On 6-2-2010 12:42, Warp wrote:
> Stephen <mca### [at] aoldotcom> wrote:
>> Reminds me that one of my maths teachers, at high school, once wrote an 
>> equation on the blackboard and said ???It is obvious that??????  Looked at the 
>> board again, left the room, came back 15 minutes later and said ???Yes, it 
>> is obvious that...???
> 
>   Many teachers of technical subjects have their odd and funny quirks. The
> higher the school level, the more likely. This is especially true at
> university level, probably because a professorship is a more or less permanent
> tenure (at least in many countries) and they don't have to worry too much
> about getting fired (this is done intentionally because it's seen as
> promoting free and radical thinking without the fear of losing their jobs).

I can only speak for myself. I was teaching digital technology at an 
applied university to electrical engineering students for the last half 
year. I deliberately tried to make sure they were thinking I am slightly 
strange. (Which is quite close to reality off course). In almost every 
test there were strange questions and strange answers.
The purpose of this is to force them to think every time whether I mean 
it or not. E.g my first test contained the question 'do you think I am 
weird?' (embedded in a boolean disjunction). I explained later to them 
that if they think so and answer truthfully, that answer is obviously 
correct. Hopefully next time they don't assume it is a trick question if 
I ask something simple.
One other thing I am rather proud of is asking before a test who was 
left and who was right handed and handed out papers accordingly. Can 
anyone guess what the difference was?
I also think that for this group being weird *and* knowledgeable gives 
them more trust that I really know what I am talking about and not just 
have read a week in advance in the reader.

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