Quotes:

The survey on Island (Ireland)

[On Ireland] If they want to ask for aid, they use GNP... If they want to show that they are developed, they use GDP. Actually we do that in Singapore. There are many ways of defining the budget surplus... They give you the lower figure.

[On Singapore's growth not coming from improved technology but increased labour and capital] It's very interesting, because he compare us to Soviet Union. That we would be like Soviet Union... our growth is by perspiration, not by inspiration. We are like a sausage factor, and will come to a dismal end. (compared, the Soviet Union)

[On Woo and Thia, 2002] They found our TFPG [Ed: Total Factor Productivity Growth]. It was 0.94. That means it was above 0.

[On Krugman's criticism of Singapore's not using technology to raise GDP, and Woo and Thia] Of course you may say 'sour grapes'. They say our TPFG is low, so we try and prove them wrong. That's what a lot of my colleagues did. They took the data and found ways of looking at it.

East of Swears (Suez)

[On import substitution] That's why sometimes you hear people say 'we just need to annex johor, and we'll be fine'.

dry, clow clockwork (cold)

[Me: You're not dressed goofily today.] I don't always dress goofily. [Me: That means sometimes you dress goofily.]

This is known as the 'Red Queen' hypothesis. Which is very nice because it comes from another faculty. English Literature. Finally, you've something from English Literature.

[On a description of Oregon being peaceful, with beavers and ducks] Beaver and Duck. But we've heard that ducks are very good at raping. So it's not that gentle.

[On ants being a bad meal] Ants... A lot of poison and not very much nutrition. Mostly roughage. [Student: But they taste great.] If they're big and chocolate coated, yes.

[On a cecidom cloning maggots] I actually find it rather cute but you will probably find it disgusting.

[On sex having explanatory value for the world around us] If you look around campus you see a lot of evidence for the phenomenon of sex.

[On senescence] You guys are too young to have experienced much of that. It's when your joints start hurting and you start getting really fat.

[Me on senescence: After menopause.] Except we don't have menopause. [Male Student: Yay.] [Girl: Beer bellies.]

The uy is going to be let off scots-free (scot)

[On understanding the law courts] You need to be legalistically trained (legally)

[On the Neyman-Pearson Lemma] 2 people. Jeremy Neyman and Pearson. Not Karl Pearson. Hahah! Here is the twist. Karl Pearson was dead by 1934, if you remember my little story last week.

Polish Jew (Polish - pronounced as pore'lish]

That's the problem with scientific theories. Once you discover it, they will seem obvious. Newton's Law of Gravity is now obvious. Einstein's Theory of Relativity is still not obvious. (them)

[On the Uniformly Most Powerful test] When you find such a test, you should scream in joy.

[On not covering something but recommending that we read it] And it's not easy. Not difficult to understand. (hard)

[On hypothesis testing] Most teachers of statistics will say: Nah, there is the rule. Memorise it. Last time it was a closed book exam. Everyone can memorise it, everyone can apply it. Everyone will score 100 marks. You ask them what they are doing, they have no idea... At the end of the course they have no idea what statistics is all about. I'm determined not to fall into that trap. Sp that you know what you are doing. So that you can carry out a decent conversation with a scientist. Just remember to tell them who your teacher is. (him)

Think through it yourself. I have already said it twice. I can repeat it n times, or even to infinity, but I will probably collapse well before that.

studies on tweens (twins)

You have a matching hairband. [Me: Lucky]... You look very different in your IVLE picture. [Me: Most people do.]

You can employ a maid to replace your mom. [Professor: You replace your mom, then what will your mom do? Your mom has no job.]

Prostitution is legal in Singapore? I didn't know that.

[On the Moral Majority] They can go to [a] Star Cruise... There are so many casinos in America. It's just a small casino, why are they kicking up such a big fuss?

[On F1 racing and such] The government became a bit puritanical, then they got rid of all these things. The now they've gotten decadent and they're trying to bring all these things back.

Another question which I can't answer here is: This is how our system works. They ask for feedback, then have a song and dance. Then the man comes up: go back to work. They have already made up their minds. They just want to give you a sense of participating.

You're laughing, because you haven't been doing any work ***. I know. You don't do homework but I still have to teach you.

[On student feedback] We're trying to find out. Do you all have too much work to do? *cries of assent from students*

In Singapore, you don't just study what you want. Everyone is doing life science, because that is what the government wants.

They pull the rug under your feet (from under)

How do you encourage them to work? At the same time, you want them to have 3 kids or more.

[Possibly on woman dominating certain industries] All these women. Slimming agencies. Gabriel, did you take a look? All these trading houses, slimming centres.

12 thousand. For that you can hire 3 young accountancy girls. 3 accountancy students... You can hire 3 young accountancy students. Brighten up the office, instead of this old man there.

[On RSA deciphering] So that is why it is very secure up to, up to this moment, because you are not able to factorise a 200 digit number, in a short time. It wills take 10 to the power of 9 years to do it... the message, although you value, um, nobody will be around to read it anyway (will)