Michigan State University students had an unconventional math class this week after professor John McCarthy, 57, reportedly stripped naked in Calculus 1 class and began screaming that “there is no f—ing God” and “It’s all an act and none of it’s real.” In the age of laptop computers, the most surprising thing is that the students noticed and looked up from their computers. Presumably one student asked the standard question of “will this be on the test?”
Witnesses said that McCarthy was going through a routine derivative equation when he started to talk about his colleagues and how “they’re all actors.” He added that “It’s all an act and none of it’s real.”
McCarthy was arrested but not actually charged with a crime. He can certainly be charged with indecent exposure but I hope that he is not and that the police show a modicum of discretion. He obviously had a psychological meltdown. Brilliance sometimes comes with such mental issues as vividly shown in movies like “A Beautiful Mind.”
I would also hope that the faculty treats this matter as a mental illness and allows McCarthy to seek treatment rather than simply fire him. I realize it will be difficult for him to return to the classroom, but we need to treat mental illness like other forms of illness. Thus far the school has merely reassigned his classes. I expect that he is unlikely to return to teaching but in my view the school should treat this matter as an illness rather than misconduct. What do you think?
Source: NY Daily News
Regarding the POTUS’ performance yesterday I concur with the analysis that he was suffering from a bout of “soroche”. It happens a lot in Denver with flat-landers from Chicago and DC. I thought the other shoe would drop when he mentioned his nemesis Donald Trump and “small business”. But nobody got the inside-joke I guess. “Mittie the bully” should have reacted but didn’t really get it either.
This debate reminds me of the Nixon-Kennedy debate in where Nixon was visibly sick. Kennedy was slick looking. Obama really likes JFK.
SotB,
The Mythbusters have taken out a large number of “Q” gadgets with extreme prejudice. Just sayin’… I know that, in the beginning, the books, at least, were realistic, but, to paraphrase another fictional engineer, “They can’na change the laws of physics Captain”. Magnets bending the path of bullets or rocket ejector seats that can flip over a car just don’t work (and tend to fail in multiple ways). Which is a bummer, but what can you do? I would have assumed (but have no knowledge of) the existence of real Q-type branches—I’m confident that, while they can probably do amazing things, they can’t break the laws of physics either. Besides, I’m far more concerned about the completely plausible things that the NSA is capable of doing (I could do some pretty frickin scary things with the data, computing power, and mathematician-hours that the NSA has available—although I would, of course, use my powers only for good… or personal schemes for world domination 😛 )
Gene and Matt,
I’m not sure that I can think of a trait besides bullying that Mitt has displayed consistently throughout his life. Being a bully seems to be what he is at the core.
Regarding fiction ignoring physics I remember years ago reading an Andre Norton book that someone had recommended to me. At the point that the starship Captain told the first mate to accelerate to 100,000 light years a second I stopped reading it.
As to the debate last night the more I think about it I think Romney did not come off as well as the pundits made it out to be. He is a supremely unlikable man and I think that showed through.
Gene H. 1, October 4, 2012 at 8:56 pm
But I don’t think the Mittens was acting. He’s was a bully in high school. He’s a bully today. After all, those 47% aren’t worthy to hang with the cool kids and deserve the wedgie he wants to give them.
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I did my mess duty in Officer’s Country. Three months. Wasn’t bad. I knew which ones to deal with. I told one of the zeros from Texas some Texas jokes. One of the other zeros got the clap in Mexico. I said you better hope that clears up before the ship gets back to port. Lieutenant Bains. Two weeks. Every third night I had to show the movie, make popcorn and serve beverages.
You’re right about Mittens.
@Slarti – My friends here invented a nickname for me months ago – SotB. It kinda’ stuck. The causality of my unique moniker is biblical in nature. IOW there is a 1st century AD back-story.
