Today marked the final day of classes! Good in the sense ofno more classes, but bad in the fact that it means finals are coming, but good because the year is ending. More good than bad. I think it may just be a college thing, but at the end of the final class for a course everyone stands up and claps. Mostly to applaud the instructor, but I'm sure a little happiness the class is over. Funny, it happened in every course I have, but physics. No one likes our physics prof. All you other college go-ers, does this happen at your school? Clapping at the end of courses? Just wondering.

Got my astronomy test back that I took last week. Did pretty good on it, A+, go me. Anyway, there was a big fiasco, hoopla if you will, about one particular question. It doesn't have anything to do with astronomy, but with genetics and DNA. (Don't ask me why it was on the test, who knows) Here's the question in question:

23) The DNA molecule can be altered
   (a) by chance mismatching of base pairs
   (b) by damage from exposure to radioactivity
   (c) if the host cell is intelligent and determines that an alteration would help it survive
   (d) all of the above
   (e) none of the above

What would you say the answer was? Think about it. Let's logically go through the possible answers. (a) chance mismatching of base pairs *can* happen, in fact I think it happens about once every replication, i think, correct me if I'm wrong. So (a) is true. (b) damage from exposure to radioactivity *can* happen as well, so (b) is also true. (c) the cell decided to change it is clearly wrong, false. So now comes the dilemma. (a) and (b) are both true, so you look for an option that says "Both (a) and (b)" which as you can see is not an option. (e) is obviously not true because both (a) and (b) are. But, (d) can not be true because (c) is false. Now you have two correct answers and only room to bubble in one circle. What do you do? I picked (a) because I had at least heard of that before from genetics class. I believe that is the reason of existence for ATPase I, II, and III. To correct errors during replication. Right? (Again if I'm wrong may those smarter than me in genetics speak up.) I thought (a) was the "best answer". Well. Turns out the correct answer on the answer key was (e). What!? How can it possibly be (e)? (a) and (b) are clearly true. Saying that none of the above are correct? That makes no sense. If any answer was going to be right it certainly wasn't going to be (e). (a) and (b) would both be alright answers. I could even see a good arguement for (c) because since (a) and (b) were both true and since there was no "both a and b" option, the "all of the above" choice should be true because at least two are true, even though (c) is clearly not true. (e)? I don't get it, neither did the class. I've never heard so much talking in that class all semester, it was kind of funny. In reality it wouldn't have changed anyone's grade if he decided to remove the question or just give everyone credit This is because everyone's grades would have shifted by the same amount. This would shift the curve the same amount and everyone's grade would virtually remain unchanged, so ... but its the principle of the thing! I hate ambiguous questions.

Then my computer science lab let out really early due to it being the last day of classes. I guess they felt pity on us, heh. So I was able to head out to this party that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to go to. It was pretty fun. Had a good time. Then I got back to my room, wrote this entry, congratulates Jess for getting 69, and smiles at the fact I don't have to set my alarm clock for tomorrow.


By the way I got another fortune cookie today and it had this message in it:

Love is a present that can be given every single day that you live.

If it looks familiar its because I got that *exact* same fortune a few days ago. Weird. I've never ever gotten the same fortune twice, even stranger that it happened on consecutive fortune cookies and only a day or so apart. Wonder if it means anything.

Later.

ive gotten
one fortune about 3 or four times. go hit up my "writings" section, i put them all there.
» ikimashokie on 2004-04-28 10:58:14

mm well
I would have added in f) A&B, which is what I usually do on Gray's tests when I don't know an answer... write in something I know that isn't an answer choice, but pertaining to the question. I doubt that would have worked for you though...
» EngelGenannt on 2004-04-28 12:39:20

yeah...
it was prolly on a scantron too
» finallyfoundareasonnow on 2004-04-28 09:45:35

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