I have to tell youabout this FAIL!

[Cicciograna]

Sometimes, the mental processes of people amuse and bewilder me. Sometimes people can say unpredictable things, things so weird, so against common sense that one actually wonders if they really live in this world.

My girlfriend just told me this incredible story. She's attending lessons in Medical Physics, and at the beginning of the course the teacher spent some lessons to recall basic and not-so-basic concept from Physics I and II: this is not so uncommon, but the fact is that the teacher actually spent many lessons on these concepts. Yesterday he told his students the reason behind this thorough recapitulation: he told them that some years ago he was talking to his students about photon spectra, when he asked the following question.
He asked "What is the frequency range of the rainbow?", which can be easily rephrased in "From which colour to which colour goes the rainbow?".

Okay, I don't know the numeric values of the frequencies of the rainbow [but I know the wavelengths, so basically I know the answer ], but everybody knows that the rainbow goes from red to violet. Or, to say the least, that it IS actually coloured...because...
...because one of the students answered "The colours go from black to white".
The teachers told that he almost fainted.

Now I would really know the peculiar train of thought that led the student to give this incredible answer. He knew what a rainbow is: he surely drew one in his childhood. He KNEW that it is coloured! Why the heck did he give this absurd answer?

Questions like this will never have an answer.

[golentan]

If true, that may be the single most stupid thing I've heard uttered of being uttered in a physics class. Ever.

It tops my previous victor of "The speed of light is 5000 miles per hour."

[Lycan 01]

Velvet? Isn't that a fabric? Never heard it used as a color before...


I'll admit, I can't name the colors of the rainbow off in proper order. But at least I know black and white aren't on the list.


In 8th grade I argued with my science teacher about the human circulatory system. I claimed there was jugular vein and carotid artery on both sides of the neck. He was adamant that it was jugular on one side, carotid artery on the other side. After several minutes of arguing, the coach finally told me I had no idea what I was talking about, and that he was right and we should drop the arguement.

I had even pointed to the poster on the wall next to me which showed the human circulatory system, and backed up my "mistake" with color-coded awesomeness.


A few days later he apologized to me, and told me he'd checked and discovered I was, shockingly, correct. It still felt like a hollow victory, having already been basically told to shut up by the coach because I knew more than him...

[Cobalt]

Put this* here. Put this here now.

No excuse for such things.

*in shortened form

[Dr.Epic]

I thought the fail you were talking about was the fact you forgot to include a space between the words "you" and "about".

[Cicciograna]

Velvet? Isn't that a fabric? Never heard it used as a color before...

You're right Fixed.

[Malfunctioned]

In my Biology AS-Level class.

Teacher: As you know koalas live mainly on bamboo...
Me: Wasn't that pandas?
Teacher: Are you sure I could've sworn it was...*looks in book, looks frustrated for a second and then flips a few pages forward*
Teacher: As I was saying, pandas live mainly on bamboo.....

And yes she was supposed to be teaching us A-level Biology.

[Starscream]

Once had a science class in which the teacher explained that the phases of the moon cycle approximately every 28 days. A girl raised her hand and asked whether or not that only included weekdays.

Also once had a guy say that the government should repeal daylight savings time because he lived on a farm and the crops couldn't take the extra hour of sunlight without drying out.

Incidentally, growing up in my town resulted in so many anecdotes like these that my forehead can probably be used as a coaster thanks to the number of times I smacked my head against my desk in high school.

[Lycan 01]

"I'm tellin' ya man, helicopters are faster than jets!"

Quoted from a friend of mine, who still refuses to believe otherwise...

[Dr.Epic]

"I'm tellin' ya man, helicopters are faster than jets!"

Quoted from a friend of mine, who still refuses to believe otherwise...

Morbo says "HELICOPTERS DO NOT WORK LIKE THAT!"

[Cobalt]

Once had a science class in which the teacher explained that the phases of the moon cycle approximately every 28 days. A girl raised her hand and asked whether or not that only included weekdays.

Also once had a guy say that the government should repeal daylight savings time because he lived on a farm and the crops couldn't take the extra hour of sunlight without drying out.

Incidentally, growing up in my town resulted in so many anecdotes like these that my forehead can probably be used as a coaster thanks to the number of times I smacked my head against my desk in high school.

"The price of being a teacher; I have to answer stupid questions."

Can't remember which one said it, but I laughed for a good long time when one of my instructors proclaimed this to the class.

[dehro]

I have a funny one for you.
I used to live with my dad and his second wife, in italy.
one day it was starting to snow, and as we were sitting down for dinner we mentioned the heavy snow that was forecast...in passing, I mentioned we should pour some salt on the paved path leading from our front door to the main walkway.
his wife was very surprised at this..not as suprised as I was that a grown woman didn't know that salt melts or prevents the formation of ice.

me and my dad had a right laugh when, after dinner, we caught her bent over the path with the salt shaker, sprinkling salt like you would do on a tossed salad.