Yes it was a huge compliment toward you. Color me duly impressed with your apparent perspicacity. As Dr. Spindell (your other big fan here?) [et al] will tell you I don’t hold many in that high regard (up there with Christopher Langon – OK Mike S. hush up now! (LOL))
The “tense” thing in the inside joke was to Dr. Spindell. He knows what I’m referring to. It’s a joke related to his ethnicity/religion (enuf’ said). He got it when I first brought it up (LOL).
I agree with you about NUMB3RS. Gary does this for about 4 other shows/movies. However… QBRANCH!!!??? Agghh… Now that’s my forte! I love that stuff. I don’t like the new ‘Q’ in SkyFall (2012) as he is a 32 year old kid. But I loved the late Desmond Llewellyn and John Cleese as ‘Q’. I pretty much believe I could duplicate MOST of those gadgets if not come damn close. Already BTDT on some but you know the old saying about “I could tell you but… blah, blah, blah” – LOL*
“…is to run a large enough number of independent trials…” – I concur…
I also concur with you and Matt about G.I.G.O. (a concept arguably invented by the 1st mechanical computer inventor in 19th century (that’s right the 1800’s). It’s in his book: “Passages from the Life of a Philosopher” (1864) – he said “…if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?…”.
*OK I guess I will tell you this. There is a REAL-LIFE Q-Branch in UK and USA. The Brits (MI6) called theirs “Directorate of Training & Development” but Q-Branch works too. The Yanks call theirs the “Directorate of Science & Technology” in Virginia and another “outside” version called InQTel in California – mainly computer and electronics stuff though – they helped develop Google. They have their own website too. Also DARPA does a lot of Q type stuff too.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/msnbc/49289853/#49289853
Slarti,
Right back at ya, buster.
Elaine/Matt,
Lehrer got stomped and rolled like a cheese eating high school boy cutting through the wrong alley after getting to talk to the hand instead of a good night kiss from his prom date. But I don’t think the Mittens was acting. He’s was a bully in high school. He’s a bully today. After all, those 47% aren’t worthy to hang with the cool kids and deserve the wedgie he wants to give them.
Elaine M. 1, October 4, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Oddly enough, however, it was neither President Obama nor challenger Romney whom many thought, myself included, who was the worst performer of the evening. Instead, that honor goes to the deferential moderator, Jim Lehrer. Time and again, Lehrer was “steamrolled” by Romney who simply talked over Lehrer and “lied his way through the debate with no challenge from moderator Jim Lehrer.”
President Obama, who also could have challenged Romney on these untruths, stuck to his narrative and didn’t decisively call Romney out on it. Obama didn’t win points for that. In fact, Americans, it seems from the sum of the post-debate polls, prefer aggressively told lies to explanations. At least, perhaps, until after a few days when they realize it was just a reality show.
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Maybe it was an act. Nobody likes a bully.
“NUMB3RS”
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Is a great show! Perhaps my lack of elegant math skills allows me to enjoy it…
🙂
Slartibartfast 1, October 4, 2012 at 8:23 pm
Matt,
A comment about what you said—if you were trying to model a business, your starting point would need to be accounting that painted an honest picture of the business (accuracy would be nice, too). Otherwise, no matter how good of a modeler one is, it’s GIGO.
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The idea might be to not get in in the first place. The Cougar policy, catch and release, doesn’t always work.
Lie to me, please: Truth was the real loser of first presidential debate
By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/lie-to-me-please-truth-was-the-real-loser-of-first-presidential-debate/2012/10/04/40f73e8a-0e44-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_blog.html
Excerpt:
Do Americans really care whether they are being lied to, or does the polling on the first presidential debate show that while Americans like a good fake reality show, their minds are already made up anyway?
Mitt Romney’s debate performance may show that you can “win” a debate and become less “likeable” at the same time. This I will dub the “Kardashian factor.”
The problem to me is that if the American people find aggressive lying entertaining, will they eventually be unable to tell the difference between lies and reality? I fear that time, indeed, is approaching.
