Bad Calibration

After realizing one small thing went badly on a test, a student says, "Oh no, I really messed up that question! That probably means I got other things wrong too! I'm done for! I'm going to fail the course! How could I be so stup..." On how our internal calibrators are a little too biased toward negative results.

I am notorious for getting into these thought cycles. I go from one thing wrong to imagining that I’ve somehow forgotten everything about physics, and sooner than later I’ve convinced myself that I know nothing.

18 Nov 2019

Prestige

Researcher: "Must resist giving more credence to this research just because it was published in a popular jounal." (Later) Researcher: "...Oh year, this research is top-notch. After all, it was published in the prestigious journal Nature!" (What we say versus what we do.)

Once I started noticing this in magazines and other science outreach publications, I couldn’t unsee it. You’re welcome.

15 Nov 2019

Intermediate Steps

Professor: "We are running out of time, so let's use my favourite method of proof." Students: "Contrapositive?", "Contradiction?", "Induction?" Professor: "Proof by skipping intermediate steps!"

“I don’t know why they don’t teach this in school anymore. I’ve found it to be very helpful in getting through material quickly.”

13 Nov 2019

Mistakes

First panel: The supervisor tells his student that there was a mistake in their paper, so it's the student's job to fix it. Second panel: All week, the student looks for the mistake, but can't seem to find it. The student concludes they are being stupid. Third panel: The supervisor tells the student that the good news is that there wasn't any mistake after all!

More or less based on a true story.

11 Nov 2019

Low Expectations

A physics student walks toward their new lab, hoping that it will have a nice window. Instead, all they get is a view of people's feet.

Maybe I was just unlucky with where I studied, but the windows reminded me of a prison.

08 Nov 2019

Well-Known

Researcher 1: "So, I just cracked a big math proof in my field." Researcher 2: "Oh yeah?" Researcher 1: "Yep, it's a well-known conjecture that I've been working on for years." Researcher 2: "How many people know about this conjecture?" Researcher 1: "Tons! At least ten."

I apologize to the mathematicians that may be offended. Don’t worry, my research problems are probably just as well known!

06 Nov 2019

Resiliency

On the left, a student complains about seeing a topic on the test which is slightly different than what they saw in class. On the right, the student sees this as a fun challenge.

I aspire to be the student on the right, but I know myself well enough to admit that my reaction is usually the one on the left.

04 Nov 2019

Lecture Audience

A three-panel progression of an audience during a lecture, from the perspective of the teacher. The audience starts attentive, and gradually the students fall off one by one.

I wonder if teachers play a mental game of seeing who can hang on in the lecture the longest.

01 Nov 2019

Science Costume

A scientist asks a friend what their costume is supposed to be, since they are only carrying a labeller. The friend replies that they are dressing as a scientist because labelling is pretty much all scientists do.

At least I didn’t show up with just a lab coat!

30 Oct 2019

Popular Physics

In the first panel, a student reads a popular physics book and enjoys the material. In the second panel, the student asks the teacher to skip the "boring" math stuff in order to get to the time travel and black holes.

“We can’t skip the mathematics. It’s the most important part!”

“If that was true, why didn’t my book mention any of that?”

28 Oct 2019

To the past To the present