[Mando Knight]

"I'm tellin' ya man, helicopters are faster than jets!"

Quoted from a friend of mine, who still refuses to believe otherwise...

Shoot, we've got Mach 2+ helos and I haven't heard about it yet? MS&T, why have you failed me?

[Flame of Anor]

If true, that may be the single most stupid thing I've heard uttered of being uttered in a physics class. Ever.

It tops my previous victor of "The speed of light is 5000 miles per hour."

Very slightly nsfw language.

Spoiler

Show

[The Dark Fiddler]

"So wait... Dr. Jekyll likes men?"

Reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in eighth grade. The book said Jekyll was gay, obviously meaning the now slightly outdated definition of happy, but this student didn't realize that.

And then we were studying Cephalopods just last week in Bio.

"So do squids......................................... wait, never mind. That was Coopers (?)."

She was going to ask if Squids attacked and pulled down ships. Not too unreasonable I guess, but with that fifteen second pause and then taking back the question due to it being a movie or something like that?

[Cealocanth]

Thus thread and it's responses really belong in the "What Did You just Say?" thread.

[denthor]

Sometimes, the mental processes of people amuse and bewilder me. Sometimes people can say unpredictable things, things so weird, so against common sense that one actually wonders if they really live in this world.

My girlfriend just told me this incredible story. She's attending lessons in Medical Physics, and at the beginning of the course the teacher spent some lessons to recall basic and not-so-basic concept from Physics I and II: this is not so uncommon, but the fact is that the teacher actually spent many lessons on these concepts. Yesterday he told his students the reason behind this thorough recapitulation: he told them that some years ago he was talking to his students about photon spectra, when he asked the following question.
He asked "What is the frequency range of the rainbow?", which can be easily rephrased in "From which colour to which colour goes the rainbow?".

Okay, I don't know the numeric values of the frequencies of the rainbow [but I know the wavelengths, so basically I know the answer ], but everybody knows that the rainbow goes from red to violet. Or, to say the least, that it IS actually coloured...because...
...because one of the students answered "The colours go from black to white".
The teachers told that he almost fainted.

Now I would really know the peculiar train of thought that led the student to give this incredible answer. He knew what a rainbow is: he surely drew one in his childhood. He KNEW that it is coloured! Why the heck did he give this absurd answer?

Questions like this will never have an answer.

The student in question was color blind or really rich and got a degree anyway.

[Flame of Anor]

the "What Did You just Say?" thread.

How about the "The hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, to Isengard! to Isengard!" thread?

[Jimorian]

"The price of being a teacher; I have to answer stupid questions."

Can't remember which one said it, but I laughed for a good long time when one of my instructors proclaimed this to the class.

No, the real price is that they have to PRETEND it wasn't a stupid question.

[Runestar]

I'll admit, I can't name the colors of the rainbow off in proper order. But at least I know black and white aren't on the list.

I can't without the use of some acronym either. Why they want to test us the order in a written test is beyond me though, seems to serve no purpose other than see how good your memory is.

[Thorcrest]

Wow... oh well, none of these suprise me, here are some I have heard in first and second year university courses.

in International Politics:
Prof: Now, to understand IP you have to have a working knowledge of the events of the 20th century, for instance the Cold War.

Student: That was the one where Japan was destroyed at the end right?

Prof: *Blank Stare*... no... *goes through a 15 minute discussion about WW2 and the Cold War* and so Japan was a leading economic power at the end of the Cold War.

Student: How was Japan a leading economic power if it was bombed?

Facedesk


in Greek Civ:
Prof is talking about an upcoming project about pottery.
Student says something I didn't hear.
Prof then goes into an explanation about what pottery is.

Facepalm

in Roman Civ:

Prof when mentioning test results:
Surprisingly, 17% of the class could not point out Italy on a multiple choice test.

There are more, but you get the idea...

[AstralFire]

@Topic Post, I'd guess it's simply because the person was not thinking. "White to black" and the reverse are presented as running a gamut much more often than red to violet.

I can't without the use of some acronym either. Why they want to test us the order in a written test is beyond me though, seems to serve no purpose other than see how good your memory is.

It's pretty useful knowledge for astronomy, chemistry, and visual arts.

[dehro]

Prof when mentioning test results:
Surprisingly, 17% of the class could not point out Italy on a multiple choice test.

There are more, but you get the idea...

not so surprising... I've seen it multiple times on the TV..that americans (as in USA)...well..most of those interviewed, seem unable to point out countries like vietnam, iraq or afghanistan...
admittedly, the good answers might be edited out..but..still...

