Obligatory — Columbia Prof. strips and shows Hitler home movies
a/k/a let the bubble burst, we have nothing to lose but the insanity
This probably should be posted over at College Insurrection.
But it fits with the theme being developed about the loss of the youth vote.
So, courtesy of The College Fix, Prof Strips, Shows 9/11 Footage, Impales Stuffed Animal (VIDEO):
A science professor at Columbia University on Monday began a quantum mechanics lecture by stripping into his boxers and eating a banana while rap music played in the background.
Then it got weird.
The professor, Emlyn Hughes, proceeded to redress himself in black, complete with sunglasses, and hug himself on stage at the front of the classroom, a large theater.
As Hughes sat in the fetal position, two “actors” dressed in ninja costumes walked onstage and placed white stuffed animals – lambs – on stools before the audience, according to a student-recorded video of the incident posted on Vimeo.com by “Bwog.”
The ninjas blindfolded the lambs, then a ninja impaled one of the stuffed animals with a long sword and banged it against the stool – right as an image of a plane hitting one of the Twin Towers on 9/11 started rolling on a large screen behind the performance.
Be sure to listen to the girl’s comments as it is unfolding — “Is that a banana?” “What is happening?” “I am so confused” “Is this real life” “How does this relate to anything?” “Hi Sadaam” “What is going on?” and so on.
Remember, this is SCIENCE class.
The good news is that he got their attention. The bad news is that he got their attention.
FroSci Gone Wild from Bwog on Vimeo.
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Comments
Back in the 60s, I just knew that one day college dons and holders of high office would one day try to out “Morrison” Jim Morrison (The Doors) in a drug-addled “happening”.
And I was right. Several times…
…at least he didn’t do the Frank Zappa crappah routine.
Columbia U? NYC? Long sword? This video is evidence of a crime being committed. [felony possession of a deadly weapon]
Imagine the parents who are shelling out the cash for their kids to go to prestigious Columbian University.
All this for >50K/year?
The report states that the first name of the “male” (yet to be proved) teacher is Emlyn. Possible that he’s the experimental “product” of two alternative lifestyle “partners” named Emily and Lynn, and that this might explain in part this bizarre behavior? Some doubt might be cast of this theory however since there’s no reported doubled-up last names.
The left never had it in the first place so no excuse can be heard that he’s losing it.
People are not getting the point of his lecture, I believe, which is that in Quantum physics, ANYTHING is possible, just not probable. So it’s ok to experience the unexpected from time to time.
As a conservative libertarian though, I find his methods very extreme. However, with all the ADD (LOOK! A SQUIRREL) around these days thanks to our frenetic media and instant information gratification technology, perhaps his methods will actually have the kids remember the lesson: Expect the unexpected, because NO BODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! CARDINAL FANG, BRING OUT THE COMFY CHAIR!
The Monty Python reference is much appreciated!
This must be a “quantum physics for jocks” class, then, rather than one for technical majors.
Here is information about Hughes from 2010. I can see why students would think they’d actually learn physics from this guy.
I was at Columbia for grad school. Many professors I had then were afflicted with serious cases of Ivory Tower syndrome, which I suppose is the equivalent malady to Can’t-Leave-Mom’s-Basement-itis. Grad school for me was ticket punching with a lot of fluff. Much worse now….
Bad link…
http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/sep_oct10/around_the_quads7
Not quite the image projected in the video. This is from a nomination for the 2011 Feynman Prize (he was not the winner):
“…Hughes obviously applies a great deal of creativity to his teaching. He jumps around, throws things, has an evil twin brother, and spends time in nearly every lecture telling insightful stories about physics, and about life in general. Hughes’ efforts to make quantum mechanics accessible don’t go unappreciated by students, who describe him as “charismatic,” “entertaining,” and “rad” in course evaluations. “Emlin”, one student concluded, “should be canonized.”
