At a pre-med university in St. Louis, we had to take a difficult class in physics. One day the professor was discussing a particularly complicated concept. A student rudely interrupted to ask “Why do we have to learn this stuff?” “To save lives.” The professor responded quickly and continued the lecture. A few minutes later, the same student spoke up again.”So how does physics save lives?” he persisted.”It usually keeps the idiots like you out of medical school,” replied the professor.