Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Your hidden talent?

I take attendance by having the students ask a question.

Of course, the class is full of very talented people. In addition to a slew of musical instrument and dancing skills, my class harbors many unusually-talented students. Parse that as you will.

What is one of your hidden talents?

  • vaguely ambidextrous
  • hiding my talents
  • eating copious amounts of food
  • tying shoelaces
  • can make a bubbly noise in awkward silences
  • sleeping
  • Bejeweled
  • I have 3 arms.
  • hiding

Today's prevention of semantic/logical loops goes to: "It wouldn't be hidden if I told you."


This post's theme word is sub rosa, "secretly, privately, or confidentially." The students submitted their homework sub rosa; I have no idea why.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

I take attendance by having the students answer a question.

This one might have been very cultural-reference-specific, but... I honestly want to know.

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?
  • African or European?
Okay, I deserved that. Other answers included:
  • 2
  • 3.00*10^8 m/s
  • 3
  • 50 minutes (one algorithms class)
  • c=2.78*10^8 m/s
  • 10mph
  • 574mph
  • -9.8m/s
  • 5
  • 12 knots
  • 20mph west
  • depends on mass of coconut
  • 25mph, depending on African or European
I'm worried by the units (or lack thereof) on some of those answers.

And on a less quantitative level:
  • What's an unladen swallow?
  • as fast as it can dream
  • The swallow is the center of the universe. All moves relative to it.
  • very fast
  • Will this be on the exam?
  • faster than me
  • impossible to measure


This post's theme word placentious (adj), "pleasing or inclined to please." The students are placentious indeed.