Des Higgins wrote:
> "Jeff Houlahan" <jeffhoul at unbsj.ca> wrote in message
> news:d3e6tf$1a7$1 at mercury.rfcgr.mrc.ac.uk...>>>Hi, MolEvol members. Like many Biology departments in universities across
>>=
>>Canada, our university, the University of New Brunswick at Saint John, has
>>=
>>decided to phase out the comprehensive exam in favour of a proposal
>>defense=
>>/qualifying exam as part of the requirements for completion of a Ph. D.
>>Th=
>>e rationale for this, as we understand it, is that students should not be
>>e=
>>xpected to have a detailed understanding of the entire discipline of
>>biolog=
>>y. A proposal defense/qualifying exam is only expected to test a student
>>o=
>>n areas relevant to their Ph. D. research. This is a concept we support,
>>b=
>>ut it does raise the concern that students could graduate with a Ph. D. in
>>=
>>Biology without understanding some very basic biological concepts if those
>>=
>>concepts are not relevant to their project. For example, students doing
>>re=
>>search that has no explicit evolutionary context could graduate without
>>kno=
>>wing the difference between evolution and natural selection. Our
>>discussio=
>>n group has suggested that one way to deal with this is to develop a list
>>o=
>>f =E2=80=98The 50 things every biologist should know=E2=80=99 and make
>>thos=
>>e 50 topics fair game in a qualifying exam/proposal defence. Thus, our
>>goa=
>>l is to put together such a list. We have put together a preliminary list
>>=
>>of 60 different questions (maybe) every biologist should be able to answer
>>=
>>(see that list below), but we are looking for broader input. We would
>>love=
>>to hear from anybody who would like to add a question or questions to the
>>=
>>list, or make some comment about the questions that are already on the
>>list=
>>=2E Ultimately, we will be putting together a survey to rank the
>>suggestio=
>>ns we get and identify the =E2=80=9950 things every biologist should know=
>>=E2=80=99 as ranked by survey responses. We will distribute that list to
>>t=
>>his group when the survey is complete. Thanks for any comments you can
>>pro=
>>vide on this.
>>>>The UNBSJ Ecology discussion group
>>>>A.=09CHEMISTRY
>>>>1.=09What is an atom?
>>2.=09What is a molecule?
>>3.=09What causes water to be green?
>>4.=09What are the two laws of thermodynamics?
>>> Either this is a typo or I am getting old; I could have sworn there were 3
> in my day.
>>>According to Adkins (Equilibrium Thermodynamics, McGrawHill) there are
four, the zeroth, first, second and third!!
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