Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Jedi Knights Course Offered By Queen's University Belfast

Posted by samzenpus on from the major-in-gameboy dept.

Starting in November, Queen's University Belfast will offer a course that will use the psychology of the Star Wars Jedi Knights to teach students communication skills and personal development. The university's publicity material reads 'the course "Feel the Force: How to Train in the Jedi Way" teaches the "real-life psychological techniques behind Jedi mind tricks"' and promises to explore 'wider issues behind the Star Wars universe, like balance, destiny, dualism, fatherhood and fascism.' The course is very affordable but the droid fees are outrageous.

33 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Mind Trick by gbulmash · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is not the comment you're looking for.

    Move along.

    (sorry, couldn't resist)

    --
    Start a happiness pandemic
    1. Re:Mind Trick by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Funny

      I am a 450 lbs. pizza-fed virgin living in my mother's basement. Your mind powers will not work on me, boy.

    2. Re:Mind Trick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      My kind of girl - what's your number?

    3. Re:Mind Trick by bickerdyke · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pizza the Hut?

      --
      bickerdyke
  2. mockery of the education system by jgarra23 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That is just awful.

    1. Re:mockery of the education system by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 5, Funny

      What d'ye mean, man!

      I took the "Sword in the Stone" course they offered a few semetsters back, and now I'm "Dux Bellorum", soon on my way to being the legendary Once and Future King of England! And need I remind you of the lovely ladies, swathed in luxurious white samite, that just crawl all over a SitS alum? I think not.

      They say that 'strange women, lying around in ponds and distributing swords is no basis for a system of government'. I couldn't agree more - but what a way to sway the midaeval babes!

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    2. Re:mockery of the education system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      No one is pretending to offer an academic qualification.Queens is offering a philosophy course that tries to map ideas to a context familiar with and appealing to laymen. Consider this quote and stop being so bloody melodramatic:

      "The one-day course costs £23 and Dr Baird hopes to attract 30-40 students. "

    3. Re:mockery of the education system by caitsith01 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Agree.

      Universities might think they are being quirky, hip and clever doing this stuff, but what they are really doing is legitimising the view that anything vaguely humanities-oriented is a waste of time and should not be funded by any government or serious organisation. Unis are already struggling for funds in these areas, so why give the critics actual ammunition to help them?

      If they really want to do something useful, they could try to integrate humanities subjects into non-humanities disciplines, to restore the notion of getting a 'well rounded education' and to give students of those disciplines a broader, better developed understanding of their discipline's context in the world. E.g. get mathematicians study the history and psychology of maths; get lawyers to lawyers study criminology and sociology; get engineers to study subjects which encourage a more holistic understanding of the effect of their discipline and the ways in which it can help or damage humanity and the environment.

      In fact, fuck it: every single degree should include a component of studying (real) literature and history. The reason why should be self-evident if you take a quick look at Ms Palin's attempted book-banning antics.

      --
      Read Pynchon.
    4. Re:mockery of the education system by MindlessAutomata · · Score: 2, Informative

      Palin didn't attempt to ban books.
      http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/bannedbooks.asp

      Don't read everything you read on Digg or DailyKoS. Sheesh. I think every single degree should include a component in critical thinking and research... can you guess why?

    5. Re:mockery of the education system by lysergic.acid · · Score: 2, Informative

      uh... you might want to read over that snopes article yourself.

      she may have failed in her efforts to have books removed, but she did initiate discussions with the city librarian about removing "objectionable" books.

      so i don't think the GP's statement is inaccurate.

    6. Re:mockery of the education system by lottameez · · Score: 3, Funny

      You shouldn't call it an education just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

      --
      Yeah? Well I think you're overrated too.
    7. Re:mockery of the education system by YttriumOxide · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I wish people wouldn't do this... I see it a lot and it just makes you look like an idiot. To made a "Yoda-like" sentence, you do NOT just muddle the words up at random. Yoda has an idiosyncratic style to his speech, but it's not just random.
      The quoted text, in Yoda's style of speech would be something like, "Your lack of faith, disturbing I find". Essentially, take the object (or object fragment) of the sentence first, then the adjective that the subject is being described as (if present) and finally the pronoun and verb.
      He doesn't actually always follow this exact style though, but I assume it's more of a slip-up on the writers part. Sometimes he'll slip and make the sentence more like, "Disturbing I find your lack of faith", or "Your lack of faith, disturbing find I" (although this latter one more rarely and only with the third person as far as I've noticed - "Stupid, is he" (instead of the more standard "Stupid, he is" in Yoda's style))
      Yoda's speech, it's also worth pointing out, is NOT grammatically incorrect - archaic, unusual and odd are all good words to describe it, however "incorrect" it is not.

      And no, I'm not a Star Wars geek at all (I actually never really got in to it that much, although I have seen all 6 of the movies), but I AM a linguistics geek and find it really disturbing that anyone's quality of English could be so low as to not immediately recognise how Yoda's sentences are constructed (I was "comfortable" with it by about the third time he said anything the first time I ever watched it)

      --
      My book about LSD and Self-Discovery
      Also on facebook as: DroppingAcidDaleBewan
    8. Re:mockery of the education system by flabbergast · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If they really want to do something useful, they could try to integrate science subjects into non-science disciplines, to restore the notion of getting a 'well rounded education' and to give students of those disciplines a broader, better developed understanding of their discipline's context in the world. E.g. get science journalists to study math; get lawyers to lawyers study computer science; get business majors to study subjects which encourage a more holistic understanding of the effect of their discipline and the ways in which it can help or damage the engineers they will soon "manage".

