Seriously, that guy has got to go. What if he were a history professor telling everyone the Holocaust never happened or the Moon landing was a hoax? I really can’t see how this fool got where he did.
The fact that the school has allowed someone of this mentality to be in any responsible position is shocking.
And, in case they do remove this guy, I don’t see why anyone in the class should be penalized for what was administration’s error. I just don’t think it would be fair to tell everyone, “okay that class is canceled - no one’s grade will count. Just take the course next year.”
No, that doesn’t seem quite fair does it?
Since Adam and Eve are in the garden, this is before the fall.
Boooo. 
So, the professor says
Did I miss something, or isn’t it possible that in calling the Brueghel painting “a cartoon” he is actually making fun of the idea of Eden working as an actual ecosystem.
Ever the optimist, hope springing eternal, and all…
In fact they do:
Fifth picture down
Beautifully said! That’s a phrase worth memorizing to use in the future! Thank you.
I have nothing else to add, except that this made me laugh like a big laughing thing at my desk.
Bravo!
Thank you.
And you can, for the low low price of $1.29 per use. 
Meep! But, don’t you want to know your wisdom is being shared, and spread like a fungus all over? 
This reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons in which Adam (Homer) gets to eat a chunk of a cheerful pig every day.
WhyNot, I suggest you start by identifying the painting and the artist. Say that it’s based on the Judeo-Christian creation story, and like all creation stories, it has some unrealistic concepts. Then you can go into the animals not fearing the predators and the grouping of creatures not found together on the planet.
As for the crowding, I’m not so sure. The myth never specifies the size of the garden. It could be miles wide. Animals naturally gather at water, for they all must drink. In real life, the predators use that fact to lie in wait for the prey to come and drink. Brueghel paints according to the myth, so the prey have no fear. The leopards eat mangoes, or something, instead of marmosets. :rolleyes: Brueghel was not painting natural history, he was painting the story.
I see no excuse for a teacher’s use of a painting of a creation tale in a Biology class. He’ll have to really stretch to explain that in a scientific way. There’s no need to nail him to the wall just yet. Odds are, he’ll do that himself.
nevermind, read the link
But it does ensure the eventual death of every member of your species.
I could see this assignment as being legitamite in a “find everything that’s wrong in this picture” sense, or as a controversial discussion starter, but given what we know about this guy, those options seem unlikely.
Screw it, you should be snarky. You’re a customer here and you’re getting a poor product, if you don’t feel like seeing the manager you should at least have yourself a laugh.
Looking at the picture, it’s hard to tell, but it appears that the apples and grapes are actually on the same tree, which either indicated grafting, or there are 10 more different types of fruit and that is the tree of life as described in Revelation. Such a ecosystem would be ‘unstable’ in our fallen world, either great human effort and resources would be required to maintain it, or a higher power such as God would be required. Without either that ecosystem would soon devolve to a couple of cats looking for their next meal.
And eating sloth knuckles doesn’t kill the sloth.
While this may be the answer the professor is looking for, it has no place in a science class.
Or that the grapevine has climbed the apple tree. They do that: see post#85. I doubt that an apple/grape graft would take, even in paradise.
Saying what I said in the previous thread, I think a chat with the Administration is due. It’s only the beginning of February and you have this “assignment”. Where is it going to go from here?
Greetings class. You assignment for the weekend is to write a 500 word essay on the picture linked below. Please include the answers to the following questions in your essay:
1.) Why does the formation of groups by predators enhance survival ability?
2.) What adaptations have enabled these predators to flourish in their surroundings?
3.) How does the phenotype variation in this species illustrate the work of Gregor Mendel?
The picture can be found here. Good luck and have a great weekend!
