I may have mentioned once or twice before that I really dig my student. Not only are they really committed to learning the stuff I’m trying to teach them (while working many hours, commuting long distances, taking care of families, etc.), but a bunch of them are also really funny.
That they can maintain a sense of humor while taking a midterm is already impressive. That they can produce really good answers that make me laugh is even better — especially since it makes my experience of grading 110 midterms in a sitting a bit more enjoyable.
Two examples from the most recent midterm that are too good not to share:
In the margins on a test item where the students were asked to propose a method to test a claim that vitamin C can help cure the common cold:
1. Expose experimental subjects to cold germs.
2. Give half the population vitamin C.
3. ?????
4. Profit!
As any underpants gnome can tell you, it’s that next to last step that’s a killer.
In response to a question asking the students to discuss the distinctive scientific attitude according to Karl Popper and Paul Feyerabend:
Popper is all like “YEAH BROS WE NEED TO BE BADASS DUDES AND COME UP WITH THEORIES THAT CAN BE FALSIFIED. IF FALSIFICATION IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT THEORY IS HELLA DUMB AND HELLA PSEUDO-SCIENCE. WE NEED TO LIKE LOOK AT EXPERIMENTS AS UHH ATTEMPTS TO LIKE PROVE THIS STUFF (theories/hypotheses) WRONG OR WHATEVER. NOW WHO WANTS TO DO A KEGSTAND?”
Feyerabend is all like, “Dude chill out brah. We can come up with as many theories as we want, man. Like this theory that we’re all made of like tiny people man. And like we can test them for as long as we want. Man, I was like: Dude, you go ahead and keep testing that theory of reverse gravity on pink stuff man; you know? Yeah so the pink stuff keeps like falling or whatever. That doesn’t mean he has to like stop and stuff. Oh dude, that dog is on a skateboard, dude.”
And then Popper said, “THAT’S STUPID. ONCE WE FALSIFY A THEORY WE SHOULD MOVE ON. THAT THEORY IS DEAD BRO.”
And Feyerabend was all like, “Chillax, brawg. Let’s still test it anyway.”
And then Hempel came in and was all like, “Hey guys, my name is HEMP … el.”
And they all laughed for hours.
I didn’t laugh for hours, but I did laugh.
Now if there were just a way to make the multiple choice sections more amusing to grade.
You teach in California, don’t you.
Ohmigod, I’m still wiping tears out of my eyes about the second one. Thanks for that!
As a lifetime native of NorCal, I gotta say I hella love Popper’s response here
I only wish my students gave answers nearly that entertaining.
Holy cow I want to work with that second student. ““Chillax, brawg. Let’s still test it anyway.”