which remain an important resource of talent) suffer badly from the fact that the head of the student body is chopped of by the Grandes Ecoles. The university degree is devalued in the presence of the close knit Grande Ecole elite.
Long term the only solution that one can envisage is the joining of Grandes Ecoles to form elite universities within France. Or the joining of Grandes Ecoles to universities in such a way that they retain their exceptional quality.
Grandes Ecoles cannot disappear since they are of the highest level. They must however allow their elite students to communicate more freely with students from other domains, and they may take the task of leading the whole of the French higher education body closer at heart. Universities should aspire to cooperate and compete with the Grandes Ecoles, with the conviction that they are expected to find talent in numbers, or in latebloomers or disadvantaged youngsters.
These are changes that can only be implemented gradually and in the long term, through careful and informed planning, by both the higher education community and central administration. There is no easy changing of more than 200 years of impressive history.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Poppin'
Its always refreshing to see new kids on the Parisian block poppin' up some unseen dance moves.
It seems that the US both has the impressable critical mass as well as the educated sensitivity for youth pop culture to continue to produce the most innovative variations of superficial styling. Lil Mama gives an example in Lip Gloss which combines a teen theme with teen dance music, and new dance moves copied by cheerleaders all over the country, reminiscent of popping, in turn reminiscent of breakdance, vogue, crumpin' and movements popularized by Michael Jackson. The producing of the music shows great talent and industrial control.
It seems that the US both has the impressable critical mass as well as the educated sensitivity for youth pop culture to continue to produce the most innovative variations of superficial styling. Lil Mama gives an example in Lip Gloss which combines a teen theme with teen dance music, and new dance moves copied by cheerleaders all over the country, reminiscent of popping, in turn reminiscent of breakdance, vogue, crumpin' and movements popularized by Michael Jackson. The producing of the music shows great talent and industrial control.
The education of postponing judgement
Freedom of expression is limited in Alabama, as experienced by the Top Gear crew in their famous caricature of the US.
There is no doubt that one can paint slogans on cars that are experienced as insulting in any given place, while claiming their place in the global debate. However, it has struck me multiple times that most locals at least seem to have the acquired ability to postpone judgement during a brief encounter. Exceptions may be triggered by the construction of a sharp artificial local identity in the face of economic hardship, strong cultural pressure or other extreme strains. Postponing judgement should be an integral part of education in a just society. A debating culture, a mix of expressed identities at school, the surprise experience of learning any type of new fact may add to feeling that postponement and deliberation are useful reflexes.
There is no doubt that one can paint slogans on cars that are experienced as insulting in any given place, while claiming their place in the global debate. However, it has struck me multiple times that most locals at least seem to have the acquired ability to postpone judgement during a brief encounter. Exceptions may be triggered by the construction of a sharp artificial local identity in the face of economic hardship, strong cultural pressure or other extreme strains. Postponing judgement should be an integral part of education in a just society. A debating culture, a mix of expressed identities at school, the surprise experience of learning any type of new fact may add to feeling that postponement and deliberation are useful reflexes.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Paris Prizes 2009
The traditional Paris prize per square meter per arrondissement for non-new appartments.
And the prize evolution. The crisis has made itself felt.
Copper and flexible plumbing (PER)
To move my sink, I used flexible tubes. Since I live in France, I used PER (Polyéthylène Réticulé) but I bet you can find a local equivalent without much trouble. Those flexible tubes came in diameters of 12 and 16. Since I was only moving my sink, the twelve diameter tubes sufficed. I bought tubes which were inside strong protecting tubes (which therefore look as if they are much broader). Using a slide caliper - use google images do determine what I'm talking about if necessary; this hint applies to all words that you do not understand - one can determine the thickness of the copper pipes. Mine turned out to be 14 mm thick (in some places, but in others they were 10 mm and 12 mm thick, so be careful in attempting to determine the thickness without proper measuring instrument). Therefore, I needed pieces connecting my 14 mm thick copper and 12 mm flexible tubes. The difficult part is identifying the right pieces. Make sure you go to a do-it-yourself shop with qualified employees and a huge collection of components. Don't bother to attempt to solder copper. The american/instant or biconal connections will do the job just fine.
To extend my copper network, I closed the relevant fossets, checked that no water was running through anymore, and opened up the copper network. To do that, it turned out that my 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 as well as my adjustable wrench came in handy. I removed all that was on the end of the copper tube, and used my connection. To put it on, I first pushed/screwed it on the flexible, the one the copper (respecting the direction of all the individual components). The hard part is to make sure you pushed it far enough. (I removed part of the protective layer, cut it along the length, and put it back on after the connection was made.) All the rest is an easy exercise in screwing tight all components, and tighter still when you see that the connection leaks.
