<p>This was sent to me by one of my kiddles…not sure of the origin but it did put a smile on my face…</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE</p>
<p>I deleted the excerpt. Please see the Terms of Service - massive excerpts from any other source may NOT be posted on CC, even (especially) if you don’t know the source. One or two sentences at most may be used, and you should include a link to the material.</p>
<p>I couldn’t even finish reading this. It is insulting and offensive. Not even faintly amusing.</p>
<p>I lol’d. </p>
<p>Probably much of it is true. The beginning is kind of confusing though.</p>
<p>I’m not sure which part is offensive. Maybe it is offensive because it strikes close to home? It’s supposed to be lighthearted.</p>
<p>Not true. An interpretation is a theory. Just as in science, some interpretations are better than others because they explain more of the data. In English and philosophy the data is the text. I have demonstrably shown students why one interpretation is more accurate than another and they become better, closer readers of their bio texts and news articles.</p>
<p>And Liberal Arts include all STEM subjects mentioned. They do not include business and other vocationally oriented disciplines and usually not engineering. I am not denigrating those disciplines in any way, just being “factual” as the piece suggests.</p>
<p>I didn’t find it offensive but it wasn’t funny in the least.</p>
<p>Well, the typo in the penultimate line pretty much ruins it. (Sorry, OP–I’m sure you didn’t notice.)</p>
<p>Stupid, not at all funny. The kinds of people who set up arbitrary divisions between STEM and other majors aren’t worth the time of day.</p>
<p>Lame.</p>
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<p>I thought it was mildly amusing.</p>
<p>And besides, sociologists are more than happy to get a “casual” relationship among the variables. We’ve given up on “causal!”</p>
<p>For those interested in the provenance of this passage, it is from “Dave Barry’s Bad Habits,” pp. 201-203. The original does not have the “casual” typo.</p>
<p>As a scientist, I am dumbfounded over what passes as “data” in the social sciences.</p>
<p>Ouch! I’m not a social scientist, but that styrene does seem harsh.</p>
<p>OP Here. I have been properly chastised for not crediting a post…sorry for violation of the TOS service. As for the humor…well…I did forward it to my DS college counselor (an English major and huge advocate of LAC’s and the liberal arts), she found it funny enough to forward on to the other counselors. </p>
<p>I will continue to chuckle at the stuff that comes my way and pokes fun at CS majors (yes, I IS one). DS spent a part of his summer surrounded by heavy hitters in the Engineering world…they poked fun at themselves, who they were and how they function in the world. DD…pursuing an accounting path often relays some of the things she and her fellow students laugh at when they look at themselves.</p>
<p>Folks that can laugh at themselves just seem to have a kinder and gentler approach all around. I assumed the ability to chuckled at ones own self was a general trait, I stand corrected…so…apologies all around.</p>
<p>Admittedly I didn’t read the whole thing, but I didn’t see any signs of STEM types laughing at themselves in the part I read. There are countless threads on CC denigrating the humanities.</p>
<p>I can laugh at myself. I do it often. It’s the only way I very through a day considering how many times I trip over shadows or do stupid things. I just didn’t think it was funny.</p>
<p>And LAC’s certainly do teach math and science. Biology is often one of the top majors.</p>
<p>How did I know, as soon as I read your title, that the CCers would not think it was amusing.</p>
<p>And that’s without even reading the piece (which was removed before I had a chance to).</p>
<p>Dietz - some folks/groups are oh so predictable!</p>
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<p>It seems that some see these “STEM uber alles” people everywhere, like the spotting of communists during the McCarthy era. </p>
<p>Other than this thread, which was a joke, I cannot recall any threads placing more importance on STEM than humanities. However, anytime STEM is brought up, people jump to the conclusion that it is code for the denigration of the humanities.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the original Dave Barry piece says little about STEM majors…other than to disparage algebra and calculus.</p>
<p>The tags for this thread: “it’s<em>not</em>all<em>about</em>you” and " learn<em>to</em>proofread ."</p>