ITT we make fun of Amercan education

[Glork]

glork please don't do this to me

Ok, ok. B+ because you brought on the waterworks.

But no more!

[Adel]

The Shovel

A friend came up to me one day and asked, "What is that?".
"A shovel", (periodic table) I replied, a little surprised by his ignorance.
"What is it good for?" he asked.
"Well", I replied, "you can dig holes with it for one thing. But here is the really interesting thing:
It measures your heart rate.
You can tell time by it.
It is made of iron and wood, two very significant things.
It is a model of all chemistry and physics.
No one has disputed it for over 100 years.
It has been referenced in the scientific literature 1,683,000 times.
It is a conceptual thing; you need a PhD. in physics to fully understand it.
It is the basis for quantum physics, which explains everything.
Thomsen, Bohr, Pauling, Schroedinger all based their theories on it."
"So, what is it good for?", he asked again.
"Digging holes" I replied.
"So why the big sales pitch about mostly useless stuff?", he asked.
"Because you need to know its history, philosophy and connection to physics, otherwise you won't understand its relevance."
"Nonsense", he replied and then picked up the shovel and dug a hole.
I stood there somewhat aghast that he would immediately dig a hole in my front yard.
"So", he continued, "it (periodic table) is a tool."
"A very sophisticated tool", I pointed out.
"It is a tool.", he said, "Nothing more."
After my speechless pause...he asked "So what is it supposed to do?"
"Determine valences", I replied, forsaking everything I had learned about chemistry until then, yet still hanging on to the one thing I knew was true.
"It is not very good at that", he replied and then walked away.

http://www.rotaperiod.com/The_Shovel.pdf

[Simenon]

Can we get Porochaz in here?

[ShadowLurker]

if google gave out an award for outstanding, innovative, and sometimes batshit insane use of their search function, i would nominate adel

[Simenon]

I mean someone who knows what he's talking about?

[Simenon]

Please?

[ShadowLurker]

porochaz was in the chat, but i cut his role out in the tl;dr spirit

[Adel]

if google gave out an award for outstanding, innovative, and sometimes batshit insane use of their search function, i would nominate adel

If I had a dozen starving swine in a pen, I would invite you over for dinner.

porochaz was in the chat, but i cut his role out in the tl;dr spirit

I was wondering who would ask what "tartrate" was after someone asked to be quizzed on polyatomic ions.

[Simenon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TBoH3v8EGs&
AW AW AWWWW

[Adel]

LYSERGIC ACID DIETYELAMIDE TARTRATE "25"

[ShadowLurker]

if google gave out an award for outstanding, innovative, and sometimes batshit insane use of their search function, i would nominate adel

If I had a dozen starving swine in a pen, I would invite you over for dinner.

sorry i keep kosher, thanks for the gracious offer though

porochaz was in the chat, but i cut his role out in the tl;dr spirit

I was wondering who would ask what "tartrate" was after someone asked to be quizzed on polyatomic ions.

(8:25:56 PM) CryWolf20084 entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) soccerh888 entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) CaffieneDeity entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) Porochaz74 entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) jdodge1019 entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) jathan84 entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) The Fritzler entered the room.
(8:25:56 PM) everlong1289 entered the room.
(8:26:06 PM) soccerh888: srsly tho
(8:26:07 PM) CryWolf20084: *shoots Jathan down*
(8:26:13 PM) soccerh888: someone test me on polyatomic ions
(8:26:16 PM) jathan84: k
(8:26:18 PM) jathan84: bromate
(8:26:19 PM) soccerh888: woo
(8:26:23 PM) soccerh888: umm
(8:27:00 PM) soccerh888: ah nvm
(8:27:08 PM) soccerh888: bromate's not on my list
(8:27:14 PM) soccerh888: we only have a few terms
(8:27:17 PM) soccerh888: like the sulfides
(8:27:18 PM) soccerh888: nitrides
(8:27:20 PM) jathan84: citrate
(8:27:32 PM) soccerh888: and a few assorted ones
(8:27:37 PM) soccerh888: like permangante
(8:27:39 PM) soccerh888: ammonium
(8:28:08 PM) jathan84: thiosulfate
(8:28:15 PM) jathan84: that is a sulfide
(8:28:22 PM) soccerh888: I MEAN LIKE SULFITE AND SULFAT
(8:28:23 PM) soccerh888: E
(8:29:05 PM) jathan84: fine i'll make this easier on you
(8:29:08 PM) jathan84: pick 2 out of 3
(8:29:15 PM) jdodge1019: don't bug him
(8:29:17 PM) jdodge1019: he's doing horribly
(8:29:19 PM) jathan84: thiocyanate, phosphite, tartrate
(8:30:15 PM) soccerh888: um
(8:30:26 PM) soccerh888: this is an educated guess on phosphite
(8:30:30 PM) soccerh888: PO3
(8:30:36 PM) soccerh888: charge of -3?
(8:30:38 PM) jathan84: yes
(8:30:41 PM) jathan84: k
(8:30:41 PM) soccerh888: woo
(8:30:42 PM) jathan84: 1 more

