I'm extremely skeptical of this story, at least as written.<p>It makes great clickbait, but it doesn't really make sense. <i>Where</i> would someone implant a bluetooth earpiece into their ear? There's not really a lot of empty space in that area unless someone is very overweight and the device is implanted in layers of fat adjacent to the ear, which aren't great at conducting sound. Did someone really wrap an earpiece in some bio-compatible material, put it in someone right before the test (battery life is limited), and that person was then in a low enough level of pain and/or on enough painkillers that they could still complete the test? I'm extremely doubtful.<p>But the bigger question is: What use is a 1-way communication device? Did the student have a second cheating instrument to photograph the test and send it to someone off-site? Or did they have someone with the test answers reading them off in real-time ("Question 34 - Answer is C")? It seems this would only be useful in an extremely narrow set of circumstances, if it could be pulled off at all.<p>Really though, why wouldn't someone just grow out their hair or wear a wig and put an earpiece under their hair? The idea of surgically implanting something that could be easily concealed seems like a modern urban legend.
In my undergrad days, my sibling's medical college (KMC Mangalore) had an interesting case where the student had hired the service of a rice-engraving artist to etch complete medical manuals onto the sides of metallic ballpoint pens. He was wearing a high powered lens as bifocals.<p>He was caught because he was noticed shuffling a wad of pens too often & then the bifocal glasses were peculiar, prompting some investigation.<p>He had paid the grain-engraving artist to the tune of $30,000-35,000 for the whole set (2006). It is a lot of money!
A lot of people are missing the bigger point here.<p>This person was just one who got caught. The likelihood that they’re the first one to think or do this is very low.<p>There are probably more sophisticated ways of using tech to cheat and I would be very surprised if they haven’t been employed in high stakes exams like this before.
If we are to assume that bluetooth implants and other embedded tech that can prompt a user near-instantly with information are an eventuality, I think there is an interesting question to consider:<p>If everyday people have near-instant access to information, how will we continue to assess expertise moving forward? Surely it’s not enough to just have access to rote information, like in the case of the cheating test-taker. We will also expect our experts to have the deep understanding that comes from experience in a domain.<p>Will we need different language to describe flavors of knowledge and expertise? If so, will the nature of test-taking and assessment need to evolve to identify people who actually have an understanding of the thing being tested, instead of testing for rote answers?
“The devices have been confiscated and their answer sheets were seized. They were given new answer sheets,” he said.<p>Unbelievable. They should have been banned forever.
We are in an arms race now. Turnitin. Proctoring. Next? Airport style
security scanners at the exam hall. I wrote about this arms race
recently [1] and where it will lead.<p>The problem is really that, under conditions of self-commodification
(reification), intrinsic motivation to learn and be a better person is
replaced by extrinsic motivation to appear to be a better person. The
experience (simulation) means more than the reality - which is a
general trend in Western society now proved by the very existence of
the company Meta.<p><a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/we-cant-teach-technological-dystopia" rel="nofollow">https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/we-cant-teach-...</a>
When does it become 'biological enhancement'? Maybe all doctors should have a bluetooth implanted, to connect them to an AI or online consultants at all times?
I still remember the exams I had to pass when I was studying computer science. In some cases, professors let you take to the exam any material, books or notes you wanted; the point was: You are not going to pass the exam unless you understand the concepts, so there is no room for cheating.
> Students getting caught in mass cheating or deploying sly means to not get caught is not uncommon in India where competition is fierce as aspirants outnumber the number of vacancies for a job and seats in colleges for courses.<p>I'd like to read a long form piece on this subject. What's being done about it? India is a huge country, they need specialists no doubt!
I'm having cochlear implant and I'm able to hear sounds using a neckloop same as displayed in this video <a href="https://youtu.be/Gu2C6frbW18?t=130" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/Gu2C6frbW18?t=130</a><p>So basically I'm able to control my processor and during boring meetings or family events, I can switch to T mode and listen to music / podcasts, without anyone noticing that. I can even having it balanced.. 50%/50% , or 80% / 20% etc..<p>I'm sure that it would be so useful in cheating in exams.. hard to identify.. you have aid hearing, they never expect you will cheat with that.<p>I'm wondering what will happen if Deaf people will be caught doing that? they won't be allowed to hear at all during exams?
YC interviewer: "Please tell us about the time you most successfully hacked some (non-computer) system to your advantage?"<p>Medical student: "one time I hacked my ear..."
