Thursday, March 28, 2024

What is the most useless technology ever invented?

 I take attendance by having the students answer a question (previously 2019).

What is the most useless technology ever invented?

By popular vote, the general category "social media" is the winner (6 votes). Some people voted more narrowly tiktok (4 votes) and snapchat (2 votes) were singled out for specific contempt. Other physical debris got votes: electric toothbrush (3 votes), smartwatches (2 votes), and furby (1 vote).

Some votes went to other things, some explicable and some not:

  • bombs :(
  • nukes :/
  • shoes
  • chat GPT trying to identify word count
  • everything
  • it's hard to tell
  • none :(
  • sundials
  • wheel

I think the "everything" and the "none" person should compare notes.


This post's theme word is Momus (n), "a carping critic" (the Greek god of censure!). The tech journalist was a Momus at the product launch.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

What is your favorite fruit?

 I take attendance by having the students answer a question (previously 2017).

What is your favorite fruit?

  • watermelon (x7)
  • mango (x6)
  • apple (x2)
  • grapes (x2)
  • raspberries (x2)
  • pears
  • bananas
  • pineapple
  • peach
  • clementine
  • strawberry
  • blueberry
  • orange
I'm surprised that watermelon surpassed mango, the previous champion.

This post's theme word is tergiversate (v), "to evade, to equivocate; to change one's loyalties." The student population tergiversated between large, sweet, round fruits.