Mathematicians are weird
So we get quizzes handed back to us in senior seminar yesterday. Apparently the prof made a mistake writing one of the questions. She meant to ask "What are the central vertices of this graph?" She actually asked "What is the center of this graph?" Turns out every single person except one answered the question she meant, not the question she asked. She tells us she was sitting there obliviously grading quizzes until she hit the one that actually answered the question. In her own words: "Everybody else just listed the vertex set, but so-and-so's answer was this really weird symbol I'd never seen before. It took me about ten minutes of squinting and research before I realized he was drawing the graph." Seems that was the only correct answer. He got extra credit.
The psychology of this is fascinating. Did we all really just not study enough to realize that we were answering the question wrong, or did we actually know what she meant? Is there some kind of math brainwave here that clues people in to the intent of a question? Are we psychic? I should really ask the guy who got it right whether he has a metal plate in his head....
Also, we got to fill out course evaluation forms. I am pleased to report that it was actually relevant that I comment "Professor shows appalling lack of Ninja Turtles knowledge" in the criticism section.
The psychology of this is fascinating. Did we all really just not study enough to realize that we were answering the question wrong, or did we actually know what she meant? Is there some kind of math brainwave here that clues people in to the intent of a question? Are we psychic? I should really ask the guy who got it right whether he has a metal plate in his head....
Also, we got to fill out course evaluation forms. I am pleased to report that it was actually relevant that I comment "Professor shows appalling lack of Ninja Turtles knowledge" in the criticism section.