See... Computer Science majors think they're so freaking smart about everything.

I'm sitting in a cluster, and there's these three CS kids talking loudly, making snide remarks about posts on misc.market, the buying/selling/general discussion forum here at CMU.

I'm doing a pretty good job of ignoring them. But then one chimes in with, "A 12-string guitar? There's no such thing as a 12-string guitar!"

Eager to show that they, too, are smart and informed, the other two start agreeing with him. "Yeah, I've heard of a 7-string guitar, but never a 12-string guitar."

For those unfamiliar with guitars (as these guys were), this is ass-backwards. 12-strings are way more common than 7-string guitars. This guy is obviously a Korn fan.

Eventually I get fed up. I can't take it any more. I interrupt with a slightly annoyed, slightly condescending, "It's just like a six-string guitar, except each string is doubled an octave higher."

They turn around in surprise. The alpha dork recoils a little, the hairs start to bristle on the back of his neck. He's been threatened. He must reassert superiority.

"Well I think it still stands to reason that it would be very difficult to play." (They really talk like this, folks.) By this point the cluster has quieted down. I think there are a few people watching the action, undoubtedly rooting for me, since these kids have been loud for a good ten minutes now.

"Not really," I inform him. "The pairs of strings are close enough together that you can finger each pair like you'd finger a single string on a 6-string."

He mumbles something and retreats.

Hey, folks - I wasn't kidding about visiting me at my office hours. Especially since I know that some of you are in the area.