This is so sad. 11 years? You have have read, and re-read, every textbook for your classes like 4 times over in that period of time. It always astonishes me to see someone invest so much time in cheating, when it would take the same or less time to just do the damn work. What is worse, what happens when they have a patient and they don't know what to do because they cheated on that part of the exam? Let them die or become disabled? So very very sad.
Should’ve just used Anki religiously for a year or so instead.<p>Speaking of cheating though, I heard they have directional speakers that have a spread of only like a foot. With something like that it seems like it’d be easy to cheat.
There's no need for surgery since there are bluetooth pieces so small that can't be seen after plugged in the ear.<p><a href="https://www.spionshop.ro/image/106992.jpg" rel="nofollow">https://www.spionshop.ro/image/106992.jpg</a>
My first thought wasn’t how did he do it, but how did he got caught.<p>Then it turned out that a squad came to interrogate and search which sounds ridiculous. And then it turned out that he admitted to it. And then <i>another</i> student was caught with a non-implant device.<p>Sounds ridiculous
Another story [1] from 2017, where some guy who already cheated to become an IPS officer, tried to cheat again to become IAS. IPS (Indian Police Service), IAS(Indian Administrative Service), etc are legacy of the British Raj and their ICS (Indian civil service). Once you get through these exams, you will end being the top level bureaucrats in India. These officials collude with ministers to become super rich.<p><a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ips-officer-caught-cheating-in-upsc-mains-exam-bluetooth-1079295-2017-10-30" rel="nofollow">https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ips-officer-caught-che...</a>
When I was in university we had that peculiar professor for Quantum Mech. He would let you choose any question sheet and use books to consult. And after you say you are ready he would briefly look at your answers and will fry your brain with the questions till you are dead. Usually all my university exams were 4s and 5s out of 5. I got 3 on quantum mech and considered myself extremely happy. Drank myself to death after that. Many of the people would be just told go home, study and return some other time. Phew.<p>No gadget will save you from examiner like that one.
At what point will we start to accept human cybernetic enhancement as legitimate? We are literally one technological step away from all humans being able to communicate telepathically. Society is going to have to adapt to this reality. If a test can be gamed this easily, then it is a very poor test and I would not trust its' filtering ability at all moving forward. Rote learning will be a thing of the past once we are all augmented with the entirety of human knowledge accessible by thought.
Totally anecdotal, but... I think there's a good amount of cheating in medical school.<p>I've been personally approached by an acquaintance to assist them in cheating on an oral exam in the final stages of medical school. I obviously refused. I /really/ don't think I put off the vibe of someone who would be OK with cheating, so the fact that even I got wind of plan to cheat leads me to believe it could be fairly prevalent.
<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mp-student-gets-bluetooth-device-surgically-fitted-in-ear-to-cheat-101645552710157.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mp-student-gets-bl...</a><p>------------------------------------------------------------------------<p>"A member of the team, Dr Vivek Sathe, frisked the student and found a mobile phone in the inner pocket of his trouser. The phone was switched on and connected to a Bluetooth device, Dr Dixit said. However, the team did not find a Bluetooth device on the student.<p>On sustained questioning, the student confessed that an ENT surgeon had fitted a skin coloured micro Bluetooth device in his ear.<p>The squad also found another student with a small SIM-powered device and a micro Bluetooth device, but the student informed the squad that it was not inserted surgically and can be removed with a pin.<p>The devices have been sent to an internal examination committee, which will decide whether a police case for using unfair means in an exam should be filed, Thakur said.<p>Dr Anand Rai, the whistleblower in the so-called Vyapam scam, where various competitive exams were rigged, said: “It is very easy to get Bluetooth fitted in the ears. It is attached to the ear temporarily and can be removed. Such a technique was used by a Vyapam scam accused too to clear his medical exam eight years ago.”<p>------------------------------------------------------------------------<p>Many here take that high-risk path, even though they know that clearing the entrance is just step 0, and there are tougher exams further. Such is the mindlessness at display.
The article did not explain how the device was used for cheating. I'm ready to assume that was his intent, but in what matter would it have been employed? Was he receiving answers from a third party? That seems easy to spot: just look for the guy who is reading the questions out loud.<p>Probably they should just have people go through a metal detector before the test, to identify all these hidden devices.
Reminds me of programming in physics formulas in a Ti-83.<p>Turns out, the act of programming the formula made it easy for me to recall it without cheating.
