Comments on: The hidden super university

The hidden super university

tellurian — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 22:04:27 -0800

Vlad gives his views on the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As the anthem of Phystech promises, "we will disperse, when the time comes, in all the world, from Dolgoprudny"

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:03:33 -0800

Too bad the post presentation is so unappealing (almost sounds like you're using it as a bad-English joke), because this is a really interesting and informative piece. One nugget from the sidebar:

There was no such degree as Bachelor. Only graduate degrees existed in the USSR, thus Engineer is the same as Master of Science or Engineer in the US for an average Soviet and American higher education insitution.

I did not know that, as Johnny Carson used to say.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:37:02 -0800

I would have thought that once the link was followed it would be obvious that there was a wealth of material. I spent hours reading and following up ideas presented here. Unappealing, meh. Their loss. Anyway, how would the anthem continue, what rhymes with Dolgoprudny? Also: 1 languagehat appreciation comment = satisfaction.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:52:53 -0800

Ah, but you've got to entice people to follow your link! Me, I would have started with something like "Hidden in a part of Moscow so secret it wasn't on the maps..." and built up an agony of suspense that would have grabbed Mefites by the scruff of the neck and forced them to seek within for more. I mean, "Vlad gives his views on the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology" sounds more like a local-access cable show. But hey, I appreciated it!