Computer Science School Tries to De-Geekify Students

Students' failure to make it to the finish line is dragging down the economy

(NEWSER) - The failure of America's colleges to turn more freshmen into graduates is doing huge amounts of damage to the economy, David Leonhardt writes in the New York Times. Only half of those enrolled in college emerge with a degree, the worst rate of any developed country except Italy. This dismal performance of public universities—dubbed "failure factories" by one economist—is largely responsible for rising inequality and falling productivity, Leonhardt writes. More»

(NEWSER) - In the recession, international air travel is down and national park attendance is way up. Forbes runs down the crème de la crème of America’s national treasures, but be warned: “It's been incredibly hard to get camping space at most national parks,” one travel agent says.

• Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii: Home to Mt. Kilauea, the most active volcano in the world. The park is "an exhilarating up-close crash course in the forces that shape the earth's profile," one travel author raves.

(NEWSER) - With all the normal people suddenly overrunning Twitter, “we have to stick together, and keep the geek community thriving,” writes GeekDad Ken Denmead for Wired. He’s compiled a list of 100 geeks worth following. Here are a few:

• Wil Wheaton (wilw): Blogger, writer, and, oh yeah, Wesley Crusher.
• Al Yankovic (alyankovic): The king of geek music.
• Adam Savage (dontrythis): Co-host of Mythbusters.