A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.
Rules
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
There was a legit feud over my 7th grade win on acids and bases, because a friend's Dad got super heated thinking that my parents had a hand in it. Granted, they bought me the posterboard and provided paper, ink, and internet, and not everyone has that. Now it's more, "AI is going to be super bummed if..."
That’s a bit harsh. Unless they are into bumming, of course.
I have been to the science fair, and the county science fair, and the state science fair.
No, I didn't touch my daughters project.
At county, there was an obvious element of parent projects, but judges interviewed kids and weeded out those who didn't know much about the project. Some winners there still had obvious assists, but at least they could interview.
State was wild (CA). No parents in the hall during the day. Kids reported massive judging variations, little standardization and obvious tech bias. Her cognitive science category gave out all 3 awards for AI related projects.
Check in was insane. Allowed material were the board and a few feet of space on the table. People were pulling in with trailers. Massive arguments, tears.
Day of, kids were wearing fitted suits. Coordinated family outfits with ostentatious wealth on show. What a bizarre view of America.
obvious tech bias
Not surprising given the state
My son's science fair project was to measure how much water got used by taking showers vs baths, low-flow vs regular toilets, hand-washing vs dishwashers, etc. We had a pretty nasty drought in our state that year. He had plotted charts, calculated cost savings, learned how to use graphic software and printed color banners. Did it all himself.
The next aisle over, a couple of kids had counted the number of colors in a bag of jellybeans. They had hand-drawn a bar chart on a board with a sharpie. However, they also had a bowl full of jellybeans and you could take a handful if you stopped by. They made sure the bowl was kept full. There was a line out the door.
An important science lesson was learned that year.
This is how grants work isn't it
Its a trade show classic. Have a nice looking bowl full of candy to draw people in. More thought needs to be placed into the contents of the candy bowl than the layout of the booth.
What's in that bowl determines the amount of traffic that stops. Matching the candy to the demographic of the audience is a critical research before the trade show.
In my industry the candy bowl is usually attractive women in very short shorts (unimaginative, but it works). Although to be honest, free candy may work just as well, and it's probably cheaper.
Ah, Marketing
I am so sad and angry on your son's behalf. Kudos to him for all his hard work!
Would like to do a poll for how this works in other countries compared to the US. We already know the US has poor education system. Want to see why this kind of thing is seen as normal.
How many dioramas do you create in an average year
that's what the pinewood derby was like at my school. all the kids with engineer dads had the fastest cars. hmmmm i wonder why hmmmmmm
We got DESTROYED in pinewood derby one year when someone's engineer dad carved the body into a smooth, irregularly shaped U, with contoured weights. He said he used CAD software, did wind-tunnel tests, and used a special CNC machine to shape it.
Most kids were happy the wheels stayed on.
Engineering is hereditary
So that's why I can't get laid.
That's why your Dad and/or Mom couldn't get laid.
Their mom got laid at least, not sure about dad.
We don't know this for sure, maybe the dad just split in half.
2Dad2Furious
You clearly don't know about mpreg yet
Is it open source?
My cousin is still doing his son's school work. 2nd year in college
Is he going to work his job too?
If college is just a certificate needed to get the good jobs, then this makes a lot of sense.
If college is there for learning, then it is terrible.
I bet there is a difference in the ratios between degrees on these. (i.e. Civil Engineering versus Marketing)
Has nobody had a talk with them about how they’re raising someone incapable of taking care of himself? Do they plan to outlive him? I come from the opposite end of the parental academic aid spectrum, so I don’t understand the thought process at all. Is it just untreated anxiety on their part?
Their kids' needs don't matter, what matters is that the parent has a successful child. The measure of success is of course from the point of view of the selfish parent.
Yes, that is their mindset.
But has anyone challenged it?
And let me guess, he's "not a good test taker"?
Damn, how are neither of them ashamed‽
I know the youngster in one of these kinds of situations, and she is ashamed. She's also intimidated into compliance and desperate to leave so she can have her own life.
It's not her fault, she was born into it, but it's still sad.