• AgentOrangesicle@lemmy.world
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    27 minutes ago

    There was a legit feud over my 7th grade win on acids and bases, because a friend’s Dad got super heated thinking that my parents had a hand in it. Granted, they bought me the posterboard and provided paper, ink, and internet, and not everyone has that. Now it’s more, “AI is going to be super bummed if…”

  • T3CHT @sh.itjust.works
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    7 hours ago

    I have been to the science fair, and the county science fair, and the state science fair.

    No, I didn’t touch my daughters project.

    At county, there was an obvious element of parent projects, but judges interviewed kids and weeded out those who didn’t know much about the project. Some winners there still had obvious assists, but at least they could interview.

    State was wild (CA). No parents in the hall during the day. Kids reported massive judging variations, little standardization and obvious tech bias. Her cognitive science category gave out all 3 awards for AI related projects.

    Check in was insane. Allowed material were the board and a few feet of space on the table. People were pulling in with trailers. Massive arguments, tears.

    Day of, kids were wearing fitted suits. Coordinated family outfits with ostentatious wealth on show. What a bizarre view of America.

  • fubarx@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    My son’s science fair project was to measure how much water got used by taking showers vs baths, low-flow vs regular toilets, hand-washing vs dishwashers, etc. We had a pretty nasty drought in our state that year. He had plotted charts, calculated cost savings, learned how to use graphic software and printed color banners. Did it all himself.

    The next aisle over, a couple of kids had counted the number of colors in a bag of jellybeans. They had hand-drawn a bar chart on a board with a sharpie. However, they also had a bowl full of jellybeans and you could take a handful if you stopped by. They made sure the bowl was kept full. There was a line out the door.

    An important science lesson was learned that year.

      • The_v@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Its a trade show classic. Have a nice looking bowl full of candy to draw people in. More thought needs to be placed into the contents of the candy bowl than the layout of the booth.

        What’s in that bowl determines the amount of traffic that stops. Matching the candy to the demographic of the audience is a critical research before the trade show.

        • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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          2 hours ago

          In my industry the candy bowl is usually attractive women in very short shorts (unimaginative, but it works). Although to be honest, free candy may work just as well, and it’s probably cheaper.

  • darthinvidious@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    Would like to do a poll for how this works in other countries compared to the US. We already know the US has poor education system. Want to see why this kind of thing is seen as normal.

  • kali_fornication@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    that’s what the pinewood derby was like at my school. all the kids with engineer dads had the fastest cars. hmmmm i wonder why hmmmmmm

    • MNByChoice@midwest.social
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      7 hours ago

      If college is just a certificate needed to get the good jobs, then this makes a lot of sense.
      If college is there for learning, then it is terrible.

      I bet there is a difference in the ratios between degrees on these. (i.e. Civil Engineering versus Marketing)

    • Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone
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      9 hours ago

      Has nobody had a talk with them about how they’re raising someone incapable of taking care of himself? Do they plan to outlive him? I come from the opposite end of the parental academic aid spectrum, so I don’t understand the thought process at all. Is it just untreated anxiety on their part?

      • dev_null@lemmy.ml
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        7 hours ago

        Their kids’ needs don’t matter, what matters is that the parent has a successful child. The measure of success is of course from the point of view of the selfish parent.

      • Grail@multiverse.soulism.net
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        3 hours ago

        I know the youngster in one of these kinds of situations, and she is ashamed. She’s also intimidated into compliance and desperate to leave so she can have her own life.