|
ideagirl
|
 |
« Reply #90 on: August 12, 2008, 03:53:19 PM » |
|
A story: Some years ago I encountered a student whose thesis was an enquiry into whether Alfred Tennyson had been influenced by Indian cuisine (not Indian literature!). I thought I would spare her a few yeas of mindless labour and gave her an immediate answer: NO. She went ahead and completed her thesis. The anwer: NO. This would ba a fable, or a parable, or something, were it not for the fact that it is a true story.
Oh jesus god. Our tax dollars (via PhD funding) at work. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
mingus
|
|
« Reply #91 on: August 12, 2008, 08:05:24 PM » |
|
There are still hundreds and hundreds of posts out there that you haven't individually responded to. Step to it!
Sorry, I ran out of gin-and-tonic last night. I will catch up after the weekend trip to the boozer's. The genius only appears when liberated by the right muse, apparently. Why don't you make like your namesake and just punch 'em all out? Am not good at punching; I prefer strangling. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
robert_smithson
|
|
« Reply #92 on: August 12, 2008, 09:07:55 PM » |
|
There are still hundreds and hundreds of posts out there that you haven't individually responded to. Step to it!
Sorry, I ran out of gin-and-tonic last night. I will catch up after the weekend trip to the boozer's. The genius only appears when liberated by the right muse, apparently. Why don't you make like your namesake and just punch 'em all out? Am not good at punching; I prefer strangling. I could have guessed that. Try not to strangle the chicken so much in public, ok? |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 12, 2008, 09:10:48 PM by robert_smithson »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
mingus
|
|
« Reply #93 on: August 12, 2008, 09:55:29 PM » |
|
There are still hundreds and hundreds of posts out there that you haven't individually responded to. Step to it!
Sorry, I ran out of gin-and-tonic last night. I will catch up after the weekend trip to the boozer's. The genius only appears when liberated by the right muse, apparently. Why don't you make like your namesake and just punch 'em all out? Why not? Am not good at punching; I prefer strangling. I could have guessed that. Try not to strangle the chicken so much in public, ok? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
robert_smithson
|
|
« Reply #94 on: August 12, 2008, 09:58:25 PM » |
|
Wow, great response. What amazing computer literacy. Too drunk to type, perhaps?
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 12, 2008, 10:01:31 PM by robert_smithson »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
mingus
|
|
« Reply #95 on: August 12, 2008, 10:37:17 PM » |
|
Wow, great response. What amazing computer literacy. Too drunk to type, perhaps?
Thank you. I thought I made it clear that I am out until I hit the boozer's this weekend. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
iprof
New member
Posts: 2
|
|
« Reply #96 on: August 14, 2008, 01:53:10 AM » |
|
This is a vast topic, but I'll take a stab at one small part of your posting.
You say that there haven't been "earth-shakers" in the humanities lately. I agree, but I think it doesn't have to do with the quality of minds in the humanities, but with some other things:
1. There are fewer and fewer tenure-track slots. If you're an adjunct, you don't have time or energy or encouragement to write breakthrough stuff.
2. No one much cares about what humanities people "discover." Intellectual breakthroughs (outside the sciences, where there's still coverage) used to be front-page news, and the latest literary novels were discussed by everyone. Not many people care now.
3. Hate to say it, but I don't think the best and the brightest go to grad school in the humanities anymore, if they ever did. The slog is too long and the rewards are too vague. It's the less bright who either don't know how bad the job market is, or they don't care. I think the brightest undergrads are more apt to go to business school or go right into jobs.
The Fiona
I dont know if I would equate intelligence with greed? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
daurousseau
|
|
« Reply #97 on: August 14, 2008, 12:26:19 PM » |
|
This is a vast topic, but I'll take a stab at one small part of your posting.
You say that there haven't been "earth-shakers" in the humanities lately. I agree, but I think it doesn't have to do with the quality of minds in the humanities, but with some other things:
1. There are fewer and fewer tenure-track slots. If you're an adjunct, you don't have time or energy or encouragement to write breakthrough stuff.
2. No one much cares about what humanities people "discover." Intellectual breakthroughs (outside the sciences, where there's still coverage) used to be front-page news, and the latest literary novels were discussed by everyone. Not many people care now.
3. Hate to say it, but I don't think the best and the brightest go to grad school in the humanities anymore, if they ever did. The slog is too long and the rewards are too vague. It's the less bright who either don't know how bad the job market is, or they don't care. I think the brightest undergrads are more apt to go to business school or go right into jobs.
The Fiona
I dont know if I would equate intelligence with greed? Just chiming in with anecdotal evidence: the stream of doctoral students in business that I encounter every day are, on average, stupid. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
kiana
|
|
« Reply #98 on: August 14, 2008, 12:35:44 PM » |
|
A story: Some years ago I encountered a student whose thesis was an enquiry into whether Alfred Tennyson had been influenced by Indian cuisine (not Indian literature!). I thought I would spare her a few yeas of mindless labour and gave her an immediate answer: NO. She went ahead and completed her thesis. The anwer: NO. This would ba a fable, or a parable, or something, were it not for the fact that it is a true story.
Oh jesus god. Our tax dollars (via PhD funding) at work. Reading a book many years ago (I forgot the name of the book, but it was by Rory Foster, a vet known as Dr. Wildlife), he mentioned speaking to a young and eager wildlife biology student. She mentioned her research study, which was to find out what happened to ducks which were wounded, but not killed when hunters shot at them. Their method of finding out was to break the wings of a bunch of ducks and turn them loose. In Minnesota. With winter coming on. What the $#^)$%$#^$#^ do you *think* is going to happen to a duck with a broken wing when the water freezes? (Yes, the results of the study were that many died quickly to predators, while some survived until the water froze and then died.) |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
|
|
|
|
trentsands
|
|
« Reply #99 on: August 14, 2008, 12:38:57 PM » |
|
A story: Some years ago I encountered a student whose thesis was an enquiry into whether Alfred Tennyson had been influenced by Indian cuisine (not Indian literature!). I thought I would spare her a few yeas of mindless labour and gave her an immediate answer: NO. She went ahead and completed her thesis. The anwer: NO. This would ba a fable, or a parable, or something, were it not for the fact that it is a true story.
Oh jesus god. Our tax dollars (via PhD funding) at work. Reading a book many years ago (I forgot the name of the book, but it was by Rory Foster, a vet known as Dr. Wildlife), he mentioned speaking to a young and eager wildlife biology student. She mentioned her research study, which was to find out what happened to ducks which were wounded, but not killed when hunters shot at them. Their method of finding out was to break the wings of a bunch of ducks and turn them loose. In Minnesota. With winter coming on. What the $#^)$%$#^$#^ do you *think* is going to happen to a duck with a broken wing when the water freezes? (Yes, the results of the study were that many died quickly to predators, while some survived until the water froze and then died.) We live in a culture in which the knowledge that is merely known or thought is powerless. It must be documented. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo."
-- T.S. Eliot
|
|
|
|