On the other end, I connected my PER tubing to the fossets. Again, the hard part is only to identify the right connecting pieces. My fosset came with a flexible feeding tube that ended in a female unidentified end. A good trick is to bring the flexible tube along to your local shop and either ask for help, or when the relevant components are in plastic bags, you can attempt to screw them on in the shop, even with the plastic bag still on them. The relevant connection turned out to be PER 12 to 12/17 (in French nomenclature). Again, after identifying the right connector, the only further annoying part is to push the tubes far enough up the connector, and the rest is an easy turning of the wrench.
The PER site http://plomberie.per.free.fr/ was useful, but not exhaustive.
To extend my copper network, I closed the relevant fossets, checked that no water was running through anymore, and opened up the copper network. To do that, it turned out that my 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 as well as my adjustable wrench came in handy. I removed all that was on the end of the copper tube, and used my connection. To put it on, I first pushed/screwed it on the flexible, the one the copper (respecting the direction of all the individual components). The hard part is to make sure you pushed it far enough. (I removed part of the protective layer, cut it along the length, and put it back on after the connection was made.) All the rest is an easy exercise in screwing tight all components, and tighter still when you see that the connection leaks.
On the other end, I connected my PER tubing to the fossets. Again, the hard part is only to identify the right connecting pieces. My fosset came with a flexible feeding tube that ended in a female unidentified end. A good trick is to bring the flexible tube along to your local shop and either ask for help, or when the relevant components are in plastic bags, you can attempt to screw them on in the shop, even with the plastic bag still on them. The relevant connection turned out to be PER 12 to 12/17 (in French nomenclature). Again, after identifying the right connector, the only further annoying part is to push the tubes far enough up the connector, and the rest is an easy turning of the wrench.
The PER site http://plomberie.per.free.fr/ was useful, but not exhaustive.
Blocked drain pipes and PVC
When your drain pipes get clogged, first determine at what point the blockage resides. One can determine this by knocking on the tube, or by letting the tube empty out, then fill it again. Estimate the point where the water doesn't run through anymore by the volume of water necessary to fill up the tube.
Typical causes of blockage are hair, plaster, chemicals that solidify and tooth picks. Do not ever throw these down your drain.
It is easy to mechanically remove a blockage if it's nearby the end of the tube, or a point where the tube is easily opened up. I have found that a metal cable with a pin at the end that one can twist to increase the tension is a very useful tool to open up drain pipes.
When you cannot reach the clog, opening up the drain pipe is necessary. Try to make sure on beforehand that you open it up at the right spot. If the drain pipes are copper than just get rid of the copper part all the way to the sink (for household plumbing) and replace it by PVC, which is much handier. A 40 mm diameter drain pipe will do the job. The old copper draining may well have the same diameter, in which case it is easily connected to the PVC replacement at the end.
When putting in a PVC drain pipe, make sure that you realize that angles are never straight (but 87 degrees point 30), and that T-elements typically have to be put in in accord with the directions of the flow. Take your time to puzzle together an effortless and tensionless connection between the points you need to connect. Make sure the tube does not run through a place that you need for some other purpose.
When gluing your PVC connections, mark them first both for depth and connecting angle, by a line parallel to the end of the tube, as well as a line orthogonal to the section (which runs over two pieces to be connected at a given angle). Use sufficient glue. Spread it out with a brush or your fingers, evenly over the two pieces to be glued. Push them together hard, and do not twist.
PVC drain pipes are easy.
Should leaks still occur, then you can resort to a paste that is made of two components which after mixing becomes hard after a period of time. This is a last resort.
Typical causes of blockage are hair, plaster, chemicals that solidify and tooth picks. Do not ever throw these down your drain.
It is easy to mechanically remove a blockage if it's nearby the end of the tube, or a point where the tube is easily opened up. I have found that a metal cable with a pin at the end that one can twist to increase the tension is a very useful tool to open up drain pipes.
When you cannot reach the clog, opening up the drain pipe is necessary. Try to make sure on beforehand that you open it up at the right spot. If the drain pipes are copper than just get rid of the copper part all the way to the sink (for household plumbing) and replace it by PVC, which is much handier. A 40 mm diameter drain pipe will do the job. The old copper draining may well have the same diameter, in which case it is easily connected to the PVC replacement at the end.
When putting in a PVC drain pipe, make sure that you realize that angles are never straight (but 87 degrees point 30), and that T-elements typically have to be put in in accord with the directions of the flow. Take your time to puzzle together an effortless and tensionless connection between the points you need to connect. Make sure the tube does not run through a place that you need for some other purpose.
When gluing your PVC connections, mark them first both for depth and connecting angle, by a line parallel to the end of the tube, as well as a line orthogonal to the section (which runs over two pieces to be connected at a given angle). Use sufficient glue. Spread it out with a brush or your fingers, evenly over the two pieces to be glued. Push them together hard, and do not twist.
PVC drain pipes are easy.
Should leaks still occur, then you can resort to a paste that is made of two components which after mixing becomes hard after a period of time. This is a last resort.
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