Comments on: Frustrated undergrad http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2005/07/28/frustrated-undergrad/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:12:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Richard Hall http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2005/07/28/frustrated-undergrad/#comment-4784 Richard Hall Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:54:26 +0000 http://ss75.shared.server-system.net/~benedictionblogson.com/?p=1625#comment-4784 Reminds me of a story I read about a physics exam in which students were asked to describe how they might use an accurate barometer to measure the height of a tall building. One student apparently wrote, "drop the object from the roof of the building and time the descent. Use Newton's laws to valculate the height." It wasn't wrong, so he couldn't be failed, but it wasn't what they were looking for. The student was allowed to answer the question again. This time he wrote, "Tie the barometer to some string. Lower the barometer from the roof. Measure the string used." He was given one last chance. He wrote, "Go to the building's janitor. Say 'If I give you this barometer, will you tell me how tall the building is?'!" Allegedly, he passed. Reminds me of a story I read about a physics exam in which students were asked to describe how they might use an accurate barometer to measure the height of a tall building. One student apparently wrote, “drop the object from the roof of the building and time the descent. Use Newton’s laws to valculate the height.” It wasn’t wrong, so he couldn’t be failed, but it wasn’t what they were looking for. The student was allowed to answer the question again. This time he wrote, “Tie the barometer to some string. Lower the barometer from the roof. Measure the string used.” He was given one last chance. He wrote, “Go to the building’s janitor. Say ‘If I give you this barometer, will you tell me how tall the building is?’!”
Allegedly, he passed.

]]> By: Jenny http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2005/07/28/frustrated-undergrad/#comment-4783 Jenny Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:30:20 +0000 http://ss75.shared.server-system.net/~benedictionblogson.com/?p=1625#comment-4783 This "frustrated undergrad" now has a PhD in computer science! This “frustrated undergrad” now has a PhD in computer science!

]]> By: Hamster http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2005/07/28/frustrated-undergrad/#comment-4782 Hamster Fri, 29 Jul 2005 02:45:02 +0000 http://ss75.shared.server-system.net/~benedictionblogson.com/?p=1625#comment-4782 I guess with that attitude he will never go for an advanced degree. I remember a friend of mine saying that the higher he went with his education the more he knew about one certain topic. He figured that if he went all the way to PhD level he'd know everything about one thing, and devoted so much of his life to it, he'd know nothing about anything else! Duh! Glad I know a little about most things - just enough to get into trouble! <[;-) I guess with that attitude he will never go for an advanced degree.
I remember a friend of mine saying that the higher he went with his education the more he knew about one certain topic. He figured that if he went all the way to PhD level he’d know everything about one thing, and devoted so much of his life to it, he’d know nothing about anything else! Duh!

Glad I know a little about most things - just enough to get into trouble! <[;-)

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