{"id":1029,"date":"2010-02-09T03:01:44","date_gmt":"2010-02-09T03:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/proof-that-even-brilliant-professors-can-lack-common-sense.html"},"modified":"2010-02-09T03:01:44","modified_gmt":"2010-02-09T03:01:44","slug":"proof-that-even-brilliant-professors-can-lack-common-sense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/02\/proof-that-even-brilliant-professors-can-lack-common-sense.html","title":{"rendered":"Proof That Even Brilliant Professors Can Lack Common Sense?!?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week I visited one of the leading universities in the United States. It is especially famous for its outstanding research faculty. Academic brilliance flourishes in this place.
\nI was meeting with a member of that faculty, and spent a few hours in his office. On his floor were a couple dozen colleagues in his field. When I went to use the men’s restroom, I was impressed by a sign that had been carefully taped above a toilet’s flushing mechanism. It read: PLEASE FLUSH AFTER USE!
\nI had to wonder why this sign was there. Surely the professors knew that they’re supposed to flush after use, not beforehand. So I expect the problem was that some of them weren’t flushing at all, not that they were flushing too early. In this case, the sign could have read more simply: PLEASE FLUSH!
\nWhy, I asked myself, would highly educated people, leaders in their academic field, writers of recommended books, need this sort of sign? Didn’t their mommies teach them to flushing after use?
\nPerhaps the non-flushing professors were trying to save water by not flushing. Or, perhaps they’ve become so used to automatic flushers that they don’t remember to do it themselves. Or, perhaps this sign is proof that professors can be brilliant in one thing and rather dull in others. I was reminded of the time when I observed one of the most celebrated Harvard professors stuck in front of an ATM machine, unsure how to make it operate.
\nThe sign in the men’s room of the university reminded me of a similar sign I spotted last year while visiting Epcot Center in Disneyworld, Florida. I think I posted a photo of this sign on my website last year, but it’s worth another round. This most helpful sign was not a reminder to flush, but rather a set of instructions concerning what to do afterwards. It guided one through the steps of hand washing. I noticed that these “hand washing tips” were provided by Brawny, makers of paper towels. Thus I was not surprised to discover that the thrid step read: “Dry hands thoroughly using paper towels.” Notice, not just one paper towel, but paper towels<\/em>, in the plural. I guess the Brawny people want you to use plenty of their product. Can’t figure out why . . . .
\nI guess nobody every told Epcot or Brawny about the downside of using paper towels to dry one’s hands after using the restroom.\u00a0 This downside can be found on electric dryers in public restrooms. Consider, for example, the sign that appears on the World Dryer: “Dryers help protect the environment. They save trees from being used for paper towels. They eliminate paper towel waste. They are more sanitary to use than paper and help maintain cleaner facilities.”
\nThere are studies that indicate that the use of hand dryers is, indeed, better for the environment, even though they use electricity. But, alas, this may not be the end of the story. In November 2008, scientists on the faculty of the University of Westminster, London, conducted a study comparing paper towels, warm air dryers, and jet air dryers in terms of efficiency and hygiene (download PDF of study). Here are some of their conclusions (italics added):<\/p>\n

The results of all parts of this study suggest that paper towels should be used in locations where hygiene is paramount<\/em>, such as hospitals, clinics, schools, nurseries, care homes, kitchens and other food preparation areas. Warm air dryers and jet air dryers should be carefully considered for these types of location because of their poorer hygiene performance and the increased likelihood of transmission of bacteria, including potentially pathogenic types, via the fingerpads and palms of the hand and their air flows<\/em>. The performance of both the warm air dryer and the jet air dryer was inferior to paper towels in all respects<\/em> (drying efficiency, bacterial numbers on the hands, bacterial contamination of the air flow and surfaces of the devices, and transmission of bacteria in the washroom) with the one exception that the jet air dryer is equal in drying efficiency.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So there you have it . . . or not. I wonder if the professors of the University of Westminster flush after use?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week I visited one of the leading universities in the United States. It is especially famous for its outstanding research faculty. Academic brilliance flourishes in this place. I was meeting with a member of that faculty, and spent a few hours in his office. On his floor were a couple dozen colleagues in his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nProof That Even Brilliant Professors Can Lack Common Sense?!? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1029"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}