This is NOT the way to get out of a Physics exam

[ZapperZ]

2 students in Beirut decided to make a http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/Newsdesk.nsf/0/1558BF25392CFD89C22572AB002A2895?OpenDocument" about a bomb at their school. They got caught.

When asked about the reason why they made up such a lie, the students said they "wanted to get rid of the physics exam."

I'd say that the authorities should send them to live in https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=161067" permanently.

Zz.

 

[neutrino]

It's terrible to the see the influence of terrorism at this level.

 

[marlon]

It's terrible to the see the influence of terrorism at this level.

Geezus, it's just a bad joke, forget about it. Who cares ? Some people here got to learn that NOT EVERYBODY likes doing physics. Lots of people don't care about it. This has always been so and will always remain to be so. I suggest we stop whinning about this in threads like this one or the Nepal thread. They give a distorted vision of reality, IMO. People in Nepal, do NOT want to study physics. They want to have a good life. That is the first requirement.


marlon

 

[neutrino]

Lots of people don't care about it... People in Nepal, do NOT want to study physics.

Others do. For those actually interested, studying in their home country is probably their only choice.

They want to have a good life. That is the first requirement.

They can enjoy their life all they want, but not at the expense of others.

 

[siddharth]

People in Nepal, do NOT want to study physics.

Hey marlon, have you seen https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=161067" on the Nepalese student protests? The students there were protesting for an opportunity to study physics.

 

[Moonbear]

Kids calling in bomb threats during final exams is quite an old tactic to stall the exams. I'm surprised it made the news. When the kids are caught, they are punished appropriately (usually involving police), and it never gets the exams cancelled, just sometimes postponed a few hours while they search the school. It seems kids are the same no matter where they live.

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Well they ended up bombing the exam anyways.

 

[ZapperZ]

Kids calling in bomb threats during final exams is quite an old tactic to stall the exams. I'm surprised it made the news. When the kids are caught, they are punished appropriately (usually involving police), and it never gets the exams cancelled, just sometimes postponed a few hours while they search the school. It seems kids are the same no matter where they live.

But I think that depends on where you are. If this hoax was played in, let's say, Columbine, I would say that the reaction would be VERY different and the matter handled to a higher degree. Certainly in Beirut, or in Bagdhad, etc., I can't blame them for taking this more seriously than most other places.

Zz.

 

[marlon]

Hey marlon, have you seen https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=161067" on the Nepalese student protests? The students there were protesting for an opportunity to study physics.

Yes i have. It is that thread i referred to. Really, do not take such stuff too seriously. News like that makes "physics and its education" look like it is a central issue in society. This is, obviously, NOT the case. Nowhere on earth. This is just a manifestation of a physicist overestimating the relevance of his "world".

Kids calling in bomb threats during final exams is quite an old tactic to stall the exams. I'm surprised it made the news. When the kids are caught, they are punished appropriately (usually involving police), and it never gets the exams cancelled, just sometimes postponed a few hours while they search the school. It seems kids are the same no matter where they live.

I fully agree and your last sentence sums it up perfectly.

marlon

 

[marlon]

Others do. For those actually interested, studying in their home country is probably their only choice.

So what ?

They can enjoy their life all they want, but not at the expense of others.

I was talking about the life quality of people in Nepal. Now you start about "living at the expense of others" ? What is that supposed to mean ?

marlon

 

[usahockey]

Really, it sounds a lot like my high school (graduated a couple years ago), here in the midwest US. I remember having to go stand outside several times during my senior and junior years because kids called in bomb threats. There was even one instance where a dry ice type bomb went off right outside my classroom and knocked some drywall out of the ceiling, and I know some kids were also caught for planning to bomb the school. None of it made any kind of news, but we all knew about it.

I guess this was just one reason why my high school was a terrible learning environment...I like college much better.

 

[Mk]

How can you be so idiotic that you get caught for a bomb threat? Or do they trace your phone? Is that possible?

 

[marlon]

How can you be so idiotic that you get caught for a bomb threat? Or do they trace your phone? Is that possible?

Yeah, i don't get it as well. They admitted to making a hoax phone call to the police from some nearby payphone. How did the police know which students to interrogate ? Did they check the entire college student body and when they arrived to the pranksters, they just admitted everything ? Sounds very, err, easy, no ?



marlon

 

[usahockey]

They probably went to their classmates and stupidly bragged about how they had done such a great job getting the physics exam cancelled...that, or they have cameras watching the payphones.

 

[Mk]

Yeah, i don't get it as well. They admitted to making a hoax phone call to the police from some nearby payphone. How did the police know which students to interrogate ? Did they check the entire college student body and when they arrived to the pranksters, they just admitted everything ? Sounds very, err, easy, no ?



marlon

The kids probably told some other kids about it, or something.

 

[quantumdude]

Back in 1998 I had a temporary teaching appointment at a small college in Hudson, NY. Bomb threats were monthly occurrences throughout the semester. No one ever seemed to get caught for them.

 

[ziad1985]

At my university less then a week ago, 2 students also found it would be hilarious to send the Dean a bomb threat letter..
They were caught, they found out it was not that funny in the end.

 

[Pythagorean]

In my hometown, in high scool, there was a period where we going through 2 or 3 bomb threats a year. The kids that got caught just "didn't want to go to school that day" because we "don't get snow-days off in Alaska" (which is only half true. If cars can't drive on the roads nobody gets in trouble for not making it to school the next day.

 

[usahockey]

A couple funny stories...

One of my relatives actually "bombed" the Princeton library back in the 60's when he was at school there (a very smart guy, math major, went on to MIT for an EE degree afterwards). He rigged up a cherry bomb or m-80 type firework somewhere in the library with a time delay, then walked back to his desk and resumed reading...needless to say, everyone was quite shocked and surprised except the perpetrator, who remained at his desk reading, with a smirk on his face.

At my high school we had an "anthrax scare" some time after 9/11. Apparently one of our deans had found a "suspicious white powder", and determined that the authorities would have to be notified in order to investigate this potential act of terror. This "anthrax" was cleverly planted in the cafeteria...turned out to be (surprise) sugar! In a cafeteria! Interestingly enough, THAT kept us out of school for an entire day while the SWAT team searched the school, and also made the local news...the actual bomb threats, and bombing(s), that occurred at our school, had no such effect.