# What’s an innocent or common misconception about your profession or your hobby that just drives you up the wall? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 14, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496 "2023-06-14T14:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/201 "2023-06-17T23:53:03Z")
I worked with a population that frequently ended up as psychiatry inpatients. And I encountered 4-5 assaults on staff per year. I’m not sure what the difference was between your experience and mine , except maybe it’s related to the fact that the people I worked with were in public hospitals. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/202 "2023-06-17T23:53:03Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s to enable that tiny amount of metal to withstand the forces on it. I’m about to find out the limitations of my education (Finance and IT) in materials engineering. ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/203 "2023-06-18T00:14:56Z")
Maybe not innocent or a misconception, but when I tell people I am a chemist the first thing they usually ask is if I know how to make meth. I probably could if I studied just a little bit. The difficulty lies in what raw materials you have available to start with. I remember an old organic chemistry professor from way back who would pose hypothetical synthesis problems limiting your starting materials to seawater, air, industrial coke, and sunshine. However, the lawyer side of me makes me answer their question with, “First we must obtain a Certificate of Registration from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/204 "2023-06-18T01:13:29Z")
Could be. One of mine was public and the others were private. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/205 "2023-06-18T01:59:24Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > United States. Electronic countermeasures, to be specific Cool. I’ve worked with a lot of former RCAF avionics techs. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/206 "2023-06-18T05:14:42Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I first started taking calculus at a proper university (Rutgers)–it was awful. My Different Equations professor also taught at Rutgers and was one of the worse teachers I had at college. Before his class I actually went to math brown bag lunches for fun (I think that was my first introduction to fractals) and was one of the few non-math majors there. I had planned to take more math classes, beyond what was required, but stopped there, because he took the fun out of math. My actual degree is in Mechanical Engineering. I can also spell words correctly.\* I worked for many years as a technical author and am currently working on a pilot for a new component content management system. Regarding technical authoring. It’s not copying content from one editing system to another editing system. There should be a lot more thought put into the content creation. - Writing this means that I will have at least one spelling mistake in this post. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/207 "2023-06-18T05:22:43Z")
I was a low level computer operator at a major university. When the subject of emplyment at the university came up, i would get questions ranging from “what do you teach?” to “where did you get your PhD?” or “what was the subject of your thesis?” Also - often getting addressed as “Doctor”. A co-worker - responsible for washing the floors, removing the garbage, etc. would get similar questions asked of him. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/208 "2023-06-18T14:46:14Z")
> [@TheTooth](#): > > Calculus is the mathematics of motion and change I sure wish my AP Calculus teacher would have explained that on day one. An overview of what we’re studying and why would have really helped. ---
**Author:** ![MrPete67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MrPete67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrPete67)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/209 "2023-06-18T17:12:31Z")
I appreciate your equestrian. I live 3 minutes from the Wellington, Florida, “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World”. These people are amazing. Their horses are wonderful because of them. ---
**Author:** ![MrPete67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MrPete67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrPete67)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/210 "2023-06-18T17:38:14Z")
Off-shore powerboat racing, road racing, performance driving instructor. All of this ‘seems’ like fun. Uh, yea, it is, but the driver’s life is in your hands when you are a crew member. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/211 "2023-06-18T17:53:07Z")