      There, I fixed that for you. I knew English majors that were proud of the fact that they never had to take a math class in college. Or anything related to engineering/physics/math. But I also knew engineers who were proud that they never had to read fiction in college. Being well-rounded goes both ways, its not like being a humanities major makes you well rounded.

    9. Re:mockery of the education system by kipman725 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As an engineering student may I just say thats a bad idea. People trying to enforce their morals on me by encoraging a holistic understanding just annoys me. If I want to build a death ray for a mad dictator I will. Also that would mean less time studying what I'm actualy paying for.

    10. Re:mockery of the education system by zangetsu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Star Wars: a hypothetical universe in which the legislative branch gradually yields more and more power to the executive branch during war time, after which the balance of power is not restored because the executive branch had a hidden agenda to rule without checks and balances

      That single aspect of the story merits more than a one day class.

      Sci-fi movies tend to focus on special effects more than plot, but many of the books are steeped in political philosophy (I recommend Orson Scott Card)

  3. what crap by jollyreaper · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I was planning on writing a snarky comment that the students would be better served studying the religions and philosophies that George Lucas ripped off his pop-culture understanding from but the Idle interface has given me something new to bitch about. How long ago did this thing roll out of their collective asses and why does it still look this awful? They should just heel this turd down the shower drain and be done with it.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  4. Let me see your resume. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    These aren't the skills you're looking for.

  5. Future Sith Lords? by Nathanbp · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jedi training worked so well for Anakin Skywalker after all...

  6. I'll ask what everyone else is thinking... by MeepMeep · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is there a 'How to make a lightsabre' lab?

    (and make sure to follow up 'Coping with Accidental Autoamputation 201')

  7. Course material exposed! by syousef · · Score: 5, Funny

    Course material week 1: Lucasfilm business plan

    1. Create 1 fantastic movie using lots of unknown talent very well suited to the role and breakthrough special effects.
    2. Follow up with second epic film with weak ending
    3. Complete the trilogy with not so brilliant film. Basic plot still brilliant, but add Ewok side plot for marketting
    4. Build up marketting empire. Sell toys and licenses to computer games. Revel in the special effects success of the first 3 films. Spend spare cash on special effects empire and loan out for other films.
    5. When marketting empire wanes, executive produce 3 crappy equally spaced prequels.
    6. Produce bad cartoons when it turns out that your usual talent is less animated than the animations.

    After each step above Profit!!!

    Next week: Hookers and blow. How to maintain a family friendly facade.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  8. Re:Shameful pandering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You do know that Belfast is in Northern Ireland, right? This is a British college, not an American one.

    That said, I don't disagree with you at all.

  9. So what are we saying here. . ? by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 2, Funny

    "When the student is ready, the application form will appear"?

    -FL

  10. Jedi Knights course? by Orion+Blastar · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, unless they start them training out young the Jedi council won't approve them to be trained. Also Master Yoda won't approve if he senses much fear in students. If these requirements are not met, chances are they will turn to the dark side and use their hate and anger instead of logic and reason.

    I also heard rumor that Harvard and Yale have started their Sith Lords training course for those who don't fit the Jedi criteria.

    There is also a "Using the Force for Dummies" book that is being written so the drop outs of those courses can still use the force even if they fail college.

    As for me, I am a space pirate ninja from 4096 AD, I already have psionics training that far exceeds what the force training can do.

    --
    Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
  11. Re:No not really by RichardJenkins · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sure it is a BurgerFlipper degree
    No, it is a one day course.

    Universities love serving up shit like this because it's an easy way to get funding for having lots of students without having to have pesky stuff like chemistry labs and professors that know a thing or two.
    Not really. This is a one day philosophy course. I'm beginning to suspect you may not have read the article, or at least understand it.

    Perhaps this is at least stupid enough that it gets the attention of parliament etc to rethink the role of universaities.
    Parliament decided to make students pay for tuition through the nose long ago - anything that allows universities to raise cash will not be looked down onby the government. And.. I don't think this is stupid. I really hope this attracts people who'd otherwise discount any form of educatoin as viable.

  12. You will never find... by actionbastard · · Score: 2, Funny

    a more wretched hive of scum and villany...

    --
    Sig this!
  13. Re:Shameful pandering by NoobixCube · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Case in point, when a professional educator didn't realise Belfast was in Ireland (or at least didn't read it thoroughly) :P

    --
    Admit it. You post strawman arguments as AC so you get modded Insightful for refuting them, rather than Troll
  14. Re:Shameful pandering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bull. You weren't paying attention, didn't read the TFA, went off half-cocked, and made an ass of yourself. Don't make it worse with a pathetic, transparent excuse.

  15. Two Words.... by coren2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wookie Porn

  16. Be real by Daengbo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Call it a Buddhist seminary.

    --
    Put identity in the browser.
  17. great by Brain+Damaged+Bogan · · Score: 3, Insightful

    another religion being taught in schools...

    --
    -- Sex is the antonym of pringles. Once you pop it's time to stop.
  18. Subject by Legion303 · · Score: 2, Funny

    In other news, George Lucas was overheard mumbling "fucking geeks."

  19. Re:Sure. by andy.ruddock · · Score: 2, Informative

    In the same way that there's a difference between USA and Canada.

    --
    God: An invisible friend for grown-ups.
  20. Re:No not really by genner · · Score: 3, Funny

    6 films? I thought it was 3? Wait.. something is coming to me.. argh no! The horror! Make it stop, make it stop!! FAAAATHEEEEEEEEEEEERRR!!!

    What 6 films would those be?

    I never got into Starwars. I prefer the 1 Matrix film.
    I always wondered what it would be like if they made that into a trilogy.