Longest Physics Lecture in History? 262
gfrege writes "Perhaps you remember some long physics lectures from your days at school. But as part of a general strike of students at the Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin concerning cuts in funding for the city's universities, some physicists are in the middle of what could be the longest physics lecture in history. It started at noon on Monday, and is planned to run to noon on Thursday. Check out the topics, and if you're in Berlin, come on down. The Babelfish translations of the lecture titles make for some fun reading, too, if you can't make it there yourself."
Comment removed (Score:0, Insightful)
students on strike??? (Score:2, Insightful)
now, they could be "demonstrating". but only WORKERS can "strike".
I am worried... (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe I am way off in thinking from the status quo, but I believe universities have a responsibility to inspire students, not just "sell a product". I believe this because what happens to people during their college time effects all of society, not just the student. The imagination and creativity of these graduates will determine how much we advance with space exploration, computers, and all sorts of technologies. These new graduates just have to dream it. Just look at the past 40 years, and what graduates have accomplished. Good for the physics faculty to have this lecture marithon. I bet they will be helping themselves recruit more students.
Re:I don't get it. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Oh YES THEY ARE... (Score:5, Insightful)
Simple. Because educated people are harder to control. Those in positions of power want those who are not to be easier to control, easier to turn into mindless consumer zombies, easier to get to vote for whoever puts out the best commercials rather than has the best platform, etc.
Universal education challenges the new aristocracy, who believe that you shouldn't get anything unless you can pay through the nose for it. Of course, they can afford to, but no one else can.
And the society goes to hell for it, with them leading the way. Gotta love it.
Re:Oh YES THEY ARE... (Score:2, Insightful)
Now, is this ever going to happen anywhere in America or Canada (which is where I am)? Not bloody likely.
In fact, tuition is on the rise. In the particular province I live (Ontario), we were recently plagued by close to a decade of neo-con stupidity, masquerading under the name "Progressive Conservatives", that resulted in, among other things, tuition fees more than doubling.
An education is a right that is as fundamental as one's right to vote. By setting tuition fees too high, you effectively create a barrier for a certain segment of society that prevents them from getting an education. I know there's a couple of ranters and ravers who will say "oh, but I have no money, 10 kids to support, etc etc, but I was still able to get an education." Well, even if that story is true (I'm a skeptic), I would much rather believe the statistics than the fringe story of one or two people. Maybe it is possible in certain exceptional cases for someone from a poor background to get a good education, but overall the stats show that getting a higher education is correlated with how large one's family income is.
There is perhaps some hope that we will eventually progress as a society away from the idiocy of turning everything into a commodity, at least in the field of education. After all, in the 19th century, one's right to vote was not as fundamental as we consider it to be today. There was a time when you had to own a certain amount of property before you were allowed to cast a vote in an election. When we look at this now, we are able to recognize such a system for how terrible it was and be glad that we have advanced. Hopefully, 150 years from now, people will look back on our system of education in the early 21st century and be able to make the same judgement.
Americans Students Let Everyone walk all over them (Score:5, Insightful)
American workers now work more hours per year than any other country, and our pay just keeps going down.
Brainwashed and politically isolated by the media, we are each like baby wildebeest stranded midstream in an African river, while the investors, business owners and corporations feast on our carcasses.....
Huh? (Score:1, Insightful)
The United States is still one of the easier countries in which to create a new idea and run with it. We do have a longer work-week than many countries; and we have private health care, universities, etc. But that also means that we have lower taxes, higher productivity, and less regulation. Don't like where you work? Fine. Start your own business. It's hard work, but it's still possible.
That's not to say that a lot of things aren't messed up, but the lot of the "American worker" or "American student" really isn't that bad.