“The Planet Is Doomed”

Notes from the front line of college teaching, as reported by my cousin Cindy:

I just started the ecology section in my biology for non-majors classes. I had to spend 10 minutes yesterday convincing one of my classes (23 out of 28 students!) that fire is not a living thing (and some of them still did not believe me — one woman with teenaged children also tried to tell me that water was alive).

And these are all high school graduates!

One of my fellow teachers said, "So, they think every time they strike a match, they are creating life?"...wow, what gods these mortals be.