It's midway through the semester, and the quirks of the students are becoming ever more apparent. Every semester, there is a "thing" that characterizes the astronomy classes. For example, there was the semester when 75% of the students spelled crater as "creator" - silly things like that. This semester, the astronomy students are vehemently opposed to the most widely accepted lunar formation hypothesis - that a Mars-sized object impacted with the early molten Earth and some of the debris went into orbit and formed the Moon. Now, I agree that it's a strange idea, but there is evidence to support it and, most importantly, we can simulate such a process. But the students find it too outlandish. No amount of discussion will dissuade them. I've heard the hypothesis called a "crock", have been accused of making things up, and have been sneered at like I'm an idiot. This is a hard one to deal with. Perhaps when they see more large impact sites in the solar system, they'll be more convinced? It isn't that this hypothesis is a sure thing, but the students have gone past healthy skepticism to sullen obstinateness.

And I said "bootstrap", not "bitchslap", during lecture today. I don't care what the students thought they heard.