Sunday Superposition #38

How to be human; Chernobyl at 40; an emotional astronaut; searching for alien patterns; the Last Laugh

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Relearning What It Means to Be Human (in my astronomy classroom)

Lately, I’ve noticed my students linger after class for several minutes just to talk. There’s something about the way I structure the course that seems to open them up.

When I returned to teaching three years ago after a hiatus, I was struck by how much this generation had changed. They’re exceedingly polite—more so than my energetic Millennial students, who felt like wild puppies bouncing with spontaneity. These students are more like genetically-altered puppies perfectly bred to be well-behaved and courteous, but they’re also quieter, less gregarious, and often insular.

Part of it stems from the pandemic’s lingering effects—these young people got the worst of it during high school. Part of it is growing up with screens as constant companions. Their docility makes my job easier in a way, but it also comes at a price.

In my first semester back teaching astronomy, I sank into a deep depression. I had poured hours into preparing engaging lectures, only to face a sea of laptops. Out of thirty students, I counted only four or five who consistently looked up from their screens. That experience prompted a simple but firm policy: laptops and phones must be put away during class, except for documented accommodations.

The difference was immediate and profound.