#55609: — 12/29  at  11:54 AM
Hey, PZ--Your name's in a Scientific American blog again, and linked with Richard Dawkins. Pretty rarified company, if you ask me. He's a knight.

http://blog.sciam.com/index.php?title=the_flying_spaghetti_monster_and_i&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

"Just to further clarify, I'm absolutely not arguing for a strategic moratorium on anti-religious arguments. Some critics have suggested that outspokenly atheistic evolution advocates such as Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers should censor themselves for the greater good. I disagree: the scientific community encompasses many points of view and there is no reason to hide that fact. At the same time, let's not play into the hands of the creationists by unintentionally sending the message that science is automatically derisive of religion."

For what it's worth, I think she's mistaken. Science really does erode, if not deride, religion. Reason strangles faith.

#55613: — 12/29  at  12:39 PM
I'm glad my profs didn't have that attitude. Of course, I did well in my first round of grad-level courses.

#55615: dr. dave — 12/29  at  12:44 PM
I'm in the same boat too... last day for grading. I, however, harbor no delusions about actually MAKING the deadline!

#55637: John Wilkins — 12/29  at  05:36 PM
Edna Krabopple gves her kids B's when the staff happy hour arrives. I recommend you do the same.

#55662: — 12/29  at  08:17 PM
Some of those students put for real effort to impress you. Hopefully you will find some gems while reading that will make you glad that you did the job.

Now if you were grading AT high school it might be a different story ...........

Just kidding, some of those papers are inspiring, too.

#55664: — 12/29  at  08:35 PM
Hey, here's a question you actual profs can answer: My Advanced OS professor cornered me as I was leaving his final, and asked if I was on the extra course work or the thesis plan (I'm on neither yet -- I was lazy with the GRE, and haven't even got an advisor yet). He said if I was on the thesis plan, that he had a research project in the spring he was looking for students to help out -- for the research credit, I suppose.

Admittedly, he did this BEFORE he graded my final (Totally bombed it, but got an A- for the class....doing all the work and doing well on the midterm counts for a lot), but should I take that as a compliment? Or a professor desperately seeking warm bodies? (At least warm bodies willing to work -- I think I was one of the few to actually DO all his projects, and solo to boot).

#55707: Alon Levy — 12/30  at  09:47 AM
Well, one of my professors openly admitted to us that he hated grading and that grading our homework was the most annoying part of teaching the class for him. So of course I asked him, "Then why did you give so much homework instead of just having a midterm and a final?" He idealistically replied, "Because that way you'd learn less" (and he was completely right).