other log picks up

[ShadowLurker]

btw adel are you aware of what "binaural beats" are or at least claim to be

[Adel]

wow, no, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats is an interesting article. I've seen some of the same terms used in New Age bullshit, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

(8:28:08 PM) jathan84: thiosulfate
(8:28:15 PM) jathan84: that is a sulfide
(8:28:22 PM) soccerh888: I MEAN LIKE SULFITE AND SULFAT
(8:28:23 PM) soccerh888: E
(8:29:05 PM) jathan84: fine i'll make this easier on you
(8:29:08 PM) jathan84: pick 2 out of 3
(8:29:15 PM) jdodge1019: don't bug him
(8:29:17 PM) jdodge1019: he's doing horribly
(8:29:19 PM) jathan84: thiocyanate, phosphite, tartrate

1. you are a dick
2. I lol'd despite myself
3. I had no idea you knew anything about chemistry.

[ShadowLurker]

well i figured that was the first place you'd go so i've already checked to make sure it had an adequate and interesting wikipedia article

some websites claim to have binaural beats so powerful they can mimic the effects of LSD or other hallucinogenic drugs

however, quotes like "We find that users of I-Doser fall into one of 3 categories: Susceptible to Binaural Beats, Originally Unsusceptible to Binuaral Beats, and Immune to Binaural Beats." just screams of placebo

its also possible something legitimate has been cheaply and inaccurately commercialized which happens with everything but i cannot find enough information nor motivation to look this up further.

[chenhsi]

It's like being in Pre-calc and not knowing your multiplication table.

Why would you be in high school if you don't know your multiplication table?

Heck, how did you get past Alg 1 without knowing your multiplication tables?

[Adel]

I've been into producing hallucinogenic effects though rhythm, dance and meditative tricks for longer than you have allegedly been alive, so this is somewhat related to something I'm deeply into. The physical mechanism seem plausible. In my experience, altered states of consciences are difficult for most people to self-report accurately, so I may be less skeptical than you on this.

[Cybele]

Weep not for me, for I am dead.

[chenhsi]

What are consumer-level math courses?

I wouldn't be surprised if there are seniors in my high school who have a Grade 5 reading level.

[ShadowLurker]

I've been into producing hallucinogenic effects though rhythm, dance and meditative tricks for longer than you have allegedly been alive, so this is somewhat related to something I'm deeply into. The physical mechanism seem plausible. In my experience, altered states of consciences are difficult for most people to self-report accurately, so I may be less skeptical than you on this.

how would one go about measuring them then? physical/machine observance?

i'm more skeptical of the mass-marketability of it than the concept

now wikipedia lists
"< 4 Hz Delta waves Deep dreamless sleep, loss of body awareness"

this seems to be something that would be definitively observable as well as very conclusive. have you ever observed/heard of/or even personally produced something as strong as this? if not, what is the greatest magnitude you are familiar with?

[Cybele]

Weep not for me, for I am dead.

[Cybele]

Weep not for me, for I am dead.

[ShadowLurker]

that was a really late double post

[Cybele]

Weep not for me, for I am dead.

[chenhsi]

What are consumer-level math courses?

I wouldn't be surprised if there are seniors in my high school who have a Grade 5 reading level.

Learning how to do your taxes and identifying the dates of holidays. Stupidest math course ever.

Umm...that needs learning? How many people are in that class, and what grade are they???????????????????

Why the heck does that class exist?

[Adel]

this seems to be something that would be definitively observable as well as very conclusive. have you ever observed/heard of/or even personally produced something as strong as this? if not, what is the greatest magnitude you are familiar with?

yes -- via direct and repeated personal experience.