The Fastest Boxing Bout in History <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-RmaIDu_aU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/p-RmaIDu_aU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
It's not just low paid, undocumented and unappreciated workers who do this, it's a deeper problem with people who are too busy to think through what they are doing. Here's my story: Many years ago I was teaching the "Physics For Architects" course to second and third year students at the University of Virginia. At the beginning of each semester they had to fill out a form about their background, courses taken, interests, etc. This was a serious requirement and they could not proceed with the class without doing it fully and correctly. High up on the page there was the famous "write your name here" item. Before the students filled out the form, in class, I always joked that my boss insisted that I should post the number of students who answered with "your name" instead of just writing their own name there. They all knew her - she was a very "serious" experimental physicist from South Africa who always did what she said and got what she wanted. So, they had to be careful. I did this for two whole years, 4 semesters. Each time there were at least two imbeciles who put "your name" in that slot, forcing me to post that humiliating statistic on the class board. One time, a young woman rushed back, grabbed her form from my desk, crossed her "your name" from it and, to my amazement, inserted "their name" in that slot. I mean, UVA is a great school, full of bright students... Go figure.
A super genius goes in to see a doctor. "Doc," the genius says, "I think I'm too smart. I'm having trouble even communicating with people because we have no common frame of reference, and it's ruining my social life. Can anything be done?" The doctor runs a series of tests on the genius, and indeed finds that he is too smart. He says, "Currently, your IQ is 250, which is vastly superior to an average man. This is why your having trouble communicating. I do have a cure, however. I have a machine that will drain away some of your intellegence, leaving you with an IQ of 160. You'll still be a genius, but you should be able to lead a normal life as well." The genius immediately agrees to the treatment, so the doctor straps him into the machine. Just as the doctor turns on the device, he gets a phone call from his ex-wife. They have a heated phone conversation for several minutes before the doctor remembers his patient. He rushes back, and is shocked when he sees the IQ readout at 75. The doctor says, "Are you all right?" The former genius just stares blankly. The doctor shakes him, saying "Say Something." The former genius replies, "the gov't is going to fix our economy!"