Must be from a wealthy family to afford medical school for 11 years. What kind of lie do you even tell the person who writes the checks? And wouldn't be it awkward AF to be 11 years older than everyone around you when students are 17-21? Even more embarrassing to have every staff and professor know you for this.<p>The whole university and community knows, what are you really benefiting by keeping their name private. Publicize their face and name. Plaster it on every news site. Nobody wants a doctor who cheated in medical school. Also surprising because universities have dual tracks for graduating that most people don't know about. If you are wealthy or well connected, you get to graduate regardless of academic performance. Some professors also get kickbacks, threats, stopped favors if students aren't allowed to graduate. Perhaps the current administration of the school is not politically or power aligned with this student's connections?
> A university squad of the Devi Ahilya Bai University came for a surprise check and they found one student with a mobile phone and another with some Bluetooth device<p>It's been 15+ years since I've been in any sort of major exams. Are surprise checks like this common these days?
So implanted headphones appear to be nothing new (and haven't been for nearly 10 years), and being where they are located in this article makes a lot of sense.<p><a href="https://www.cnet.com/culture/surgically-implanted-headphones-are-literally-in-ear/" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnet.com/culture/surgically-implanted-headphones...</a><p>The effect would make it completely concealable.<p>Also it's worth noting that where the implants are completely make sense. I once wore a set of headphones that just vibrated the tragus, and was lightweight and allowed me to hear what else was going on.<p>Apparently the occulus uses this in the same capability.<p><a href="https://patent.nweon.com/7181" rel="nofollow">https://patent.nweon.com/7181</a>
A way to avoid this is to make it possible to fail. I mean, when one fails medical exam, not too much pressure / shame on the student -- they can simply do other type of work.
This is probably way more pervasive than we imagine.<p>Several years ago they uncovered a large SAT cheating scheme, out of Thailand. They even made a movie about it : <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bad_genius" rel="nofollow">https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bad_genius</a><p>And that was using way more rudimentary technology. There are a lot of rich kids willing to pay their way to a deegre.
I guess with my fully BTE integrated hearing aids I'd be suspected of cheating. If they even knew I had them on.<p>If you're not familiar with modern behind the ear hearing aids, Bluetooth is pretty common on better ones. It's like ear buds in an extremely discrete for that also happen to help you hear normally.
I’m always amazed at the amount of trouble people will go to in order to build their lives on a foundation of lies. I know there are many reasons and pressures, but what a way to start your career. If you’re successful, you’re almost guaranteeing a life of stress - and that’s assuming you don’t kill anyone.
Hmm… about 10 years ago I helped a friend pass an oral exam by talking to him over the phone. He had this “headset” that came in two parts: a tiny magnet that you insert into your ear canal, and a necklace that your put under your shirt, which was basically a large coil that vibrated the magnet in your ear.
One of the wackier pitches in an early season of Shark Tank was similar:<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDkDg33uGuc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDkDg33uGuc</a><p>My favorite part is when he describes the recharging procedure :D
Bringing this home—there is a Pycharm integration for Leetcode right now.<p>But it is reasonable that any programmer familiar with the assistance of an IDE would want the syntax highlighting, formatting and more mapped into the browser during live coding exercises.
Sharktank S1E1 realized years later (<a href="https://sharktanktales.com/ionic-ear-shark-tank-update/" rel="nofollow">https://sharktanktales.com/ionic-ear-shark-tank-update/</a>)
In a roundabout way: surgically implanting electronics arguably qualifies the perpetrator.<p>Though, I suppose if this was a test of their skill in cosmetic surgery, then detection certainly <i>would</i> count as a failure.
Not surprising. A lot of med students are status- and money-seeking people first and foremost.<p>That's why you gotta shop around for doctors when you can and evaluate them as people.
If he/she performed a surgery on a hard to reach area of themselves and there were no complications, maybe let them pass, it's kind of impressive?
Maybe the dude needs to be working on a bio-tech / wearable-computing startup... if he's willing to go this far. But I guess its a moral stain. If its his 11th year, why not pass him for his sheer persistence.
I hear they have metal detectors at the entrances of many American schools, and now I see images of a future in which you have to step through an x-ray machine or have a body cavity search before attending an exam.
Assuming the student implanted the device in their own ear, they did learn enough to be dangerous. They'll show up as a transhumanist influencer at best and a back alley surgeon at worst.
Cheating in college should be punishable with prison and heavy fines. It's essentially fraud. I certainly don't think doctors who earn their credentials through cheating should be allowed to practice in any sense