We have entered the age of “post-truth” and our entire political process has degenerated as a result. Our politics looks more and more like episodes of “Survivor.”
Be warned: “post-truthfulness” will inevitably bleed into all areas of our lives as a result, from intimate relations to our social and work lives. It is the essence of the amoral, where individuals or whole nations are unable to perceive or are indifferent to questions of right or wrong.
Oddly enough, however, it was neither President Obama nor challenger Romney whom many thought, myself included, who was the worst performer of the evening. Instead, that honor goes to the deferential moderator, Jim Lehrer. Time and again, Lehrer was “steamrolled” by Romney who simply talked over Lehrer and “lied his way through the debate with no challenge from moderator Jim Lehrer.”
President Obama, who also could have challenged Romney on these untruths, stuck to his narrative and didn’t decisively call Romney out on it. Obama didn’t win points for that. In fact, Americans, it seems from the sum of the post-debate polls, prefer aggressively told lies to explanations. At least, perhaps, until after a few days when they realize it was just a reality show.
sonof… WHAT?!?,
Well, I don’t understand but it seems like a compliment so thanks! 😉
And you will should not be worry about tense.
I don’t think that I could watch “NUMB3RS”—I have a hard time suspending my disbelief when the subject is close to my own field. You can do amazing things with mathematics, but the things they do on that show are likely to be every bit as realistic as the latest gadgets from Q in the James Bond movies.
Something to think about with regard to probability (in the real world) is that the only way to truly test a probability prediction is to run a large enough number of independent trials—an impossibility for most predictions (the weather would be the most obvious exception and even then predictions are very short-term). When you are dealing with probabilistic predictions, you should take the proper safety precautions—like non-non-non-non-non-deficient critical thinking skills. 😉
Matt,
A comment about what you said—if you were trying to model a business, your starting point would need to be accounting that painted an honest picture of the business (accuracy would be nice, too). Otherwise, no matter how good of a modeler one is, it’s GIGO.
Slartibartfast 1, October 4, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Gene,
Calc is just one place to learn critical thinking skills and, from what I’ve seen, you have a serious lack of deficiency in that area. 😛
Tony and Matt,
As I said above, the purpose of “business calc” or Matt’s requirements were (at least in theory) to teach critical thinking, but, personally, I don’t see the application of math to business and economics to be any different, in principle, to the application of math to biology. In my first math bio class, the Professor (who was later a member of my thesis committee) stressed how biology was a rich source of mathematical problems (the solution of which has significantly enhanced our understanding of biology as well as mathematics—including the tiny addition of my own thesis). Mathematical modeling can be applied to any area where there are quantitative metrics available (things like money… 😉 ). Given the advancing state of the art in large-scale processing and managing complexity (my personal area of interest), I think math is about to do its thing with business and economics and convert art to science and then science to engineering—after that, engineering figures out how to put a business in every pot (or two in every garage) and then business scientifically determines how best to market itself… 😉 Then math can tackle something else—like politics.
Just my $0.02.
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If accounting is done properly it’s somewhat similar to engineering. But it’s rarely done properly. Figures don’t lie but liars can figure. Does that sound similar to a different profession?
If the accounting process is done properly the picture of what’s happening in the business process is accurately painted. That’s rarely the case. Garbage in, garbage out.
@Slartibartfast – “…serious lack of deficiency…” – What an amazing play on words. This is what I’m talking about. You’d make Sheldon Cooper (TBBT TV show) look sick (and no I’m not talking about Sheldon’s NPD!)
Slarti – The math consultant on the FBI TV show called “NUMB3RS” is Dr. Gary Lorden. He is the culprit feeding those math-wannabes actors David Krumholtz and Peter MacNicol all of those highly improbable math algorithms (IMO that is). I contend that you can not track human behavior with calculus. I feel that human behavior is too “seemingly” random or chaotic to track with a static-esque math equations. Yes there are behavioral norms that FBI BAU analysts can use to profile someone but they are never 100% dead on accurate (or sometimes not at all). The TV show IMO tends to give the false perception that probability analysis is a perfect science. That’s like saying that there is a 50% probability the Earth will end on December 21, 2012. I wonder how Dr. McCarthy feels about that (the date I mean – I think it’s popular among the mentally ill).
