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The Academics Thread


Pariah

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1 hour ago, Pariah said:

I celebrated our discussion in my Atmospheric Science class today by getting into an argument on Facebook with a climate change denier. 

 

Mother of Hades, but those people are irritating. 

I recently had one with a Flat Earther. He tried to pull the "Theory" card. So I applied scientific Theory verification:

Round earth made predictions that came true.

Flat earth made no predictions that came true.

He stopped arguing after that.

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1 hour ago, Pariah said:

My ID card for school has a photo taken three years ago (as I recall). My hair color is noticeably lighter now than then.

 

At least I've still got all my hair.

 

I've had a slight recession, but my hair was so extremely thick in high school, that I still have a whole lot of hair (its basically only thinned enough to make my hair moderately combable now)

 

I still have mostly black hair on my head (70-80%)*. My beard hair is about 90% white however.

 

*Seems when I hit 30, the increase of white hair slowed significantly on my head.

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I have this minor fantasy, kind of a "what if..?" scenario in which I become a math teacher. Every once in a while I run across something that I think would make a good or interesting lesson. I saw an episode of NOVA last night which discussed prediction using mathematical models. There were a few good things in there which I think would grab the interest of high school or middle school students. But maybe I'm fooling myself. I know that there are some students you cannot reach, no matter what you do. But to be able to get through to a few was a reward that I miss since I stopped teaching. I still dream about returning to a classroom. I miss it. 

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For a collection of reasons, after having worked almost exclusively in higher education, I baled out in the summer of 2000.  I spent about 4 years doing other stuff.

 

That was enough to convince me I am very much happier in an academic environment, teaching or not.  As it happened, after getting laid off at the end of 2003, I went most of 8 months unemployed, got offered two jobs in a two-week period, and took them both.  One was as a scientific programmer at the cancer research center, the other was part-time teaching where I am now.  The programmer job (it was on a grant) ended and I shifted to full time at the university.  I have things I grouse about, but I'm happy with where I am and what I'm doing, including the teaching.  I hope to be here until I retire, which I expect will be when my daughter graduates from this place (children of full-time employees get a significant discount on tuition), plus fifteen minutes.

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On 11/30/2018 at 7:37 PM, Logan.1179 said:

I have this minor fantasy, kind of a "what if..?" scenario in which I become a math teacher. Every once in a while I run across something that I think would make a good or interesting lesson. I saw an episode of NOVA last night which discussed prediction using mathematical models. There were a few good things in there which I think would grab the interest of high school or middle school students. But maybe I'm fooling myself. I know that there are some students you cannot reach, no matter what you do. But to be able to get through to a few was a reward that I miss since I stopped teaching. I still dream about returning to a classroom. I miss it. 

It can help to know a guy who might be interested in it. And then just inform that person.

I know it would be better if I personally acted on it, but this is the next best thing. At least it is off my mind, and people who are better suited them me can try to make something out of it.

 

I recently learned something interesting about Matchmaking Systems. I am not deeply into game mechanics to use the information. But I watch a certain youtube channel, wich also dealt the ELO matchmaking mechanic. So I dropped him an information on Facebook. If he makes something out of it, I did more then I ever could. If he does not, then I did all I ever could do.

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3 hours ago, Starlord said:

Just keep going.  A just and fair teacher will still give you some credit for a solid effort.

 

For the record, there are not that many "just and fair" teachers if this is your criterion.

 

Much depends on what the wrong book was, too.

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