“If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” – Richard Feynman
Hopefully I don’t distort Feynman too much by paraphrasing: The rules that Nature seems to follow are so strange that they’re not credible. Nevertheless, if you apply those rules faithfully, which is very difficult because the math is so hard, you can explain things that haven’t been explained any other way.
As an individual, Feynman was an attention-seeking eccentric, but he was not frivolous about science.
The distinction may have escaped Professor Hughes.
Addendum: What I paraphrased is a snippet from this extract of lectures Feynman gave in New Zealand: a snippet that comes closer than HH’s quote to (my understanding of) how a researcher looks at things.
Just as LSD helped Ken Kesey to write “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” so do bath salts help professors teach quantum mechanics in today’s cuckoo’s nest.
if your five year old draws a picture of a gun , the kid gets tossed from the school.
yet a professor(?), tenured(?) waves around what seems to be a real sword….well that’s just academic freedom.. got it citizens?
your innocent children are treated as dangerous felons but this lunatic liberal acts out sick twisted fantasies and will receive accolades for his unique teaching technique.
how far and fast we have fallen
he deserves the fate of schrodinger’s cat
USA & Constitution, RIP
For what it’s worth, I know Glenn Danzig from my days as a touring drummer.
I’m pretty sure this douchebag’s use of the Misfits logo doesn’t fall within the scope of the “Fair Use Doctrine.”
Live by the stolen material, die by it, Professor Sh*tstain.
One consequence of quantum mechanics is that the location of anything has a degree of uncertainty. Including sanity, it would seem.
Look: I have no problems with teachers using a bit of theatrics now and again. It is a great way to break the ice and make even the most boring subjects memorable. But “edutainment” is pure lunacy, and combined with shock jock tactics makes education a joke rather than serious business.
Considering how much he was getting off on himself, I’m surprised he didn’t finish the show by masturbating.
I just got off the phone with Glenn, and he informs me that he’s already spoken with his attorney here in Chicago. Said attorney has contacted Columbia University regarding the use of the Misfits logo (which is trademarked, FYI) without first clearing said use with either he, the band (the Misfits), and his counsel is awaiting a call back from Columbia’s legal department.
For what it’s worth, Glenn said he was in on the call to Columbia’s PR department, and was amused by the receptionist’s exclamation that the school was “literally swamped” by phone calls and press attention in the wake of this fool’s ludicrous stunt.
But again, IOKIYAD.
To hell with these people. They lived by Alinsky, they can be destroyed by him, as well.
I should mention that while Glenn Danzig is something of a leftist, he seems to take offense at the use of his and his band’s name without compensation.
Welcome to America, Glenn. You may be my friend, but sometimes, it would pay to have the courage of your convictions, other than those occasions where just YOUR money is involved.
That’s a bummer. He always struck me as more of a Libertarian and he finally won my mother over with his Red Eye interview:
http://thedeadhub.com/2012/01/08/glenn-danzig-and-president-obama-are-not-having-dinner-anytime-soon/
Quantum mechanics is an estimator for an incompletely, and, apparently, insufficiently, characterized system. Hugues is an estimator for an incompletely, and, apparently, insufficiently characterized ego.
Quantum mechanics is an approximation of an unwieldy system. Hughes is an approximation of an unwieldy ego.
Quantum mechanics is a model. Hughes is a model.
Both do not fully respect their constituents.
It’s all good. He a dim.
Tenure causes mental illness.
As long as quantum physics is purported to be the main thrust (pun intended) of the whole demonstration, it begs the question:
Was the skewered lamb’s name Schrodinger?
I think what he is trying to say, and if he is not saying this, I have no idea, is that Quantum Physics makes no sense in a classical sense of understanding. And that to understand the chaos of it, you have to learn reality that sub atomic particles live in. This of course, a very dramatic way to put it.
Then he should spread himself over a large area and only collapse back into a single body when observed.
This is very strange. Best I can tell, the guy doesn’t know how to dumb down his required class so that three quarters of the students don’t fail it.