@Mike Spindell – October 3, 2012 at 10:38 am
“Slarti, It’s nice to know that someone whose intelligence I so respect…”
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Mike I must admit that on close inspection I must agree with you about Slarti. It’s refreshing reading someone equivalent to the ‘dreaming bacon burger eater during/after* coitus’ (never mind it’s an inside joke).
*I forgot the tense…
Gene,
Calc is just one place to learn critical thinking skills and, from what I’ve seen, you have a serious lack of deficiency in that area. 😛
Tony and Matt,
As I said above, the purpose of “business calc” or Matt’s requirements were (at least in theory) to teach critical thinking, but, personally, I don’t see the application of math to business and economics to be any different, in principle, to the application of math to biology. In my first math bio class, the Professor (who was later a member of my thesis committee) stressed how biology was a rich source of mathematical problems (the solution of which has significantly enhanced our understanding of biology as well as mathematics—including the tiny addition of my own thesis). Mathematical modeling can be applied to any area where there are quantitative metrics available (things like money… 😉 ). Given the advancing state of the art in large-scale processing and managing complexity (my personal area of interest), I think math is about to do its thing with business and economics and convert art to science and then science to engineering—after that, engineering figures out how to put a business in every pot (or two in every garage) and then business scientifically determines how best to market itself… 😉 Then math can tackle something else—like politics.
Just my $0.02.
Bron,
I’m not sure why you addressed that comment to me. I’m not in charge of job creation.
Slartibartfast 1, October 4, 2012 at 7:02 pm
As for finding calc problems in business, that’s simple (in my opinion business/economics is going to be the next biology in terms of math—which is to say that it will become the new frontier of applied math, but that’s not what business calc is about). Instead of problems about radioactive growth or Newton’s law of cooling, you do problems about depreciation or interest—that’s just an example of one Calc I topic, but I could do it with anything… (You want derivatives? Let’s talk about marginal tax rates. Integrals? Talk about profit as the area between the revenue and cost curves.) The point of teaching calculus (to anyone outside the hard sciences or engineering) is not to be able to solve story problems, but to learn how to apply critical thinking to whatever sort of problems you might face. I think just about every calculus teacher becomes frustrated at some point about just how rarely this is successful.
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Thank you. It isn’t successful because it isn’t used. Except.
Tony C. 1, October 4, 2012 at 6:39 pm
but what business problem can be described with mathematical functions well enough to warrant calculus?
Seriously, I am curious.
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You’re curiosity is understandable. My degree was BBA, Accounting. The calculus classes were required.
Makes me glad I skipped Calc II and took Symbolic Logic instead, Slarti. 😀
Tony, Matt, and Gene,
Having taught business calculus (at Michigan State, no less), it is a class that tends more towards the practical instead of the theoretical and instead of drawing problems primarily from physics (calculus was invented to solve physics problems) it draws them from business. As for finding calc problems in business, that’s simple (in my opinion business/economics is going to be the next biology in terms of math—which is to say that it will become the new frontier of applied math, but that’s not what business calc is about). Instead of problems about radioactive growth or Newton’s law of cooling, you do problems about depreciation or interest—that’s just an example of one Calc I topic, but I could do it with anything… (You want derivatives? Let’s talk about marginal tax rates. Integrals? Talk about profit as the area between the revenue and cost curves.) The point of teaching calculus (to anyone outside the hard sciences or engineering) is not to be able to solve story problems, but to learn how to apply critical thinking to whatever sort of problems you might face. I think just about every calculus teacher becomes frustrated at some point about just how rarely this is successful.