National exceptionalism. It’s a hell of a drug.
I think it was just something he had to say, rather than something he seriously believed in. I pointed out that life (and the associated decrease in entropy) would not exist without the sun and its massive increase in entropy. Take away the sun and life ends. He accepted that argument so fast that I thought he didn’t really care. He just had to say that stuff.
He was a great lecturer and totally appreciated by the students because he taught us to pass the exams, not necessarily the whole subject, ie, there was a curious correlation between his lectures and the actual questions asked in examinations. Much more so that the other staff at that college.
I gotta say that, in a general sense, this is an excellent example of exactly what’s wrong with higher education. “No, don’t educate me, just give me that goddam degree!”
In all fairness, and honesty, I am deeply skeptical that we have evolved / are evolving.
EDIT: I’m with you on the increase in entropy, though.
Not only higher ed. I had a HS physics teacher who fundamentally did not understand Newtonian gravity. Even after I walked him through the math. He was a nice enough guy and good with the students and I wouldn’t have wanted him fired, but he had absolutely no business teaching that subject.
It is also claimed it invalidates Global Warming. It’s such a useful law that can disprove anything you don’t want to believe in.
In fact, in many cases, it’s a guarantee of the lack thereof!
and the Australian Olympic Team.
ozzie ozzie ozzie
So I’ve been told that the USA is a republic, not a democracy. 
Oy Oy Oy
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I got in a big disagreement with one of my friends about this exactly. She used as “proof” her expert Googling that showed that somewhere, at one time, people spelled potatoe with an e at the end.
But earth isn’t a closed system.
Philosophy degree holders are supposed to be well read, even if they are essentially unemployable.
But even our President doesn’t realize that Puerto Rico is a US territory. Maybe being bad at geography is part of US cultural heritage?
Joke’s on you, it’s neither!
Perhaps as the ambassador to New South Wales.
They need to hire an Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography. No flies on him!
I was wondering, because UNH is not exactly in Northern New Hampshire.
Hey! No delusions of grandeur here. We’re just the best at everything, almost up to the USA’s standard of being bigly good.
'Straya!