[toasty]

not so surprising... I've seen it multiple times on the TV..that americans (as in USA)...well..most of those interviewed, seem unable to point out countries like vietnam, iraq or afghanistan...
admittedly, the good answers might be edited out..but..still...

One of my friends (an American, who, like me grew up overseas. He's still living overseas... last I checked), once said:

"American's world view is something like this: You have America, Canada and Mexico here, like they should be. Then you have IRAQ over here. And then there are a bunch of other places."

Though, I do have to say, in Americans' defense, our country is so freaking large that you could fit a LOT of smaller countries inside. There are so many different cultures and places you can go to in America you really don't have to leave...

Not saying this is a real excuse, because I mean... Iraq is pretty important. Though I have to admit I might not know the exact location of Vietnam on the map, I could find it, given enough time... (as in, on an unmarked world map, I might point to the wrong one, but I'd be pretty close!)

[rakkoon]

I followed Swahili in my last year at uni.
Fortunately we were warned but the professor gave us a blind map at the final exam and asked to fill in all the countries were Swahili was spoken. There are about 26 if I remember correctly and I challenge anyone to find Magali on that map, let alone which one is Rwanda and which one Burundi.
Now the fun part was that we KNEW there'd be a blind map.

The first time he did this he didn't warn the students.
"Well, if you study a language you SHOULD know where it is spoken"

[Serpentine]

There's a lot of places I can understand not being able to point out. Even Iraq - I suspect I'd probably point to the wrong one, if shown a nameless map of the Middle East. However, I have heard of people not recognising Australia. I don't think this is just patriotism. Australia's a freaking continent. It's like not knowing what Africa looks like.

...wait.

[rakkoon]

Serp, let's not exaggerate. Australia is one of the most well known capitals of the world.
It's just because it's so high above America on the map that everybody keeps forgetting the exact location!

[Thanatos 51-50]

I'll admit, I can't name the colors of the rainbow off in proper order. But at least I know black and white aren't on the list.

From lowest frequency to highest frequency:
Or, alternatively, longest wavelength to shortest wavelength:
Or, alternatively, largest wave height to smallest wave height:

Red
Orange
Yellow

Green

Blue
Indigo
Violet

Spacing/formatting is intentional. It's so you can pick out the mnemonic I used easier.

That being said, if handed a map with semi-current geo-politcal borders drawn on it, I can name a number of countries, including and especially Australia, Viet Nam, and Iraq.

Although, one person, to "Prove I'm an idiot" asked me to point out Zaire, once. When I pointed out the Congo, he laughed and "informed" me Zaire didn't exist and I pointed out the Congo.
I pointed out his map was a year old and it may very well be known as Zaire again, with how often the place changes names, and was well aware of its current name.
He was very humbled.

[Teddy]

Or, alternatively, largest wave height to smallest wave height:

Nonono, amplitude has (almost) nothing to do with frequency. Otherwise, AM-radios wouldn't be different from FM-radios.

Although, one person, to "Prove I'm an idiot" asked me to point out Zaire, once. When I pointed out the Congo, he laughed and "informed" me Zaire didn't exist and I pointed out the Congo.
I pointed out his map was a year old and it may very well be known as Zaire again, with how often the place changes names, and was well aware of its current name.
He was very humbled.

You should have pointed out the Zaire River, which runs through the Democratic Republic of Kongo.

[onthetown]

When I was in high school, in political studies class, we had two doors leading into the classroom because the room was on a corner. We went in and out through the door that was on the main hallway, but if a person was late or had to go to the bathroom or whatever then they went out the back door into the lesser-used hallway. When the person came back, our teacher had a habit of saying, "Leave the door ajar."

One day, a guy came into class late through the back door and was about to close it when the teacher said, "Leave the door ajar, please."

Guy- "What jar?"

It took him a good five minutes before he finally understood that we wanted to leave the door slightly open. The conversation mostly consisted of, "Okay, I'll leave it open! But what jar are you talking about?" When the teacher got sarcastic and told him that he meant a little jar by the door that he leaves sitting on the floor (there is no such jar, obviously), the guy actually looked for it.

That teacher was already hilarious and entertaining, but that day just takes the cake.

The same teacher told us a story where one of his other students had tried to trick him by saying that the word "gullible" wasn't in the dictionary. The teacher agreed that it was interesting that it wouldn't be there. Later in the class, he told the student that he had brought a case of pop for the class and had left it in the staff room, and would the student be so kind as to go get it? The student believed him and they had to send somebody out to find him after twenty minutes. Turns out he had been asking teachers along the way and they had all pointed him in different directions, not really knowing what was going on. While the student was gone, the teacher simply said, "That is the meaning of gullible," and went back to teaching.

I don't even think I have to clarify why this teacher was one of my all-time favourites.