I just had a retired engineer lecturing me on what my career (teaching design) is really about, with gems like “It won’t do a student any good if they don’t have The Creative Gene.” I was a captive audience at a church Fathers’ Day brunch. And couldn’t get a word in, but when he announced he had to rush off, I did say “Well, I guess I won’t get a chance to tell you why every one of your points is completely wrong. But have a great Fathers’ Day!” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/212 "2023-06-18T18:46:33Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > My actual degree is in Mechanical Engineering. I can also spell words correctly.\* I worked for many years as a technical author and am currently working on a pilot for a new component content management system. Heh. At my job, I’m the engineer who can be trusted to put verbs and nouns into actual sentences (and spell things right, too). > [@Andy\_L](#): > > I’ve never checked to see if soda cans are shaped to minimize material for a given volume. I’ll have to check that out. If I’ve done the algebra correctly, to minimize material, a soda can should have a height 5 times its radius - but soda cans tops are a bit thicker than the sides. If I assume the top is twice as thick as the rest of the can, then a minimum material can should be 4 times has high as its radius - and that’s pretty close to the actual radius (and given that the shape isn’t quite a cylinder, there’s no point in carrying this analysis much further). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/213 "2023-06-18T18:59:53Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > If I’ve done the algebra correctly, to minimize material, a soda can should have a height 5 times its radius - but soda cans tops are a bit thicker than the sides. If I assume the top is twice as thick as the rest of the can, then a minimum material can should be 4 times has high as its radius - and that’s pretty close to the actual radius (and given that the shape isn’t quite a cylinder, there’s no point in carrying this analysis much further). Nope - h=2r for the first case, and 3r for the second case (assuming that I’ve done the algebra right _this time_) ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/214 "2023-06-18T19:39:55Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > If I’ve done the algebra correctly, to minimize material, a soda can should have a height 5 times its radius - but soda cans tops are a bit thicker than the sides. [https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=calculs+max+min+soda+cans&view=detail&mid=75EAA4E1A18AD49041B975EAA4E1A18AD49041B9&FORM=VIRE](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=calculs+max+min+soda+cans&view=detail&mid=75EAA4E1A18AD49041B975EAA4E1A18AD49041B9&FORM=VIRE) ETA: It’s been 30 years since I took calc, so I do not vouch for the video, though he does sound sufficiently a math nerd. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/215 "2023-06-18T21:42:39Z")
Yeah - he got the same answer I did when I didn’t make algebra errors ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/216 "2023-06-18T21:56:41Z")
Then your math nerd bona fides are rock solid! ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/217 "2023-06-18T22:05:52Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > > > The key to learning math is to learn why. > > Man, no kidding. I did fine in algebra and trig in high school, but never understood that there were practical world applications, especially for trig. And I still don’t know WTF I’m supposed to do with calculus. There is a whole universe hidden inside these observations. I retired less than a month ago. I wish I could have travelled back in time to the late 1970s and planted the seed to make my earlier self more interested in calculus and differential equations. And linear algebra too, while we’re at it. Being capable and interested would have served me so well so many times later on. As to learning why, this always seemed to me like it would make an absolutely wonderful book. They didn’t need to prove the various things to me – after all, why would they have been lying? What I could really have used was to get why it was as beautiful as I’m now sure it must have been. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/218 "2023-06-18T22:13:01Z")
Yeah, “because” as an answer pretty much killed my ability to excel at math. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/219 "2023-06-18T22:22:39Z")
It is commonly assumed that all pathologists routinely perform autopsies and love to do so. In reality, autopsies are unpleasant, physically demanding, time-consuming (generally, no hours are specifically set aside for them so they’re an overtime responsibility), poorly compensated and hazardous to one’s health, thus virtually all pathologists are delighted to avoid them whenever possible.\* My quality of life improved immeasurably when our pathology group was able to get hospital autopsies transferred to the state university med school’s pathology department as a learning experience for their poor, downtrodden residents. \*99.99% of all physicians who publish articles bemoaning the decline of hospital autopsies have zero chance of ever being asked to perform them. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496/220 "2023-06-18T22:43:06Z")
University professor, historian. As with teachers, the “so you have the summer off” observation is inaccurate. So is the assumption that my hours in the classroom make up the bulk of my work, and thus I don’t work more than 15 hours a week. While I am good with dates, that’s because I’m good at trivia in general, and has very little to do with my work, apart from knowing which came first, WW I or WW II. Ditto with my knowledge of military hardware, which comes from, and ended with, my childhood years building models. So yes, I can tell a T-34 from a Panther, but in 30 years on the job, this has never come up. Now, if you want to go deep on the splits between Proudhonists, Marxists, and anarchists in the First International, why, of course you can buy me a drink and settle in for a mind-numbing pontification, with songs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-an-innocent-or-common-misconception-about-your-profession-or-your-hobby-that-just-drives-you-up-the-wall/985496.md?page=12)