The Academics Thread

[Cancer]

THe student didn't want the usual oral exam, so it was a rectal exam instead. 

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

More thorough that way. 

[Cancer]

Well, it takes care of the problem of students who sit there staring at their papers until time's expired in hope of answers materializing on their paper.

[Bazza]

“I couldn't live a week without a private library - indeed, I'd part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1500 or so books I possess.” 
― H. P. Lovecraft

[Badger]

The 21st century: I have this feeling I am not going to make it through.

[Bazza]

 

 

 

[Pariah]

37 minutes ago, Badger said:

The 21st century: I have this feeling I am not going to make it through.

 

To make it through the 21st Century, I'd have to live to be almost 133 years old.

 

Yeah, that ain't happening. Nor would I want it to.

[Bazza]

I will, or die trying. 

[Pariah]

Baz:

 

TV Tropes: A Million Is a Statistic 

[Pariah]

Just now, Bazza said:

I will, or die trying. 

 

I believe you.

[Bazza]

1 hour ago, Pariah said:

Baz:

 

TV Tropes: A Million Is a Statistic 

 

Quote: Lies, damned lies, and statistics

 

 

 

[Bazza]

For The First Time, Physicists Have Observed a Giant Magnetic 'Bridge' Between Galaxies

https://www.sciencealert.com/for-the-first-time-physicists-have-observed-the-giant-magnetic-bridget-that-connects-the-milky-way-to-other-galaxies

[Bazza]

There’s Growing Evidence That the Universe Is Connected by Giant Structures

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/zmj7pw/theres-growing-evidence-that-the-universe-is-connected-by-giant-structures

[Bazza]

A New Theory On Time Indicates Present And Future Exist Simultaneously

https://sciencephiles.com/a-new-theory-on-time-indicates-present-and-future-exist-simultaneously-2/

[Badger]

I just know time doesn't flow consistently.  My lunch "hour"=18 seconds   The last "hour" at work=4 years

[Pariah]

 “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

-Albert Einstein (or his secretary)

[Pariah]

8 hours ago, Bazza said:

Quote: Lies, damned lies, and statistics

 

 

 

I have an uncle who was an accounting professor (and an accountant, naturally) who is quite fond of this one.

 

He also frequently says, "Not all statisticians are liars, but all liars use statistics."

[Pariah]

[Cancer]

OK, after way too long and difficult a labor, the second virtual lab has been delivered.  Biggest worry: it's too much work.

 

Overview: measuring orbital periods and orbit sizes for three of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, and applying Kepler's 3rd Law to those to get a mass.  Timing from a video (time interval between successive eclipses); size from measuring pixels off still frames with GIMP.

 

If you have time on your hands and wanna see it, PM me and I'll see if I can email it to you.  I mean, we're all bored enough with shelter in place that you can think of it as Jupiter Pr0n.  Or something.

[Badger]

On 4/26/2020 at 9:39 AM, Pariah said:

 “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

-Albert Einstein (or his secretary)

 

And when I nice girl sits with me for a minute she thinks it is 2 hours. 

 

 

Wait

 

 

[Cancer]

I am repeatedly amazed at how many students don't realize that 2d6 and 1d12 (ignore all 1's on the latter) do NOT give the same distribution functions until they are forced to do the experiment and histogram the outcomes.

[Badger]

11 options on the former, 12 on the latter.  the latter theoretically would have even distribution.  whereas the former would be weighted more towards the middle numbers like 6 and 7 with 2 and 12 only having one chance in 36 (too lazy to give number crunching)

 

Me am smart.

[Cancer]

No, I said ignore the 1,'s, so there's only 11 options in the latter. 

 

But the rest you're right.  And you're ahead of some 20% of my students in that class.

[Ternaugh]

9 minutes ago, Cancer said:

I am repeatedly amazed at how many students don't realize that 2d6 and 1d12 (ignore all 1's on the latter) do NOT give the same distribution functions until they are forced to do the experiment and histogram the outcomes.

 

Just now, Badger said:

11 options on the former, 12 on the latter.  the latter theoretically would have even distribution.  whereas the former would be weighted more towards the middle numbers (too lazy to give number crunching)

 

Me am smart.

 

Bell curve vs linear distribution. Rolling a 12 on a d12 is 3 times more likely than on 2d6, and rolling a 7 is twice as likely on 2d6 than on a d12.

[Cancer]

Well, if you're on these boards, you're a gamer, and gamers understand these things intuitively.  My takeaway is that about 20% of my students have never played a dice-based RPG.