On Wednesday nights, I have class from 6:40 to 9:20. It's rough. We're in the computer lab, so no food or drinks allowed - that's right, no caffeine in a night class on research methodology (which is actually pretty interesting, but would be a lot easier to follow at, say, 4pm). And anyone who has been around me after a long day knows that caffeine is the only thing that enables me to keep the verbal filter firmly attached.
By 8:30, I was mentally switching between trying to paying attention and daydreaming about pie (which the professor had mentioned about five minutes earlier, so that's on him) when I refocused on his discussion of the difference between experimental and quasi-experimental research design.
Prof: Some people will tell you that it's either experimental, or nothing. There's no such thing as quasi-experimental research. It's like, you can't be alive and dead at the same time.
Me, out of nowhere: What about Schrödinger's Cat?
Classmates: Silence/confused stares.
Me, trying to recover/provide context: I mean, uh, all I know about Schrödinger's Cat is from the Big Bang Theory, so, ha...
Classmates: Continued silence/confused stares/apparently people in Portland don't watch the Big Bang Theory because this is not the first time this has happened to me.
Prof: Well, actually, I once had a student in a seminar give a whole presentation about leadership and Schrödinger's cat (continues anecdote…).
Classmates: More silence.
And THAT is why they should allow us to drink coffee in the computer labs.
(Bazinga.)
THIS. POST. MADE. MY. DAY.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you have to go through life in Portland not having people who can relate to your Big Bang Theory knowledge. For what it's worth, if you ever want to chat/rave/rant about a BBT episode online, I am almost always available to chat about it, haha.