Opinion as Fact

So, I read this in the article about the Space Shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base, about 30 miles from Lancaster. Specifically, it was talking about the repairs the crew did on the Hubble Space Telescope:

...The replacement camera and other new instruments will enable Hubble to peer deeper into the universe, to within 500 million to 600 million years of creation....

I wish people wouldn't use these types of statements when talking about the universe. they make it sound like it is a fact, when there is NO PROOF that the earth is billions of years old, just like there is no PROOF that the world is only about 6000 years old, as I believe.

Students and Turning in Assignments

So, just today, I have had more than 5 students try to turn in work that was due over 3 weeks ago, mostly because their grades are in the toilet.

Why is it that with 2 classes left, students suddenly become concerned with their grades?
Why is it that when they actually have a chance to do something about their grades, they do not, but are willing to go an extra kilometer when there is almost nothing that can be done?

These are days that I don't like being a teacher.

The Metric System

I think I might have said something about this before, but it never ceases to amaze me how poorly my students do using the metric system. Today's assignment includes some "Unit Conversion" from grams to kilograms and from cubic centimeters to cubic meters. They are clueless.

Also, they tend to struggle in general with what I call the concept of the mole. They cannot go back and forth between mass in grams and moles. (Truthfully, I think they forget that mass is grams and thus can't figure out what to do.)

As much as I love Chemistry, youwould think at least a FEW of them would find it interesting and actually learn it, right!? Right? No?? Okay.... whatever....