We got our first bio exams back today. B+, which I'm not thrilled with, but it's fine for the first exam of the semester. But here's the interesting thing: Prof Dan showed us a graph of the grade spread. 37% of the class earned an A or B. Not bad. 15% got a C. Doing the math? Let me help (putting my J-term skills to use): a whopping 45% of my colleagues managed a D or F. The test wasn't that hard, but if you didn't study at all, I suppose you'd do badly. I don't want to judge, but this doesn't seem like a simple lack of preparation; it just seems like bad guessing. It was mostly multiple choice, for Pete's sake.
Speaking of bio, we're now looking at the effects of human consumption on ecosystems. We as a species don't come out well in these lectures. The most depressing PowerPoint slide of the day:
Humans are the dominant species of every ecosystem on earth
- Half of all ice-free land has been transformed by humans
- Humans add more nitrogen to the biosphere than all natural processes combined
- By 2050, humans will double concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide
Slow down those Priuses, people.
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